The End (of the semester) is Nigh!

Well, it's almost the end of the semester here at my high school. I finished grading my writing tests and Idiom / Vocab tests last week, and turned in all of my grades last Monday. Tomorrow starts 4 days of final exams for my poor students. They're all in a tizzy today; all of my classes are doing self-study today, which means I'm mostly flying my desk in a circle.

Next week will be a odd week. Monday is final exam day #3, so I will spend quality time with my desk alllll day long.

On Tuesday, I have to go to an elementary school for three lessons: these are students from a rural district, who don't have access to western teachers. It's a small school with small classes -- between 3 to 7 students in each grade. Not class, notice, grade. Then I spent Wednesday and half of Tuesday at my normal school with normal classes. Not that after-final-exam classess are normal, as students are generally lackluster and bored. They know they're not going to be graded anymore this semester, that they've learned everything they need to know, so why should they put in an effort?

On Thursday afternoon, however, I'm off to Chongju, which is an hour or so north, for a teaching demo and "cultural experience". This is an overnight activity for Chungbuk province EPIK teachers, of which I am one. These are generally worthwhile, and it's fun to get together with my friends and peers. Last year, the highlight was everybody (except me) getting drunk, including the bosses. My friend Steve and I hiked up to Boju- temple in the rain the next morning, so that was fun as well. I didn't know Steve well then, but now he's a good friend of mine.

There was one nerve-wracking moment though, last year. In the midst of the singing and dancing and drunken orgies, the boss, whom I like and respect, came up to me as I was sitting with friends, and leaned over to whisper in my ear. "I want you to know, Dale, that I did the best I could for you considering our current economic situation." And then he walked away.

I mean really, what the hell are you suppposed to think when your boss whispers something like that? I had a nervous few weeks wondering if I was going to be renewed. I was. All that precious worrying wasted (thank the Goddess!).

So it will be an interesting (fun!) week. I just hope my boss can refrain from whispering any more comments in my ear...