Highlight Of My Day

After an insanely busy morning in the theatre, I came back to my new classroom, 3B, to kick off our exciting new drama unit.  This conversation ensued.

Student:  Ms. H, what are you doing here?
Me:  Well, I'm going to be teaching in 3B for the next trimester.
Student:  REALLY?!?

She then gave me a hug, and excitedly went to tell all her friends, who also came up and gave me enthusiastic hugs.  I love my job and I love my students and I love being a teacher.  Makes leaving my babies in 3A a little easier :)

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Currently reading:  too many books, but mostly The Great Unexpected
Current high: getting to teach drama to enthusiastic students today, what a dream
Current low:  the next three days will be ABSOLUTE insanity...but I'll be rewarded with vacation :)

Between a Pillow and a Soft Place

I struggle with big life decisions.  As does everyone, I suppose.  Recently I've had a few really tough ones, and a couple more major choices are up ahead.  As I've grown older, I've become more and more reflective.  Even when I'm beyond happy, but especially when I'm not, I look back and wonder.

What would my life be like if I'd...
chosen a different college?
stayed on the wait list at the one school that didn't accept me?
transferred colleges?
not studied abroad, or studied abroad somewhere else?
continued to pursue a year-round position at the organization that runs the summer program I worked for?
turned down the theatre tech half of my position?
chosen my summer job over my full-time job?
left midyear to teach kindergarten at a public school?

One of my favourite Indigo Girls lyrics seems apt here:  "Every five years or so I look back on my life, and I have a good laugh."

As much as I grapple with major choices such as these, I must admit that I am incredibly lucky.  As my father noted when I was working through the last one on that list about a month ago, each big decision I've had to make so far has been between two amazing options.  Later in life I may be faced with choosing the lesser of two evils rather than the greater of two goods.  With all of these decisions as well as the ones in the near future, I know my life will go in an exciting new direction in any event.

My alma mater rolled out a new campaign this year:  never fear / change.  It has two meanings.  One is the more obvious:  to never fear change, don't be afraid of what's ahead.  Step out boldly and use your preparation and training to move forward.  The other is never fear, change.  Be ready to adapt and make alterations as the landscape shifts.  It really resonates with me, and with many other young alumnae I know, particularly in the face of life-altering choices.

Would that I had a hundred lives to live instead of just this one -- I would be in so many places pursing widely varied dreams.  I picture all the alternate timelines that diverge from these major decisions, and I can only hope that the one I have chosen and continue to create is the brightest timeline.

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Currently reading:  The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech
Current high:  only eight more sleeps until I cross the Pacific!!!
Current low: I've had a nagging headache for a few hours...bedtime soon

Falling in Love

As I mentioned briefly at the end of my last post, this week I rotated to another of the third grade classrooms.  One of my favourite students, OK (the same child I discuss in this post), was absent on Monday...but news travels fast.  That night, I got this e-mail from her...

"I heard to JK [her friend] that you move to 3B....

Did you really move? I am really sad I am serious~~~~~

Do you never come to 3A?

I hope you don't !!!!!!      I want to see you everyday"

On the one hand, this completely broke my heart.  I totally love this kid, as well as all my students in 3A, and I hate to see her sad.  On the other hand, it gave me a really warm fuzzy feeling to know how much my students love me.  I believe that one of my strengths as a teacher is my ability to build strong relationships with my students, but it makes it so hard when it's time to say goodbye.  I know I'll fall in love with my students in 3B and eventually in 3C in no time at all, but for now, I miss my kids.

I've been feeling a lot of tension between personal comfort and professional growth recently (more on that in a future post).  The thing that made it really hard to rotate classes was my love for my students; but as I continue to develop as a teacher, I know that it's a unique privilege to get to observe and collaborate with three different teachers in the space of one school year.  As someone who is new to the field, I've got to do what's going to push me to grow and become the teacher I know I can be.

Besides, the good news is that anytime I see my 3A students on the field or in the hallway, I get treated like a superstar with hugs and eager babbling galore.  (No autographs, please.)

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Currently reading:  TOO MANY BOOKS, but most ensconced in Oscar Wao
Current high:  treated myself to bubble tea and pad thai for dinner :) And only 6.5 school days until break!!!
Current low:  major life decisions on the horizon = STRESS

Giving Thanks

It's scientifically proven:  saying "thank you" to those who have made a difference in your life makes you happier.  (Take seven minutes and go watch that video.  It's worth it.  Don't worry, I'll wait.)  With Thanksgiving 2013 gone by largely unacknowledged by this expat, with dumplings instead of turkey and massages instead of football, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a few things I am incredibly grateful for.

* My family, both biological and chosen.  I am so far away from my entire biological family as well as many of my friends, but I am comforted to know that they're always a phone call or a click away.  I can't wait to visit so many loved ones in just a few weeks; I am confident that it will be like no time has passed.
* My work.  I am so lucky to have a job that makes me feel purposeful and where I am valued.  I have such incredible support from Ms. W as a mentor, from all my colleagues who I admire so much, and from my students who teach me new things every single day.
* My travel.  In 2013 alone, I have had the immense privilege of visiting half the US states as well as four countries (five if you count the US, I suppose).  And travel abounds in the year to come with trips to Abu Dhabi, Australia, Japan, Thailand, and India already in the works.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to explore the world, because I know that not everyone is so lucky.
* My education.  Throughout my years of schooling, I have not only gained knowledge, but also skills and talents for writing, critical thinking, the arts, and more.  I was fortunate to find wonderful communities throughout, and I would not be where and who I am without them.  When I curl up with a new novel, I can't help but feel so grateful I know how to read.
* Art.  Music feeds my soul; being a part of theatre communities gives my life purpose; literature is one of my favourite things.  Art reminds me how to be human.
* My youth.  I am having the time of my life on a grand adventure, and I am unbelievably thankful that I have the freedom to pursue my dreams.  (If you're a twenty-something like me and you're reading this -- go, take a risk, do something big.  Chances are you won't regret it...I know I don't.)

The principal of the upper school includes a quote in his e-mail signature:  "From those to whom much is given, much is expected" (Mary Maxwell Gates).  I have been lucky enough to receive so much love and support and privilege, and I only hope that I am using it well.  As a teacher, I want to give back, empower children to find and use their voices, and through them, make the world a better place.  Cliche, I know, but it's true.

An old friend of mine who is also an expat at present wrote a great blog post about spending Thanksgiving abroad.  Her post put into words everything I was thinking and feeling on the holiday; I encourage you to check it out!

During my trip to Taiwan, I realized it may be time for a second blog -- I do want to keep this one primarily focused on education.  So, stay tuned for a travel blog (as soon as I come up with a good URL)!

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Currently reading:  The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Current high:  nerdy after-school chats with my new co-teacher...I can tell this is gonna be a rockin' trimester
Current low:  barely any time at all with kids today or really this week :(

Long Time, No...Write?

My dear readers!  I'm terribly sorry for the recent hiatus in posting.  Here's a quick recap of what's been up and why I've been too busy to blog...

