Familial Reaction Part III

Kim(chi): So I officially applied to EPIK
Mom: What's that again?
Kim(chi): It's the Korea thing.
Mom: Oh, well I don't really want to talk about that. I don't know how I feel *mumble mumble* but it's your life *mutter mutter*
Kim(chi): Okay, I just wanted to let you know.

EPIK Application Update

So I heard back from the EPIK coordinators!
I submitted my application on Thursday August 8th, and got my confirmation email that next Monday. Not too shabby, EPIK!

On a sidenote I also received my final grades for the summer semester on Monday, and I did well so now I'm officially in my last semester of coursework ever. Ever. Unless I decide one day to be an idiot and go back for my Masters. :p

Back to my confirmation email. It is clearly a stock email that they use, but I certainly wouldn't expect that they personally write everyone so it was just as exciting. Here's what it said:

Hello EPIK Applicant,

Thank you for taking the time to apply for the Spring 2014 term (start dates in February with a few positions in March/April). As we are still busy wrapping up our current term, we will not process your application until the beginning of September. At that time we will notify you if you have been invited for an interview or not. Please note that because you applied early, your documents will be handled first when the time comes.

There are many people who pass the interview and are not able to become EPIK teachers. The reason for this is because they are not able to collect their documents in time. Please read the attached file thoroughly and visit the 'required documents' section of our website (www.epik.kr) to start preparing your documents now. Important note: The most time sensitive document is the criminal record check (CRC).  For this upcoming term, the CRC's should be no older than the beginning of August 2013. Should there be any changes with our policy for the upcoming Spring 2014 term, you will be informed of them during your interview.

You can join other applicants who are interested in the Spring 2014 term by visiting our Facebook group here: EPIK Spring 2014. Here you can ask questions to the EPIK Coordinators or other EPIK teachers. Additionally, follow us on Twitter or visit our YouTube channel for more information and updates directly from our office. 

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at epik@korea.kr with the subject line titled as 'Spring 2014 Inquiry'. Please do not respond to this email. We thank you for your patience and have a great day!

--
The EPIK Team

So I was invited to the EPIK facebook page for Spring applicants which made me feel all special, but mostly this email served as a kind of shock to the system that this is really happening. Or at least this is something that I'm really attempting to make happen. It's incredible because I plan and plan and plan, and when something starts taking shape it is just so surreal. 

I'm also putting the attached file from this email in it's own tab on the home page because I think it's a really nice comprehensive list over everything everyone needs. There are identical lists on their website but this one is in a handy word document so look over it if you're interested in the documentation that is going to be necessary. 

Inspirational Korean Picture of the day:

XOXO

Kim(chi)

Familial Reactions Part II

Me: So I've officially applied to EPIK
Brother: All my Army buddies are being deployed there.
Me: And?
Brother: Didja think maybe it might not be safe over there?
Me: I did, but now that I know your army friends are swarming in I feel much better. Thanks!

XOXO
Kim(chi)

My EPIK Application

Alright, then. Hey guys! I just spent this summer taking 5 classes so I could graduate in December which according to like..all calendars is 5 months away! Insane. Not that you care about me graduating or anything, but the closer I get to graduation the closer I get to EPIK, and so ipso facto more blog posts for you, and eventually video posts! But not until something exciting happens.
But wait. Did something exciting happen? Why yes, yes it did thank you for asking.

The EPIK applications for Spring 2014 are FINALLY out. Not to say that the EPIK team took a long time to get them out (actually they are out earlier than usual this year), but it's just that I've been waiting for SO LONG for 2014 to be here. Graduation. Check. EPIK application. CHECK.

                      EPIK announcing Spring Applications are being taken on Facebook!

I'm not going to write out the instructions when they are posted in a very easy to read idiot-proof word document on the EPIK page, but I make note of a few of the things that I had to actually think about.

