Category Archives: Education

The Habit of Excellence

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Excellence is something that requires effort and dedication, not something that is achieved overnight. It is an ongoing process of consistency and hard work. Will Durant famously said,

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a not an act, but a habit.

Will Durant

Excellence is a habit that must be cultivated, rather than a destination that is reached and then forgotten. To become excellent, one must learn to be consistent, persistent, and diligent in their efforts. Excellence is not an achievement that is acquired quickly, but instead is something that must be built upon over time.

The Problem with Goals

We have all been taught many times over that goals are important, but goals are not the ultimate key to success. A goal is meant to provide a sense of direction or something to strive for. However, if you count on goals to reach and maintain a peak level of success or excellence, you are liable to end up like the proverbial dog chasing a car with no idea what he would do with it if he actually caught it.

In his famous book Atomic Habits, James Clear argues Durant’s case. Clear says in his book that systems are more important than goals and that you can achieve success by having good systems while ignoring goals. As you can probably put together from the title of the book, Clear’s “systems” are made up of good habits designed to make you a little bit better every day. The purpose of his book is to demonstrate how habits can create consistent growth and steady improvement over time to achieve your goals or even completely surpass them without leaving you feeling disappointed after reaching some arbitrary milestone. Let’s think through this premise a bit with an example.

Consider the goal of becoming a millionaire. Imagine working really hard for a long time and finally achieving that goal. What do you do when you have acquired all that money? What’s the point of continuing on your journey of financial gain if you have accomplished what you set out to do? Are you really content with being a millionaire, or are you just going to create a new goal to entertain yourself, such as becoming a billionaire? And what do you do when you reach that goal? Are you finally going to be content, or will the cycle continue? When is enough enough?

Whatever you decide to do about your finances, you will still need to come up with some new goal to keep yourself occupied at some point because retiring to a tropical island and spending your days in a hammock on the beach is going to get pretty boring after a week or two. We all know at least a few people who have retired comfortably only to go stir crazy and end up returning to work or starting a new project to keep themselves busy. They caught their car, and they didn’t know what to do with it. Goals can’t be our ultimate motivation. Once a goal is reached and the temporary high of success is over, we are left with no clear direction.

The Benefit of Habits

Now instead of aiming to become a millionaire, imagine that you have no end goal for your finances. Instead, your only goal is to maintain good financial habits. Now there is no final destination and no arbitrary number in your head that you have to reach. Your goal is not some final destination but is instead the maintenance of an ongoing process. And your finances will still be in great shape despite the lack of a lofty goal to shoot for. You will still be well on your way to becoming a millionaire thanks to your consistent financial habits, but now it does not matter if you ever reach a certain number or completely surpass it because there is no destination.

When you focus on maintaining good habits, your goal shifts from reaching a single event that will inevitably be underwhelming to being the ongoing maintenance of excellence, whatever that may mean for you. You can still have and achieve your goal, but your long-term satisfaction is no longer completely dependent on achieving that goal. Whether you reach that goal or not, your primary focus is still on maintaining excellent habits, which never have to go away.

Conclusion

So remember, goals are great, but habits are more important. Whether or not your habits take you to some lofty conclusion, they will still keep you on a consistent path of constant growth and improvement. A goal in and of itself does not accomplish that consistency and in most cases will not provide the satisfaction you were hoping for in the long term. Set goals to provide some direction and something to strive for but remember that there is really no final destination. No one ever “arrives” in life. There is always more to be achieved beyond any goal, but consistent habits can keep you moving forward indefinitely while also helping you reach goals and milestones along the way.

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The Lifelong Learning Mindset

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Adopting the right mindset is essential for long-term success in any educational setting. It’s important to understand that education doesn’t stop at the end of a class or semester. We should never allow ourselves to feel like we’ve “arrived” in life because there’s always more to learn and improve on.

There’s always more to learn.

Have you ever noticed that novices and charlatans often act like they know the most about something, while true masters of a subject or craft work on in humble silence? That’s because, as Aristotle famously wrote, “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.” This phenomenon is now known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect (illustrated below), which basically means that novices tend to overestimate their knowledge or ability until they become experienced and self-aware enough to realize how much they don’t know yet.

By understanding that there is a lot we don’t know, we can do ourselves (and everyone around us) a big favor. Accept that you have a lot to learn and see studying something new as an opportunity to expand your knowledge, skillset, and life experience, even if you have to study something you’re not particularly thrilled about. You never know what you might take an unexpected interest in or how your newfound knowledge may prove useful in the future.

It’s not always going to be “fun,” and it’s not supposed to be.

I’ve mentioned before that there is no shortcut to learning, and we shouldn’t expect to be entertained all the time. In our fast-paced modern world, we’ve grown too accustomed to instant gratification and constant entertainment, even in the field of education. There’s nothing wrong with having some fun when it’s appropriate or expedient, but there are some things in life that just aren’t fun. We can’t expect to be entertained all the time or enjoy every subject that we have to learn. No matter what app or game you’re trying to study with, how much fun can you honestly expect to have while studying dense and difficult subjects that you’re just not interested in?

It’s okay and even good for you to make yourself sit down and focus on plowing through something boring or difficult. Life is not about being happy and entertained all the time. That’s no way to grow and improve. As gym rats like to quip, “No pain, no gain.” Oddly enough, the same idea applies to more cerebral endeavors too. Wrestling with difficult subjects followed by proper rest and review trains your brain and helps you learn and remember more information. It might not be entertaining or instantly gratifying but setting aside time to train your brain through difficult study is well worth the reward.

