I have tried to stay away from the social media for a long time. Other teachers were talking about the Facebook websites and blogs they were creating for their students, and I was shuddering at the thought of crossing the cyber line. My older son graduated as a computer science major and was gaining a reputation as a website designer while the younger one was secretly spending hundreds of hours tweeting in bed, and I was still shrugging my shoulders. However, when last month I was going to Korea to attend my son's wedding and emailed one of my former students who I knew lived in Seoul to check if she was still there, I changed my mind.
It is always sad when students leave after they have been in class for a while. Sure, they are moving on to a new stage in life, richer and smarter with what they have learned. That's what it’s all about. But it is still sad because they will not continue to study with the class; they will not discuss the same stories; they will not laugh or become concerned over the same things. Or will they?
It is always sad when students leave after they have been in class for a while. Sure, they are moving on to a new stage in life, richer and smarter with what they have learned. That's what it’s all about. But it is still sad because they will not continue to study with the class; they will not discuss the same stories; they will not laugh or become concerned over the same things. Or will they?
Moving across cultures: Me in the traditional Korean hanbok | To my surprise, I met not only the one student I had contacted, Jinhee, in Seoul, but also Eunjeong, Yeonjung, Hyangsil, Jiyeon, Sunghee (who was in Carol's class), and Yongmi (who was Ann's class). I learned that after their return, four of them continued to meet, read English short stories, and work on their English until eventually Hyangsil and Yongmi got jobs teaching English and could no longer meet. Now, Yeonjung's and Jinhee's sons are taking English classes and ensuring that their moms keep up their language skills. Not only did I get updated on my former students’ lives, but when two days later we went on a tour of the town, I got to hear about the art and history of Korea, beautifully recounted by Eunjeong, our designated docent. She and Jinhee even came to the wedding, and Jinhee let me borrow her traditional hanbok, which two years earlier she talked about in class! |
From the left: Yongmi, Eunjeong, Hyangsil, Yeonjung and her son, Jinhee, me, Jiyeon, and Sunghee.
This blog is for those who, like the ladies of Seoul, want continue to study and stay in touch with the class when life takes them to a faraway end of the world or when for whatever reason they cannot attend. I hope you will stop by and drop a word about how you have been, how your English is progressing, and what interesting things you have recently learned. Coincidentally, while I was in Korea, San Diego Continuing Education celebrated its 100th anniversary. Can you believe it? A hundred years of implementing the idea that education knows no limits and continues for a lifetime!