The Holy Warrior News Network
2nd-year "professional" native English teacher Mark P. Soni is working hard. Working late. Working hard into the night. Giving English-laden sentences and gobs of new English expressions and words, Mr. Soni knows this job takes hard work. But its fun. Loads of fun. Its so much work that its fun. What kind of job is that fun?
"Working at a girls' high school is probably going to be one of the most unique experiences in my life...it still blows me away to this day that I have such an opportunity to do this, and I only have God to thank for it." A girls' high school? A young man at a girls' high school...in Korea?
Mr. Soni, after starting his career at Yeonsu High School, requested for a transfer at the end of his contract, and signed with neighboring Hakik Girls' High School in Incheon, South Korea. The experience has been nothing but exceptional for the 24-year young lad out of Waldorf, Maryland, and yesterday we sat down for an exclusive interview in his apartment to discuss his time at the ladies' school and for his future:
Q: Mr. Soni, thanks for taking the time for this interview. Your home seems quite cozy.
A: No problem, I enjoy interviews. Keeps me on my toes and keeps mentally ready.
Q: Okay, let's begin. Why the sudden transfer to this school in 2008? Were you content at Yeonsu High School? Did they make you an offer for another contract? Or was it purely your decision to become a free agent and seek out a new school?
A: Of course they wanted me back. Being a rookie in the ESL game, I went out there into the classroom to work hard and make a great first impression. I literally had no experience outside of my stints as a College and Career Bible Study teacher back in Maryland and being a head coach (of a kids' soccer team), so I knew it was going to be an uphill battle to win the hearts and minds of both the student body and teachers. In the end, I won both. What I lacked in actual teaching experience was made up for the fact that I tried hard and became more friendly with the students.
Yet in the end, there was a desire for more. After falling out with my supervising co-teacher (yet resolving it at the end), and desiring for a change in my experience in Korea, I requested a transfer. Since most high schools in Incheon are either boys or girls school, I tried to test the free agent market and get in at a girls school. Later Sera Hyun, the liasion for foreign teachers at the Incheon Department of Education, hooked me up with this school which had a vacant teacher.
Q: Didn't you have a previous stint at Hakik Girls High School? More like a trial run?
A: Actually yes, and it was no coincidence. It was January 2008, and I was sitting in my office at Yeonsu High School preparing for winter camps. My boss comes in and proposes me to work an extra camp...at a girls' high school in Hakik-dong. Their native teacher prematurely left the job and they needed a camp teacher, and I answered the call. I felt like it was a great opportunity to test that market and see if I could make the change from a boys' school to a girls' school.
Q: Now, its November 2008, almost nine months completed on this contract. How do you feel now about the situation and where the Lord has brought you so far? Tell us about the overall feeling about being in this English program compared to last year.
A: Totally different experience. Last year's experience was great, but this school experience has been a total step up and simply amazing. Like, I feel really like I am a part of a team here at this school. Last year, I was never invited to demonstration classes to observe and give input, but this year, they really wanted me to give them input about how teachers performed in the classroom. Also, the teaching staff has given me virtual freedom on how to conduct my classes, and that is a good thing. They seem to get the fact that these students, compared to their Yeonsu-dong counterparts, don't need to be thrown English at them at every point of the day. They realize they simply need exposure to an English-native speaker and a chance to speak.
Plus, teaching girls has been different, in a good way.
Q: Tell us about that, how different was the transition from teaching those gangster boys to the girly girls?
A: 100% opposite. When I first arrived at Yeonsu HS, they were not at all that enthusiastic in meeting me. Then, over time, the boys and I became more closer and more enthuasiastic in my class. At this school, I would say the girls were super enthusiastic in meeting me (partly because I'm a young boy in a teaching suit) and trying the class out, but over time, sometimes their enthusiasm fizzles.
However, as language learners, they are much better to teach. Since girls are more mature and detail-oriented than boys, they seem to pick up the language much better.
