"Sailors' Adventure"

The time since we last posted has been filled with changes at school.  Our new directors have upended the curriculum and set us on a new course filled with more freedom and more work.  Instead of our oppressing schedule of GETTHESEPAGESDONEINTHISCLASSORSUFFERTHEWRATHOFKHAN, we as teachers have the invigorating freedom of addressing problems with our students as they arise and going through material in a more realistic time frame.

When Ben and I started at Welton School, we were fairly ambivalent about the school as is.  Two months ago, a friend asked us if we planned to re-sign at the end of our contract, and we said, "Probably not..."  Now, I'm thinking a different answer.  With the newfound liberty to teach, Ben and I have actually become fond of our school.  Our students are dear to us, but we are really starting to feel proud of working at this establishment.  If our school survives the remainder of our contract year, we may consider re-signing after all.

We'll see.

The drawback to the changes has been the loss of students. Last week I lost three students in my homeroom-- half my class.  My dear twin girls and "Miss Thang" were pulled out by their mothers for vague reasons, leaving me with the two boys and a precocious girl we call "Shmeeshmu".

My three lost students, "Miss Thang" and the twins. <3

I didn't realize the extent of the feeling of loss that would ensue.  Ben has referred to me as a "Mother Hen" or a "Mama Bear" with my class.  Teaching in Korea often means being surrogate parents to these kids, but the parents will yank them out of a hagwon for the slightest offense.  I've taught these students for almost six months, and now I feel bereft.

The good, however, is that I'm now getting the opportunity to focus on a smaller set of children.  I will be able to cater more to their needs now than ever, and I am excited to see how they progress.  These students are 6-years-old by American reckoning (7 by Korean), and they're already doing things we don't do in America until 2nd or 3rd grade!  Take, for example, the vocabulary used by my student Aiden in this story he wrote last week:

"Sailors' Adventure"
Sailors go to a harbor.  There is one big ship.  Sailors ride a ship.  Then a wave comes to the ship! The wave finishes, but they get lost.  A sailor gets a compass.  The sailors go north.  After one hour, they see a harbor, and they go home to sleep.


My kids are so smart.  :)

Until next time,
Bekah