all things must come to an end

So after three years working at the same academy in a variety of positions, I'm finally moving on to a new job.

I know C gets a lot of flack in Korea for its CCTVs and refusal to take most red days off, but for the most part I think my three years were pleasant enough. If nothing else, I've made a bunch of wonderful friends and was also introduced to a tall and handsome Irishman, so I'm more than willing to overlook its faults.

It's always a bit uncomfortable when teaching and business intersect. The competition among English academies in Seoul gets fiercer every year, so it's understandable when schools make it a priority to keep their students - their customers - happy and willing to renew their enrollment every term. But I find it disturbing when keeping your students/customers happy requires you to compromise your standards. They're still young - the last thing they want to do is sit at a desk for three hours and study. If you want them to actually learn anything, sometimes you're going to be forced to do things that aren't going to make them happy. If teaching starts taking a backseat to profit, teachers become little more than glorified babysitters.

Anyway. In a month, Bill and I will be in Spain, soaking up the sun and eating tapas until we burst. Something I'm definitely looking forward to.