Let People In

Working in my hagwan was undoubtedly overwhelming in the first so months. The school provided an orientation and gave us multiple materials to help prepare, however the orientation happened so quickly that all of my learning began when I actually started teaching. I felt the hagwan could have provided a much more thorough orientation, but the actual resources they provided were helpful. Other foreign English teachers in my school were incredibly supportive and we immediately began planning trips around Seoul together. These immediate social connections were key in helping me work through the initial culture shock. In the beginning, I think it's ok to find other fluent English speakers to explore Korea with, even if your goal is to learn more about the Korean language. Initially, a solid friend group with whom you can easily communicate is immensely helpful. Even if you feel extremely tired after a long day of teaching, it's worth making time to spend time with another person or a crowd to help keep you grounded. A co worker a really admire told me...."Learning how to adjust in Korea means that sometimes you have to let people in." She was speaking about confiding in others.

Working in my hagwan has often felt exhausting because of the number of hours spent teaching and the amount of administrative tasks the teachers are required to finish, but the students are always happy to see their teachers, and watching them grow in their learning and confidence has helped me feel as though working in the hagwan has truly been an accomplishment.