Monthly Photo Recap: July 2013.

As I've become an avid blog reader, especially of expat/travel/South Korea blogs, I've really enjoyed when a blogger does an end of the month recap. I'm looking to keep this blog updated more frequently -- I'm still falling into the swing of getting an entry written weekly for the Aclipse blog, and with that, I've felt like steppin' up my game a little and keeping this blog even more active.

To kick off this grand plan of mine, I've decided to start a new series: Monthly Photo Recap. At the end of each month, I'm going to scroll through the photos I've taken (and probably Instagrammed), choose a handful that represent my month well, and post them. Often, I like letting a picture speak for what I'm doing -- one of the many reasons why I prefer Instagram to the likes of Twitter.

I take photos on my phone constantly. A lot do end up on Instagram, but even then, the caption they get doesn't always fully explain what's happening. And when I do get around to uploading pictures to Facebook, it's mostly just a massive photo dump, without much (or any) explanation. Posting photos at the end of each month will give me a chance to reflect on what I did and provide more information about the photo. Let's be real, I end up doing this verbally on Skype or through texting on KakaoTalk with most of my family and friends as it is, so here's all the info, for everyone, all at the same time. :)

So, without any further ado, here's the month of July, in photos.

As though it was timed with the start of the month, monsoon season officially kicked off. 

Fat cat! Scorsese and I are bonding, slowly but surely. I think it's because I've been feeding him every now and then when Corey isn't here for his eating time...

The 4th was too rainy for fireworks, so we ate Indian food and then got ice cream. 'Merica!

Birthday banner! Corey was busy making this for me while I was at work on my birthday and he hung it up across our living room window.

My Paris Baguette birthday cake -- six different flavors, which was actually a lot of fun because we were all able to try at least two kinds of cake. And it was delicious! Well, except for the sweet potato one. (Top of the photo, with the potato/fry sticks in it...) I'll pass on that one from now on. 

The Mustoy doll cafe! One of the cooler cafes I've found in Korea, second only to the dog cafe, obviously. It was a great way to spend a rainy/muggy afternoon. 

R16 Bboy Competition! My cousin's crew flew out from Las Vegas to represent North America in this international competition and we had a lot of fun watching the teams battle. As a dancer, I've always been fascinated slash completely confused by this style of dancing -- my ballerina brain just can't even comprehend some of it. Which makes for a very entertaining show. Korea walked away with the championship, which was well-deserved. The Korean team Morning of Owl was absolutely incredible. 

Rainy day in Insadong for Amy's birthday. We found a spot on top of the Ssamzigil building where people have left hundreds (maybe thousands?) of these tags hanging, all with messages. 

Wandering through the Bukchon Hanok Village. Blog entry coming soon about this area -- there's so much I want to check out, including craft museums and stuff with hands-on activities. (But it's going to take another weekend trip so I can gather the adequate amount of information.)

Le Cle, a really great little jazz bar in Samcheongdong. Nice was to enjoy our evening out, just sitting back and listening to jazz music. It made me realize how much I really, really miss live music in bars. 

Corey's birthday! (So many birthdays in July!) I got him a Pororo cake since he has a strange obsession with this particular kids show. He was excited, especially because Pororo was edible. (Read: made of solid sugar. Gross.) 

Cousins! It's been cool having a guest, especially someone that's family. I've enjoyed showing off Korea and my life here quite a lot, and I can't wait for my upcoming guests in the next couple of months! 

For Corey's birthday, we checked out a bar in our neighborhood that he's been wondering about -- Old Clock. Due to its semi-sketchy second floor exterior and the quiet neighborhood, we were fully prepared for it to be a hooker bar or something totally creepy. Turns out, it's possibly the most amazing neighborhood find ever. The woman in the photo owns all the records behind her. When we walked in, she brought us pieces of paper so we could write down requests. Upon telling her what we wanted to hear, she immediately found the record needed and put it on the turntable. Her collection is very impressive, and is her encyclopedic knowledge of her collection's discography. The whole time we were there, we only saw a few other people, who were all Korean. It was quiet, relaxed, and definitely our new favorite spot to go grab a beer. 

