Happy Humpday Haiku #47

And So It...Begins?

It is official.

I'll be staying here until

September '15.

            The time has come and passed when my employer asked whether any of the current English teachers would be signing on for another year. Initially, three of the four of us were going to sign an extension. However, as is wont to happen, life intervened. I will now be the only original Native English Teacher left moving forward into the following school year. 

            My feelings are mixed. What our team of Korean and English teachers accomplished this year (as far as cohesiveness and grueling determination) is touching. For those of you reading this that don't know, the school I work at finished its construction not even a week before I started teaching. Our kindergarten roster was about half of its capacity across the 4-7 year olds. The same went for our after school elementary students. We had a curriculum, but very little formal training on the content. On the third day of class the director called an all teacher meeting to (sternly) inform us how aggravated she was with us and what I know assume to be what she felt was our inadequacy. Our school is in a district known to have the most finicky and obsessive parents in the entire city. 

            Since that time we've added another 6 year old class, added a few more 4 year old students, and taken on about a dozen or so new elementary students. By the start of next school year (March), we will have three 7 year old classes, three six year old classes, and two five year old classes. We've expanded from about 95 students since last March to nearer 150 in the coming months. Every time the parents talk about the teachers it's always in the highest regard. They're genuinely impressed with how well their children are doing, and letting us know that their children are happy when they come to school. 

            My feelings are mixed because I know I helped bring about that change. Even more so, our team of teachers as a whole was almost solely responsible for the health and well-being of the school during this time in which we were placed in a crucible. Fortunate for us we didn't break, we just came our stronger. To know that the team who helped build this place will no longer be the same, it's nerve wrecking to see how things will pan out next year. Although acquainting the fresh faces with the school's system of daily operations will be a challenge all in its own, we will have the good grace knowing that we really do get to work with a bunch of charming and intelligent little people.