"Last" Day of School: Class Photos With Most of My First-Grade Students

To say that today is the "last" day of school is not accurate for two reasons: 

1. There are no classes held today. Students are just to come in in the morning to attend an official end-of-the-year ceremony. And clean the school grounds. 
2. Though today marks the end of the semester, students will continue to come to school to continue learning throughout the summer, everyday (Monday through Saturday, though with a bit more truncated study times from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.). 

With these considerations in mind, today is the "last" day of school because it is the last day for me. It is the last time I will officially come in as a teacher at Yeongdo Girls High School. It's proving a bit difficult for me to feel the finality of the situation seeing as how students and other teachers alike are overwhelmingly continuing on with the educational grind. Despite the emotional disconnect, intellectually, I knew that the end of my contract was approaching, and thankfully managed to take photos with all 12 of my classes. Here they are, with the unfortunate exception of one class photo that didn't quite turn out. 

CLASS PHOTOS

Photos courtesy of co-teachers: Hye Gyeong, Mr. Seo, and Ju Mi Yeon

Thursday 1-1/2 A Class

Friday 1-1/2 L Class

Monday 1-3/4 I Class

Monday 1-5/6 L Class 

Thursday 1-3/4 L Class

Thursday 1-7/8 L Class

Tuesday 1-5/6 A Class

Wednesday 1-3/4 A Class

Wednesday 1-5/6 I Class

Wednesday 1-7/8 I Class 

I will miss my students, and more so when it finally hits me. While I am saddened that my time as a teacher in South Korea has come to an end, I feel an excitement, too, at the thought that a handful of  recently-graduated young Americans are currently gearing up to take my place and continue the mission of Fulbright as they start their own journeys as ETAs and U.S. cultural ambassadors.

Future ETAs, be excited for the next steps you will take! Whether you feel prepared or not, you are about to impact hundreds of young lives - make it for the better!

Fighting!

2014 Graduate School of World Missions and Ministry Commencement (aka Russel Graduates from Kosin University After Three Years of Study!)

THE GRADUATE

Russel smiling at Tsegi, one of the best friends he made while studying at Kosin,
 after she read a Thank You letter in front of their sponsors

Dear Russel, 

Now that you've graduated, may you continue on pursuing a life of study and ministry and service that will be a sweet aroma to your Father in heaven. He has had great things in store for you since day one, when you chose to attend school a year or two younger than your classmates in first grade, and then continued to walk yourself to school everyday after that despite the lacks and losses in your life. Today's great achievement is a mere stepping stone to more successes to come. We know this because He's taken you this far and will not leave you now! 

Approach your next adventures with confidence in your steps and certainty in your walk, knowing that the great pains and trials you've borne in your past were meant to condition you to bear greater responsibility and influence (Romans 5:3-4). Both of these you will draw on and struggle with as you come to realize your dream of influencing our current world into building God-glorifying cultures one changed man at a time. Men with passion and vision (to see this world redeemed and reconciled to its Creator) like you strengthen witnesses and passersby like me who have the privilege of seeing your life of leadership through service in action.

I have every confidence that whatever you pursue, you will do so fueled with a hope that does not disappoint - making, in the words of your commencement speaker, the right decisions out of your right standing with God.  

God Bless,

Your Friend

(Philippians 1:3)

THE 2014 GRADUATING CLASS

The graduates from both the English and the Chinese programs

Waiting to receive their diplomas and donning on translation devices during the mostly-Korean nearly 3-hour ceremony

GRADUATING AT THE TOP OF HIS CLASS

Russel graduated at the top of his class and was called first up the stage!

I scrambled 20 minutes late to the Son Yang Memorial Hall,
just in time to see Russel get called first and receive his diploma

Dr. Mark Kreitzer, Russel's thesis adviser, sitting up front.
The only part of the ceremony I understood was when he got up to speak

Allan, Russel's roommate, graduated Top 2 in the class. So much Filipino pride!

Attentive as Tsegi delivered a speech all in Korean.
I believe I heard Dr. Kreitzer say that she can speak 5 languages

EXPRESSING THEIR THANKS

Tsegi had to pause a couple of times during her speech, overcome with emotion

Russel enjoying Tsegi's plight on stage. So typical. Hahaha

Tsegi takes her seat

Blurry but I like the emotions I managed to capture last-minutely

SPECIAL SONG BY THE GRADUATES

The graduating class singing a special song for the audience

This was towards the end, so everyone carried a more comfortable and relaxed demeanor

Shuffling on stage for group photos at the end of the ceremony. And what a long ceremony it was...

RUSSEL'S BELOVED SPONSOR IN SOUTH KOREA

HOLY JOY CENTER AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY

KODAK NIKON MOMENT

All of the good moments are blurry, but this one is a keeper. 

RUSSEL WITH PROFESSORS AND THEIR FAMILIES

With the Kreitzers, who both teach at Kosin University

Grateful to be a part of this day of celebration!

With one of their great mentors in Korea

Professor Gabriel who teaches at Kosin and ministers at Holy Joy

Professor Gabriel's family minus Kayla

Adorable family!

Russel with Swapan's family

The baby is very cute!

Amit, one of Russel's best friends in Korea who also serves at Holy Joy

Great friends. Two graduates minister at Holy Joy in various
capacities

Proud friends

Surrounded by some of his best and *ahem* most awesome friends

Congratulations, Russel! Bask in this moment. The next commencement won't be for a while :)

The Last Week of My Grant Year: Thursday Classes | Adjectives Lesson

Caught off guard by the unexpected mini break I enjoyed this past week, I came back to school a bit dizzy over the fact that this would be the last week of my 2013-2014 teaching contract! The beginning of each week for me, lesson-wise, is Thursday so I am grateful that I at least have the opportunity to say a [temporary] goodbye to all 12 of my classes. 

ADJECTIVES LESSON

Not feeling overly sentimental over my upcoming departure, I decided to pick up on the adjectives lesson I had begun right after the students took their English Speaking Tests with me. That test brought me face-to-face with all of my students, which I enjoyed! It also showed me all kinds of glaring grammatical errors that I wanted to address in future lessons. I couldn't write side notes quickly enough! So, even though a bit boring, I continued on with this particular lesson, showing students how to properly use "-ed" and "-ing" at the end of adjectives. 

Believe me, it's necessary when students are in the habit of saying things like: 

"[This weekend, I went to Nampodong] because I was boring" 

instead of 

"...because I was bored."

I stifled a small giggle after the first few students said this (or some variation of this), but after the 84th student, I had lost all initial mirth, experiencing each subsequent "...because I was boring" statement almost as a personal attack. But, don't worry, everybody survived the English Speaking Test! 

BACK TO TODAY

Just to be merciful though, I tacked on a simple "Hot Seat" English vocab game at the latter half of class, which the students enjoyed immensely. It worked so well that, after teaching it to the first of three classes I faced today, I quickly revised my powerpoint in the teachers' office to include more words. 

CLASS PHOTO

Not that I have favorites or anything but two of my former YDAC students are in this class! There are many passionately competitive students in this class who bring incredible energy to games we play together!

I would include photos of my other two classes, but the students were so camera shy that basically everyone hid their faces using one creative method or other.