The sun came out! For, like, a couple hours. :( Can monsoon season end already? I know the next stage in the Korean summer is stifling humidity and heat, but right now, that sounds preferable to being rained on while walking to and from work. I'm from the South. I'm fine with being sweaty. Bring it on, Korea. 

Bowling with Corey's coworkers in honor of his birthday. 

Been feelin' the need to draw lately, and I finally finished my ongoing file folder piece, which I would work on every now and then during class when my students would be working on a test. Took me a couple weeks of working on it for maybe ten to fifteen minutes at a time, but I got it done! 

I'm teaching a summer intensive for the next couple weeks, and since it's a 10am-1pm class, this is what immediately happens when the bell rings for break time. Power naps for everyone! I wish I could put my head down too, but I'm too busy spending my five minutes of freedom guzzling coffee so I can keep the energy up for the rest of the class. The nocturnal schedule of an academy teacher definitely makes early morning teaching difficult. 

Level-up Week: Day One.
I love when the level-up exam week rolls around each term: it means hours of proctoring exams, during which I passively keep an eye on students while they take tests for hours and hours. It's gotten to where I anticipate this week of downtime, trying to plan out what I want to draw while my classes work. This time around, I've been having fun with typography. I love putting tiny, intricate details into what I draw, as well as perfectly drawing typeface, so this is an excellent theme for the week to keep myself occupied while I'm proctoring. 

Level-Up Week: Day Two.
This one was drawn for my friend Eleanor, who gave me the quote and told me to go to town. After a fair amount of going back and forth to her with different font ideas and such, this is what I came up with. I successfully finished it with an hour to spare today, which was great. I think one of the reasons I don't draw as much anymore is because I'm not in a classroom setting, imposing deadlines and exercises on me. When I'm given parameters and a timeframe and nothing else to be doing (read: proctoring), I find it much easier to knuckle down and get something finished. So I'm going to take full advantage of this week of testing. Three more days left!

And to round out this post with a photo from July 31st as well as a nice even number of pictures, here's a selfie (or selca, if you're Korean) that I took at work today, because I was a) bored and b) bummed that I was stuck inside on a day when the damn sun was actually out. 

Alright, thoughts? Feedback? I've been trying to think of other weekly things I can post about... Maybe some kind of weekly Engrish finds? Because I sure do find a lot of that stuff and it always amuses me.

Also coming soon: a damn apartment tour/post. Corey and I wanted to give ourselves time to settle in and make it look like home before showing it off, and I think we're about at that point now. We recently purchased a convection oven AND a crockpot, so we're basically living the dream over here, haha. Post coming soon! I promise!

ps. Is anyone else in denial that it's already August? Where have the past few months gone?!

Just how safe is life in South Korea?

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea. The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. It has been edited slightly for content. For more information about Aclipse and Chungdahm Learning, click here. 

When you're facing moving to the other side of the world, having tons of questions and concerns is only natural. Your recruiter/school contact will be able to answer the obvious questions -- pay, hours, living arrangements, et cetera. But even with those answers, you'll have more questions. One of my biggest questions was about safety. Do I need to worry about thieves? What about North Korea? What about my safety as a woman walking down the sidewalk alone and late at night? Here's the low-down on what to expect.

1. Pickpockets and muggers.

As is evident from photos of life in Korea, it's a wee bit crowded. In quite a few areas of the world, that's an immediate red flag. You begin planning how you can carry money discreetly, you worry about walking around with a nice DSLR camera hanging around your neck... These are valid concerns.

However, in Korea, you don't need to worry about this. At all.

Welcome to the Seoul Metro system on the weekends.

Jostling through a crowded subway car? Don't worry about someone swiping you wallet or phone, just think about how you can hold your belongings closer so as not to bump into too many people. Flashing your fancy camera around? Don't worry -- everyone else is too. (Seriously, it seems like every other person is an amateur photographer with a super nice camera.)  