Learn to “embrace the suck.”

David Goggins, former Navy SEAL and author of Can’t Hurt Me, often discusses the idea of “embracing the suck.” Embracing the suck means accepting that something is going to be difficult, maybe even painful, and welcoming the trial as a catalyst for personal growth.

It’s not a new idea either. Stoics like Marcus Aurelius also wrote about it (albeit a little more eloquently):

The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4.20

(Ryan Holiday wrote an entire book on this quote, if you’re interested.) We can apply the principle of turning the obstacle into the way to just about anything in life, including our academic endeavors. Instead of becoming discouraged and put off by difficult subjects, welcome the challenges they present as opportunities to grow.

Manage and remember.

Embracing the suck and turning obstacles into opportunities can be a lot of work, but there are practical ways to make learning even the toughest of subjects manageable. You might have to plow through some difficult subjects, but that doesn’t mean you have to bulldoze all the way through the course in one sitting!

Create realistic study routines divided into manageable increments of time that you can commit to every day. Study consistently every day instead of trying to cram in too much information all at once. There are lots of different study routines and note taking methods out there, but what’s important is to figure out what works for you and stick to it. Consistency and moderation are more effective and make studying new material more manageable than cramming at the last minute.

One of the most important parts of a good study routine is scheduled review to make sure you remember what you learn. Keep your notes in an organized and accessible format so you can review them often. If you write notes by hand at first, consider reformatting and reviewing at the same time by typing them out later. Use flashcards and apps like Quizlet and Anki to keep important facts and terms memorized easily through spaced repetition.

Conclusion

Learning is a life-long process. Remember that there’s always more room for everyone to keep learning and growing. Nobody ever “arrives” in life, and, while learning can often be enjoyable, it’s not all about having fun or getting quick results. Don’t back down from a challenging subject or skill, and always be ready to embrace an obstacle as an opportunity to grow. Make learning manageable and memorable by creating realistic routines to study and review. Happy learning!

Tactics Parents Can Use to Help Children Learn Tough Subjects 

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The following is a guest post by Lance Cody-Valdez of Free-Lance-Now.com. If you enjoy this article by Lance, remember to check out his website for more great content like this!

As parents, we always want to see our children succeed in school and learn the subjects that help them to grow up into outstanding and productive adults. Sometimes, school can be tough, and a particular class can be harder to comprehend. The good news is that there are many tactics that parents can use to help their kids learn the subject or expand their knowledge even further. Here at Grammarai Warrior, we love to help young people learn the skills that will take them far in life, so we have some tips for how you can help your kids learn and thrive. 

Make Time for Your Kids 

The most important way that parents can help their kids is to put time aside to be there for them when they need it most. Kids can sense when they think their parents have to struggle to schedule time with them, and it won’t help the family dynamic. Instead, set certain parts of the day to the side for time with the kids. If you get home from work at the same time that they get home from school, then take an hour out to help them with their homework. If things are too hectic at that point, then schedule a time every night before they go to bed to go over their studies.  

Having a plan of attack is necessary, so you aren’t struggling to make time for your family. Your kids will appreciate the help with their work. 

Consider Returning to School Yourself and Obtaining a Degree 

If you really want to help your kids with their studies, then consider putting yourself in their shoes and returning to school yourself. This is a great idea if you have always wanted to return to school and learn the skills necessary to learn a new career. This is why many parents decide to earn a bachelor of science in education. It is a chance to learn about a variety of subjects, from elementary education to learning strategies that can help you and your children.  

The best part is that you can obtain your degree without leaving your family by taking your classes online. Doing so enables you to learn on weekends or nights when your kids are sleeping, and you will still get the same great degree as those who go to school in person. 

Help Your Kids Feel at Ease 

Sometimes, your kids may know enough about a certain subject, but they are too anxious or worried to focus on their studies. If you can tell that is the case, then you can help them to feel more at ease by doing things they enjoy. That may include hobbies or activities they like that can help them take their mind off of things. You can also play with educational toys so they can learn and have fun at the same time. 

You can also help your kids feel better by taking a walk through the park or taking a hike during a camping trip. Time in nature can do wonders for our mental health because it brings us back to a more natural place where we can feel truly at ease. You can even try going over some of their homework while you are out there and see if it helps.  

Kids With Reading Issues 

If you have children that struggle with reading, then there are a few tactics you can try. Consider finding an audiobook that they can listen to while they read the same book and see if they are able to better comprehend what they are seeing. Also, consider limiting the time that your kids spend playing video games and looking at screens, as experts say that staring at these devices and screens can negatively impact their reading skills.   

As you can see, there are many tactics that parents can use to help their kids improve their performance in school. Remember to focus on their mental health, make it a point to spend time with the kids, and consider returning back to school yourself, and that may help. If you would like to learn more about Grammarai Warrior, then please contact us at contact@grammaraiwarrior.com. 

Thanks for reading this guest post by Lance Cody-Valdez. Remember to give him a visit at Free-Lance-Now.com for more resources and posts like this one! You can also read previous guest posts by Lance right here!

Real Ways You Can Make a Difference in Your Community by Lance Cody-Valdez

Freelance Writing: Could This Be the Path You Have Dreamed Of? by Lance Cody-Valdez

Remote Working and Survival Tips for Parents With Young Children by Lance Cody-Valdez

International Schools in South Korea: The Good, the Bad, and the Sketchy

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International schools come in many shapes and sizes in Korea. Teaching at an international school can be the experience of a lifetime or a complete nightmare, depending on the school and its management. Here are some things to be aware of when considering international schools in Korea, whether you’re a teacher looking for work or a parent looking for a good place to educate your kids.

