The littlest graduation!

For this week's blog entry I am going to speak to ya'll about something that I don't mention too much, but actually it is the first and main reason for me moving to Korea. The topic of course is my school and role as a Kindergarten English teacher.

Here in Korea the school year begins (for almost all schools/all ages levels) and ends during the end of February/beginning of March. With the roll over of a new school year comes the  processes of test taking, school parties, the never ending pile of portfolios and to-do lists for us teachers (grrrr) and of course the kids who have completed a milestone receiving promotions and graduations to their next school level!

This past week was graduation at my kindgergarten. My home room class (Tigers) did not graduate because they are the current 6 year old class. However they did receive a promotion into the next and final age level at my kindergarten. By this time next week they will officially be part of Butterfly class and only one year away from moving onto elementary school!

As graduation week progressed and I spent hours working on portfolios consisting of my kids school work, pictures, and artwork I reflected on the past year spent teaching them. Comparing their English, Phonics, and Conversational skills from the first time I met them to today...I am honestly shocked at the amount of progress each of my kids have made. They have gone from learning the beginning of their ABC's and  single syllable words to now reading, writing, speaking, and thinking of their own English conversations! They have gone from hardly being able to ask for a glass of water to now telling me what they did on the weekend, re-telling stories I read to them, and taking learned phrases in class and using them at home! (according to their parents) =)

Not only have my kids grown in their English skills, but their physical, emotional, and personalities have evolved greatly over the past year as well. I'm so happy to have been a part of their lives, growing close to each one of them as well as making somewhat friends with some of the parents. Teaching my Tigers has truly been a blessing and because I've had such a great time this past year with them is one reason why I chose to continue to live in korea (other aspects of my life played in as well).

So take a look at my video on our graduation and recolection on the past year and you'll see why I know now why some teachers wind up making it a life long comitment....because we teachers get the chance to touch lives and feel good about helping a kid grow up...and become surprisingly attatched to children that aren't even ours =)

Until next time, Peace and Love!!!
 -Patrick