My 1st day of school!

Introducing Dae Gyo Elementary School!

Today was my first day of work at my new school, and it's fair to say, I ALREADY LOVE IT!  One of the funniest things happened as soon as I walked in the front door.  Monica, my co-teacher, met me by the shoe cabinets and said, "Jill, the principal can't say Alexis, so he wants you to pick a new name!  Can you pick a new name in 5 minutes?  You'll be introducing yourself and making a speech in front of the students and staff this morning!"  Talk about pressure - only having 5 minutes to chose a new name for yourself and come up with a speech!  Luckily, I'm quick on my toes after working in Dynamic Korea for 2 years!

5 minutes later...  (I'm standing at a podium in front of hundreds of kids and the staff)

"Goodmorning!  I am your new English teacher and my name is Chelsey!"  So weird! 

This is the beginning of the hallway, leading to my classroom!  Last year, my classroom was on the 4th floor.  This year I'M ON THE 5TH FLOOR!  If my legs don't look like a super model's by the end of the school year, I'm gonna be really dissapointed!

This is my classroom!  This classroom is soooo much brighter than my last one!  I can't help but smile when I walk in!

This is the view the student's have from the back of the class! ... and those are my 2 co-teachers, in the front of the room!

This is Ohk.  She is a part time English teacher at Dae Gyo, so I will teach six (5th and 6th grade) classes a week with her!  She's a doll and is so sweet, outgoing, and helpful!  I love her already!

and this is Monica!  She and I will be teaching 14 classes a week together!  She is, hands down, the most wonderful Korean woman I have ever met!  NO JOKE!  She laughs, and smiles all day long, and is such a positive a fun person to be around!  I'm completely and utterly blessed to get to work with these two rays of sunshine!  At one point in the day, we all met around my desk and talked about how fun the year is going to be, all working together and becoming friends!

In addition to having wonderful co-teachers, I also have a great office in the English library area of the classroom!  My desk is on the far right of the picture!  (This room is attached to the English classroom.)

...and I definitely lucked out with a great view out my office windows!  Last year, my view was of a mountainside lined with tombstones... and now THIS! 

As you know, my school is on an island, and it happens to be situated right on the port!  (This is the view, from the hallway outside my classroom.)

and as if that wasn't enough to completely sell me on why I love my new school... this completely sealed the deal - a FREE coffee machine!  That's right, I can have the most delicious, Korean style, milk coffee, any time of the day, as many times as I want (I'll be sure not to overdo it!)!!

Ordering supplies is as easy as cake, I can turn on the heater ANYTIME I want to in my class, there are drinking fountains on every floor, and there's actually toilet paper, soap, AND paper towels in the bathrooms here!  It's the little things that make me happy, I guess!

Oh, and the Principal took all the new teachers out to lunch today!  We had my favorite, bi bim bap!!

I'm over the top excited and happy about my new school!  The staff is wonderful, young, and most of them can actually speak English, which means I'll have lots of new people to hang out with!  I'm secretly hoping that the 2 gorgeous female teachers who look like they belong in the Korean pop group 소녀시대 (Girl's Generation) will give me make-up and fashion tips over the year!! :)

Can't wait to introduce you to my students!  That'll happen sometime next week, since my classes don't start till Monday (another reason why I love my new school!  They gave me the first 3 days to acclimate!  haha)