My First Teaching Day in Busan

- So there I was, frantically shuffling from one classroom to another during a brief break between English classes at my “Hogwan” (Korean private school). Something strange catches my eye and I turn my attention to two young Korean boys (probably age 10 or so) standing against the hallway wall with their arms fully extended in front of them (parallel to the ground). After inquiring with the more experienced foreign teachers, I learned that Korean teachers often make unruly students endure physical pain as punishment for acting out in class. Forcing them to stand or squat in an uncomfortable position for 10-15 minutes at a time is common practice in the Korean classrooms. Life here is just a little different.