A reader question from someone who is a young looking 32 year old. He wants to know if he should attempt to look older through things like facial hair or fake glasses in order to get a job at a Korean university.
My answer: no. If you're 32 years old, I wouldn't worry about it. If you were in your 20's and had this same problem, then I'd recommend taking some action. The ideal age for a Korean university to hire someone is late 20's to late 40's, and I have a feeling that even with this looking young situation, you'd probably fit into that range.
This question comes from a friend of mine, Daniel who I did the CELTA with back in the day. He's leading a seminar on "Teaching Difficult Units" and was wondering if I had any tips. He's a stellar teacher (better than me?!) and I'll sure he'll do fabulous without my help, but I'll do my best to answer his question.
My Experience Teaching Difficult English Grammar
My background in the area is that I teach English major students at a top-level university in Busan, South Korea so by the time the students get to their third or fourth year, the stuff I'm teaching is pretty intense. Like modal passive verbs, causative get + have, past modals, passive for present continuous and present perfect, etc. For the most part, my students have not been exposed to this kind of stuff before, except very briefly in passing so I have to be solid on it and can't rely on their background knowledge. In addition, it's usually stuff I've never taught before which makes it even more difficult.
Top 5 Tips to Teach Difficult Stuff (in no particular order)
Context (topic). You should always have a context for anything that you teach, something by which your students can hang their grammar hats on. Teaching isolated grammar or vocabulary without giving your students a situation in which they can use it is a huge disservice and is actually a waste of time.
Research. I've found that you don't need to know all the intricate details of a specific grammar concept before teaching it, but you should be extremely proficient. I do three things to research: use the textbook and make sure I know that section inside and out. Then, I'll look online for what other teachers have said or written, either for other teachers, or usually more helpfully, students. The British Council puts out lots of good stuff for difficult grammar concepts. I'll also check YouTube and see if there are any helpful videos of other teachers explaining the concept. Don't copy them, but see what works and what doesn't and take the best stuff for your own lesson. Very occasionally, I'll run across a video that is amazing, and I'll show it in class (but it's rare!).
Simple is Best. I'm a huge believer in simple always being best, basically in everything in my life. This especially applies to teaching difficult concepts and in my experience, it is best to present only the basics and then let the students figure out the rest on their own, with a bit of help from you. Presenting all the ins and outs of every single point at the start is often too overwhelming.
Student-Centered is Ideal. Related to point #3 is the idea of making your lesson student-centered. Can you do a self-discovery style of grammar teaching? Can you do a very short presentation of less than 5 minutes? Can you get the students comparing answers together instead of with you? It will be more difficult for the students (and for you to set-up), but once they get it, they'll get it and will retain it for a whole lot longer.
Review. Whenever I introduce something that is quite difficult, there are always students who don't really "get it." That's okay and part of teaching. I try my best to help them in that class, but in the next class, I will ALWAYS review the concept. I'll briefly explain things, one more time in a slightly different way and will usually pair it with a different context. Then, I'll have the students work together with a different partner than the previous class on some sort of activity.
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"I am currently looking for uni jobs
that do not require a masters. Do you
know of any groups on Facebook I could get notifications? Thank you so
much!"
My answer:
If you haven't already read my book, check
out How
to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your
Dreamsfor
advice on what to do if you don't have a masters degree but want to work at a
uni. It's going to be tough, but not impossible especially if you're working on
a masters or are willing to work at a "unigwon."
But, to answer your question. I don't think
there are any Facebook groups, or any other kind of site for that matter which
is dedicated solely to uni jobs in Korea for those without masters degrees. You
could join my Facebook group, Foreign Teachers in Korean Universities where
jobs occasionally get posted. I'm sure you look there already, but check out
Dave's ESL Cafe Korean job board. You'll have to wade through lots of junk but
there are a few nuggets of gold. Finally, I recommend Profs Abroad. It is a
paid site, but you'll be able to get access to all the uni jobs in Korea, even
the hard to find ones on school websites very easily in one place.
