Last Days of Teaching

JULY 17 (Tuesday): OPEN CLASS

3 more days of teaching and all I had to do was successfully execute my last Open Class for the 2nd grade parents. I worried that we wouldn't have time to get through each topic in the lesson. I packed more into those 40 minutes (to impress the parents) than we normally accomplished in one week. Everything went smoothly. The students listened, and for that reason, we almost got through everything with time to spare. Even the students who never paid attention raised their hands. I'm sure they were trying to impress their parents, too.

VIDEO: 2nd Grade reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears

VIDEO: 2nd Grade reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears

VIDEO: Grade 3-4 reading Hansel and Gretel

JULY 18 (Wednesday): LAST KINDERGARTEN CLASS

Daebul is surrounded by farmland

Different crops grown & harvested every week

Kindergarten class

Discipline & Sticker charts: Grades 1-2

Discipline & Sticker charts: Grades 3-4

Despite the discipline & sticker charts, the kids still run around like animals...

Standing on chairs...

Tugging on the fan strings...

JULY 20 (Friday): LAST DAY OF TEACHING

Bus Buddies   :)

My last day of teaching felt bittersweet. On one hand, I felt relieved that my teaching days were over. No more yelling. No more frustration with the language barrier. No more high-pitched voices whining for yellow stickers, candy, prizes, or the Angry Birds Game. No more ABCs! On the other hand, I felt sad knowing that I would never see their smiling, toothless faces again. I wouldn't know if they grew up to be doctors or lawyers or if they stayed in Yeongam for the rest of their lives. Who knows?

Seonmin & Seonju writing me farewell notes on postits

My desk calendar, now covered in goodbye notes

aww I'm an angel  *bwing bwing*

The kids still don't listen...I'm a terrible disciplinarian.

Jumping from desk to desk

VIDEO: Kids everywhere

VIDEO: A typical day before class starts

They jump on my desk too. It's insane.

Ok time to get my camera back

My last few classes consisted of end of the month evaluations for grades 1-4. I summoned them individually to my desk to test their retention of vocabulary, phrases, and reading that we learned in the past month. I showed them PowerPoint slides that we learned together, and they would tell me what the images translated to in English. Some students breezed through the exam. Others really struggled, which was painful to watch on my last day on the job!

I took pictures with my 3 classes that day. The youngest ones told me not to go and hugged me tightly. My grade 3-4's wrote me letters during class. The 6th grade class also brought me letters. Many wrote that they would always remember me and hoped that I would do the same.

1st grade

1st grade

2nd grade

2nd grade

2nd grade

2nd grade

2nd grade

Grades 3-4

Grades 3-4

Grades 3-4

Ok time to get my camera back

I prepared for my departure from Daebul Elementary School. I brought a mocha cake for the teachers and staff to share. I also wrote cards (translated into Korean) and gifted rice cakes for my co-teacher and the teacher who drives me home everyday.

After school, the teachers and staff threw me a farewell party in the teachers' lounge. I walked in to the smell of pizza and fried chicken accompanied by the mocha cake I brought, a tray of fresh cut watermelon slices, and liter bottles of Coca Cola. We all sat down. The vice principal read my card and everyone seemed pleased. There was more than enough food and the pizza was great. You know you've been in Korea for too long when you think that the pizza -- fake cheese and all -- tastes amazing. 

nom nom time

Pizza with cheese-stuffed crust. Yes!

Afterwards, I went back to my classroom to clean up once and for all. So many worksheets, copies of homework packets, lined paper templates just floating around needing to be sorted or thrown away. My co-teacher helped me put supplies away. The classroom will be in disuse until the next scholar comes in early September. It didn't feel like my last day, but it was finally time to close the door for good. 15 classes per week. 60 classes per month. ~660 classes in 11 months -- not including the extra hour of kindergarten every week. Can't believe that I survived a year in Korea. Can't believe I survived a year of teaching! That chapter is finally over and now it is time to say good-bye to all of the friends that I have gotten to know in Jeollanam-do. Next stop: Gwangju!

Good-bye, Happy English Town

Good-bye, ABCs!

Good-bye, Daebul

Good-bye, Yeongam