I know quite a few people who have lost purses, backpacks, and phones in anywhere from a bar to a cab to a bus, all of which made their way back to them again. I mean, my boyfriend left his backpack on a city bus, it circled its entire route and came back to where we got off over an hour later -- and the backpack was still there, including its valuable contents: his passport and his hard drive. Completely untouched.

There seems to be a general attitude of "I don't want to take your stuff and you don't want to take mine." It's easy to fall into this mutual agreement of trust and it definitely makes life and traveling a little less stressful. 

2. North Korea.

According to Western media, North Korea is constantly on the verge of losing their minds and attempting to blow up the entire world. I mean, technically, the two Koreas are still at war, with 1953's "resolution" simply being a cease-fire agreement. But life here gives no indication that it's essentially a warzone, with the exception of a conspicuous military presence, both Korean and American.

Oh, hey, North Korea. Things are looking pretty calm. 

During the most recent "scare" this past spring, I was actually back in the States on vacation, and it was truly interesting to watch Western media's take on the whole drama. On the news, it looked like North Korea had its finger on the trigger, ready and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Feeling slightly concerned, and being barraged with questions of "Are you seriously going to go back to Korea," I checked in with my boyfriend and friends back in Incheon. Everything was fine. The Koreans weren't even remotely concerned, placing no stock in the empty threats from the North.

For South Korea, hearing the North make empty threats is just another day. It doesn't happen regularly, but the drama of the North's hermit regime has been such a constant for the past sixty years, so the citizens here don't give it a second thought. My students and I have dicussed this at length, and the reaction is always the same: a shrug and an eyeroll, as if to say, "Oh, psh, silly North Korea." 

Plus, the bottom line is: If the North actually attempts to do anything, the greater military powers of this world will ensure that attempt is the end of North Korea -- which is the last thing the North Korean government actually wants. Between the ominous threat of the U.S. and the North's own sense of self-preservation, nothing is going to happen, and living in the South is as safe as can be. 

3. As a woman.

Back home in Oklahoma and Texas, walking down a dark side street to my car late at night would put me on edge. Living in Korea, I've been pleased with how safe I feel when I'm walking alone at night. It's been very rare that I've actually felt the need to keep my guard up and really watch my surroundings. 

Largely, you're going to see plenty of other people out late walking around (many of them will be students, on their way home from studying), and they aren't going to have any more interest in you than you do in them. I have friends (who are ladies) who like to go on late night walks after eating dinner, and they've never felt like they were in an unsafe situation. 

For the most part, the come-ons I've gotten from men have been very polite, like this greasy pizza box paper, delivered by a waiter from a drunk group of Korean men. 

Obviously, use your common sense and judgment. Some dark alleys should still be avoided. You're still going to be leered at by drunken businessmen, and some men might even attempt to catcall you with a "Hello! Beautiful!" But not once have any of these men actually been aggressive -- at least not to me. It would be absurd to rule out the possibility of this happening, but it definitely isn't as bad as home. I've felt safe and generally completely ignored, which is exactly how a late night stroll should feel. 

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From talking with friends and discussing safety in Korea, there was overwhelming agreement that this country, considering how jam-packed it is with people, is amazingly safe and calm. We never worry for our safety while living here, which is not something most of us can say of our home countries. So don't let yourself be concerned! Safety is not worth stressing over -- instead let yourself get worked up over some of the legitimate concerns: how to fill your free time with the maximum amount of exploring and street food eating. 

Do you have any additional feedback about safety in Korea? Anything to add? Anthing I've forgotten? Leave it in the comments below! 

Rainy Season Activity: Hongdae's Mustoy Cafe

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea. The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. It has been edited slightly for content. For more information about Aclipse and Chungdahm Learning, click here. 

Right now, Korea is smack in the middle of the infamous monsoon season. While it can make walking to work a little less than pleasant, you can’t let it hamper your free time, especially your weekends. Since the out of doors is particularly damp, hot, and muggy, finding indoors activities is a top priority. Luckily, Seoul has a wide range of things to keep you both dry and busy. You can go the normal route like museums and movies, or you can track down some of the more unusual activities. A good weekend diversion? The Mustoy Café in Seoul... 