"I recently bought and read your book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea. I really enjoyed it and
found that it answered many of the questions I’d had about applying for
university work in South Korea. While reading the book, I was hoping that you
might touch on the topic of tenure for university jobs. I’m currently teaching
at a Japanese university and have found that - for foreigners - securing a
tenured position is extremely difficult if not impossible in most institutions
here. Working in South Korea, have you found that most employment is rotational,
contract based with limitations on renewal? Are there stable, tenured positions
with upward mobility? If you have the time, I’d really appreciate your feedback
on these questions. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your
response."
Thanks for checking out How to Get a University Job in South Korea and also sending me your excellent question. I didn't include this topic in the book simply because there are no positions teaching English in South Korean universities for foreigners that are tenure-track, and upward mobility is extremely limited in almost all cases. Most universities offer one year contracts (a limited number 2 years) and your renewal depends on the whims of the powers that be and until you've been at a place for a few years, you really should have some back-up plans come contract renewal time.
The exception to this would be if you have a PhD in a field other than TESOL, but you'd still have a hard time getting tenure and moving up the ranks if you don't speak Korean. It's all about relationships here and greasing the right wheels and lack of language skills would limit you significantly. Competition even for adjunct professor positions is fierce here, as it is in the west.
It sounds to me like the situation regarding tenure in Japan is basically the same as in Korea, so I wouldn't recommend making a move based on that alone.
"I am 54 going on 55 in June. Is it still possible to teach at the
University level in South Korea given my age? Based on what you've
written the answer is: No."
In Korea, ageism is alive and well. It is not that uncommon to hear of people being forced out of their jobs as early as 50 and certainly by 60, which is generally considered the mandatory retirement age. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that after the Korean war, life expectancies were very low and it was uncommon for people to live into their 70's or 80's. These days, Koreans are living longer and longer but the retirement age has not risen along with it, unlike in most Western countries.
For foreigners teaching at Korean universities, it is a similar situation and it would be quite difficult for someone to hang on past the age of 60. You might not officially be let go but at some point you'll contract just won't be renewed. That is if you could even get a job. If you had started somewhere in your late 40's or early 50's, shown yourself to be a well-liked and reliable teacher, and established a solid relationship, you'd probably be fine. But, I'm not sure a lot of places would be willing to give someone your age a chance who is not in Korea and has no experience teaching here. The job market is extremely competitive these days and that is a big strike against you.
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Email Address
This is a question from a member of my
Facebook group, Foreign Teachers in Korean Universities, which you should join
if you teach at a Korean uni, or want to at some point in the future.
"Will someone please advise me on the
best ways to get a job teaching at a university in Korea and the best ways to
have fun with expats once there? Besides teaching I love writing, movies,
books, board games, biking, hiking and camping."
As for the first part about how to get a
job teaching at a university in Korea, you should check outHow to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams. Almost all of the feedback on it has been extremely positive and I think you'll pick up at least a few useful tips (and probably a lot more!). The book's website, universityjobkorea.com has some excerpts from the book as well as some of my guest posts on other sites if you want to try before you buy.
As for the second question about having fun in Korea: you'll find it far easier to meet people and make friends than you would back home. People are always coming and going so people are pretty open to newbies. If you live in a big city like Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Daegu or Daejeon, there will be a multitude of expat groups on Facebook for just about any hobby or interest that you could possibly imagine. I would caution against living in the countryside if you are coming to Korea alone and like to have an active social life since it can be extremely isolating and lonely to be the only foreigner in the vicinity.
He did respond with a long email, which I won't post here but the gist of it is that he had already signed a housing deposit, was supporting a wife and needed to take a job offer quickly, so he ended up working in a public school.
My response: think of getting a uni job in Korea as a game of chicken. As I mention in the book, almost everything in Korea happens last minute- the "bali-bali" syndrome. This means that schools will be interviewing and making hiring decisions alarmingly close to the start of the semester. If you're the type who likes to have things locked down early (or in your case-you signed a housing deposit so were tied to a certain physical location), then you'll probably hate it and end up taking an inferior job such as at a public school or hagwon. It's the "safe" option but doesn't really help you get that sweet uni job.
In both my rounds applying for uni jobs, I got interviews and job offers astoundingly late, more than I would have ever thought possible and even for some of the top jobs in the country. As I mention in the book, the top candidates turn down job offers and then it's on to the next tier of candidates and on and on it goes.