Accreditation

Perhaps one of the most significant factors when considering an international school is accreditation. There are several ways that a school could be recognized in South Korea. The best, most trustworthy schools will obviously be accredited by a reputable board, whether Korean or foreign.

Government-approved

The biggest international schools with the strictest requirements for teachers and facilities will be international schools recognized as such by the Korean government. Officially recognized international schools have to meet government-approved standards, and teachers must be appropriately educated, licensed, and experienced in their fields of study. Real registered international schools are typically sizeable, reputable, and well-funded with their own property and facilities.

Other Accreditation Councils

Many private international schools may also have accreditations or memberships associated with various international school associations and councils that all have their own standards and requirements. Schools with these accreditations and memberships may or may not be registered as schools with the Korean government. There are too many different associations to list exhaustively here, but a few memberships and accreditation associations you might see include East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS), Korea Council of Overseas Schools (KORCOS), and Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Also be aware that some organizations offer different levels of membership, such as full membership and associate membership. Lower levels of membership may or may not guarantee serious standards from member schools.

Whatever accreditations or councils you see a school advertising on their website, you should do your own investigation into what those associations actually mean and what their standards are. Reputable organizations have high standards and ensure that their members continue to uphold those standards to maintain membership, while other no-name associations are simply there to make things look official without really checking up on their members or guaranteeing any kind of standard.

Unaccredited

Lack of accreditation should be an immediate red flag to teachers and parents alike. A school without some kind of accreditation may be a small, perfectly well-meaning private school, but without some kind of official recognition, it may be difficult to tell. If a school you are interested in is not accredited, here are a few things you can ask to dig deeper:

  • When was the school founded? A young school may not have been open long enough to get accredited yet. Some organizations require that a school be in operation for a certain number of years to be eligible for membership or accreditation. The accreditation process may also take several years to complete. If a school has been operating for several years and has not bothered to begin some kind of accreditation process, they have probably chosen not to—likely because they don’t want to do what it takes to become accredited or they already know they won’t be approved.
  • Have they started the accreditation process? If so, how far along are they? Some unaccredited schools may say that they are still in the process of becoming accredited. This may be true, but some have been saying this for years just to sound good but actually have no intention of becoming accredited. If it’s been a long time since a school supposedly started the process and they’re still not very far along, they’re probably not really going to get accredited anytime soon.
  • Were they previously accredited? Some schools have previously been accredited but lost their accreditation or let it expire. They might even leave their framed certificate on the wall for everyone to see, knowing that nobody is actually going to look at the date. There is not really a good reason for a previously accredited school to no longer be accredited. They’ve either let their standards slip, or they’re too cheap and lazy to keep up with the renewal process. Even if they have a legitimate reason for no longer being accredited by a certain organization, they should at least be in the process of joining another.
  • Why are they unaccredited? It is possible that a small private school may be great at what they do but truly lack the means or facilities to become accredited, but most schools should have some kind of motivation to seek accreditation. Even a small private school would need a pretty convincing answer to this question to still seem legitimate in any way.

If the management of a school can’t answer the questions on this list honestly and convincingly, the school is probably not worth any more of your time or consideration.

Registration

Closely related to accreditation, a school’s registration within Korea determines a lot about the standards and requirements a school must meet. International schools registered as schools with the Korean government must follow strict requirements and guidelines like any other Korean school would have to. However, not all supposed international schools in Korea are actually registered as schools. In fact, a lot of them aren’t.

Many small international schools are only registered as hagwons or miscellaneous businesses. Although hagwons are academic in nature, they are still just businesses in the eyes of the Korean government. Hagwons are not schools, and their teachers are only required to have an E-2 visa for teaching conversational English.

Because of the relative ease of starting and running a hagwon, it is not uncommon for low-budget international schools to have conversational English classes like any other hagwon in the afternoons while having international school classes during regular school hours. Since they are only registered as hagwons, such schools can easily hire teachers that only have to get E-2 visas rather than the E-7 or F-series visas teachers would usually have at registered international schools.

Hagwon status and its academic nature give sub-par international schools the apparent legitimacy of some kind of registration and membership within the Korean hagwon association, but it still doesn’t make them real schools, even if the words international school are part of their names. To unsuspecting foreigners, hagwon registration might be enough to make a small operation seem like a legitimate school, but hagwons are actually just businesses and do not have to meet the same criteria as actual schools.

Curriculum

The more highly-accredited a school is, the stricter the curriculum requirements are likely to be. The important thing is that a school has a proper, reputable curriculum of some kind and that they stick to it properly. Different accreditation organizations have their own curriculum standards, so things will vary from school to school.

A good school will use reputable, up-to-date curricula and textbooks. Students and teachers alike will be properly equipped with the textbooks they need for each subject. The school will be able to confidently show and explain their curriculum and textbooks to prospective employees and students.

A sketchy school might not even have proper textbooks or materials. In some cases the teachers might not even have the books or materials they need and be left to come up with their own plans and materials. Particularly bad or poorly equipped schools (probably of the unaccredited hagwon flavor) may end up photocopying books and printing a hodgepodge of free worksheets off the internet rather than providing everyone with appropriate textbooks and materials. Always ask to see the curriculum and textbooks a school uses. If they can’t or won’t show you a thorough and complete curriculum with appropriate textbooks and materials for every subject, they’re probably hiding something.