* Lots of babysitting!  Twice for my usual two boys, and once with EB for five awesome kiddos.
* My first time working an IMP Recital for the school, plus two major admissions events.
* Agatha Rex, the middle school play for which I was the stage manager, went up this past weekend.  The weekend before that we had a 36-hour slumber party at the school with the cast and tech crew.
* My friend's birthday party followed our second performance of the play.  'Nuff said.
* The Village School had two holiday concerts, one on the same day as opening night of Agatha Rex.  This was paired with a week and a half of nearly nonstop rehearsals.  (The good thing about having no time in my classroom?  Every time my kids see me, they greet me like I'm a rockstar.)

And now, what's on the horizon?

* Tonight I leave for Thanksgiving break in Taiwan!  EB and YC and I are checking out Taipei and Hualien.
* Over the next week and a half of school after that, I'll be back to living in the theatre nonstop as we rehearse and put up our middle and upper school concerts.
* Two more major admissions events -- one on the upcoming residential life program, one open house.
* Once I'm relatively free to get back into classrooms, I'll be rotating to work with Mr. H for the next trimester.  We're collaborating on a drama unit which I am SO excited for.  And we've designed this unit to have all three teachers work with all three classes, so I won't even have to miss my kiddos that much!
* In less than three weeks, I'll fly back to New England for two weeks with my college buds, then it's off to Hawaii for Christmas with the family!

Clearly, I am one busy lady.  But I promise, I have a few ideas for posts that I have been marinating on -- stay tuned and hopefully I can sneak in one or two before I fly back stateside for Christmas!

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Currently reading:  The Book Thief and The Lightning Thief...no, I'm not a kleptomaniac
Current high:  so many exciting travel plans/schemes on the horizon...considering Abu Dhabi in February, Australia in March, Japan in May, and Eurotrip this summer?!
Current low:  sleepy...but at least I'll have my flight tonight to catch up on a few hours :)

Becoming a Teacher

My co-teacher has been mentoring the wife of one of the upper school teachers, Mrs. H; she's currently working toward her teaching credential.  This week is her lead teaching, and she's reached out to me several times since she knows I can relate to the student teaching experience!  This morning she came in and sat down to ask a few questions, and she got a bit teary.  She apologized profusely, but I assured her that there was no need for apologies!  My own student teaching is still fresh in my mind, and it's truly an emotional roller coaster -- Mrs. H agreed.

Not long ago I read this article, and I related to it so deeply.  It and my recent experiences with Mrs. H led me to reflect on my own teacher preparation.  I had two absolutely amazing mentors in the classroom during my student teaching, and I wouldn't be the educator I am today without their wisdom and guidance.  Alongside them, I'd worked with three incredible professors at my college who were endlessly supportive and patient from day one.

The teacher education program at my college demanded incessant reflection.  At first, these reflections seemed annoying and a waste of time.  As I moved through the program, I came to understand their importance and value them.  I saved them all on my computer and recorded activities I liked, questions I grappled with, management strategies to keep in my back pocket, and classroom decorations I hoped to emulate.  Now as a teacher, I am constantly metacognitive.  I think back on each aspect of my lesson and think of what I could do differently and better to serve my students.  A teacher is never done learning.

During my student teaching, I remember being completely overwhelmed on my first day.  I watched in awe as Mrs. M led her students through their daily routine, chatted with her best friend as she wolfed down lunch (that day I learned teaching makes you SO HUNGRY), attended an RTI meeting, ran reading assessments, and prepared parent communication to send home.  She had me sit with her during small group lessons and debriefed with me during recesses and preps on what she was doing with each student and where they were academically.  Mrs. V did the same thing when I joined her three weeks later.  They invited me to faculty meetings, grade-level meetings, recess duty, field trips, parent-teacher conferences, report card writing, and professional development.  I was a part of everything they did.

But that wasn't all.  Each of them gave me about three days to sit and watch and assist with individual and small group work, then had me start teaching lessons.  Mrs. M gave me a full day of lead teaching in my third week.  Mrs. V added pieces one at a time -- morning meeting every other day, one reading group per day, and math once a week; then every morning meeting, two guided reading groups, and half the math instruction.  By the time my supported lead teaching came around, it was a relatively seamless transition.  I got to plan lessons, manage transitions, reflect on my students' successes and where I'd fallen short.

I am a teacher -- a good teacher -- because of my college and my mentors.  I am still in touch with all of them, and express my gratitude at every opportunity.  Even though I have officially been able call myself a teacher since receiving my license in July, I will never be the perfect teacher.  I will never be done learning.  My students have so much to teach me every day, as do their parents, my colleagues, and my supervisors.  As much as I am a perfectionist in some areas, I've learned to be patient with myself as a teacher.  The perfect is the enemy of the good, and I am constantly improving.  I hope one day soon, when I have grown into the kind of teacher I really want to be, I can return to that same school and mentor young aspiring teachers from my college.  I only hope I can support them as well as my advisors did me.

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Currently reading:  I am inundated in book recommendations from students!!  Can't wait to check out the school book fair tomorrow :)
Current high:  first day of my Theatre and Improv Games exploratory today was SO MUCH FUN
Current low:  at work 6:45am - 7:45pm, just having dinner at 9pm

Long Days, Happy Days

With winter slowly but surely approaching (at least in this hemisphere), it seems like the days are getting shorter overall.  (And winter is DEFINITELY near in Songdo...after a rainy Saturday it has been incredibly chilly.)  But the hours I spend working or at school just get longer and longer!  For some this might be overwhelming and a source of additional stress, but for me, they're days that are filled with things that I love and am passionate about.  Everything I do feeds my soul, so I can draw energy from it.

I was chatting with one of the school administrators today, and she asked about how a recent scheduling snafu was resolved.  I reassured her that I had managed to get what I needed, and we agreed that being a cross-division faculty member is hard work sometimes!  At the end of our conversation she explained, "Well we all love you and we all want you," which is why it feels like tug-of-war sometimes.  Even though things get crazy at certain times of year, I don't mind being caught in between two things that I love.

Take the last two days, for example.  As always, I got to school super early (just before 7am), and on Mondays, that means assembly prep.  I dropped my things off in my classroom and headed straight to the theatre to check microphones, set lighting, fire up projectors, and coordinate with presenters.  After assembly I spent the morning planning the week with the TD of the theatre and then finishing the lighting focus for the fall play.  After a quick lunch, I scurried back to third grade for science lab.  We introduced bottle rockets and the kids got to work on their own designs.  As soon as we went the last group back to their classrooms, I gathered my backpack and coat and headed to the theatre once more for two and a half hours of play rehearsal.  Last night, after a somewhat hectic weekend, I came home, ate some leftover taco salad, and went to sleep before 8pm!