Where, if you play the game of chicken well, and wait, and wait, and wait until the last possible minute for some good job offers, you'll likely get something if you meet the basic qualifications (a masters + a couple years teaching experience in Korea). However, you might end up with nothing and totally regret not taking those inferior job offers that you had. It's kind of a crap-shoot, however you can improve your chances at winning by following some of my advice:
1. Try to avoid something like signing a housing deposit until you have a job locked down. This means you are free to move easily if you get a great offer in another city.
2. Emergency fund. Get one. If you lose at the game of chicken, then you'll have a bit of a buffer.
3. Always have a back-up plan. It's great to have plenty of options so apply for any and all jobs in case your first few choices fall through.
4. It's all about being in the right place at the right time and who you know. So, make networking with uni teachers a huge priority in your life and you'll hear about those last-minute job opportunities (there is basically one at my own uni every single semester!).
"I've just finished my masters in
TESOL and want to make a smooth transition into a university job in Korea. Any
advice on how to get into the game without any current uni teaching experience
because it seems like every position requires it. Is it worth it to get a PhD?"
Thanks for the question- it's a position
that many people in many industries around the world find themselves in. They
have the education, but lack the experience to get them the job in the field. The
catch 22.
Anyway, because your masters degree is in TESOL it will be possible
for you to get a university job in Korea, eventually so don't give up. I talk
about this very question in my book, How
to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your
Dreams and give
some suggestions such as working at a unigwon for a year or two or at a lower
level uni out in the countryside. I give an abundance of detail in the book, so
check that out if you haven't already.
As for the PhD thing, I've been around
Korean universities for the past 8 years and can count the number of foreigners
with PhD's working there on 2 hands, and possibly 1. The people that I have met
were those who studied something else besides TESOL such as English Literature,
Social Welfare or Engineering and were working in those departments teaching
content classes, as opposed to general English classes.
Since you have a masters in TESOL, I'm
assuming that is what you'd do your PhD in. In this case, it is a total waste
of time and money if your end goal is to get a job at a Korean university; it
just doesn't matter to Korean universities when they hire an English
conversation instructor. If your goal is to make teaching ESL your career and
move on to other countries or back home, then yes, possibly it is a good idea
but it really depends on your individual circumstances.
Anyway, I'd like to respond with some possible reasons why people wouldn't be able to get a uni job in a year, although I have no idea what is going wrong with this specific person without more information from him (I welcome him to comment). Here's his review:
"Ok, but need more detail. I want to know what I'm doing wrong when trying to get a university job. I have been trying for about a year with no luck. This book does nothing to help solve my problem."
Top 10 Reasons Why you can't Get the Korean University Job you want. 1. Education It's really hard to get a university job in South Korea without a Masters degree these days. A few years ago, you could slip by with a BA degree, but times are changing and requirements are far higher these days. 2. Experience It's not easy to get a university job with only a year or two of teaching experience, even if you have a Masters degree. Places may also be reluctant to hire you if you have never taught adults. 3. Age If you are either younger (less than 30) or older (more than 50) than the ideal, it can be really tough for you to even get interviews, no matter how well-qualified you are. 4. Gender and Country of Origin North America females are generally preferred and if you don't fit into either of those categories, you might be overlooked in favor of someone who is both of those things. 5. Appearance As I mention in the book numerous times, appearance truly is everything in Korea. If you are anything but well-dressed and groomed and reasonably attractive, it can be quite difficult for you to get a job. You have to put a picture on the resume and hope that the university likes what they see. Obvious physical defects and not being white are often huge strikes against you. Or, maybe you don't present that well at an interview due to things like B.O., facial hair, weight or ill-fitting clothes. 6. Lack of Knowledge about Teaching If you make it to the interview stage, but keep failing it may be because it is obvious that you have no idea about teaching. Almost all interviewers will ask at least one question about teaching methodology to sort out the amateurs from the professionals in the classroom. Consider this carefully and buff up on your English language teaching knowledge if necessary by taking a class such as the Celta. 7. Lack of Networking If you are not getting interviews, it is perhaps because you don't know someone on the inside. Many of the top jobs are never advertised publicly and are instead filled through word of mouth, through friends of current foreign teachers. If you are reclusive or not a cool person and just don't know that many people in Korea, you will have a hard time finding a university job. 8. Lack of Professional Development See #6. This can really set apart the "real" teachers from the "amateurs." 9. Non-Professional Application Package If you are not getting interviews, consider your package carefully. I offer a wealth of advice in How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams on this topic. 10. Not Applying to Enough Jobs In the book, I talk about what to do if you are not a top candidate and have a few strikes against you such as your country of origin, lack of experience or age. I suggest applying to ANY and ALL university jobs in South Korea. Treat it like your full-time job and get obsessed with it. You need to apply for at least 50+ jobs in order to get a few interviews and eventually jobs offers. Maybe you are a less than ideal candidate but you are being too picky and only applying to the very top jobs that even someone well-qualified would have a hard time competing for.