Faculty and Staff

As the word international implies, an international school would typically have a lot of international teachers. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the case, but the point of having an international school is to teach international students in a language that they can all understand, typically English. It’s normal to have some local Korean teachers too, but many of the faculty and staff at a legitimate international school are likely to be foreigners.

More importantly, the staff at a real international school will have to meet certain requirements to be hired. To work at an official international school, faculty will typically need to be licensed teachers with master’s degrees in their fields of study to get E-7 visas. Teachers who have been in country for a while may also have F-series visas instead.

If the teachers at an international school are not licensed or are hired on E-2 visas, then the school is not registered with the government as a true international school. It is probably only registered as a hagwon at best.

Facilities

Reputable international schools will typically have their own property and buildings. They should have all or most of the equipment and facilities you’d expect at a normal school anywhere else. Small-time private schools and hagwons will often just be renting a building, or even just a floor or two of one. Really low-budget operations will have bare minimum classroom supplies and equipment. The smaller and sketchier the facilities, the more alert you should be for other red flags. Always ask for a tour, even if it has to be by video call.

Avoiding Bad Schools and Hagwons

If you’re a teacher looking for work, you should seriously consider getting hired through a recruiter to make sure you end up at a legitimate school or hagwon. Recruiters work for the benefit of teachers to ensure that they are hired by legitimate schools offering appropriate pay and benefits. And whether you’re a teacher, parent, or student, you should check out some of these review sites and blacklists for schools and hagwons to avoid:

These lists and reviews are far from exhaustive, but it’s good to at least make sure a school you’re considering isn’t on a blacklist. If you’re up for a little more digging around online, you might also consider joining a Facebook group for foreigners living in the same city. Other foreign teachers in the same city have likely at least heard about the other hagwons and schools in their area and may be able to give you specific information that you won’t find anywhere else online.

Conclusion

Depending on what you are looking for, it may not matter to you if a school is public or private, government-funded or small-time and unaccredited. After all, it is possible to get a good education from good people without fancy facilities and accreditations. That being said though, the more highly-accredited and government-regulated a school is, the easier it will be to know exactly what you’re getting into. Especially when considering small private schools, be sure to do your own due diligence and ask lots of questions to make sure they are legitimate.

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Teaching English in Korea: Bad Hagwons and How to Avoid Them

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Have you ever considered teaching English in Korea? Teaching English can be a great way to travel and gain valuable work experience, but it can be a bit risky if you don’t know what to look out for while seeking employment. Signing a contract with the wrong employer can quickly turn an overseas adventure into a hagwon horror story! Hagwon life is not for everyone, so if you are considering teaching English in Korea, be sure to do your research and ask lots of questions before making any agreements.

What is a hagwon?

A hagwon (학원) is an afterschool academy where students get extra lessons and tutoring. Many hagwons specialize in one subject, such as English or math, while other hagwons offer classes on a variety of subjects all in one place. Some hagwons are independent businesses, while others, such as 눈높이, are part of a large chain of hagwons. Although hagwons are academic in nature, they are still businesses, not schools. The popularity and relative simplicity of hagwons makes them very abundant and, unfortunately, very attractive to some unsavory businessmen looking to make easy money.

Good hagwons vs bad hagwons

Bad hagwons have red flags big enough to see from space if you know what to look for. Unfortunately, most unsuspecting foreigners have no idea what to look for or what kinds of questions they should be asking when considering job offers from hagwons. Here are a few things to consider and ask questions about when applying and interviewing for hagwon work:

  • Reputation: Good hagwons have good reputations that they have earned over time. As such, they are well-trusted, have good systems and methods in place, and get plenty of business to keep things running profitably. Bad hagwons often pander to parents and bend over backwards to keep them happy and keep them paying, even if that means the hagwon has to shoot itself in the foot and mess up its own system to cram in a new student, move classes around, or send a kid to class with no textbook for several months.
  • Discipline: A good hagwon with a good reputation wants to maintain that reputation. Their work speaks for itself, and they are not afraid to discipline or expel problematic students when necessary. They do not need to pander to unreasonable parents or put up with terrible students just to keep their tuition money coming in. Bad hagwons have little or no discipline because they fear angering parents and losing students. In a bad hagwon, teachers who complain about problematic students are often given a lame excuse such as, “That’s just how it is,” or told that it’s not a problem with the hagwon, but rather with their teaching abilities.
  • Class structures and levels: Good hagwons have clear class structures and levels for students to advance through as they study and improve, and they do their best to place students correctly and stick to the system. Bad hagwons bend over backwards to cram in any new students they can get and randomly move students around between classes and levels to make room or satisfy complaints from controlling parents. Bad hagwons often end up with classes full of students on different skill levels with different textbooks (or no textbooks at all) because they wanted to make room for some new students in another class or because someone’s overcompetitive mom called and demanded that her kid move up a level.
  • Curriculum: Good hagwons have a curriculum to follow. They may use a curriculum they’ve developed themselves over the years, a series of textbooks, or a bit of both. However they choose to do things, they have a system in place and follow a logical progression of lessons and textbooks. Bad hagwons have no clear system, or, if they do have one, they don’t actually stick to it. With all the pandering and moving around, they end up with students who have multiple unfinished textbooks, the wrong textbooks for the class they are in, or no textbooks at all, creating quite a nightmare for teachers. Teachers in bad hagwons often have to teach off the cuff, change schedule with little or no prior notice, make copies of textbooks for kids who don’t have any, and spend hours creating their own tests and quizzes.
  • Facilities: Appearances are very important in Korea, so good and bad hagwons alike will do their best to look presentable to parents. Behind the scenes, however, bad hagwons’ facilities are often lacking. They may be missing simple things like a decent computer and printer for teachers to use, and the computer they do have will probably be old and slow and lack proper office software. In some cases, the entire business might be running on one cruddy old laptop! Chairs and tables may be severely worn out and falling apart. The hagwon likely won’t provide copies of textbooks for teachers to use in class. Bad hagwon owners either can’t afford to maintain their facilities, or, more likely, they simply don’t want to spend the money.
  • Pay: Pay will vary even among good hagwons, depending on things like location and what other benefits the hagwon offers. A good hagwon should offer somewhere around $1,500 to $2,000 per month, depending on how many hours you work, how much experience you have, and what other benefits are included. The salary range may sound a bit low, but remember that an apartment and insurance are often included for foreign teachers as well. Many hagwon teachers are also able to supplement their salaries through private tutoring on the side. Always read the contract carefully when considering a hagwon, and, if something is not crystal clear, ask lots of questions until you know exactly what you’re getting into. Sneaky employers may describe a certain salary per year but neglect to mention anything about sick days and reserve the right to cut your pay by the hour if you miss work for any reason.
  • Teachers: Korean parents understandably want their kids to learn English from native speakers, so most of the teachers at a good English hagwon will be foreigners from places like the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, and South Africa. Of course, hiring foreigners is more expensive than hiring locals, so bad hagwons may try to cut corners by rotating one or two foreign teachers through the classes while local Korean teachers fill in on the off days. It’s not bad or uncommon for a hagwon to hire some Korean teachers to help out, but if most classes are not primarily taught by foreign teachers, you might be dealing with a bad hagwon.