Today, a similar day.  The school day was a blur of supporting our classroom's student teacher (who is lead teaching this week!  woohoo!!!), setting up the tech table in the theatre, a meeting with my grade level team, and hanging with my students.  The day concluded once more with play rehearsal (only 45 minutes this time!).  I scooted right out to catch my PD class on teaching ESL students in mainstream classrooms, which I actually really love.  Once I got home, I visited my next-door neighbors, who I'll be babysitting on Friday night.  I hung with their kids to get them re-acquainted with me and wound up staying for a delicious dinner.  After a few minutes at home, right back to it -- babysitting for another family two floors up!  Since they went to sleep I've been alternating between catching up on TV and homework for my PD class.

Several years ago, I spent my summer doing sports ministry.  My head coach during my first and last sessions became a dear friend of mine and is incredibly wise.  The ministry program worked us hard, and I dropped into bed bone-tired at the end of each day.  My friend DH told me once that he loved that feeling of being exhausted when climbing into bed; it meant he had given everything he had that day.  So even though there are some days like Monday where I pat myself on the back for even making it home, I reflect on the day and am happy with how my energy was spent.

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Currently reading:  still The Boleyn Deceit...my students challenged me to read for an hour tonight, let's see if I manage it between that and my PD homework!
Current high:  days filled with purpose and passion
Current low:  between early bedtime and homework, we had very limited time for Nerf Wars tonight!

I Have Had Singing

As many of you probably know, I love to sing.  I've been singing in choirs since the age of six, and my longest period without a choir was during my gap year.  It was one of the things I missed most about being in school, and it's one of the things I miss most now.  Last year was a serious choral high point:  I was president of Chorale, the choir I'd sung with since my first semester at college, and I was in Chamber Singers, an elite ensemble with some of my favourite women on the planet.

My last choral performances were the weekend of commencement, and we had a program that really tugged at the heartstrings.  I Have Had Singing is a gorgeous a cappella piece that we had also sung at Baccalaureate my sophomore year.  The Storm is Passing Over is a gospel piece full of soul and promise and optimism.  Lechkhumuri maqruli was another familiar favourite for us, a Georgian song about a woman bringing light into a new space.  Our senior song, Parting Friends from Sacred Harp, was the perfect farewell to our choral sisters.  We closed our first concert with Goodnight Song, a traditional college song written nearly a century ago.  Finally, at Baccalaureate, right before my speech to my fellow graduates, we sang The Road Home, which also closed Vespers my junior year.  The zinger of that one:  "there's no such beauty as where you belong."

Thanks for indulging my trip down choral memory lane; and I swear, I have a point.  Today wound up being a weird day.  Usually Friday means science lab all morning, a bit of time in the theatre in the afternoon, and closing out the week with my kiddos.  Not so this week -- I got a text from the TD of the theatre this morning that he was going into Seoul with the purchasing folks from our school to get us a digital sound mixer, and could I take care of setting up for this afternoon's assemblies?  No problem.

This wound up being no small task.  The US music teacher and I were setting up in the atrium for her choir's performance, and I had to run over to the theatres at least three times for various cables and adapters and gear.  On one trip back, I was near the MS choir room and I heard the strains of a familiar and much-beloved piece -- they were singing The Storm is Passing Over!  I paused for a moment, closed my eyes, transported myself back to senior week.  I was standing next to my best friend; I was smiling out at our director, my dear friend; I was surrounded by warmth and filled with joy at being part of such an incredible musical community.  A deep breath, then I opened my eyes and plunged back into reality.

Later in the afternoon once everything was finally up and running, I ran sound check for the choir.  For the first three pieces I was in sound engineer mode, fully absorbed in listening for a good mix.  Finally, during the last piece they rehearsed (For the Beauty of the Earth), I got to stand back and listen for a while.  I saw teachers, students, and visitors wander into the hallways to listen, drawn by their pure tone.  I watched one girl in the front row, her joy in music so apparent in her face and body.  It reminded me of watching my best friend sing, full of joie de vivre.  Suddenly tears filled my eyes, and my heart truly ached for my choral past.  An hour later, they performed brilliantly for their peers -- students from pre-K to grade 10 were rapt as they sang, and I rejoiced in the role that music has in bringing a community together.

Conclusion?  This is a sign from the universe, people.  Starting when I get back in January, I need to get my butt back into a choir.  Come hell or high water, I will find a way to sing again!  But for now, I'm grateful that I can have a role in helping others to enjoy music.  As my college's director told us before each performance, "Someone out there needs this concert."  Today, it was me.

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Currently reading:  The Boleyn Deceit
Current high:  my college's Founder's Day!  Meaning one year ago today was another of my favourite performances, singing To Walk Beyond Dreams with Chamber Singers at the 175th anniversary celebration :)
Current low:  crazy busy day meant no time for lunch and very little time with my kids!

You Tolerate a Headache

Within the PYP, there's a lot of jargon -- the learner profile, the concepts, the transdisciplinary skills, the attitudes, and so on.  For the most part I love the language they use, encouraging students to be open-minded, reflective, empathetic, and more.  The PYP hopes to shape not just 21st century minds, but also thoughtful global citizens.  However, there is one word among all the lingo that I think falls short of their goal, and that word is tolerance.

Tolerance is one of the twelve attitudes that the PYP guides students to develop.  But is tolerance really something to strive for?  Someone once said to me, "You tolerate a headache."  Human beings are not headaches, and I as a person do not want to be tolerated -- I want acceptance instead.  A quick internet search tells me that to tolerate is to "allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference."  So you won't get in the way of someone doing what they want or being who they are, but you don't necessarily work to understand or support it.  To accept, on the other hand, is "to receive with approval or favor."  In this case, you are welcoming and open to difference.

To be fair, I believe that when confronted with diversity, tolerance is an important step along the road to acceptance, and I don't want to discount that.  There are certainly things that others do that I may not fully understand or support, and I do believe that we all have varying levels of internalized sexism, racism, and other prejudices.  But as an ideal to strive for?  I think tolerance is aiming rather low.  Yes, being accepting of all human beings is a challenge, and I'm certainly not there yet.  But an attitude of acceptance implies open-mindedness, compassion, kindness, and love.

One of the most beloved teachers from my high school closed his 2006 baccalaureate speech with one of my favourite quotes:  "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Ian MacLaren

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Currently reading:  just finished Speak by Laurie Halse Andersen, about to start The Boleyn Deceit.  Also just read this article on benevolent sexism.
Current high:  spent the morning subbing in kindergarten, and the trip to early years was so good for my soul!
Current low:  coming down with a horrible cold :(

Teaching Changes Lives

Sometimes, teachers will have long days.  I know I've had a few slumps even in my short career.  But once in a while comes a day or a moment or even a sentence that reminds us why what we do is worthwhile.  On days like today, it's important to reflect on that.

The other day during rehearsal for the middle school play, the director and I were chatting with my assistant stage manager, JL.  He asked us, "After this play is over, can I just stage manage for the next one?  And the next one and the next one until I graduate?"  "Of course!" we told him!  (He's great.  He's a dream.  I love training ASMs.)  Our team has thrown around the idea of putting on a full-school musical next year, and he was super excited about that.  He made some suggestions of plays he likes and we chatted about favourite shows.  Then he dropped this gem.