A couple years out in the countryside working at a job with a high number of teaching hours, less than full vacation, or low pay will help you tremendously in competing for the best jobs in the future.
Some (most) people make their syllabi far more complicated/official sounding than this one. But, I like to keep it simple since it's my style and I always try to keep my audience in mind (students with sometimes quite basic English skills) and not worry too much about appearances for the sake of the admin.
"I am a 51 year old American with a 9 year old
daughter. Would I be able to bring my daughter with me if I got a
teaching job in Korea?"
(I'm answering the question assuming you're a single mom. If you're married, your husband could home-school/take care of your child and none of the stuff I talk about below will be a problem).
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: yes, but I probably wouldn't do it for the following reason.
What do you plan to do for school? I certainly wouldn't put a foreign kid into a Korean school for a host of reasons including: large class sizes compared to Western countries (ie: no one will hold her hand), inability/unwillingness of anyone in the school to speak English to her, Korean being quite a difficult language to learn for an English speaker, lack of communication between you and the teachers and finally, the biggest reason of them all: bullying.
She will most certainly be bullied by her classmates because in Korea, people seem to seize upon any and every opportunity to assert their superiority over just about anyone who is perceived to be inferior, of which your daughter most certainly will be due to her lack of language skills. Teachers are also known to bully the weak and there was just a report in the news only one or two days ago about a teacher being disciplined for her repeated bullying of a mixed race kid. But, here's the thing: her punishment was less severe because she had won an award of some sort at some point in her career. Crazy. And certainly not recommended. Let it be indication to you that Korean parents are almost willing to give their left arm or pinky toe to get their kids out of the education system here.
Where does that leave you? International schools? Also a pretty terrible idea unless you're independently wealthy, which is probably not the case if you're coming to Korea to teach English.
Home-schooling? Yes, it's possible. But, what is she going to do while you're at work all day? Due to the language barrier, you'll have kind of an impossible time finding someone to look after her. And assuming you find someone who can speak English, it will just be way too expensive and impossible for you to actually make any money after paying for that.
One topic that my book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams didn't really touch on but perhaps should of is what to do if your timing is bad when you want to work at a South Korean University. The semesters start in September and March, with March being the start of the academic year. A recent trend in the past few years is that schools have started to try to hire most of their English teachers for a March start, when in the past the hiring has generally been divided pretty equally between the two (that said, I got both my jobs as a September start).
Anyway, what should you do if your current contract does not finish at an ideal time, such as in October or April. The best solution would be to stick at your current job until you can finish at an ideal time. This will probably involve asking your employer to extend your contract, but not for a full-year, perhaps only 3 or 4 months. In my experience, most employers will be willing to do this if you are a good employee since it saves them the hassle (and expense) of hiring a new person for a bit longer. The additional bonus of this one is that you can hopefully transfer your visa from your old employer to your new one, which is much easier than getting a new visa. If you aren't a good employee, of course nobody will go out of their way to help you.
The next best solution would be to finish your current contract, but then find some sort of temporary employment such as at a summer or winter camp. Or, you could study Korean for a few months and switch to a student visa. It's kind of unclear whether or not you'd have to submit new teaching English paperwork for either of these options. Perhaps give the immigration hotline a call to find out the details.
If you only have a month or two between your old contract finishing and the new uni one starting, you could switch to a D-10, "looking for work visa" in which case you probably wouldn't have to submit new paperwork.
