Packing Nightmare Continues

So I have undone all of my previous packing. In a rather last minute decision I ended up with more stuff to pack. While visiting Seattle I went to a board game cafe to try out some educational games that I thought might work for my kids in Comoros. I ended up picking up four games.

Story Cubes and Tell Tale, as you can probably guess, are story telling games. Applelettes and Last Letter are word games. Even if the students can't play the exact game I figure I can still use them in my own games. And I also imagine that they have never had the opportunity to play these kinds of games in their classes, so I hope it will incite more interest.

I also received my first care package! It contains pictures of my friends, family, and cat. There are also little clips to hang pictures from a line pinned to the wall. I also received a lovely journal, some cards, and a fancy soap that won't melt in the tropical heat.

I also picked up some random stuff- a lamp, sharpies, luggage locks, and so on. In the end I dumped my previously packed hiking bag out and now it looks like this:

I'll have to start from square one. Four days to go and I'm moving backwards!

Packing

It's now about two and a half week until I leave for staging! I will go to Washington DC to meet with my cohort. It's been really exciting to get to know some of the people who will be in the opening cohort for Comoros with me. There appear to be 19 of us leaving in June and there are at least seven that I have had no contact with and seven that I have had only minimal communication with. So it is time to meet the people who I will be spending the next two years of my life with!

I have, at times, been intimidated by the fact that we are opening Comoros for Peace Corps service. There will be extra challenges and difficulties but as time has gone by I've come to see it as exciting and a potential advantage. I have completed nearly all of the pre-departure tasks, some huge and some barely worth remembering, but the last, and seemingly biggest, is still ahead. Packing. I'm completely dreading it.

Since I will be spending the next week in Seattle I am trying to get most of it done now but every time I see the giant pile of clothing and stuff to sort through I chicken out. I have also been known to be a chronic under-packer. I am worried that I will over-correct this time. I am trying to tell myself that I really don't need much of anything anyway. I can buy most of what I need just like the locals do. And yet I am still obsessively making and editing lists of what I should pack or buy. I spend half the time thinking I should load up on culture appropriate clothings (think calf-length skirts, long sleeved shirts, ect) and the rest of the time I am convinced that I will buy all of that there and I should bring all of the clothing I will miss even if I can't wear it often (tank tops, shorts, ect.). Will my Peace Corps service be ruined if I don't bring rain boots? Am I going to get to my site and think "why on Earth did I think I would want to knit in the dark on this hot, damp island"? Asking other PCVs for advice generally ends in them telling me that I should bring peanut butter and a hard drive full of movies. I'm worried that by the end of all of this I will show up on Comoros with a purse full of saltine crackers and a ball of yarn.

*A more specific packing list for Comoros can be found here: Packing List.*

The PC Medical Clearance Process

While I am sure each experience is different, for me the most difficult process of joining Peace Corps was the medical clearance process. The difficulties I experienced were compounded by living abroad and being uninsured but even so, many of my cohort faced great difficulties and expenses related to medical clearance. I am devoting this post to discussing what the medical clearance process entails.

I began my medical clearance process while in Shanghai. This greatly complicated everything because I needed to find doctors who could speak English and then I had to have the lab results translated into English. It became further complicated because not all of the tests and immunizations were available in China. Some of the issues I faced might only be experienced by someone applying from abroad and some were pretty universal difficulties.

To begin with, when you accept your invitation your medical application portal will open with a variety of tasks to complete. These tasks will contain minimal instructions and a deadline. While it is in your best interest to complete them as timely as possible, if you are experiencing difficulties you can message your nurse on the med portal and get an extension for the task or advice on how to complete it. Your nurse is there to be your advocate, though it is easy to associate him/her with a roadblock to getting to your service. Try to work with your nurse rather than feeling like you are fight them. This can be hard when facing repeated bureaucracy issues and being told over and over that tasks are completed incorrectly. And this will likely happen to you. Make sure you start as early as possible for this reason.

The first task I attempted to complete was the dental task. I found an English speaking doctor and went to my appointment. Unfortunately the results of my appointment weren't acceptable to PC medical. You need very specific x-rays from your dentist. These x-rays must be a full mouth series or a Panorex with bitewings. I got a Panorex without bitewings and this didn't qualify. You will also need your dentist to fill out a periodontal evaluation which many dentists will try to tell you you don't need. You do. I had to get a second very expensive appointment with another dentist to do everything correctly.