Hagwon and International School Combos

In your search for hagwon employment, you may come across international schools that also offer hagwon classes in the afternoon. Such institutions might be looking for someone who can teach at the international school during the school day and then teach hagwon classes in the afternoons. A setup like this may not be impossible, but such an “international school” is likely not legitimate. And even if it were a legitimate school, the number of teaching hours one person would have to put in per day is ridiculous.

If an institution claims to be an international school and a hagwon, they are likely only registered as a hagwon, not as an accredited school. In addition, the E-7 visa requirements to be a teacher at a real international school are different and more demanding than the E-2 visa requirements to be a conversational English teacher at a hagwon. If an institution is offering to hire you as an international school teacher on an E-2 visa, they’re either not an accredited school in Korea, or they’re into some shady business. Always do your research!

Hagwon Blacklists

Many people have taken it upon themselves to help out their fellow humans by sharing their hagwon horror stories online so the rest of us don’t have to suffer the same horrible fates. Unfortunately, online backlists are not nearly exhaustive, but they are still very helpful. If you’re considering a hagwon, look for their name on these popular hagwon blacklists to be safe:

Even if you don’t find a hagwon’s name on a blacklist, always do your own research and ask plenty of questions to make sure you don’t end up being the one to add them to a blacklist yourself!

If you’re still looking for more detailed information on a specific hagwon, you might also try looking for a social media group for foreigners living in the same city—Facebook pages for foreigners in Jeonju or Busan, for example. Ask around the group to see if other foreigners in the city have heard anything about the hagwon you’re considering. You might even find someone who’s worked there!

Teachers looking for work should also seriously consider getting hired through a recruiter, rather than shopping around alone and hoping they don’t get duped by a bad hagwon. Recruiters work for the benefit of foreign teachers to ensure that they are hired by legitimate schools offering appropriate pay and benefits.

Teaching English in Korea can be a fun and rewarding experience if you find a good school or hagwon to work for. Just be careful to avoid the shady characters looking to make a quick buck and ruin the experience!

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Real Ways You Can Make a Difference in Your Community

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The following is a guest post by Lance Cody-Valdez of free-lance-now.com. Visit his website for freelancing tips and resources and more great articles like this one!

While you may have a deep, personal passion for caring for others, it can be hard to figure out the best way to make a difference in the surrounding community. Grammarai Warrior presents the following guide to help anyone who wants to make a positive impact in their area.

Community-Focused Careers

What better way to combine your passion with your work? You can make a living by making a difference. There are many options; all you need is a little drive, focus and creativity. The following suggestions can open you up to a whole new world of possibilities.

  • Working as a teacher can help you build up the next generation. If you’re looking for a career change, consider a fast-track program.
  • Looking to take on a major role in your community? Consider running for office.
  • You can even start your own business with a mind to hire locally or to give a portion of your proceeds to a community cause.

Volunteering

There’s no better way to put feet to your public spirit and social conscience than volunteering your time and resources to a worthy endeavor. Volunteering gives you a sense of purpose, and it’s also a way to get to know your fellow citizens. Here are some ways to make your impact in your spare time.

  • Volunteering helps your community and improves your mental health.
  • Looking for something less structured? Consider bringing trash-pickup items on your next walk and tidying your neighborhood.
  • If STEAM projects are more your leaning and you aren’t sure where to start, check in with local observatories, code camps, and even the National Weather Service; if you’re a weather junkie, you can teach kids about meteorology by doing a little storm spotting.

Using Your Voice

Many people aren’t aware of the issues facing the world today. Maybe you’re the one to inform your community about current events, whether they’re hot-button topics or not. Here’s how to use your voice effectively.

Ultimately, you should focus on finding ways to make the most of your strengths. You have unique skills, interests, and talents that can make a big difference for those around you. We hope this article inspires you to get started on your journey toward helping your community thrive.

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If you enjoyed this guest article by Lance, visit him at free-lance-now.com for more great content and resources for freelancers and digital nomads!

