::A Geek in Korea::

Today was the first day I began telling students that the school was closing. I handed out the schools official announcement, and while I couldn’t read it all, it mentioned something about how another branch of the school, a location I used to work at before I moved, would be offering classes.  I don’t think they mentioned the real reason we were closing, but it was a start. I think they offered new times at another location because several of the classes had purchased new books, but they never got a chance to complete them, so the students and parents had complained.

As recently as three weeks ago they were in denying the school would close, so they never let on things were changing. The teachers went on the assumption that someone would let us know when something so radical would occur.  We taught books with the expectation that we had a whole year to finish them.  Ultimately, it’s not my problem anymore.

I  announced to the class that sometime this week would be our last class, and that we wouldn’t be returning from out break. Most of the students got a puzzled "Why?" look on their face that the paper didn’t really explain, but without fail, every student that had failed their previous test or hadn’t done well in my class cheered at the announcement. It’s not like this is the only school that exists. By closing the school it’s not like they wouldn’t be forced to go study elsewhere. The students that wanted to be at the school and did well were saddened by the news.

The last class for everyone will be a snack party with games. Drinks will be my treat for all the kids. BYOS (Bring your own snacks) of course.

Anyway, the drama never ends. We were paid in cash today, which leads me to believe that the shady dealings at my school continue. I’m glad I’m getting out from under this cloud of legal uncertainty and trying to find a more reputable employer that can give me assurances up front about their obligations. I had two more interviews today at local schools. Both of them went into the "improbable that I would ever work there" file, but we sat through their hard sell.

It’s a confidence booster to go into a school and be able to make demands, but walk away looking for a better deal while having the directors call daily. I’ve got five or more schools that are interested in hiring me at the moment (knock on wood), and I’m still weighing my options. The pressure tactic tried by my soon to be previous employer seems quaint now that I’ve begun exploring the market. There are so many bad schools that will fall over themselves for a qualified teacher, but I don’t want to end up regretting my choice.

This is a fairly huge decision, as we are looking for an apartment to put a large down payment on in a good location. A large deposit means we won’t pay monthly rent. This leads to savings in the long run. We’ll need to consider logistics, commuting, schools in the area, location of public transportation, shopping…basically everything. We have a week or so to find a place and move.

Then once we get settled in, we’ll go to the United States for two weeks on vacation (Mid-July). This will be my wife’s first trip to the United States. Plan your time off accordingly. Once we fly back, I’ll start at whatever school I’ve chosen and most likely do a summer camp and afternoon classes, just like old times, saving up money once again for an eventual vacation next year when my contract will run out at whatever place I sign at. Right now I’ve got enough stress dealing with my job and house that to even begin to contemplate what the United States will be like in a few weeks like seems like a far of delusion.

It’s crunch time.