Mustoy, as I’d read on the Korea Tourism site, is a café in the Hongdae area of Seoul that includes a unique art project: for ₩15,000 (a little less than $15 USD), you're given a ceramic doll and markers to color in however you want. The price also includes a drink of your choice: coffee, juice, or tea. After seeing a few pictures online and scanning through various blog entries, I was sold. As a belated celebration of my birthday, I gathered up my fellow CDI teacher friends and we headed off to Hongdae.

The outside of the cafe. Check the end of the post for directions!

The café itself is quite tiny, and when the six of us walked in, nearly every table was occupied, save the larger table that conveniently seats six people. The cafe is adorable, with a definite artsy vibe, mostly due the countless colorful Mustoy dolls that people have left behind for display on the shelves lining the walls.

Other customers hard at work. 

A tiny selection of the Mustoy dolls on display.

We were enthusiastically greeted by the café’s employees, ushered to the table, and then the explanation of how this whole thing worked began. There are two main types of dolls: the mussky and the musppy. Some are big, some are small, some are white, some are different colors. There's even one that looks like a cat and another that doubles as a pen holder. Examples of each of these were placed before us so we could carefully make this crucial decision.

Some of our options...

Most cost the standard ₩15,000, with a couple special dolls being a little pricier at ₩20,000. After telling the kind woman who works in (and possibly owns?) the café which dolls we each wanted to decorate, our selections were brought out to us along with a small card for a practice drawing and all the permanent markers we could want.

I went with the "Musppy," the "happy girl." 

We were told not to worry about making mistakes on our dolls because each basket came with q-tips and rubbing alcohol, making it easy to carefully erase anything deemed unsatisfactory. I found this very useful because drawing on a ceramic, round object is actually much more difficult than you would anticipate...

The "Zannah's really busy concentrating on drawing" face that I've made my entire life...

Our lovely hostess, making conversation with us as we worked. 

One thing that impressed me about this cafe, besides the opportunity to be creative and artistic, was the staff. The woman who helped us was extremely friendly and interested in talking with us. I imagine she gets a lot of foreigners in the café, and she was happy to chat with us about our lives here and where/what we taught. She actually knew a thing or two about Chungdahm -- I believe she said her son attended one of our locations for a bit! Her English was great and she seemed quite curious about what we were drawing -- she firmly believes that what you draw on your Mustoy speaks for your inner character and personality.

My finished doll! 

When she saw my doll, she said people who draw like this are usually very mathematical, scientific, and logical. When I told her that I hate math and science, she frowned and started laughing. After thinking about it, I realized she was probably right. While I preferred art, ballet, acting, and reading, I can't say that I'm bad at math or science. She nodded wisely, with a "I knew I was right" expression, and teased me that it's a shame I'm not putting my detailed, mathematical mind to use in a related field.

Our finished dolls! We had a little photoshoot to show off our artwork.

Our Mustoys were carefully bubblewrapped and boxed up once we were ready to go, guaranteeing they would survive the rest of the day's activities in Seoul. While I waited on everyone else to pay, I carefully examined the dolls on display a little more and found some really remarkable ones:

Someone has some serious art skills, as seen here in these portraits of last year's presidential candidates, with current President Park Geun-Hye in the middle.

So good! I wish I could say these were mine...

We all really enjoyed our weekend afternoon at the Mustoy Café, and it was a perfect activity to beat this dreary patch of weather. Between its convenient Hongdae location and its proximity to lots of other great Seoul activities, I highly recommend spending a couple hours sipping on some coffee and decorating a little figurine. Not only will it keep you dry, but it's an offbeat way to relax from a week of teaching, and it comes with its own souvenir! I'm really looking forward to going back, actually. I'm feeling inspired by some of the impressive Mustoys I saw on the shelves... Next time you're in Hongdae and have time to kill, check it out!