"I used to want to focus on studying history.  But after this?  Theatre and stage management."

Words like that touch a teacher's heart.  I reached out to this kid, told him what a stage manager is, trained him in running rehearsals, taught him how to record blocking.  The director and I are hoping to have him call the show for one of the final performances.  And it made a difference in his life.

Will he go on to be a Broadway stage manager?  Maybe not -- he is only 13, and could change his mind a million times.  (I know I did!)  But maybe he will.  And even if he doesn't, he has found a passion for the arts and for management that will follow him throughout his life.  So whether I one day get to watch a professional show he worked on or see that as a businessman he lends financial support to the arts, I am so proud to think that I may have in some small way contributed to that.  I know I am eternally grateful to those who gave me my start in the arts -- and I never dreamed I'd be here.

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Currently reading:  just started Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson...favourite quote so far:  "[Art] is where you can find your soul, if you dare.  Where you can touch that part of you that you've never dared look at before."
Current high:  RED SOX WON THE WORLD SERIES
Current low:  scheduling nightmares, the saga continues

An Aesthetic Eye

My friends will be quick to tell you that I am not artistic.  My one major creative outlet is theatrical directing, which also has a really technical side to it, which I think is why I'm successful at it.  "But you sing!" people tell me.  Sure, but I don't compose!  Give me a paintbrush, charcoal, a lump of clay, and I will look at you like you have three heads.  And then proceed to make something wildly subpar.  Even when it came to decorating my college dorm room, my friend AB did most of it last year -- and what she left behind never made it onto the walls.

But here's what I've learned:  in the classroom, visual aesthetics are crucial to creating a positive, welcoming, and fun environment.  Uh oh.

Fortunately, as we discovered in Mindset, a book I read and reviewed some time ago, nothing is fixed!  Intelligence, creativity, and other traits are not quantities set in stone -- we can improve anything if we work on it.  (See also:  Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development.)  Teaching has given me a great opportunity to practice creativity.  Here's a few things I've learned (plus examples from my classroom!).

1.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  Are my third graders likely to notice that, since I used scissors instead of a paper cutter, the edge of that piece of paper curves up in the middle?  And even if they do, will they care?  Probably not.  A big challenge for me is letting go of my inner perfectionist.  The perfect is the enemy of the good.

Definitely not straight lines.  Definitely no students care.

2.  Visual arts not your strong suit?  Become friends with some word processing software -- I'm a Microsoft Office girl myself.  Using MS Word I can find fun fonts, cool effects, and nice straight lines.  For me, this is so much less stressful than writing bubble letters and trying to make my title perfectly centered!

Much more fun to look at than just a black and white piece of paper!

3.  Need something bigger than a piece of A3 paper?  See if your school has a die-cut machine and make it do the work for you.

So much less stressful than writing block letters -- just roll and stick!

4.  If it's colorful, you're well on your way.  Displays should be vibrant, exploding with color!  Instead of printing out something with black text on a white paper and sticking it on the wall, use a colored font with a glow effect, and matte it on a piece of construction paper.

5.  Pinterest is an incredible resource.  Even though I'm not a superstar artist, there are a lot of teachers out there who are -- and they share!  Do a quick search for what you're looking for and in no time flat you'll have a hundred resources at your fingertips, and a million ideas to make your own.

A sign for one of the learner profile attributes, encouraging students to try new things!

6.  Does the idea of writing on the board make you squirm?  I know a lot of teachers, myself included, dread this task.  Look into a document camera, which can project an image of what you're writing on a non-threatening piece of paper in real time, or hook your computer up to a projector and type instead.

Awesome idea I saw in one of my school's kinder classrooms -- put your timer under the document camera so students can see how much time they have left.

7.  Last but definitely not least -- employ the students.  It's their classroom, so invite them to take ownership of the space.  Have them contribute to making displays, labels, and signs.

In the middle is our central idea, "The solar system is comprised of unique and interconnected parts."  The index cards have facts that students have found out about space.  They splatter painted the backdrop and colored the planets.

Creativity takes practice and time.  Some do have a natural aptitude for it, but others of us need to put in a little more work!  And apparently, it's paid off -- to the likely shock of my college buds, all my friends here have commented on how well-decorated my apartment is :)

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Currently reading:  this article, sent to me by a coworker
Current high:  Halloween with my kiddos!
Current low:  scheduling nightmares

Life Hacks

Life hacks are one of my favourite things.  For those who don't know, "life hacks" are little ways of making daily life a little easier.  (Learn more at lifehackable.com!)  As a new adult and a new teacher, I've been finding a few of my own -- not necessarily life hacks, but positive life choices.  Some are teacher-specific, others are living-on-one's-own-specific, and a few are general tips for your well-being!

• Routines are your friend.  Train your body that as soon as you wake up, you get out of bed and hop in the shower, and that those 20 minutes of reading in bed mean it's time to sleep.  It can do wonders for your sleep schedule.
• Wake up relatively early, even on weekends.  The temptation to sleep until noon on Saturday after a crazy week is nearly overwhelming -- resist the urge!  It'll make you stay up later on weekend evenings, and then when you're back to going to bed at 10pm on Sunday night, you'll be staring at the ceiling for hours.  Don't screw your Monday morning, wake up by 9am on weekends.  (At this point, my body wakes me up by then anyway...sigh!)
• Speaking of waking up early, set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier than you actually need to be awake.  If you wake up right on time, you can be leisurely in your morning routine; linger over breakfast and take some time to cruise your Facebook.  If you're dragging, hit the snooze button, but you won't be pressed for time.
• One last sleep tip -- check out the Sleep Time app (definitely available on iPhone, not sure about other platforms).  This app will track when you are awake, in light sleep, and in heavy sleep.  The alarm will wake you up at your lightest point of sleep up to half an hour before you set your alarm for.  (Admittedly, I usually still snooze it until I have to get up...but I love those few extra minutes knowing I still have time to rest!)
• Give yourself time before students arrive in the morning.  I know there are some teachers who rush in five minutes before the kids come in, and I guess that works for them.  For me, I always take the earliest shuttle to school so I can take some time to prepare for the day and enjoy the quiet of the space before my students come barreling in!
• The importance of self care cannot be understated.  Take at least an hour a week for something that's just a little indulgence for you -- for me it's often a weekend bubble bath with some trashy TV, or an at-home manicure.  Even little things like squeezing in a trip to the gym do wonders for me.  Whenever I don't have another event or class after school, I'll spend an hour working out and I feel great afterward!
• On that note, be good to your body.  Drink plenty of water (and strategically plan in bathroom breaks throughout the day), eat food that makes you feel good.  I'll take a couple of weekends a month to cook up a storm of healthy and tasty meals (soups are my favourite!) and pop single-serving containers in the freezer or fridge so I've got easy lunches and dinners ready to go.
• Say yes more.  When someone invites me to do something, my brain jumps to a million reasons to say "no."  I'm too tired, I have a headache, I need Me Time.  Sometimes these things are true -- but 90% of the time I need to grab some coffee, pop an Advil, and reschedule my introvert hour.  My favourite memories of life in SKorea so far have been the hours spent grabbing dinner after a trip to the gym, or drinks to celebrate an accomplishment with my grade-level team.
• Don't play the "just one more thing" game.  I am the worst at this.  I'll stay after school to copy just one thing for Monday...then I figure as long as I'm there I can grade some student work...plus freshen up that bulletin board...and then before you know it it's 7pm.  Set yourself a deadline, and even if you're in the middle of the task, pack up and go home.  It'll still be there in the morning, I promise.

