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18 January 2008 Time off is bittersweet
Each summer and winter break, our university's Foreign Language office hosts a teacher training program, in which the English instructors participate. When I first heard about this program at around the time I started this job, I really dreaded being a part of it. Despite the extra money in my bank account, I imagined that the class would be torture. Though we typically accept Professional Development as a necessity in fields where constant change is the reality, we often have a hard time accepting its value in our hearts. I imagined a room full of teachers, unable to speak a word of English, trying to decipher a poorly-written textbook, wondering why they have to spend their vacation listening to some newbie half their age ramble about something they can't even understand. Today finishes my second time teaching these classes, and they've been my most enjoyable in the four years I've spent in Korea. Like many teachers, I've found that ignoring our given textbook helps tremendously. It also turns out that many of the teachers have taught for a shorter time than I have. Yet, those who are older have always seemed eager to discuss new ways of learning, while also sharing their own experiences. Unfortunately, most of the students I've come across in my regular classes have either not known what they think about anything or have simply lacked the confidence to attempt to express their thoughts in English. Though I'm a bit cynical, I suspect the latter is true.
So, it has been a real treat to be able to have productive discussions about topics that are interesting to me: trends and challenges in education, Korean and American culture, nationalism, books, etc. Though my ability to talk on these topics is embarrassingly limited, I enjoy it when I am able to generate and supervise such discussions. I received a very high compliment from a teacher of over twenty years who told me that my class felt like a graduate course. It wasn't all serious, though. Because of our strong rapport, we were also able to have some good ol' silliness through party games and an improvisation activity. I want to thank the teachers from both my summer and winter sessions for being such good sports during our time together. They patiently sat through my various pontifications, while engaging me and each other with helpful questions and thoughts of their own. Their willingness and enthusiasm encourage me as I continue to find my way academically and professionally. I always get a little bummed out when it's over, though.
Copyright
© 2002-2012 by Charles Ian Chun
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