Gradual release of responsibility

So, I taught my first week of classes.
Korean kids are awesome. I teach 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. I am a hardass on the kids from day one. I assigned homework and told them I expect 80% mastery on the end of year assessments and on the quizzes we will have every 2 weeks. I gave a pre-assessment and have leveled them into high, middle and low groups (for the second lesson in each unit I will be giving them work based on their levels since some students are near fluent from living abroad and others do not know the alphabet). They also know better than to uncross their arms from the "active listening" position that I have them sit in whenever I am talking at the front of class. My co-teacher expressed concern over a few of the classes because of their notoriously poor behavior, so I was especially strict with them, making a student who talked out stand in the back of the room with his hands above his head. Don't hate, it is the Korean way.

Besides the fact that I scare the children I also feel so much love from them. At the end of each lesson they line up and give me a high five, handshake or a hug and say goodbye. I find that the tougher I am on the class the more hugs I get, even some of the boys are not shy about giving me a huge smile/hug combo. I love teaching.

Around the school I also get invited to tea time and weekend trips with different groups of teachers. I just taught my host sister the word "boob" bc the 3 year old was squeezing mine and yelling the Korean name "cheechee". Speaking of the little monster, yesterday she rammed me with a shopping cart and the day before she was hitting me in my bed and screaming. I really cannot handle young children. At first I was about to write an email asking to have my homestay switched rather that put up with this blatantly apathetic mom who let her daughter do whatever she wanted. Instead, after some deliberation, I decided to make the best of it and try to bond with the little monster instead. Bc if I can't cut it with someone else's 3 year old, I probably shouldn't have my own.

My host mom is great but worries a lot about me. She finally let me take the bus downtown by myself today. It was great. Then she had my sister call to make sure I was fine. Then she offered to pick me up. Working on gradual release of responsibility to both my students and host parents.

Today I am going to a body painting festival. I will escorted by my 8 year old host sister. Should be fun. I just finished putting makeup on the 3 year old, she looks like one of those toddlers in tiaras. Hooker children can be found wherever you go in this crazy world I guess. <3