Alternatively, you could also take a few months off to travel or hang out in Korea on a tourist visa (you will probably have to leave and come back). In this case, you will definitely have to submit new paperwork.
The option that you should put out of your head is starting anytime besides September or March. It just isn't possible. I know it maybe doesn't seem fair, but that's just the way things work here. Of course, think about how you would have felt if you took a class in university and the teacher you started with wasn't the one you finished with. That would just be really annoying.
From Sam: "I am interested in a career
change as I have been working in a UK university for the past 5 years
and have recently completed my PhD and I would like to work in Korea. I
suppose my biggest concern is landing the first job and ensuring that
is a decent experience. In your experience, is there a good
company/agency that you would recommend I contact to ask about
positions? I have seen jobs on Dave's ESL but
there are so many and it would be good to have recommendations. It would
be good to go through an agency that offers visa and housing etc."
My answer:
If you want to work at a Korean university, it can be very difficult to get these jobs from overseas. That said, I have no idea what your PhD is in, so perhaps you want to teach sometimes besides ESL. If this is the case, you might have better luck finding a job from overseas, but as far as agencies or companies to recommend using, as far as I know there are no recruiting companies that place people in Korean unis. Everyone just finds their jobs through searching online for school's advertisements or by networking.
A word of warning though: Korea is still kind of the wild west in a lot of ways when it comes to teaching jobs. Plenty of people get ripped off, especially those that don't do their research, and it's quite obvious that you have not if you don't know that people don't get uni jobs through an agency, or that almost all teaching jobs in Korea include housing or that all jobs include a visa. Even though you have a PhD, because you a foreigner and a newbie to Korea, you will be at the very bottom of the totem pole here, even lower than the department secretary or the security guard on campus. And, you will find that academic standards are shockingly low here so for someone who is a "real" academic, you might find it to be a tough place to work.
Long answer: It's really easy to complete Delta modules 1 & 3 online by using The Distance Delta, which is a collaboration of The British Council and International House. Bell also has courses but I haven't heard amazing things about it. Module 1 requires a written test, which you can only do at the British Council in Seoul twice a year. Module 3 requires no test and you just submit your paper online.
The tricky part is Delta module 2 which requires observed teaching. I looked at all the angles and think it's basically impossible to do in Korea unless you actually work at the British Council. Your only option is to go abroad to do it, which will take you 4-8 weeks and most of the courses are in Europe.
"I just bought your book and read it. Thanks for the info; I enjoyed your style of writing as well. I
was curious if teaching late afternoon or night classes exclusively was
at all possible. I know some universities occasionally have a teacher
teach one or two, but I'm not sure if one is able to avoid morning
classes altogether or if people ever try to do this. Perhaps some people
make arrangements for classes they are taking as opposed to teaching? If one is able to do this, is there any guarantee that this can continue for the rest of the employment term?"
That said, if you have a very good reason for requesting a certain schedule (children, or doing a course of some kind), most unis will try to accommodate you, but it would be rare that anyone would guarantee you anything from one semester to the next. And, of course you should never say something like, "I can't wake up for 9am class" at an interview because it will make you look totally unprofessional.
"I'm over in the U.S. I have a MA in TESOL, have been teaching 3 years
college level, and previous to my States experience 5 years in Bangkok.
I
have the travel itch again...but am a divorced mama with a 6 year old
daughter. Any chance you know of similar experiences to this at UNI
level in Korea?
If it were just me, I could pick up some bags and go... are there any hiring fairs for Universities in the U.S.?"
My answer: unfortunately, it's extremely difficult to get hired at a Korean University from overseas since there are so many people in Korea with the proper qualifications available for in-person interviews. University Jobs in Korea are not like international school jobs that hold hiring fairs in the US; they simply advertise and then interview locally.
If you want to persevere and try your luck, check out this book which contains the basic information about finding a uni job in Korea, as well as a specific section about what to do if you are overseas.
"Would you be willing to give some advice? I'd like to teach at a Korean
University with my Masters in Ed. , a K-12 ESL Certificate (State of
Michigan and North Carolina), 4 years of K-8 licensed US teaching
experience, and 15 years of K-12 ESL teaching experience in Taiwan.
