Student life

It's been over two weeks, and teaching 6 classes of 5th graders, 3 times a week has allowed me a small insight into Korean students' lives.

A few days ago, my co-teacher gave each 5th grade class an exam, to test their knowledge of the unit we finished. Usually students sit in three rows of two students each, but on test day students came into the class room and upon instruction from my co-teacher immediately re-arranged the desks into six single rows of desks. This keeps students from being able to see what their neighbor is writing. What struck me about this was the familiar way in which students went through the action of re-arranging the classroom, taking the test and when finished, placing their hands on their head to indicate their completion. The comfortable way in which student performed all actions indicated to me that they were tried-and-true test takers. Their actions spoke of a weary resignation to dreaded exams. I have not taught in an American 5th grade class, but looking back to my own experiences as a 5th grader, I did not take exams and tests as seriously as they are taken in my Korean school.

Another observation:
Last week I went to the library a few streets from where I live. The library is close to my school as well. As I was walking up the stairs to the English section on the third floor, I passed the glass encased study room. Sitting at the tables were some of my students from 5th grade, diligently bending over their homework. My shock at seeing them working so studiously made me realize that, for me, 5th graders are still children. I don't think of them as serious students, trekking to the library after school to study. I certainly didn't think of myself as a serious student when I was in 5th grade. At that age school was about making friends, learning because it's fun, not more, not less.

The two observations above highlight an aspect of Korean student culture that (I think) differs from our own. In the US, 5th graders are certainly expected to learn much as well, however I think the US takes a more "what happens in school stays in school" approach. What I mean by that: US 5th grade students are expected to participate in school, and do their homework. But serious studying outside of school is not necessary. Instead, teachers and parents encourage students to balance studying with play outside of school. Here, in Korea, I think teachers and parents encourage students to study in school as well as out of school. Even in Elementary school parents pay for their children to go to academies for various subjects to study and learn so they will be ahead of their class. I think this is a big difference to the States.

However, I have also seen that more than anything, Korean 5th graders ARE still kids, and they joke and play as much as American kids do. It is just a different balance.