It’s been four months since I flew all the way from New York to South Korea. Though there are so many things I’ve grown accustomed to do –  speaking a few words in Korean to staff and students, choosing an activity that engages a particular class’s learning ability, it took time to get there. I am not perfect but I’ve definitely made lots of progress. Moving to a new country with a different culture, language and lifestyle takes getting used to. I’ve made mistakes. But as time went on, what used to be hard became easier. Next thing I knew I had a list of lessons to share.

Here are 7 things I’ve learned and continue to remind myself of :

1. You won’t always get things right.

And that’s okay. You may not even get things right the first, second, third or tenth time. It could be anything from learning/remembering your students and staff members names (For students, it took me over three months. What helped? Creating name tags on the first day, returning homework, quizzes, and taking attendance in after school.), adjusting to your homeroom teacher or co-teacher’s co-teaching styles, teaching a successful lesson that engages low and high level students, to saying/doing the appropriate Korean greeting or gesture towards students and staff. But it’s okay. Mistakes are opportunities to learn.

2. Use and look for resources early on.

When I first started teaching I remember staying up for hours creating PowerPoints for my classes. I teach at least  20 classes (including after school) in a week. Imagine how much time I’d need to spend to work on that. When I found out about waygook.org ($20 a year), korshare.org (free) and teachkorea.kr (free, I think) and many others,  I was stoked. The small subscription fees doesn’t compare to the amazing resources you get access to. After subscribing, I could prepare a week’s worth of lessons within a few days. These platforms were created for teachers to share their lesson plans with other teachers. I am super grateful. I can always modify lessons I find to suit my students. Having a foundation is super helpful. 

3. The classroom environment is what you make it. 

For the most part that is. A teacher only has control over him or herself. Sometimes the students or just one might be having a bad day. You’ll never know what to expect, everyday is different. But if you come with a positive mindset, be prepared to experience something similar to that. The students feed on your energy too. And if something does go wrong, you can easily address it in a positive way.

4. Consider your students interest and English comprehension level.

Every class is different, even if there of the same grade. Observe and listen to the way your students react towards a game. What do they talk about? What are they into? Pop music? History? Are they competitive? My students love a good competition and hearing music from their favorite K-pop groups. Incorporating their interest helps make the classroom experience fun for both the teacher and the student. Sometimes in an attempt to just complete the lesson you may forget that there are students with different English levels in the classroom. Some get left out.

It can be challenging to teach across different learning levels but it’s possible. One way to start is having extra worksheets for students who finish early or mixing the difficulty of answers in a game. I’ve always found that I’ve struggled with my low level English classes. Sometimes the lessons are too difficult. And I’d feel really bad. But there’s always the next class. I’d go back to the drawing board and make adjustments. 

5. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.

Especially with your homeroom teachers or co-teachers regularly if you can. They have both teaching experience and prior knowledge of the students you’re teaching. They also usually know each students English abilities and what has worked and didn’t work in the classroom. Communicating helps with planning, coordinating and executing great lessons together. Co-teaching styles differ across classes and schools.

I am still working on this. Sometimes the homeroom teachers or co-teachers are very busy, so meeting is challenging. Or we have another class to teach or conflicting schedules. But it’s worth a try. Talking with my homeroom teachers has helped me to understand my students and get fresh ideas for future lessons.

6. Share your experience with other foreign teachers.

Most foreign teachers in Korea are in at least two to three chat groups. In my case it’s KakaoTalk or Facebook. These platform helps you to learn, share your experience and sympathize with each other. You are not alone. Many times you’ll find that there’s at least one person going through the same thing. If not, they have already dealt with it and now have a solution. Asking another teacher for tips is one of the best ways to improve quickly. Need classroom management tips? Ask. Need ideas to liven up your after school class? Ask. You won’t be sorry. You can also check online discussion and forums too. 

7. You’re always making progress.

Repeat after me: You’re always making progress. Whether you realize it or not, especially as a first-time teachers. Each lesson you teach provides a lesson in and of itself. Somehow they indirectly guide future lessons to be better than the last. Taking time to reflect after my  lessons and jotting down what worked and what didn’t work has helped me tremendously. I am sharing an Excel spreadsheet that I use to make notes after my classes. When you look back, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come. What are some lessons you’ve learned since you started teaching?