Affordable and Educational Gifts for Children that Don’t Include Screens

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The following is a guest post by Joyce Wilson of TeacherSpark.org. Visit her blog for more great articles and teaching ideas!

Many children spend a lot of time playing video games and watching television these days, and it can be a real challenge to get them interested in anything else. We don’t want them to be bored, but it is natural to want to give gifts that move them away from screens, since as ParentMap notes, too much use can be bad for them. Luckily, many educational gifts that are reasonably priced are easy to find. Here are some simple, budget-friendly suggestions courtesy of Grammarai Warrior.

Encourage Artistic Expression

Encouraging children to express themselves artistically has many emotional benefits and it doesn’t cost a lot of money to foster their natural talents. Art supplies like acrylic paint, brushes and a canvas or two make an excellent gift combination for youngsters. Other good options include modeling clay, charcoal pencils, watercolors, and calligraphy sets. Even simple coloring books and crayons can offer hours of creative fun.

Music is another form of artistic expression that can draw a child away from the lure of screens. Although a new musical instrument can be a big investment, a used one can be purchased from online sites like eBay or Etsy. As an example, a keyboard is relatively easy to learn and is a good way for a child to start making music. Be sure to throw in a book of easy-to-master songs and a pair of noise-canceling headphones to round out the gift.

Hands-On Education

Children love watching things grow and learning how substances react. A biology lab kit can be assembled by buying seeds, growing medium, and a few pots. Try to choose plants that grow relatively quickly like marigolds or beans so the whole operation won’t be abandoned. If your child is hooked on science, chemistry sets provide hours of interesting activity for children while teaching them about experimentation. Select one that is age-appropriate and meets your price point.

Another inexpensive hands-on learning toy is a set of building blocks like Legos and other creative construction toys. Parenting Science points out there is ample evidence that construction play encourages problem-solving as well as language, spatial, and motor skills. You can start with a simple set that can be added on to as the child’s ability to build expands. And you might be surprised to learn that if you visit Lego’s website, you can often find sales on their products.

For the Bookworms

Books never go out of style. Consider popular nonfiction titles or even a series of books. Many bookstores, whether online or not, have members’ clubs that offer discounts and special rates.

Also, consider shopping second-hand bookstores for first-edition classic titles or gently used selections. If you have an e-reader, download some freebies. With endless options on every topic imaginable, books are the perfect way to expand your child’s horizons and help them learn.

Family and Social Interactions

Meaningful interactions with family and friends are the best way to get children interested in leaving the world of their screens behind. Consider games and puzzles to brighten your child’s day, enjoy more family time, and, of course, keep them off the electronics.

Puzzles are both fun and challenging mental exercise and can be a super low-cost gift. A jigsaw puzzle of the world, for instance, is an excellent gift for helping kids to learn geography. Several puzzle books like crossword and word search are also a good choice. Finally, board games can teach a variety of skills like counting, spelling and even real estate.

Another activity you can do with your kids is to teach them about the practical skills you demonstrate at home everyday. You can talk to them about doing things with you around the house. You can ask them to help you cook lunch, tend to the garden, or wash the car. If they’re interested you can check different websites, and look at some project that you can do together.

Deciding on a screen-less gift for your child doesn’t have to be a difficult or impossible decision. Children love learning, creating and moving, so all of these options should provide a great first step. Don’t be afraid to get creative, and don’t forget to take advantage of online opportunities to help you save money.

Grammarai Warrior offers inspirational tips and free grammar resources. Check out our store or contact us today!

If you enjoyed this article by Joyce Wilson, get in touch with her and check out all of her content at TeacherSpark.org for more helpful information and inspirational teaching ideas!

Powering Through Projects

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We’ve all been in a situation where we had a lot of work to do and not enough energy to do it. Whether it’s college papers or projects at work, sometimes you just have to trudge on through and get things done for a deadline even if it kills you. Here are a few quick tips and ideas to maintain your energy levels and power through those projects like a champ.

Stay hydrated

This is a fairly obvious tip and one that a lot of gurus are already promoting, so I won’t stay on this one for long. Sometimes all you need is a glass of water to get rehydrated, and you’ll feel much more awake. If you often get too busy and forget to have a few glasses of water throughout the day, set a reminder on your phone or smartwatch to keep yourself hydrated.

Maintain a regular sleep schedule

Being mindful of your circadian rhythm can make a big difference in how you feel throughout the entire day. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, and try to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Make bed time non-negotiable, and do whatever you have to do to make yourself get up in the morning. If you have a hard time getting out of bed on time, Jocko Willink has some brilliant ideas for making yourself get up.

Sleep is a very deep topic to study, and everyone is unique. At the end of the day though, we all need enough sleep to stay healthy and function at our best. If you’re interested in digging deeper into the importance of sleep, I recommend the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD.

Make bed time non-negotiable, and do whatever you have to do to make yourself get up in the morning.

Eat something

If you’re the type to get intensely focused on your work, you might tend to skip meals. As tempting as it might be, don’t skip breakfast in the morning or cut corners by eating junk food like Pop-tarts or donuts. Sugary foods will only give you a temporary boost that will be gone as quick as it came. Eat healthy, and eat regularly to maintain your energy levels throughout the day.

Don’t eat anything

This point might sound like the exact opposite of what I just mentioned, but hear me out. You can still eat, but it might be a good idea to put off your meals or rearrange your schedule. We all know that feeling of lethargy and sleepiness after a big meal. The digestive process can sap a lot of energy and leave you feeling lethargic for a while, especially if you eat something heavy and unhealthy. Eat light, healthy meals that are easy to digest to avoid feeling bloated and sleepy.