Directions:

Take the subway to Hongik University (Hongdae) Station, which is on Seoul Metro Line 2, the Airport Express Line, and the Gyeongui Line. Take exit 9, then make an immediate left into the street. You’ll take a right on the last possible street and follow that until you come to a large intersection. Once you reach the busy street, you’ll make a left, which is near a glasses store. You’ll pass a KB Bank as you walk up the hill, and then when you see a restaurant called Nolita, make a left. Walk straight up the hill, which will jag to the left a little, and keep an eye out for the sign, which will be on your right!

Have you been to Mustoy Café? Do you have any indoors rainy day activities to help us get through this monsoon season? Leave a comment below! 

Visiting Osan's 221 Year Old Traditional Market

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea. The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. It has been edited slightly for content. For more information about Aclipse and Chungdahm Learning, click here. 

The first weekend of every month, Osan hosts their monthly traditional market, so last month, some fellow Chungdahm teachers and I went to check it out. Traditional markets are very common in Korea, and any length of time spent in this country needs to include a visit to a market. So what makes Osan's market so special that we traveled a couple hours to get there? Well, according to the great internet, it's been around for over 200 years. A mention of it exists in a publication from 1792 called Hwasong Kyolriji, proving it's been around for a very, very long time. 

The entrance to the market down an alley.

Osan's huge market is set up next to a large street near Osan Station, and operates the 3rd through the 8th of every month. Countless vendors set up shop under tents and umbrellas, selling literally everything you could imagine. 

After wandering through the crowded maze in the alleyways, we came to the main building. Osan's market is primarily housed in this large open-air building, but on the bigger weekends, vendors and their wares spread out into every available open space inside and outside the building. You'll find actual storefronts inside the building, selling the same variety of products, as well as a number of restaurants. 

It was in here that we found some more interesting items for sale... 

Okay, so this isn't really that unusual...

But... this is something new.

We asked what the little worms were for -- my guess was fishing? Turns out, these are silkworms. The little jar had samples of silk, so customers could see what they would get from raising some of these worms.

For me, the draw of these markets is always the fresh produce. As someone who frequents farmers markets back home, I love being able to support local farmers instead of big grocery superstores. Plus, the produce at the markets is typically cheaper and better quality than in the stores! The best apples I've found in Korea have always been from a local farmer selling them at a market. 

My purchases: apples and raspberries. 

These markets, I've found, are also a great spot to hunt down some plants to decorate your new Korean apartment. A couple of my friends picked up little succulents to add some green life to their homes.

It didn't take long before the smells coming from the food tents were making our stomachs growl, so we set out in search of something to eat. While the street food was tempting, one friend mentioned a local brunch spot, which I immediately agreed with. Street food is delicious, but I needed brunch. 

We stopped into a spot called Homestead Coffee and had what I would call respectable-although-not-entirely-authentic brunch. To explain, the "American Brunch" had an egg on top of the two pancakes, with a slice of cheese melted in the middle... Since that's how they decided it should be eaten, I gave it a go. It was fine, but just not the same. I need my syrupy pancakes. 'E' for effort, Homestead. We tried a couple of their sandwiches as well, which were unexpectedly spicy, but still good. Overall, it still hit the spot.

After our successful trek through the market and a tasty brunch, we wandered around a bit more, checking out the Engrish shirts we could find in different stores. One last stop was necessary, and that was for some dessert, in the form of hotteok. A traditional market is an ideal place to find delicious street food, and even though we did brunch, I was happy to make room for some street food dessert. 

With our plants and fresh fruit in hand, we headed back to Incheon, completely worn out from the long day of walking around. If you're ever looking for a great traditional market experience or just in the mood to pick up some produce/cacti/silkworms, Osan is the place to go! 

Have you been to any traditional markets in Korea? What experiences have you had? Leave a comment below! 

Boardwalks & Carnival Games: Incheon's Wolmido Island

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea. The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. It has been edited slightly for content. For more information about Aclipse and Chungdahm Learning, click here. 