Q: What are some difficulties from working at the school? Positives?
The biggest difficulty is dealing with the "girl" barrier. As a man, especially a foreign man, they are extremely shy to talk or try. Sometimes it was frustrating because they wouldn't respond.
So I tried a hands-off approach and get them to be more comfortable. Even though they saw me as friendly and tried to take advantage of that...I'm trying to find the right balance of being strict when I need to and when to be friendly.
As for positives, girls can be sweet. Since they are emotional, they know when you are emotional or sad and try to connect. Sometimes, they can be more funnier than the boys. They sometimes act like boys and do some crazy things in the classroom, such as sing, fight, or groan just like them. Also, the maturity factor is very key and helpful when it comes to teaching time. Given the right amount of kids, like in my extra class, where I teach about twenty of them, its easy to get their attention and get them to settle down. In a girls' school, the worst most girls do is just be chatty, for boys, they are rambunctious and cannot sit still.
Also, girls high school has a more student diversity to it. You got the typical teenage girls who are into boys and make-up and fashion, and you got some girls who are strictly into studying. Then, you got some girls who are tomboys, who are some of my favorites. They are not as pressed about themselves as some other girls are, and they more friendly and more relaxing to be around. Then you got the shy girls, then you got the "Power Girls," who kinda exert more power and more authority over their group, then you got the goofy girls who are clueless but funny. Its a really interesting make-up in the classroom.
Q: Any future plans? What's the situation like for you in this stage in the game?
A: After much prayer and thought, the Lord has allowed me to stay one more year to continue the work that He has entrusted me. I enjoy teaching here and the opportutnities to teach and help students grow...and not just in the English language. I think, especially for my style of teaching, the opportunity to be a witness for Jesus Christ in the classroom and out is just a great thing at this stage in my life. I know I won't be doing this for the rest of my life, so its a real honor that God has allowed me to be here for such a period of time and to be a role model for these young kids. I enjoy the work He has given me.
Q: What are some other things the Lord has taught you throughout this year?
A: Humility, trust, and consistency. At this school, my behavior has been more scrutinized than ever before, and I think that's a good thing. It kinda makes me more careful of the words I speak and how I behave in and out of the classroom. Keep in mind, I am a male foreign teacher, so its a two-edged sword. I'm a male, so the girls will retain some interest in me, and being a foreigner, my behavior will be looked at even more because I'm not the typical Korean in their lives. I believe it is a great opportunity to represent Christ at the school because they are watching me more. And then again, I have to watch myself and how I live more carefully. As for the trust factor, getting the girls to trust me as a teacher took time. At first, they saw me as a cool foreign teacher, but I wanted them to get to know my life more...and God told me to wait. Over time, especially with certain students, I have had the grand opportunity to share about my life more to these kids.
See, I have an Avery Johnson mentality when it comes to teaching. You know, AJ was called "The Little General" by his peers, for the fact that he was a little guy who commanded a huge presence on the basketball floor. He was tough on his players, but gained their respect. For me, the critical thing I admire about his leadership-style was the fact that he wanted to connect with the players outside the court. That's the thing for me. Given the fact that I only teach these kids only once a week, I hardly get to spend anytime with the students. I try to make up for that through the extra classes I teach and inviting certain kids to the English Zone during lunch time for roundtable talks. It gives the opportunity for kids who really want to learn English and to learn about the outside world a chance. I just wait on God's timing to see who He wants me to mentor and speak to about my life...which is changed by Him in the first place!
Q: Anything else you want to comment about your life so far?
A: Well, that even though I am getting older, there's alot about life I need to learn. How to be responsible, grow up in the Lord and in His favor, and to be consistent about my life. I hope to try new things in the future to expand my borders and Lord Willing, when I go back to the United States for good, I can reflect on my time here in Asia as one of the most beautiful times in my life. All I have to say is...wow.
Q: Thank you so much for your time, we hope and pray for the best of you in the upcoming year.
A: No problem, thanks for having me.
