The most awkward moment I've had teaching.

 

Working yesterday with Hae Song Elementary turned out pretty well.  It was an ocean themed English field trip.  We went out to Jebu Island off the coast of Incheon.  I was in charge of 10 kids, ranging from 8-13 years old.  The trip would have been a lot more fun if it didn't rain the entire time.  It also wouldn't have been as bad if one of the 1st graders in my group didn't pee in her pants.  I'm not really mad at her for peeing in her pants, she's a kid and these things happen.  However, it was a really awkward situation because I couldn't even figure out what the problem was in the first place.  It's lunch time and she's sitting there crying and I ask her what's wrong.  Of course she's telling me in Korean and I can't figure out what she's saying.  After about two minutes of this, I finally notice what happened.  Even after I figure it out, it's like, what the fuck am I supposed to do?  I try and tell her it's okay.  I try telling one of the other students to go and get another teacher.  After a few blank stares, one of the sixth graders figures out what I'm saying, then he brings another foreign teacher at the camp and one that speaks less Korean than I do.  It all got straightened out after a while, but it was probably one of the most difficult situations I've come across my whole time here.

As a side note, the same girl peed in her pants on the bus ride back home.  I wasn't aware of this issue until the bus stopped and she started screaming.  Luckily there were Korean teachers in the bus to remedy the issue.