I then tried getting my physical done. This also had endless complications. I had to see a general physician as well as specialists. Some tests weren't available and some immunizations weren't offered. The language barrier and need to translate results was also aggravating. In fact I had to bring a male friend who spoke Chinese and English along to my gyn appointment to translate for me since I couldn't find an English-speaking gyn. It was a very special experience. I also got the impression that, due to our very similar physical appearances, that the nurses thought we were inappropriately close siblings. I had to finish the exam in the States were the final immunization boosters and G6PD titer (this is a test for a genetic disorder that doesn't show up in many populations) was available. Your doctor might try to tell you that you don't need certain tests done. If it is on the physical paperwork then you need it. The PC medical staff does not seem to have any leeway to let things slide.

At the end of the day the medical clearance process cost me $1,658 excluding translation, fedex, and transportation costs. It also took about four months. Some of my cohort got through medical spending under $200 if they were insured, in the States, and had no extra medical procedures. Others of my cohort found out that they had serious, expensive dental work that had to be done before they would be cleared.

Your experience could be anywhere in between depending on the details but don't underestimate the potential expense and time of your medical clearance process! There are also many resources compiled online that you might want to check out to mitigate the costs of the physical or dental exams.

Peace Corps Timeline

One for the first questions a new applicant has about the Peace Corps process is "how long did it take". Unfortunately, there is no one answer to this question. Some people receive an interview almost immediately and some wait for many months. I suspect there are many reasons for this and not all of them have to do with your qualifications as an applicant as much as your placement officer and perhaps general luck. This is my experience.

Submitted Application 7/27/14
Country Assignment Form 7/27/14
Health History Form Received and Reviewed 7/30/14
Placed Under Consideration for Sierra Leone and Interview Scheduled 8/14/14
Interview 8/25/14
2nd Interview 09/08/14
Switched Consideration from Sierra Leone (program suspended) to Comoros 11/04/14
Follow-Up Questions by email 12/02/14
Invitation 12/03/14
Medical Clearance 04/09/14
Staging 06/08/15

It took about three week from applying until my first interview. A second interview was scheduled after we discovered a misunderstanding about when I wanted to leave for service. After my second interview it took about three months to receive my official invitation. Of course, this timeline is a little different since my original program didn't open. Sometimes when this happens a future volunteer is forced to start the application process over. Thankfully that didn't happen. Because they interviews are recorded I didn't have to interview for Comoros beyond answering a few specific questions via email. I believe all invitations for Comoros went out at nearly the same time (early December) but that is not always the case. Sometimes an invitation can go out right after the interview even before the application deadline and some can go out on the know-by-date. It seems to depend on your placement officer and your competitiveness. You'll hear the same advice over and over. Each process is a little different and all you can do it wait.

A Few Words to New Teachers

Congratulations! If you have decided to become a teacher you have answered a noble calling. Teaching can also be grueling, thankless, and difficult work. When I decided to become a teacher two years ago I was a little panicked. I had no formal training as a teacher so I sought out more experienced teachers to hear their advice. I've decided to compile a list of advice I received and lessons I have learn along the way.

*Obviously not all advice is applicable in every situation, with every age group, or with every teacher.

Go in hard:
The biggest bit of advice I heard over and over was this: go in hard. No one wants to be mean teacher. And we all want our students to like us more than other teachers and be excited to go to class. This part can come later and it won't come at all if your classroom is in disorder. It is much easier to easy up on rules and discipline than it is too try to implement it later after bad habits have developed. I heard this advice over and over. I even believed it with all my heart. It took about two weeks for me to realize that I hadn't followed it and I had the exact situation I was trying to avoid. I wanted my students to like me and thus I was lax about homework and discipline and hated giving out detention. I had a class that went running and screaming through the library, knocking over chairs and throwing books. I had failed to instill discipline and order in my class. Doing so retro-actively was hard, painful, and much more unpleasant than it is to do so from the first class.

Discipline:
Make sure the discipline method you use is in proportion to the offense and not a result of your bad mood. I have found that group enforcement is great for older students. Each of my classes would get a certain number of stars at the beginning of class. If a student broke one of the rules written on the bored than a star was lost. If the class had three stars left at the end of class they got to play a game. If they had no stars left they got extra homework. This method helped to keep my most difficult class in line. Be firm with the rules but allow students to appeal to you in private. Nothing feels quite as bad as giving a kid detention for not doing homework only then to learn from another teacher that their grandma died over the weekend.

Consistency:
Now, upon entering a new class, I immediately write the classroom rules on the board and discuss what the punishments are for disobeying those rules. Rules should be universally enforced. You don't want to gain a reputation for being unfair or inconsistent. Reward all accomplishments equally and punish all misbehavior equally. The truth is that we all have preferences for some students and hold grudges against others. It is important that our behavior as teachers not display favoritism or prejudice. This can be harder than you think.