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Currently reading:  ...guys my addiction to Scandal is getting really serious.  Don't worry, I'll catch up soon and hopefully get back to doing some book reviews :)

Current high:  Thanksgiving break in Taipei with YC and EB is booked!

Current low:  just put all the concert and play rehearsals for November and December into my calendar, and things are looking INSANE.

Picture an Astronomer

As I believe I've mentioned previously, grade 3 has begun our second unit of inquiry, surrounding how the world works.  Our focus is on the solar system and the interconnections among celestial bodies.  As part of this, my fellow grade 3 intern and I have been conducting "science lab" twice a week.  Mondays we have mixed groups with all of grade 3, and Fridays are class-by-class.  So far we've done a lesson on orbits, a lesson on gravity, and a lesson on atmosphere.

This Friday, grade 3 is taking a field trip to a planetarium.  In preparation, today's "science lab" was on astronomers.  My co-intern and I each took a small group of seven to ten students for each block and led an activity called Picture an Astronomer (courtesy of my own grade 4 science teacher, Mrs. Tux!).  In the activity, I read aloud a paragraph to students, and they were to draw and write about what they visualized.  Here's the paragraph...

"Close your eyes and picture this scene.  It is the end of a long night at the observatory and the astronomer is closing up as the first rays of dawn are seen on the horizon.  The astronomer is tired and ready for a good day's sleep.  Now focus in on the astronomer, coming toward you on the road that comes from the observatory.  Get a good close look at the astronomer, rubbing tired eyes.  Draw a picture and describe in words what the astronomer looks like."

As you can see, the paragraph carefully avoids making any reference to the age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, or nationality of the person in question.  I had students work independently without talking to those around them, and they were asked to draw a picture and write down the name, age, nationality, and gender of their astronomer, as well as any additional information they thought of.  Out of the 26 students I had in my three groups, here are some of the statistics on the astronomers they imagined...

• 6 were female (23%)
• 4 were Asian (15%)
• 2 were Latino (8%)
• 1 was black (4%)
• 1 was mixed-race (4%)

This leaves 20 males, and 18 white.  (Side note:  of the female astronauts, only two were not white -- one (my favourite) was a mixed-race single mom, and the other was Asian.  Intersectionality, yo.)

This opened up conversations among them about why they imagined more men than women, more Americans than Koreans, more whites than any other race.  Students posed and responded to great questions -- are boys smarter?  stronger?  better at or more interested in science?  braver?  more willing to take risks?  Why do we have these images in our minds?  What does the media tell us about who scientists are and what they look like?  How does that in turn affect the way we think?  I was so sorry to have such limited time with them to dig into these big important issues, but I hope that they will continue these conversations and begin to see these issues in their daily lives.

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Currently reading:  working through The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao...but I've been distracted by a new TV show XD

Current high:  a busy but productive day

Current low:  the IRS is a maze and I wish they had everything as an online form!  Expat life is hard!!!

Congratulations

Last week, grade 3 finished our first unit of inquiry.  The culminating project was creating a "learner space" which included a word wall, five items that connected to who the student is as a learner, paragraphs explaining why each object was chosen, and a narrative reflection on the learnings of the past six weeks.  We invited all the parents to come view their children's work, and each student gave a brief presentation to their family on their project.

I milled about, taking pictures of the presentations, listening in as students shared their learning, and enjoying the happy buzz.  I popped into the classroom to supervise a couple of students who were packing up.  Ms. W's husband wandered in; their son was presenting to her via FaceTime since she was away on professional development.  "Congratulations," he said to me.

It took me a minute to understand what he was congratulating me for.  Then I realized:  the success of that day did not belong only to the students, but also to the teachers.  We had designed the unit, planned the learning engagements, and guided them along the path of inquiry that brought them to their final products.

I remember once having a conversation with my dad.  He told me that many teachers will say, "Let me tell you what I did with my students today."  However, in his opinion, it is great teachers who say, "Let me tell you what my students did today."  The success of a teacher is not reflected in her or his actions, but in the ultimate success of the students.  Do they engage?  Do they learn?  Because that is where the true success of a teacher lies.

"Congratulations," he said to me.  I reflected, smiled, and said thank you.  While that day belonged to the students and their success, I suppose I owned some small part of it too.

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Currently reading:  still in my articles phase, but trying to take a trip down memory lane and track down Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Alice series!
Current high:  Skyped with one of my best friends from college this morning, going out with new dear friends tonight.  Also I'm a ginger now!
Current low:  reflecting on life choices...not a low, just pensive

Small Frustrations

As I am sure I have said on this blog before, I am so incredibly happy with my life here.  Beyond happy...blissful, ecstatic, thrilled.  I have great friends, amazing students, fulfilling work, fantastic opportunities, and tons of fun.  I am really thriving in this place, and I'm so excited for what's to come.

But it's not perfect.  And one thing that really grinds my gears is that sometimes, my passion for social justice education is laughed off.  Today as my team planned our next unit, I brought up a couple of ideas for activities that my own fourth grade science teacher (Tux!) sent to me -- one science-based, and one transdisciplinary.  Then I hesitantly mentioned one activity that she sent to me that I think is a great one for sparking conversations, which is called Picture An Astronomer.  In the activity, students have a guided visualisation of an astronomer after a long night at the observatory, then they write down or draw what that person looks like.  The narrative is very careful to make no reference to age, race, or gender, so you can unpack their preconceived ideas about the dominance of middle-aged white men in scientific fields.  Tux suggested using it pre- and post-field trip, so I mentioned it in that context.

As I began to describe the activity, as soon as I got to the phrase "old white men," one of my team members started to laugh.  "I remember a conversation to this effect," he chuckled, referring to a debate on social justice issues we'd had one evening over drinks.  Yes, I recognize that sometimes I can be a little too aggressive when someone says something that I find offensive -- and I'm working on walking the line of speaking up without pushing too hard.  But never mind the fact that microaggressions such as that are deeply harmful to the feminist cause.  Let's get to what I see as the greater issue here:  social justice education matters.  It matters beyond you and I and our different beliefs.  I care deeply about encouraging my students to think in new ways, to be open-minded toward and accepting of difference.  The PYP emphasises international-mindedness, celebrating our differences while embracing our common humanity.  What a great goal.

Honestly, I feel to a certain extent that if one of the four white men in the room had brought that idea to the table, it might have been received differently.  I may be wrong, but I find that when members of a majority group speak out for minorities, they're lauded for their effort, whereas I am brushed aside as an "angry feminist."  (My cousin thoughtfully pushed back on me for my use of that term in a previous post -- but in this context I feel it's apt!)  However, as the only woman on my grade-level team, I feel all the more passionate about speaking up for feminism.  Social justice is important to me, and it should be important to every educator.