If you’re already eating healthy but still feeling sleepy after your meals, consider changing up your schedule so that your meal times don’t come before or in the middle of working hours. Some people even find intermittent fasting routines helpful for avoiding eating during work hours.

And of course (as common sense hopefully tells you already) you should always consult your doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.

A change of scenery

It can be hard to stay focused in certain environments. If you’re working at home, you might be distracted by all the chores you need to get done around the house or all the mediums of entertainment at your disposal. If you’re at your work office, your coworkers might keep stepping in for small talk. Whatever distractions you face, sometimes the best way to make yourself get something done is just to do your work somewhere else where you don’t have anything else competing for your attention. Work in a place that is dedicated to productivity, such as a library or study center. Go to a café where you have nothing else to do and no friends around to talk to. Everyone has different preferences and pet peeves, so find a place that works for you and makes it easy to stay focused on the work at hand.

Get some sunlight

Sunlight plays a significant role in our sleep cycle. It’s one of the cues that helps our bodies know when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to start winding down for the day. Wake yourself up by getting some direct exposure to sunlight in the morning. If you can, do your work outside or next to an open window to allow for direct sunlight exposure. Even a quick fifteen-minute walk during lunch break can help you feel much more awake and energized after being cooped up inside all morning.

Exercise

Regular exercise can be beneficial for lots of reasons. If you have a hard time falling asleep at night, going to the gym might help exhaust you enough to fall asleep at a decent hour. If you feel groggy in the morning, an early workout can get your blood pumping and help you feel alert and energized.

In addition to your regular exercise routine, some brief physical activity when you’re feeling sleepy or lethargic during the day can help clear your head and get you reenergized. A short walk outside might help you brush off that afternoon grogginess at work. And if you’re really getting sleepy, an intense set or two of burpees or jumping jacks will wake you right up. You’ll almost never be so tired that some burpees can’t wake you up!

You’ll almost never be so tired that some burpees can’t wake you up!

Take a nap

If your schedule and environment allow, a quick power nap can give you a great energy boost to get through the rest of your day. A nap cannot replace a proper sleep schedule, but it can be a great compliment to one, or at least help you power through a temporary lack of sleep for a big project. For more information on the art of napping, I recommend this article from The Art of Manliness.

Use coffee for a temporary boost

As you may have read in this previous post about coffee, caffeine is usually not a great idea. However, it might be useful as a temporary boost in particularly demanding circumstances. If you’re going all out for a few days to finish a big project or burning the midnight oil to meet a deadline, caffeine might be useful to keep yourself going for those last few hours before you inevitably crash. Used in conjunction with a power nap, caffeine can be used for a strong temporary energy boost. Simply chug a cup of coffee and immediately crash for a brief power nap. When you wake up in twenty minutes or so, you will not only be reenergized from the nap, but the caffeine should also be kicking in for an extra boost. Caffeine is not a good long-term solution, but it can be very effective when used strategically.

Try the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique developed by Francesco Cirillo. It is designed to help you get work done in short stages or bursts of productivity followed by short periods of rest. To use the Pomodoro Technique, set a timer for twenty-five minutes. During those twenty-five minutes, get as much work done as you possibly can. When the twenty-five minutes of work is over, you get five minutes to rest and do whatever you want. After five minutes of rest, set the timer for another twenty-five minutes of work, and repeat the process as necessary. Every four cycles you’re free to take a longer fifteen- to thirty-minute break.

You might find setting a short timer and knowing that there is an end in sight very motivating. Or you might find that you just needed the timer to get yourself started and find a break completely unnecessary once you get the ball rolling. Experiment with different lengths of time to find a cycle that helps you get the most done.

Conclusion

You probably noticed that a lot of maintaining energy levels comes down to being healthy and consistent in day-to-day life. Eating healthy, sleeping on time, and exercising regularly are important to just about every aspect of life. However, there are times when even the healthiest among us have to rely on a few life hacks to power through projects in trying circumstances. Stay healthy and hack wisely!

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A Great App for Memorizing Vocabulary: Anki

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If you’re one of the many people trying to learn a new language, you know how difficult it is to remember a bunch of vocabulary words. There are tons of different apps and methods out there for learning new vocabulary, but the most useful and practical memorization tool I’ve ever used is Anki.

What is Anki?

Anki is a powerful flashcard app designed to help you memorize just about anything. It can be used to make flashcards for learning a language, memorizing terms for a science test, or remembering mathematical formulae. Anki is packed with features and options that can be optimized to fit any preference or study schedule.

One of Anki’s best features is that it can be synchronized across devices. With apps available for any computer or mobile device, you can start studying flash cards on your computer at home and pick up right where you left off any time you have a few spare minutes throughout the day with your phone. This article is not meant to be a full walkthrough of Anki’s capabilities, but you can visit Anki’s website to read about more details and amazing features.

How Anki Works

Anki is designed to help you memorize terms by spaced repetition. Each time Anki shows you a flashcard, it asks you how difficult it was to recall. The easier you tell Anki the card was to recall, the longer Anki will wait to show you that card again in the future. The more difficult the card was to recall, the sooner Anki will bring it up for review again.

the Anki flashcard difficulty scale
The easier a card is to remember, the longer Anki will wait to review it again. The more difficult a card is to remember, the sooner Anki will review it again.