Never yell:
This one can be hard but it is important. Yelling is a sign that you have lost total control over the class and your students will know it. If you are teaching ESL students they might not understand you when you yell and this makes it rather comical for them. Not the effect you were probably looking for. Speak clearly, firmly, and evenly. I have even found that after you have their attention and the noise has died down, lowering your voice helps (a trick learned from my father).

Ritual:
When teaching young students nothing helps quite as much as instilling ritual. Young children have an easier time staying focused and in control if they know what is coming every time. Start each class with the same opening ritual that they can participate in. This can be boring as hell for the teacher but it makes a huge difference in classroom management.

Lesson planning:
As a new teacher nothing helps get through a class quite as much as a detailed lesson plan. You don't want to be too inflexible but until you learn the pace of your class and have the material memorized it can help to have detail plans. Also, plan more than you need. Classes will often go by slower than you thought at first and few things are as awful as running out of material 20 minutes before the end of class.

Remember that you are the single biggest determiner of a good class. If you go into the class with a bad mood there is little chance of having a good class. If you have a bad class promise yourself you will do better next time and let it go. Dwelling too much won't help anything. Be forgiving of your students and yourself and let every day be a chance for a new start for all of you.

Packing Guide for Korea

When I made the decision to move to Korea to teach most things seemed to fall into place. I found a school quickly; they arranged my visa and flight. There was little to worry about except for packing. I consulted dozens of forums and blogs. I have now decided to compile my own list as I disagree with many of the sources I originally consulted. This mostly applies to women.

If you are going to be living in a reasonable sized city in Korea then packing should not cause you much stress.

Toiletries:
You will be able to buy deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, tampons and just about any facial care product known to man (Korea is the land of skin care). I wasted so much time and money buying ridiculous items like oil-absorbent face wipes and Lush hair products when all of these things were available (literally!) across the street. While tampons are not as common in Asian countries as they are in the west I saw them in nearly every grocery store. Don't pack a year supply! Do consider bring condoms. Condoms sold in Korea are often of poor quality and western men complain that they are too small (take that with a grain of salt). So only pack enough basic toiletry items to last you until you build up the confidence to brave the Korean supermarket.

Clothing:
Korea loves stylish clothes and the prices are comparable to what you would see in America. Western brand clothing is also widely available (H&M, Forever 21, AE, The Gap ect). While you should dress nicely to make a good first impression when you have just arrived, you will likely be able to dress reasonably casually at work. I would avoid shorts, and tank-tops are a no-go in Korea, but I rarely ever wore slacks to work. If you are over a US size 10 or have a shoe size greater than a US 9 you might want to consider bringing clothing to last you a year, otherwise you should be able to buy clothing with little difficulty. The exception might be bras. Pack plenty of bras. Remember that Korea is blessed with four seasons which means summers are terribly hot, winters are very cold, and it rains the rest of the time. Plan to bring or buy clothes for every season!

Household items:
I would recommend against bringing any household items. You will likely end up with an apartment previously occupied with generations of western teachers. Even if your apartment is bare I can't really think of any standard household item that is not commonly available in Korean stores. The exception might be western style sheets. Koreans tend to use thick, quilt like sheets that can be hot in summer.

Food:
Some westerners go home and bring back suitcases of food. While I found that Korea was able to supply enough imports or Korean equivalents some people are picky about a certain brand. If you cannot live without Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing then bring some. Most of the foods you will find unavailable in Korea are foods that won't travel well, such as cheeses, sour cream, or salt-and-vinegar chips. An exception might be spices. If you love to cook you might find the kinds of spices available in Korea to be limited.

School supplies:
Don't bring any! There is a stationary store on ever corner here. Your school should provide you with all necessary teaching materials.

I suppose my most important advice is to not stress too much and don't over pack. You aren't moving to the middle of the Gobi. Korea is very wealthy and industrialized and it is not lacking for luxuries or amenities. Bring personal items that you need and use every day back home to make the transition easier.

So You Want to Teach in Korea

Teaching abroad is a great way to spend time in another country while gaining work experience and earning pretty decent money to boot. There are lots of great teaching options all over the world. I have friends who have taught in Peru, Germany, Indonesia, and Japan. There are ups and downs to all locations and different motivations to chose each one. I'll be dedicating this post to teaching in Korea and will probably do a follow up about teaching in China.

There are a few things you should know about teaching in Korea-

Korea is a slightly different market than other opportunities to teach abroad. The qualifications are minimal but generally non-negotiable. The pay is pretty solid but there is often very little upward mobility. Teaching in Korea is safe, convenient and easy, but you are very much limited to teaching. If you are looking to transition into something other than teaching Korea might not be for you. But lets circle back to the pay-check again- it is totally reasonable to save $10k a year teaching in Korea. And honestly, it isn't hard to get hired having never spoken to a child before.

