I've been doing a ton of writing lately. I'm working on a few things. First is a story. I'm not sure yet whether it's going to be a long short-story, a novella, or a real novel, but it's a good one. I'm also working on a publication. My own. I decided that it would be the best idea for my own 'business', considering I know next-to-nothing about retail and I am pretty good at writing. I've also been working on blogging, but that's been coming last as of late.
But today, I wanted to share something that really made me feel quite spectacular. It's a piece of writing that comes from one of my best students, Eugene. He is in a class called 특별, or teuk byeol, which means 'special'. I have three students in that class, and they really are special. Their English skills are remarkable. It feels as though I'm tutoring native English speaking 10-year olds on proper grammar usage via our fun science and history book.
In this class, I've implemented something called Letter Book. It's just a notebook where we write letters back and forth to each other, sometimes on a specific topic, sometimes just on whatever they feel like writing. I usually get requests to bring them food or spend every class on the rooftop playground. But today, under an open topic, I got this:
Dear Kate,
Hi, this is Eugene. I always think that I'm lucky to be your student. You make us fun and happy all the time. I think I've had lots of fun times with you. I always think I'm lucky to be your student.
From, Eugene
Sometimes I think I'm not a teacher, that I'm no good at it, that it's not for me. Sometimes I also think that nothing these kids do or say can surprise me anymore. After all, I'm not taken aback when they come into class singing and dancing to Gangnam Style or playing Anipang on their handphones or telling me about the most amazing fill-in-the-blank b.s. they've ever told me about just so I'll have to listen and won't be able to do any work in class today.
And then I get this. And I sing Gangnam Style with them. I download Anipang on my handphone and try to rival their high scores. And I listen to their b.s. because it matters to them that I listen. Because to all 85 kindergartners that I have for 20 minutes a day every day, and all 184 elementary and middle school students that I see every week after kindergarten, I'm their teacher. That these kids can give their affection so freely and give hugs to me every day and come running to me in the halls because they're so happy to see me is beyond my reasoning capabilities. I love these guys. And I guess, just maybe a little bit, they love me back. Maybe I am a teacher after all.
But today, I wanted to share something that really made me feel quite spectacular. It's a piece of writing that comes from one of my best students, Eugene. He is in a class called 특별, or teuk byeol, which means 'special'. I have three students in that class, and they really are special. Their English skills are remarkable. It feels as though I'm tutoring native English speaking 10-year olds on proper grammar usage via our fun science and history book.
In this class, I've implemented something called Letter Book. It's just a notebook where we write letters back and forth to each other, sometimes on a specific topic, sometimes just on whatever they feel like writing. I usually get requests to bring them food or spend every class on the rooftop playground. But today, under an open topic, I got this:
Dear Kate,
Hi, this is Eugene. I always think that I'm lucky to be your student. You make us fun and happy all the time. I think I've had lots of fun times with you. I always think I'm lucky to be your student.
From, Eugene
Sometimes I think I'm not a teacher, that I'm no good at it, that it's not for me. Sometimes I also think that nothing these kids do or say can surprise me anymore. After all, I'm not taken aback when they come into class singing and dancing to Gangnam Style or playing Anipang on their handphones or telling me about the most amazing fill-in-the-blank b.s. they've ever told me about just so I'll have to listen and won't be able to do any work in class today.
And then I get this. And I sing Gangnam Style with them. I download Anipang on my handphone and try to rival their high scores. And I listen to their b.s. because it matters to them that I listen. Because to all 85 kindergartners that I have for 20 minutes a day every day, and all 184 elementary and middle school students that I see every week after kindergarten, I'm their teacher. That these kids can give their affection so freely and give hugs to me every day and come running to me in the halls because they're so happy to see me is beyond my reasoning capabilities. I love these guys. And I guess, just maybe a little bit, they love me back. Maybe I am a teacher after all.
kate, i know you are a great teacher, the students do love you.
ReplyDeletexoxo mom
thanks mom :)
ReplyDeletelove you and dad
awesome. absolutely awesome. :)
ReplyDelete