You can change Anki’s settings to review cards more or less often if you like, but the default settings have always worked great in my experience. If you forget a term, you can always tell Anki to review it again when it asks how difficult it was. You can always count on Anki to review each card again eventually, so you don’t have to worry about scheduling reviews or forgetting terms that you learned in the past. Just keep reviewing your cards every day and leave the rest to Anki!

But I already use Quizlet!

Already made a bunch of flashcards on Quizlet? Quizlet is great too, but it doesn’t have all the options and features that Anki has—most importantly, built-in spaced repetition. If you want to switch from Quizlet to Anki or use your flashcards on both apps, you can easily move flashcards to Anki without making them all over again. Simply export flashcard decks from Quizlet and import them to a new Anki deck!

Exporting a deck from Quizlet and importing the file to Anki.
Export flashcards from Quizlet (left), and import them to make a new deck in Anki (right).

How I Use Anki for Vocabulary

I like to keep things simple, so I put all of my flashcards in one big deck for each language or subject. As I study and come across new words and phrases that I want to remember, I add them to the deck. Since Anki reviews cards by spaced repetition, not by topic or deck, it doesn’t matter if you have one deck or twenty. All the cards that need to be reviewed each day are due on that day, no matter what deck they are in or how you prefer to categorize them.

In other flashcard apps like Quizlet, it’s usually sensible to build a relatively small deck for each chapter or unit of a subject, but one of the main reasons for using Anki is to continue to review everything and keep it memorized long term, not just to cram in the chapter or unit you are learning right now. So, while you could create many small decks in Anki too, that will just give you multiple decks to review every day for each subject rather than one big deck for each subject, which can cause a lot of clutter and feel overwhelming. The fewer decks you have to come back to each day, the easier it will be to keep up and stay consistent.

A tactic I employ to ensure thorough memorization of terms is creating two versions of each card. For example, when I add flashcards to my Korean deck, I create an English-Korean card and a Korean-English card. Sometimes I can easily remember the English translation of a Korean word, but I struggle to remember the Korean translation of an English word. By creating two versions of each flashcard, I ensure that I can more easily bring to mind each word that I learn in either language. Since both versions of each flashcard are already in the same big deck, Anki will review each word both ways each time it comes up.

Finally, try not to skip a review day with Anki. If you have a few small decks, catching up the next day might be easy, but when you have multiple decks and hundreds or thousands of flashcards, missing a day can really cause things to pile up! If you find that you have too many flashcards to review in one day, you can change the “Maximum reviews/day” setting in the “Reviews” tab of the options menu. And don’t forget to sync your account when you add new cards or finish a study session!

Download Anki

As you’ll see for yourself, Anki is a powerful app with tons of great options and features. There is so much more that could be said about Anki, but exploring all of its options and features would take us far beyond the scope of this post. I hope you’ll find Anki as helpful as I have on your own educational journey.

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a teacher speaking to his class

Teaching: A Calling Not Just A Career

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The following is a guest post by Susan Good of RetiredEducator.org. Visit her blog for more great articles like this one!

Teachers are more than educators. They are community leaders and are largely responsible for shaping what our world will look like in the future. If you are thinking about stepping into the classroom, keep reading as the Grammarai Warrior blog covers the basics on how to become a teacher.

Traits of a teacher

Not just anyone can be a teacher. You must be highly organized with the ability to give clear and concise directions to a group of people with varying skills and knowledge levels. If you choose to work at the elementary level, you also need to be exponentially patient and understand that kids must burn energy and question authority. A great teacher will have an astounding sense of humor and be a perpetual optimist.

Educational requirements

If you believe you have what it takes, the next step is to evaluate your dedication to your education. The vast majority of teaching positions in the United States require, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree. You should know, however, that earning your master’s degree (there are plenty of programs available online) opens up other opportunities. For example, you could potentially become a lead educator or administrator earlier in your career than with a bachelor’s alone. Once you are done with your education, you will need to take an educator certification test and pass a background check.

Ongoing training

Even though you will spend the vast majority of your time in front of a class, you will also find yourself on the other side of learning more often than you may expect. After you finish your student teaching, you will be required to complete ongoing professional development. Many enthusiastic teachers are given opportunities to further advance their teaching skills by visiting other schools — many of which, like the Ron Clark Academy, have a reputation for innovative teaching styles that cater to at-risk youth.

The rewards

There are obvious rewards to being a teacher. One is that you get to shape the leaders of the future. But as educational technologies company Shmoop explains, you will also learn while you earn. If impacting the future and enhancing your own knowledge base isn’t enough, think of all of the funny moments that you’ll have in the classroom — both because of the students and your sense of humor, which will grow out of necessity. Further, you get to work with other men and women who have similar goals as your own, and you’ll form a network of friends that will quickly grow outside of work.

The money

Very few teachers start their careers because of the money. Depending on where you live, you can expect a starting salary of $32,000 or less. Some higher-paying teachers in states like New York and Massachusetts easily top out at $75,000 or more. According to Niche, the average teacher in the US makes around $58,950 per year.

Being a teacher is a calling just as much as it is a career. For all of its positives, teachers are sadly overlooked and underappreciated. There may be days when you want to throw in the proverbial towel. But remember: The work you do now will have a long-lasting impact. The students you teach today hold tight to the lessons you’ve taught long after you retire, and they will take these with them into their adult lives. As a teacher, you are important, you matter, and you make a difference — and you can’t put a price on that.

If you enjoyed this article by Susan Good, check out more of her content at retirededucator.org! Whether you’re a professional educator, a parent, or a lifelong learner, you’re sure to benefit from her wealth of knowledge and practical teaching advice gained from thirty-eight years of teaching experience.