The bright side?  For the upcoming unit, my fellow intern and I have been slotted two 45-minute lessons each week with all of grade 3.  I've got my space to share this activity and have what I think are incredibly important conversations for young minds to consider.

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Currently reading:  I'm in an articles phase, lots of stuff in my Pocket which I hope to share here soon!
Current high:  several, but my top two:  one of my students took first prize in a cooking contest with his dad today, and lots of fun social stuff on the horizon!
Current low:  super tired...but looking ahead to a mostly restful weekend

Rachel Rostad

Yesterday as I casually scrolled through Tumblr (as one does in the 20 free minutes one has before students return from lunch), I stumbled across a video captioned, "Ever wonder why a Korean girl is named 'Rachel Rostad'?  Watch my newest piece & find out."  Living in Korea and working with Korean students, my curiosity was piqued, so I watched the video.  (Here, you can too!)

What a powerful piece.  A powerful speaker, a powerful woman, a powerful story.  It led me to reflect on the population I work with daily, the students I serve.  We are members of an international school community, and here's how that shakes down in my class.  15 of our students are Korean; 1 is Japanese-Korean; 1 is American.  3 other students are listed as foreign passport holders; I am not sure of their nationalities, or if they are dual citizens.  So let's call it 15 Korean students.  Of those 15, 14 students have a Korean birth name listed with the school.  Of those 14, only 2 choose to be known by that Korean name at school; the remaining 12 have selected an English name that they prefer.

Why?  We're an international school.  International means your background and culture have as much value as mine.  Why do you want an English name?  Why do you want to give up being called Mi-Yun* in order to be Rose*?  Do you fear that I as a teacher will like or respect you less as Minsoo* than as Eric*?  You don't need a made-in-the-USA sticker.  You don't need to put on an American wrapper for me to appreciate you.  I love you for who you are.  I love you wherever you come from, I love you whatever language you speak at home, I love you whatever your background.  I love the ways in which my students are different and the interesting and unique ideas they all bring to our community.

To be fair, and play my own devil's advocate, here's the flip side.  As Rachel Rostad says in her video, when you name your daughter, it's your dream for her.  By choosing their own English names, my students can name a dream for themselves.  They can explore their identities, be who they want to be.  Apparently the middle school has some trouble with this as students will change their names frequently as they discover who they are!  I remember myself, my sister, and my friends going through a similar phase with nicknames in late elementary and middle school.

But I'll say it again:  we're an international school.  The beauty of an international school is variety within the population, a celebration of backgrounds and cultures, an opportunity to share our lifestyles and become more open-minded and accepting of others.  Ms. W mentioned to me recently that the school is encouraging students to stick with their Korean names -- and I sincerely hope more will choose to do so.

* Of course, names have been changed to protect students' identities.

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Currently reading:  my Lonely Planet Korea guidebook
Current high:  a postcard from my best friend brightened my morning :) And my day ended with babysitting two great kids and a brownie date with EB!
Current low:  PD workshop coming up in Yokohama unfortunately means a non-weekend weekend

Every day may not be good...

For the last two days I have been subbing with my kiddos in grade 3 while my co-teacher runs parent-teacher conferences.  The first morning went really smoothly, and I felt like I was starting to use my own management style with my kids, and that they were responding to it.  (My co-teacher's management is quite different from mine!)  Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, my students started to push back, which led to some not-so-fun student interactions.
This afternoon, the last period didn't go smoothly.  They were assigned some independent work which required a lot of focus (copying something down into their journals) but we had folks running all around and the noise level was getting out of control.  I had to hold a few kids behind for a few minutes before they went to their Exploratories so that we could have a conversation about attention and listening, and it was such a sour note to end my day on.  I hate when the last period is eventful and I hate sending my kids home on a less-than-positive note and I hate when I have to be "mean" or give a "lecture."  When this is how my day wraps up, for the rest of the afternoon, I am tired and defeated; the energy I usually draw from being with my students has instead been sapped out of me by these frustrating moments.
I was in the middle of writing a post similar to this (maybe a bit more whiny!) on my more personal blog, and began writing about how this exhaustion was going to make it hard to motivate myself to go to Korean class tonight.  That led me to reflect on earlier today when I told my students about my Korean classes.  I practiced my vocab words with them and they laughed and laughed.  The memory made me smile, as I thought of their sweet giggles behind their hands at my limited knowledge and iffy accent.
I really love the quote, "Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day."  (Attribution unknown -- anyone??)  Would I say that, overall, today was a good day?  Not really.  I think that I failed my students in a lot of ways and that there are a lot of things I could have done better.  But was there something good in today?  Absolutely.  I had some really wonderful moments with students and had one lesson that I thought I nailed.
I don't like not being good at things; I am a perfectionist to a fault.  (Heaven knows that's a blog post all its own!)  But I am a new teacher.  I will fall short a lot.  I will make a lot of mistakes.  But I am constantly learning:  from my errors, from my students, from my peers.  I feel so privileged to be surrounded by such a great community and such incredible teachers.
In short:  here's to finding the good in every day.  It's there if you look for it.

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Currently reading:  still in the middle of no less than four books...I have book attention deficit.
Current high:  1.5 days to vacation, and 5 days to the arrival of M and K!
Current low:  less-than-rockin' afternoon in the classroom