If you're looking for a weekend trip that combines an ocean boardwalk, street food, carnival rides, and possibly rigged carnival games, look no further than Wolmido Island. It's a ten minute cab ride away from Incheon Station and definitely has enough activities to while away an entire Saturday. I mean, what better way to wind down after a week of teaching English than to hit an arcade and try to win some stuffed animals?  

The outer edge of the small amusement park on Wolmido.

Wolmido is an island just off the coast of Incheon, and in 1989, it was connected to the mainland by a highway, making it very easy to reach. The island has a large park as well as a nice boardwalk, lined with cafes, restaurants, and an amusement park complete with an arcade. 

Contrary to the gloomy skies (and general vibe of being a little creepy) in the above photo, Wolmido was bustling. The amusement park area, known as Play Hill, was packed with groups of families and friends, waiting in line for rides and playing arcade games. The island definitely has a family-oriented vibe, and it seemed like the weather hadn't discouraged anyone from coming out to enjoy their weekend. While we were walking around over the course of the day, we happened across a televised MMA tournament at one end of the boardwalk and a bboy performance down at the other. Then in the evening, the street performers were out, busking away. 

One of the first rides we came across in the amusement park was one a few of us had encountered before... A terrible, terrible thing, commonly known as a Disco Pang Pang. (I think the Wolmido version is called the Apollo Disco.)

No. Thank. You. 

This ride is quite common in Korea, from amusement parks like this to the basements of buildings in areas with a popular night life. It spins, you have no seatbelts, and there's an operator who basically does everything he can to make you fall into the center by tipping it from side to side... Also, he's cackling and yelling at you the whole time. It is hands down one of the most dangerous things I have ever seen in my life. This did not, of course, stop most of our group of CDI teachers from immediately buying tickets and getting in line. For a video of this lawsuit waiting to happen, check out my Instagram feed -- I have a short clip of it in action, with my friends flailing around as they hung on for dear life. 

After that harrowing experience, everyone was ready to find the boardwalk and get some fresh ocean air. The overcast day made for a pretty seascape as we wandered around. 

The tide was in, submerging the railing on this small dock, and looking post-apocalyptic. 

The boardwalk.

Wolmido's monorail can be seen in the photo above, but for some reason it isn't running... So it's just sitting there, unused, looking semi-futuristic. 

In addition to the scenic view, restaurants, and cafes, the boardwalk also offers a ton of good old fashioned carvival games. Obviously, we couldn't resist the siren call of darts and air hockey. 

It took three of us throwing darts to win this stuffed dog. 

While there were plenty of restaurants that looked great, we were hellbent on eating street food and only street food. Conveniently, the food stalls were busy cooking up every served-on-a-stick item that we could want. 

Panoramic view of the coastline at dusk. 

The edge of the crowd gathered to watch the MMA fighting competition. 

By the time dusk rolled around, the boardwalk activites were starting to die down. We walked through the amusement park some more, checking out their arcade and getting sucked into some games of Tekken 6. (Sadly, there was a distinct lack of skeeball on this island.) We checked out some other little carnival games, looked at what was being sold in a couple shops, and decided to call it a night. 

As we were leaving, a boat passing by on the water started setting off some fireworks, which felt like a nice way to end the day. 

Wolmido is a great day trip from the greater Seoul area, or definitely something to add to your itinerary if you're exploring other spots in Incheon.

To get to Wolmido, take the Seoul Metro Line 1 all the way to the Incheon-end: Incheon Station. From there, it's a short cab ride away! For more information / other options, see the Incheon Tourism site.

Have you been to Wolmido? Are you a Disco Pang Pang survivor? Leave a comment below! 

5 Ways to Have FUN in the Classroom at CDI

This blog entry was originally published on the Aclipse Blog, which is produced by current Chungdahm Learning teachers in Korea. The blog features entries on current events around Korea, advice for incoming teachers, and the best spots sightseeing, shopping, and eating. The original entry can be viewed here. It has been edited slightly for content. For more information about Aclipse and Chungdahm Learning, click here. 

