The cure for what ails me

Bonjour mes amis,

Thank you for all the kind words! Sometimes I forget that people across the pond still remember me, thanks for reminding me that I am loved. I'll try not to freak out again :)

Hyun called me last night after I got home from eating dinner with Hil at her place. She wanted to make sure that I was okay. Has your boss ever called to make sure you're emotionally stable? Its kind of nice. People care a lot here, and its nice to have someone concerned. I felt much better after I blogged and told her that indeed I was okay.

So I didn't get to go on the 3rd grade field trip, but the upside was that I got to be alone ALL DAY! I got so much done...all my lesson planning for two 8-week courses, and I got materials for about half of them. I could crank the music up in my classroom, I brought my own coffee press, and was free to concentrate for 8 hours straight. It was everything I needed and more.

When I was done, the vice principal looked at my 9 page lesson plan and asked "You copy from internet?".

Same look. I am going to be known for that look.

Then he laughed. He said he was very impressed and pleased with me. I breathed easy.

So I may have mentioned the project I started with my 6th graders a couple of weeks ago called "Teacher Mail" where I give them stationary and they can earn stickers by writing me letters, plus I write back to them. Its a win-win-win situation (Office inside joke). So far I've received about 40 letters, most of which are only 3 or 4 simple sentences long, but they're getting progressively more advanced. I love it because it gives the beginner-level kids the opportunity to participate in the learning process while giving the advanced kids an opportunity to use advanced english. So I thought I'd share with you some of my Teacher Mail letters :)



This one is actually from a 4th grader who asked me if she could write me a letter.



From Sunny, who is hilarious. She sent me two letters in envelopes that she brought and decorated herself.



From Emily, letting me know that she loves me so much that she promises not to sleep in English class. She wrote this on the day that I taught them "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles.

I'll send some more when I send out my monthly update, because they're pretty much too cute for words. Honestly, I feel like a lot of times, God can speak to me through the broken English sentences of 12 year old Korean children. Through all the bureaucracy, through all the miscommunication and incorrect information, through the language barrier that isolates me from 99% of my co-workers and the rest of the society in which I live, through all of that - my students have loved me and welcomed me. They have told me that they are happy that I am here. They have told me that I am beautiful. They have told me that they love me.

Now, doesn't that sound like Someone else talking?

:) I love you.

Jess