My tattoo

Tattoo

I got a tattoo in Busan while I was here. I wasn't going to and I normally hate people that just jump into getting a tattoo like this without thinking, but this one has special meaning to me, as cliched as it sounds. I got the word "sun-saeng-nim" in Hangul on my right chest. It means teacher. This trip helped solidify the fact that I really do want to be a teacher when I get back to Eastern. I was unsure, but after teaching these kids, I know in my heart that it's right. I'll be teaching high school level, but I don't think the level matters. 

• • Okay, so Giran 2nd grade: Cha Min Gi. Omg. He's a class clown. Talks nonstop. The weird thing is that he's actually learning even when he talks so much and he does have a heart outside of class.
  • 4th and 5th grade and Namseon:
  • Tai Wan in a cute chubby 4th grader who loves drawing and action cartoons. Super funny. Eun Jin is a cute girl who loves to draw, do boy things like dirt and bugs and climbing. Park Su Jin is a skinny girl who likes to be the center of attention, but not always in a bad way. Hai In is a doll. Great English and comes from a really nice family. Gives you respect and helps you translate to the other kids. Eun Song is a little shy but I think it's because she's in 4th grade. Tak Su Jin is loud and thinks she knows everything. It's hilarious. Acts like a princess, I love it.
• • The fourth graders at Giran are another one of my faves. Unfortunately, I don't know all of their names. Su Min is really cute. She's the one in my Facebook profile pic. She helped me with Korean and helped translate to the other kids. Hai Min was a really cute 4th grader too. Into cutsie things, loves hugs, cries easily. Orange glasses. haha. LOVES Angry Birds.
• • My 6th graders at Giran are awesome too.
  • Brian is the class clown, but he's a super sweetheart. He'll listen if you shush him. His mom is the super nice librarian.

• • Sunny is extremely smart. Has perfect English. You can have whole conversations with her.
  • Sometimes it's difficult teaching that class because you have such different levels. Like Jenny hates to speak out loud in class, so I'm not sure if she knows it or not.
  • Sarah and Victoria are shy but very smart.
  • Paul and David are nervous about English, but if you get them involved, they love it.
  • My Kindergarten class at Giran: Don't know any of their names. Just teach them songs and find cute videos on Youtube to accompany it. I brought books from home and played flashcard games with them using the main words. This went over well for me. They looooove books.
• • The songs they already know are, "Head, shoulders knees and toes," Phonics Song 2, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (video of an owl and star), Little Snowflake, Hickory Dickory dock (video of animals crawling up a grandfather clock, ends with an elephant breaking the clock), Rain, rain go away, and Dem Bones.

• First grade at Giran, there's only 4 of them. They like to do calmer things and it's fun to have intimate lessons with them.
• All the boys in 2nd grade at Namseon are a hassle.
• ByeongSu was helpful.
• 3rd grade, I only had them once a week, they were great at Giran.
• 5th grade at Giran are hilarious. A lot of times they're tired and hungry and think they're too cool, but if you act silly, they open up. 
  
  
• Oh 1st grade boys at Namseon are a problem, but the teacher next door helped me because they don't understand English, so they ignore my instructions and discipline.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  You can't help but get attached to these students. I'm a teacher, and I'm proud of it. I couldn't love these students more if I tried. I cried when I had to say goodbye to them. A lot. 
  
  
  So I got a tattoo that says teacher. I'll always be one, whether it's teaching high schoolers, coming back to Korea, going somewhere else, joining the Peace Corps, or even teaching my own children in the future. I'm not ashamed and I can't wait to start my life when I get home.