My Last Lessons
This was my last week teaching at SGHS. It was bittersweet. My last lesson went well. I wrapped up a chapter on Latin America with some facts about life in Latin America today. I made a Jeopardy game for the class to play as a fun way to end my time teaching. I wanted to end on a high note. The students in both classes seemed to enjoy it and they certainly liked the chocolates for the winning team!
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| Lecturing about Latin America Class 2-6 |
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| Playing Jeopardy Class 2-6 |
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| Class 2-6 |
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| Creating Teams for Jeopardy Class 2-3 |
Some of my students from one of the classes I taught this semester made me a sweet going away card.
Saying Goodbye to SGHS
Leaving SGHS was much harder than I ever could have imagined a few ago. The students and staff were so kind to us from the day we started working there. The last day at SGHS started with some goodbye cake from Crystal's Homeroom teacher. Then we had a goodbye lunch with our social studies co-teachers. At the end of the day my homeroom class wrote kind messages all over the board, presented me with gifts, and sang me a song. It was extremely emotional and I was moved beyond words. I made gifts for the students and my homeroom teacher as departure gifts. Their kindness was overwhelming. Looking back I wish I had tried harder, talked more, was friendlier, and got to know the students better. I wish I could have spent more time working with my homeroom students. Finally, we had to say goodbye to all of the Korean teachers at their weekly meeting. We each had to say a goodbye message and were presented with pens from the principal. Leaving SGHS was the saddest I have ever been leaving any job. I won't ever forget the students in my classes, especially my homeroom class. I made so many wonderful friends in three months, this experience has certainly changed my life.
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| Crystal and Steve (my American co-teacher) |
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| Yummy Cake for Breakfast! |
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| Going Away Lunch |
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| Going Away Lunch: Seafood Stew |
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| Pen from my Korean Co-Teacher |
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| Passing out my gifts |
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| The Messages on my homeroom board |
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| Choco-Pie "Cake" Means Friendship |
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| My Wonderful Homeroom class and Teacher! |
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| Thanking my students for their sweet gifts! |
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| Beautiful Place mats, Chopsticks, Book with personal messages, and SGHS Pen |
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| Gift of Rice Cakes and Kiwis from our friend the Librarian (love her!) |
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| Leaving our library room for the last time :( |
Crystal's Birthday
This week was Crystal’s birthday. We went to lunch at a local pasta place where I had a delicious shrimp asparagus pasta dish and my buddy Crystal had a shrimp sandwich. For dessert we had a Korean specialty--waffle with ice cream. Delicious beyond words!
Korea University Thanksgiving Dinner
Things I'm thankful for in Korea:
Great students
Helpful and patient cooperating teachers
New friends
Getting to live and work with my good friend Crystal
Challenges of Korea
1. Motorbikes--they zoom around and I often fear for my life because they ignore red lights and stop signs--sometimes they even drive on the sidewalks!
2. Not enough vegetarian food
3. Miscommunication
4. Buses and Subways (I can't wait to get back into my car!)
5. Personal space-- Koreans share everything which is wonderful (except when you don't want to share)
Highlights of Korea
1. Amazing students who are generally respectful, nice, and engaged
2. Great cooperating teachers and staff at SGHS
3. Learning about the history of Korea
4. Good school lunches
5. Wonderful museums and Palaces
6. The kindness and friendliness of the Korean people
7. Getting to learn about the Korean culture
8. Getting to travel around Korea
9. Good souvenirs
10. Meeting new Korean friends
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