Professional Development

One month into the school year, and I have finally found a bit of time to write something other than lesson plans. This first month of the spring session has brought about much professional growth for me and I must say, "everything's coming up roses". I feel as though each week, new seeds of educational opportunity have been planted in my schoolyard garden and have been given the proper elements of light and space, and faith that soon they will bloom. So dutifully each day, I spend countless, but joyous hours taking care of, and tending to these tiny career kernels just beneath the surface of this lush land, and now, am finally able to see some "green".
Translation: On the day I was given my assignment to teach high school English at a famous foreign language school, I was also asked to consider a longer stay in Korea because they (the EPIK program and the Daejeon Board of Education) had "bigger plans for me". Of course, I agreed to consider all opportunities and was immediately intrigued and eager to learn more. Since that time, I have learned and earned my way to teaching not only 6 classes of sophomores & juniors, 3 classes of Korean English teachers (as students) and a weekly club of university-bound seniors, but also have been recruited to conduct semesterly on-going training sessions for Korean English Teachers from all over the metropolitan area.
While I am thrilled with these professional developments, as they are more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for before coming here, I am completely dumbfounded as to how and why they are happening to me! I have literally been unable to put into words how this incredible "job" and its responsibilities makes me feel, which explains the long delay of this blog posting. I have mentioned my feelings about these fortunate events in my life to a few people and they have responded with genuine congratulations, but a definite lack of surprise. So in an effort to explain and emphasize my feelings of utterly ecstatic surprise and exhilaration, I offer the following. Please click here, and think "career advancement" whenever you hear the word "you".