Because I'm Pretty

Yesterday I was walking back from my recess duty with one of my favourite students.  Strolling hand-in-hand, she asked me about her parents' homework.  (We sent home goal-setting sheets for the parents to reflect on their academic and social goals for their children in preparation for conferences next week.)  I explained that yes, we had homework for all the parents to talk to us about their children so that we could be better teachers for them.
"Don't worry," I told her, "your mom said lots of nice things about you!"  Which is true!
"Of course she did!" OL exclaimed.  "And do you know why?"
"Why's that?" I asked her.
"Because I'm pretty!"
"No it isn't!"  I blurted out in response.  "You are so much more than pretty," I tried to explain to her.  "You are smart and loving and many other valuable things.  Those are the kinds of things your mom wanted to tell us."
OL is a lovely little girl, but she is also bright, funny, kind, hard-working, a loyal friend, a voracious reader, a strong student, and a really wonderful child all around.  The fact that she, at the tender age of nine, sees so much of her value in her appearance...that broke my heart.
I had another interesting student interaction involving appearance earlier this week.  I subbed in grade 4 for the morning while the teachers and interns had a planning meeting, so I circulated and supervised their morning tasks.
"What do you do here?" one girl asked me.
"I'm an intern in grade 3." I explained.
"Like Ms. K?" another girl asked me.  (Ms. K is one of the grade 4 interns.)
"Yup!" I replied.  "I really like Ms. K, she's so nice.  Do you like her?"
"Yeah," the first girl responded, "she's pretty.  So are you."
Of course, everyone likes the self-esteem boost of someone telling you that you're pretty, but I want to be more than "pretty" to my students.  I want to inspire them, push them, challenge them.  I want them to view me as intellectual, hard-working, passionate, and strong!
This article circulated some time ago, and it's something I reflect on often.  As I speak to young girls, especially my students, I always try to refrain from telling them that they are pretty, or cute, or complimenting their outfits.  I love reading with them, suggesting books that I loved at that age, talking about their ideas and their aspirations.  I want to show them that I value their minds and unique thoughts and perceptions of the world.
The level of internalized sexism in the world outside of my women's college haven shocks me every time.  At least once a day, some offhand comment will make me silently seethe.  I'm still reeling over hearing that in middle school intramural soccer, "having girls on your team can make a big difference in that every goal in soccer made by a girl counts for 2 points!"  But so much of it is that people don't realize it's offensive.  Sometimes, such as in that last comment, they may even think it's a positive thing.  This is why I think it's important to call people out on it, speak my mind, explain why that comment makes me uncomfortable.  It makes me sad when people tell me that's being "too PC," when I think it's a crucial step toward creating a culture that I want to live in.  I am striving toward always assuming a positive intent, and one of my personal goals is to be more gentle as I bring up these topics and have these conversations.  I have a lot of strong feelings which I've realized can make me seem aggressive, and that's not what dialogue is about.
As I have made abundantly clear on this blog, I am staunchly feminist (sorry-not-sorry for the rant).  What I wonder now is how to use my knowledge and beliefs to bring about positive change.  How can I help OL see herself as more than just a pretty girl?  How can I teach young girls to value others on their ideas instead of their looks?  What can I do to help my fellow educators improve the way they interact with their students and peers?  The conversations I had with OL and the grade 4 girls led to one of my professional goals for this year:  to teach both implicitly and explicitly about sexism, racism, heterosexism, and so on in the classroom.  I hope to open my students' minds and hearts to what is different and unfamiliar, and begin to equip them to dialogue with those who think differently and learn new things.  Ideas and suggestions for teaching social justice to kids are totally appreciated :)

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Currently reading:  SO MANY BOOKS.  Right now I'm digging The Perfect Summer, written by Juliet Nicolson and recommended by Weave :)
Current high:  just completed my first 5k!  Next up, Songdo Marathon 5k in October.
Current low:  seeing and experiencing sexism always makes me miss MoHo.

House

At my college, we always joked that it was basically Hogwarts.  The library looked like a castle; you could swear some of the buildings had moving staircases; and the number one reason, our classes were divided not unlike Hogwarts houses.  Each class year was assigned a color and a mascot (green griffins, red pegasi, yellow sphinxes, and blue lyons) which was loudly and colorfully celebrated throughout and beyond our years at the college.  The #1 event for class spirit was the annual convocation, ringing in the start of a new school year.

On Friday at CI, we had our first day of house.  Now, I'm still figuring out what exactly house is, but here's what I know.  All students from pre-K to grade 10, plus all faculty and staff, are assigned to one of four houses:  earth, fire, air, or water.  (I'm earth house -- green again, yay!)  Every other Friday there are house competitions, collaborative efforts across the grade levels that promote community and teamwork.

This week was our first house event.  Donning our brightly colored shirts, we started with a really cool picture -- check out this time lapse video to see the final result!  After that, each house took one quadrant of the outdoor track and lined up by grade level.  When the signal was given, everyone ran or walked around the track, leading to a blending of colors, houses, grade levels, and people.  It was such a fun event to be a part of!  The jubilant spirit and excitement to welcome new faces to the community brought me for a moment back to my college, and I fought tears as I fondly remembered sharing those celebrations with my friends.

Soon, the college will officially welcome a new class of green griffins on convocation day.  And while I will always be a green griffin, I am proud to have found a new green home here in South Korea.

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Currently reading:  Wild Hike by Jake Maddox, recommended to me by a student
Current high:  busy weekend of cooking and cleaning means starting the week with a clean apartment and a full fridge!
Current low:  didn't get around to washing my sheets this weekend...that and a few other cooking projects will have to be tackled next weekend!

A Way to Make a Living

Well readers, I'm the worst.  I am so sorry to have been off the airwaves for a few weeks!  The start of the school year really swept me off my feet in the best way possible, and hopefully I will soon have the energy for a real update.  Last night was the Back to School Night for lower school parents, and tonight was the same event for middle and upper school parents.  It was great to spend some time really digging into both of my main roles as a teacher and a theatre technician.

My favourite part of a stage crew gig is typically the closing procedures, particularly when I'm working solo.  I love the feeling of an empty space, filled with a plethora of possibilities and a happy history.  I love hearing the sound of my footsteps echo throughout the space as I reflect on a successful event or contemplate how to alleviate certain challenges in the future.  I love the eerie look of the darkened space lit only by a ghost light as I walk out for the night.  There is such satisfaction in the work that technicians do, even though the sign of a job well done is often that no one noticed that you were doing your job.  Somehow the occasional thanklessness and invisibility makes me love it even more for reasons I can't quite describe.

Tonight as I shut down the lights, mics, and projections after the middle school parent presentations, I had a sudden realization:  I have achieved an old dream of mine.  In high school, I wanted more than anything to make my way as an artist, specifically an actor.  I abandoned my dream of going into the arts somewhere around the end of high school or the beginning of college as I accepted that performing was not a strength of mine, and I discovered another passion and dream to pursue as I began to study education.  I continued to work behind the scenes in theatre and hone my skills, but truly never thought anything would come of it professionally, assuming I might someday volunteer in community theatres.

And yet somehow, here I sit today, a member of the performing arts faculty at an international school.  Time, wisdom, and experience have been kind and wonderful teachers to me.  Over the past 6+ years I have been so fortunate to discover a talent and passion for technical theatre and theatre management.  I will never be able to fully express my gratitude to those who gave me the opportunities and tools I needed to find and develop this aspect of myself.

As I've said before, one of my favourite things about being an intern is that I get to do everything I love:  act as a classroom teacher, work as a theatre technician, integrate drama across the grade levels, stage manage and train aspiring stage crew.  Thinking about what I might do in years to come is hard because I love that right now I can do it all.  The flip side is, of course, that I can't do any of it quite as deeply as I might like.  For the time being I'm enjoying the chaos and accepting that when it's time to think about the future, I can and will be able to thoughtfully consider my options.  I feel quite blessed to have such a wonderful myriad of opportunities to have a job where I love going to work every day.

One of my favourite quotes about the arts is by Kurt Vonnegut.  He once said, "Go into the arts.  I'm not kidding.  The arts are not a way to make a living.  They are a very human way of making life more bearable.  Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake.  Sing in the shower.  Dance to the radio.  Tell stories.  Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem.  Do it as well as you possibly can.  You will get an enormous reward.  You will have created something."

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Currently reading:  oh my goooooodness we just organized our classroom library and I can't wait to read all the books!!!
Current high:  still so, so truly happy here with the work I do and the people I share my life with
Current low:  I've managed to royally screw up my left leg, (lesson learned, don't run through the pain) so I haven't been able to run for the last two days :(

New Beginnings

Hello, dear readers!  Apologies for the relative radio silence over the past few days -- it's been busy busy, so here's a recap.