Questions:
1. Would being 47 years old make it difficult for me to be hired by hagwons, public schools, and universities?
2. What's the best path to getting a Korean University job that pays at least US$30,000 per year?
3.
Is it best to travel to Korea first and job hunt or secure a job before
leaving? (I'm thinking Visas and paperwork here, in addition to the
benefits being there before signing contracts).
4. Do you recommend any websites/blogs about working in Korea?
5.
Can a qualified teacher like me just show up and find a job or is it
always seasonal on schedule like hiring in August and in February?"
My answers:
If you're looking for advice about getting a university job in South Korea, check out my book:
It'll have all the information you need, and if not, send me another message and I'd be happy to help.
But, more specific answers:
1. Yes, 47 is a bit old but it's not impossible, especially if you look "young" for your age. The prime age for most places is between about 25 and 40.
2. See the book!
3. It can go either way, depending on how adventurous you are. It's often possible to find a better job when your boots are on the ground, but the job market is pretty tight for job-seekers these days and you can burn through a lot of money while waiting for the right one to come along.
4. Check my sidebar for a few blogs that I like. As far as I know, nobody else is writing exclusively about teaching in Korean universities besides myself.
5. Universities hire seasonally, as well as public schools but hagwons hire year-round and you can literally start almost any week of the year.
A question from M.S. "I have a PhD
(not in tefl, in env sci) and am in my late 30s with one year's tefl
experience. Could you
please advise me what are my chances for finding employment in a Korean
uni teaching English? Should I find employment elsewhere first to brush
up on my tefl (and maybe even look into obtaining a CELTA?)? I was
also wondering about what might the age limits be for English
instructors in Korean universities? Thanks for any help you can
give, it helps me to plan for my future."
My answer:
Your chances of finding employment at a Korean university is quite high, but as I've said before on this blog, it's pretty hard to find uni jobs in Korea when you're not actually in the country. Difficult, but not impossible though. You could look elsewhere in Korea for a job to get your foot in the door, but working at a hagwon or public school for a year could be a long, long year for someone like yourself.
A Celta is of no use in Korea so don't waste your time on it.
The accepted retirement age in Korea is 60, so you'll be fine.
I think it really is possible for you to get a uni job, but a tough question that you'll probably be asked over and over again is why you have a degree in science but want to teach English. I can't say that I really understand it myself and Koreans probably won't either.
That said, there are most definitely some uni jobs out there that are teaching English to science or engineering students, where you teach things like technical English. And there are also editing jobs that require a science or engineering background, which you could probably also do, assuming your English skills are up to par. I'd definitely try to look for some of those jobs instead of just the general English ones and you'll probably do better.
"I was just reading your interesting blog on teaching English
in a Korean university. I was wondering
if there are expectations for research on top of the usual teaching/admin? Does it provide for a decent work-life
balance?"
My short answer: No. Yes.
My long answer: No, there are generally no research requirements and teachers at Korean universities are more along the lines of "English Teachers" or "adjunct lecturers" than full-fledged "professors." There are some exceptions of course because there are foreigners with PhDs who are teaching in their field of expertise and those people would definitely have different expectations.
Teaching in a Korean university provides an excellent work-life balance. It's more of a part-time job if you don't do any overtime and just work the standard contract hours. Most people work 3-4 days/week and get anywhere from 2-5 months vacation.
"Do I have to pay to fly over or is this covered by most programs?"
My answer:
With the exception of unis, most programs/schools in Korea cover airfare. Although I think those days are kind of numbered and we'll probably see more and more contracts offering higher salaries in return for no airfare and housing. If you think about it, it's a pretty big risk for a small school to pay that much upfront for someone, sight unseen.
Outside Korea? Generally, you'll have to pay your own way with maybe the exception of the Middle East, but most of those jobs require serious qualifications/ experience which is doesn't sound like you have.
Save your pennies! Another alternative is to find a camp of some sort (common in Asia) which offers you a modest salary and covers your airfare. It's a way to get your boots on the ground without fronting too much out of your own pocket.
Welcome to My Life! Teaching in a Korean University
My Life! is the site for anything related to teaching in a South Korea university: activities, teaching methods, textbook reviews, job search advice, Korean uni culture and more. Email me at jlbolen@gmail.com.