A job in Korea should always include these things: a flight to Korea and back home at the end of your contract, an apartment, health insurance, and a monthly pay-check of about 2 million won. Pay may vary with qualifications. If you are offered a contract that does not include these benefits you should decline. You should carefully consider your contract before signing it. It will determine how much you work, how much you get paid, your living conditions, and what benefits you get. Your contract can be enforced to the letter and any promise not written into the contact is not guaranteed.

Korea has tighter restrictions on visas than some other countries. To obtain a work visa you must a have BA degree. Unlike China this cannot be faked or by-passed because you need a copy that is certified by the government that issued the degree. You must also hold a passport from an English speaking country: those being Canada, US, UK, Australia, NZ, Ireland and S. Africa. Being a native speaker but holding a different passport won't cut it. To do anything in Korea you need an Alien Registration Card, which can only be obtained with a visa, so trying to teaching in Korea without a visa is not a viable option. The only other solid requirements are that you need to be able to pass a background check and a health check. If you have a BA, a passport from a native English-speaking country, a clean back ground check and don't have AIDS you are a shoe-in. If you don't meet these qualifications check out China.

If you meet these qualifications then the first thing to do is to find a recruiter and decide which sector you want to teach in and what kind of location you are interested in.

About recruiters- schools pay recruiters to find teachers for them so you should never pay a dime for the "opportunity to teach abroad" as they might phrase it. On that same note, always remember that the recruiter doesn't get paid unless you sign a contract so they are more interested in getting you to agree to take the job than they are in making sure you are placed in a good school. Some recruiters promise to find you another school if the school you sign with doesn't work out. Go ahead and apply with a number of recruiters and see who offers you the best options. The recruiter should also be in charge of helping you do all of your paper-work for the visa and arranging your flight. The paperwork is tedious and can take a long time so factor that into your timeline.

There are generally three teaching options in Korea: public schools, private language schools
(Hagwons), and universities. All have advantages and disadvantages.

University jobs can be hard to get, unless you are will to work outside of a major city. Most of the people that I know who held university positions got their job in Korea after having taught for a few years. These are generally the only jobs geared toward teaching adults (though there are some exceptions).

Public school jobs offer more vacations days than hagwons, but might pay less. They tend to be less risky than a hagwon job but you are also likely to be the only Western teacher in your school and you might have huge classes. The jobs are also increasingly unavailable as Korean teachers replace foreigners to cut costs. Public school jobs require a TEFL or a Master's degree. Most people that I know who have chosen this route have been very happy but I think it is an advantage to have already established a friend-base in Korea before working at a public school.

Hagwons are the most popular options but also come with a number of risks. Hagwons are for-profit language schools teaching kids anywhere from pre-K to high school. The image of the hagwon relies on having native English-speaking teachers and they are often willing to pay a premium to fulfill this. It is also important to remember that these are businesses and thus can be prone to taking advantage of teachers or even suddenly closing down without notice. It is important to research your school before accepting an offer!

Beyond considering what kind of school you want to teach in you should also consider where you want to teach. If you are applying from outside of Korea you likely have little choice or knowledge about what locations are open to you but you should consider what conditions you are looking for.

The two major cities in Korea are Busan and Seoul. There are large numbers of jobs in these cities but there are also large numbers of people looking to be placed there. Jobs in big cities often can pay less because they have more interested teachers and you should keep in mind that the cost of living is higher. Your housing will be more limited but your selection of western goods and English-speaking services will be greater.

Medium-sized cities often have a tight-knit group of expats that can be less isolating than a large, anonymous city. Unfortunately, if you don't get along with those expats you might be more isolated than ever.

Rural areas don't often see westerners and as such have added difficulties. You will be stared at, have your picture taken, and pointed at. But you will have plenty of opportunities to learn Korean and be immersed into Korean culture if that interests you.

When considering teaching abroad it is important to do tons of research to understand what you are getting into. You should also consider that what you hear on the internet (say, from Dave's ESL cafe) is going to be disproportionately negative. The majority of people who are in Korea and are enjoying their time there are not stopping to write about it on the internet. It is the people who are miserable who sit at home and complain on forums. I've only known a few people who were unable to complete their year-long contract but do be honest with yourself about your ability to undertake the huge change that is living abroad. You will at times be lonely, homesick, and aggravated with your students/coworkers/boss. Teaching in Korea can also be deeply rewarding and lucrative. It really is what you make of it.