Katherine Ruether
HR Coordinator for South Korea
Katherine in Seoul, South Korea
College was over and the ink on my bachelor’s degree had barely dried when a voice in the back of my head started nagging me with the inevitable question, “Now what?” I knew I loved traveling. I also thought teaching sounded like a fun challenge. Why not combine the two? Why not teach English in Korea?
Even though I had tutored a few grade school and middle school kids, the thought of teaching a whole classroom full of kids scared me. Would they listen to me? Would I be able to teach the material? Would they understand me? I hoped so. Even though I was afraid, I knew teaching in Korea was something I wanted to do. I guess that’s my personality–I see an opportunity that scares me a little or a lot and I want to do it. That’s why I studied abroad twice during college (in England and in Costa Rica). That’s also why I bungee jumped off a bridge.
Armed with two suitcases, my employment contract, and an open mind, I boarded my plane for Korea. The next week, I found myself standing in front of the class–my class–with a dozen young eyes staring at me. Reality started sinking in: my first day teaching English, a day I had been imagining (and maybe secretly dreading) for months, was finally materializing. No turning back now.
If I could sum up my first day–or my first week–in one word it would be busy. Busy trying to learn the names of the students. Busy juggling all my 14 different classes and six different textbooks. Busy learning how to work the copy machine (all in Korean, of course). I fact I guess I was so busy that first week that I forgot to be afraid.
But you know what? It got easier. I learned all my students names (even the multiple Kevins, Jennys and Nancys) and could greet them in the hall. I learned about Jacques Cousteau, sandstorms and the inventor of the popsicle (Frank Epperson) right along with the kids…and that’s okay. I learned how to make double sized copies scaled down to 86%. Like I said, it got easier. That’s not to say that teaching ever gets “easy.” Kids have a way of keeping you on your toes, not that I always mind.
- Katherine Ruether