1. Available interview time frame - Hopefully you would be cognizant enough to wonder if it should be in Korean Standard Time or Your Home Country Standard Time.
   Answer: Korean Standard Time. Get it right peoples.
2. Put your country code in front of your phone number! In my case it's 1 + ***-***-****
3. ALL your schools. Like...ALL of them. If you're an Army brat then becomes BFF's with the Insert Row option.
4. If you are still working at  your job put "Present"
5. If you're working on your TEFL ect. put "Pending" in the Issue Date
6. Don't lie on the self medical assessment. They're going to test you when you get there so you might as well save yourself the flight money, and just tell the truth.
7. Personal Essay: DAUNTING!!  I'm going to show you mine, but don't judge it! It's not as like...collegiate as the ones I read online. I wanted mine to seem more personal. That's a choice you make. Also: Don't copy my stuff guys. (As if it were worth copying)

We are interested in your ability to succeed as an ESL teacher in a public school in Korea. In the space below, please share with us your reasons for wanting to teach ESL in Korea, your educational philosophy and your thoughts on encountering cultural differences.

I have always loved immersing myself into other cultures. To me, there is nothing more fascinating than experiencing how different cultures live and thrive. I believe the only way to truly appreciate a culture is by planting yourself in the source of it. This is only one of my reasons for wanting to teach in Korea, but it might be the reason that has been with me the longest.

            My other reasons are small things that at a first glance might not seem extraordinary or particularly persuasive, but they stuck to me—like the way a child bows low to his grandparents or the art of a full Korean dinner with banchan every color of the rainbow. Unlike America, Korea is steeped in history and tradition, and these are things that I crave to be surrounded by.

            Ultimately though, my reason for wanting to come to Korea is to teach. I love English. I’ve loved English from the moment it was introduced to me as a discipline. The thought that I can teach my favorite subject while experiencing a different culture is remarkable to me. EPIK is one of the most unique and wonderful opportunities that I’ve ever come across, and every day since the moment I discovered the program has been spent dreaming, in part, of what life might be like. It is this curiosity and passion inside me which drives me.

            My opinion is that learning needs to be fun in order to be successful. It also needs to not feel like learning. Rote memorization has never been a successful language tool, and so I respect Korea for putting so much emphasis into authentic language education. Also, lessons taught in the classroom should bleed into other areas of the student’s life. A good teacher strives to create a lesson that the student is reminded of at dinner time or on their way home from school. On a larger scale, my belief is that in order for the individual to contribute to the success of the whole the individual must first be strong enough to work on the same level. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and I believe that a well-educated society is a strong society. As a whole they stand strong, and tall. Korea has become an economic powerhouse over the past few decades, and now they are striving to push themselves even further into the spotlight as they become a leader in the World Market. With the emphasis they place on Education, this will be a very smooth transition.

            Cultural differences or “culture shock” can be difficult for some, and I’m sure that given the opportunity to live abroad I would face the very same issues. The key to mastering cultural differences with grace and poise is all a matter of the mind. Expectations are the enemy of cultural exchange. It requires humility to recognize that there are many ways to live, and that none are better than the other. One must toss aside previous notions of what they believe to be true about a culture, and have an open mind to accept all that they will be faced with. It’s dangerous to assume that because you assimilate easily to changes at home that you will react similarly in a foreign country. It might sound silly to some, but I think it’s vital to enter into a foreign culture comfortable with the knowledge that you know nothing. With this mindset that everything that is new and different becomes a pleasant surprise.

          8. Lesson Plan: DOUBLE DAUNTING! I can't really help you out with this one. I suggest looking up lesson plan templates online, and picking a subject matter which interests you so it will be easier to write about. Make the conclusion to you Lesson Plan strong! It's the last thing they read on your application!

So I have everything done! Including glowing recommendations from my previous bosses and I'm so ready to send this thing and start getting that exciting waiting feeling when...

Oh...
...
I forgot that I don't have a professional photo for the top of the application.

In a desperate attempt to finally be done I scour my Social Media searching for anything that will work, but apparently I don't think I look good unless half of my face is cropped or I'm not wearing sleeves. Psychoanalyze that!

 I could totally get away with using this one right??

XOXO
Kim(chi)