A typical week

Well golly, it’s been a while between posts. And it’s been a while here in Korea too, over a month now in fact. Boy, does time fly. It’s taken a while but I'm finally starting to get the hang of things. After the first few weeks of intense lesson planning and crazy settling-in stuff, everything is becoming pretty routine. I’ve made and stuck to a weekly schedule which has helped a lot too:
Monday
Period 2 Year 8, then prep for period 5 Year 7, lunch, Year 7 class, prep for Tuesday’s Year 10 class. Sometimes I have to stay back till 10pm. That’s when I take dinner with the other teachers (in silence as I listen to their Korean) and search for hilarious YouTube material for class. You can often find me struggling to contain laughter in the mostly silent staff room. I usually pretend I'm coughing to mask it.
Tuesday
A relatively easy day. Only the one Year 10 class at Naemyeon High school at 11:40am, but I usually plan the week’s remaining lessons for the rest of the day. Again, sometimes I stay back late.
Wednesday
Huge day. Go straight to Yulchon Elementary for Year 5 then Year 6. Man, I love those classes. Then driven straight to Changchon Elementary for Year 4 then 3. Kids are so cute but hyperactive. Then lunch and prep for tomorrow’s classes. Then vice-principal of Wondong Elementary comes to pick me up for the two combined classes there (Year 3-4, Year 5-6). By the end of the day I am totally spent.
Thursday
Prep for Year 7 and 8 classes periods 3 and 4, lunch then prep for tomorrow’s classes. Stream the latest episode of Lost so I can watch it later tonight. No internet at the apartment, you see.
Friday
Year 7 period 1, then Year 9 period 2. Prep for Year 11 class at 1:20pm at the high school. Finish school and may go back to Chuncheon with co-teacher, and hang out with his lovely family, or head out myself to catch up with other EPIK teachers. The Chuncheon or Hongcheon bus terminals can take you almost anywhere within Korea.
Weekend
Wherever the wind blows, stock up on household supplies, unwind etc. Prep for Monday classes if I'm feeling like it.