2006-2007Stephen Wulff

Stephen Wulff

ETA :: 2006-2007

Gumi Shinpyeong Middle School

In 2006, my life as an ETA was like the Beatles song “A Day in the Life,” which I believe goes something like this:

Woke up, fell out of bed, Dragged a comb across my head Found my way to the kitchen and ate kimchi, And looking up, I noticed I was late Found my coat and grabbed my hat Made the Gumi bus in seconds flat…

Each morning, when I arrived at Shinpyeong Middle School—a public school in Gumi, the industrial hub of Korea—my fan club of hyperactive middle school students greeted me with handshakes and high-fives, as they played soccer in the sandy courtyard before classes started. (That year alone, I must have shaken more hands than former President Clinton has shaken in his lifetime, which may explain the carpal tunnel syndrome forming in my right hand. But it doesn’t bother me. When you’re a cultural ambassador, that’s the price you pay to promote cultural understanding, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!).

Upon entering school, I put on slippers, and headed to the gyomushil, or teacher’s office, where I greeted my fellow co-teachers and reviewed my lesson plan for the week. Music was one of the most effective teaching devices and ways that I related to students. In fact, early on in the year, I instituted a reward system called “Beatles Points.” I awarded students points when they answered questions in English correctly or completed optional English assignments. When they reached 10 points, they received candy. (Sadly, this reward system broke down after a couple months. It was very difficult keeping track of 560 students’ points, and after buying pounds and pounds of candy and consulting with my dentist back home in the US, I decided it wasn’t healthy for my students to be eating tons of candy anyways, since it rots teeth and causes cavities).

Word traveled fast around school that I played guitar and sang. During the school’s spring festival, I performed “Molly’s Lips”—a Vaseline’s song made famous by the American grunge rock band Nirvana—with my backup band of Korean co-teachers. We performed in front of over 1,500 screaming students and parents. I felt like the Beatles descending upon America in 1964. That night I was a bigger heartthrob than the Korean pop star Rain. My final lesson plan of the year was a “Beatles Music Marathon.” I taught my students “Let it Be,” “Hey Jude,” and John Lennon’s “Imagine.” I supplemented each song with YouTube videos. We had a blast. It was like being at a Flaming Lips concert. The only thing missing was costumes and confetti!

At the end of each school day, my students were sad to see me leave. As I walked through the courtyard, they always waved goodbye to me and blew me kisses. Some even sniffled a little bit. Sporting sunglasses, I would dramatically turn around, and in my Arnold Schwarzenegger perfected voice, reassure them that tomorrow “I’ll be back.”

above

A “Beatles Point” from Stephen’s classroom

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Stephen with his students in front of Gumi Shinpyeong Middle School

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Stephen with his co-teachers