The Korean education system doesn't always lend itself to fun times. I mean, that's largely true of most schools in the world, to varying degrees, but it's on a whole different level here. My students are constantly telling me horror stories of their public school classes: class is so boring, the teachers are like robots, the teachers always yell at them, etc. So how can you, their English academy teacher, make it a little bit better? It's actually pretty simple...

Unfortunately, the hours spent in their regular schools each day means the prospect of coming to their English academy for an additional three hours of studying isn't exactly... appealing. Some students will still be wonderful -- they just have a naturally cheery outlook and will be angels in your classroom. But largely, even your best students would still rather be playing outside or on a computer than sitting in class. More homework and studying? No thank you, they say.

This is where you, as the teacher, can really ease their pain by finding ways to make the classroom more fun. Here are my five tried and true ways to bring a little more life and laughter into the classroom.

**Note: When it comes to rules and regulations at CDI, here's my disclaimer: I work for a strict branch, and yet these things are allowed. Each location is able to set its own tone, so there will be variations in what is and is not allowed. If you feel like any of the following are pushing the boundaries of what's kosher at your branch, speak to your Head Instructor or Branch Manager before implementing it in the classroom. Better safe than sorry, ya know?**

1. Supplement a lesson with photos and videos. 

So, so many of our lessons can be supplemented by an outside resource that's easily found on the Internet. The most simple of these options? Photos. A picture to accompany the topic is always great, and sometimes it's necessary to explain a vocabulary word that the students may not know. Learning about the tsingy formations in Madagascar? Frida Kahlo's paintings? Not exactly easy to explain or draw on the board. Show the kids some high-res photos -- it'll really help their understanding.

I, for one, didn't know what a tsingy was before teaching this lesson. (Photo credit.)

When you need more than just a photo, videos are super handy. A lesson about superhero physics, mentioning Sue Storm and Cyclops? The latest movies featuring these characters are over ten years old, meaning most of our students have no clue who they are -- so what better way to acquaint them than by showing some short movie clips from YouTube.

Other topics, such as ones that focus on scientific topics, can possibly be supplemented with a short documentary video. Some of our uppermost levels already have a DVD clip to supplement the listening classes, and I feel like it really does enhance their understanding of and interest in the topic.

If you're having trouble finding a good video clips on YouTube, especially on scientific or academic topics, check out TED Talks. Tons of different topics are covered in their videos, you can sort your search options by length, AND you can add subtitles -- English or Korean. 

Obviously, pre-screen the video before showing it to the class -- you always want to make sure there isn't any bad language or super violent gore! These videos are meant to help, not traumatize.

2. Add personal anecdotes -- yours OR theirs! 

Creating an engaging atmosphere is entirely on you, the teacher. Luckily, CDI's curriculum gives you some golden opportunities to be a comedian. From the stories in EC and Memory to the topical lessons in Bridge through Albatross+, you can definitely ham it up and get the kids engaged.

A recent lesson, all about pranks and hoaxes, is one of my favorites, simply because I can give the kids a dramatic retelling of the ridiculous pranks I've pulled in my life -- complete with over the top pantomime and slapstick humor. Then I turned it over to them -- after hearing my crazy stories, they were excited to share and nearly every hand was in the air. Finding ways to relate the topic to their lives definitely gets their attention and their interest. Plus it's a fun way to get to know your class! By getting them all laughing, they feel more comfortable with you. 

Various class discussions have even led to inside jokes, some of which have persisted well beyond when I actually had the students in my class. Sharing stories with each other can really help foster good relationships with your students, which in turn greatly impacts their attitude towards your class.

Also, it's worth noting that in listening to my stories and relating their own, they're greatly improving their speaking skills. A strong class discussion is so vital to giving them an opportunity to speak in an unprepared, unscripted way, which is definitely one of the hardest aspects of becoming fluent in a foreign language.

3. Modify CTP to include something creative. 

The Critical Thinking Project at the end of most classes is a great time for the kids to let loose a little. The topic of the CTP is important because it's related to their online homework, so don't stray too far from what's assigned in the book. However, many CTPs can be supplemented with a little somethin' extra.

The lesson had included a story about time travel, so I made this flyer for the CTP so the class had something to color and fill in.

When a CTP is particularly dry, I encourage students to also draw some kind of illustration or turn their final report into a skit once they've completed the bookwork. This allows them to show off some of their creativity, and also gives the rest of the class something interesting to look at or watch when the group is presenting. Sometimes, I've drawn up a template for them to fill and color in, other times, I've left them to their creativity.

She was playing the role of a "wise grandfather" for their skit, and needed a beard.

4. Encourage the use of props.

Quite a few of the CTPs already include a skit or a news report, so this is a great opportunity to encourage your students to use props. An easy, obvious way to make this happen is to provide the props yourself -- from a simple drawing of a sword that you've cut out or a cheap plastic microphone toy from the dollar store. Set a precedent by making these props available to the students and they'll become more and more comfortable with the idea of incorporating them.

One of my students keeps this prop in her bag -- she taped a photo of a microphone to a plastic tube and it gets used in almost every CTP.

If you cultivate a prop-friendly CTP environment, you'll be surprised with how creative the kids get. In some classes, you'll probably have to help them quite a bit, simply because this will be a new challenging element of the project, but once they get into the swing of it, the results are fantastic. The entire class becomes more interested when a group is presenting, the group itself is having more fun, and you feel good as the teacher for creating a great environment.

Paper, identity-protecting "mosaics," for a CTP that involved anonymous advice column letters. (These children, of course, are oblivious to any resemblance to an infamously racist organization... They were so proud of their idea that I kept my mouth shut.)

5. Create teamwork games. 

CDI's curriculum is pretty jam-packed with activities. In all levels, the students work on reading and listening comprehension, as these are important skills for English proficiency exams like the TOEFL. Often, these exercises come as a workbook page, including short-answer questions that require paraphrasing and answer justification. Sometimes, these pages serve as the daily quiz, but other times, it works well to let the students work in teams. 

To keep the classroom atmosphere at a level of contained chaos, I usually keep my teams to no more than two students. If it's a particularly well-behaved class, I'll let them work in a group of three or four, but usually, it's easiest (and best) to just do partner work. I explain the exercise, remind them of the requirements for their answers to receive full points, set a time limit, and let them get to work. When time is up, I check one book from each team, the stipulation being that all books must be filled in with the same answers. If there are seven questions, they can receive a maximum of 700 points. If one answer is wrong, they have the chance to correct it for half (50) points.

Classroom groupwork action shot, courtesy of a student who agreed to snap some photos on my phone for me. (Gotta love the two boys posing for the photo...)

I stand behind this strategy of teamwork games because it's absolutely fair. Every team gets the same chance for full points, so there won't be any cries of "You always call on the other team for an answer! This isn't fair!" What's even better is it challenges them to come up with the best possible answers, as those are the only ones considered correct -- and let me tell you, these kids love competition. They also love coming up with ridiculous team names so points can be tracked on the side of the board.

As further motivation, I'll sometimes, with their agreement, use their in-class quiz scores to add to their team's points. I'll average the score for the team -- add up what each member got and then divide it by the number of kids on the team. Knowing their quiz score will affect their team's points, the studens are often way more interested in actually trying on their quiz instead of just picking answers. 

When it comes to prizes, check and see what's allowed at your branch. Mine discourages from actually giving physical prizes, so we're encouraged to cut a page of their homework. All levels have a puzzle in their homework book, either a crossword or a word search, and it's always an excellent page to cut. Most students don't seem to like it much, anyway, so it's a win-win. 

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Teaching at CDI is a great opportunity, and with the right attitude (from both you and the students), you can make a rigorously academic environment become one that the kids genuinely enjoy. Feel free to swipe any of my tips -- I hope they'll be as useful for you as they have been for me! 

Do you have any other ideas for bringing fun into the classroom? Do you use any of the above methods already? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts and advice!