Friday was our first day with kids, finally!!!  I was so beyond excited to meet my kiddos and kick off my first year employed in education.  It wound up being a rather exciting day in a lot of ways.  For starters, we got an e-mail about shuttle times, so I headed down to catch the 6:45 shuttle.  I arrived at the stop to find a few other miffed people, all of whom had missed the shuttle...which apparently left at 6:40.  D'oh!  The six of us piled into a couple of cabs and made it to school in decent time.  I was still covering the theatre with Mr. G out, so I dropped my stuff in my classroom, grabbed some coffee, and headed over to the theatre.  But I couldn't figure out how to open either of the main doors!  So naturally, I climbed over the counter of the ticket window and went around that way.  Fortunately, setup was a breeze.  I touched base with Ms. W to make sure everything was covered, and so it was!

I headed up to the classroom and met Woodzy, made some copies, sharpened some pencils, and before long, the kids started to arrive.  It was such a rush to finally see and meet the reason I came here in the first place!  Nineteen of our twenty kids were there, and we started off the day with a word search and decorating colorful name cards for their desks.  I ducked out about 15 minutes before the assembly to make sure everything was in place and ran the (very easy) set -- mostly just muting and unmuting a wireless mic.  Not bad!

After we wrapped up, I waited around to turn off the lights and mics until everyone was out, and Mr. R, the grades 2 and 3 ESOL teacher, came over to let me know that Woodzy had to leave right away, so I was up.  The previous day this had looked like a possibility, but Woodzy was back in the afternoon and had an appointment set up for after school the following day, so I didn't do any prep.  Well.  Oh well!  I headed back with them and Woodzy said goodbye and left them with me and Mr. R.  We did a few more first-day things (labeling cubbies, making a class sign, an ice breaker) before heading out for recess and games with the whole third grade.  We wrapped up the day with some writing about what they did with their summer (a good way for us to see where they're all at!) and ice cream with the parents on the lawn :)

All in all, not quite the start to the school year I had anticipated, but a good one!  I'm at my best when I'm busy and getting thrown into things, so that works.  After school the third grade team went out for lunch (cold noodles and an assortment of dumplings, YUM) before the school-sponsored happy hour at a local hotel.  After that wrapped, I came home, showered and changed, went to EB's for a while, then we went out and continued the celebration with some other faculty.  It was a great way to kick off the year!

This post got long, so I'll write more soon about my first trip to Seoul yesterday with YC and EB -- such fun, and lots of pictures!  For now, signing off with words I never thought I'd say:  I just went for a run!  (And upon my arrival back at my apartment complex, ran into one of my students, son of Ms. W.  D'oh, awkward).  EB, YC, HY, SL, and I registered for Incheon's Color Me Rad 5K in September -- less than a month to train, so it's time to hit the road :) Wish us luck!

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Currently reading:  flipping through various books on children's theatre, team-building, and South Korea...I'll resume my reading routine tonight with either some Junot Diaz
Current high:  endorphins!
Current low:  motivating oneself to do something one does not like is a challenge, and I do NOT like to run...but I like my friends and I like Color Me Rad!

Overcommitting, again!

One of the most confusing and stressful things about my job is that there are so many moving parts to it:  teaching in the classroom, assisting in theatre maintenance, attending performing arts meetings, running events in the spaces, planning and implementing weekly "exploratories" for lower school students, supervising aspiring student technicians from the middle and upper schools.

On the flip side, one of the very best things about my job is that I can do everything that I want to do!  I get to teach, I get to do drama, I get to do tech.  Ms. W also approached me today about doing "push-ins" for drama at other grade levels.  As my father asked, what's a push-in?  Single-subject teachers will often come to grade-level planning meetings at the beginning of a new unit and suggest a lesson or series of lessons they can do to supplement the main classroom instruction.  At present, the lower school doesn't have a drama teacher, so Ms. W suggested I might be able to offer some support, which sounds like a blast to me.  A returning intern found a wealth of left-behind books on elementary school drama and readers' theatre in her new classroom and offered them to me, so I've got lots to work with!!

On top of all that, I'm hoping to assistant coach cheerleading (at some level) and be involved in the fall play.  When one of the third grade teachers mentioned today he was looking for someone to co-run the lower school's student council, it took a lot of self-convincing not to jump into that too!  As much as I'd love to act as a female role model for young girls who want to be leaders, I think I'll have to do that in other ways.  In my free time (what free time???) I'm looking into joining a choir in Seoul that will perform Handel's Messiah in a few months.

"Gosh, that sounds like a lot, Grace."  This is something I've heard, oh, I don't know, about every five minutes for the last several years of my life.  "She thrives on chaos!" my mother will explain.  And it's the simple truth.  The more balls I have to juggle, the more successfully I manage my time and honestly, the happier I am.  I'm really stoked to get started on all of these different and wondrous things :)

My plan for my next tattoo sums up this post pretty well:  "She enjoyed pulling together chaos and telling it what to do."

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Currently reading:  flipping through several readers' theatre and team-building books
Current high:  planning on going to a PD in Beijing with HY in October!
Current low:  sleepy at 9pm and we haven't even had kids yet XD

Trial by Fire

Hello, dear ones!  Well, today wound up being rather more exciting than intended on a number of counts.  Let's see...

First a happy one, I started my morning by video chatting with two of my dearest loves, JH and SC!  Such a delight to see their beautiful faces and catch up for a little bit :) An hour really flies by when you're chatting with such beloved friends!

During orientation this morning, I started to get stressed about figuring out how all of the duties of my different jobs will fit together, between teaching third grade and working in the theatre and other general intern responsibilities.  I touched base with my boss about it, and it was both unsettling and oddly reassuring to hear her say that she too was unsure about exactly how my schedule would play out!  It's really up to me to work with the TD of the theatre and Woodzy to make sure I can meet both their needs.  She also let me know that part of the reason she placed me with Woodzy is that she thinks he will be really flexible about my changing schedule!  I also talked to a few of my fellow new interns during lunch, and they agreed that they're not really sure what's going on...so I guess we'll figure it out as we go :)

Woodzy was out today, so during what would have otherwise been classroom prep time, I went over to hang out in the theatre with Mr. G.  We did a nice walk-through of both the blackbox and the main theatre, and he talked me through their shortcomings (or "opportunities," as we agreed to view them!), a few basic operations, and his hopes and dreams for the spaces in terms of things to buy and things we can do.  After four years of working in an older theatre space, which had some quirks due to its age, it's quite a contrast to figure out how to work around the kinks of a newly built space where things haven't been installed just so!

This evening there was a barbecue at school, which was lovely -- sat and chatted with my friends, watched the staff kids dance to the band, and enjoyed some tasty (and free!) food and beer!  Then, just before HY, EB, and I were going to strike out, Mr. G stopped me and let me know that he's had a family emergency and has to go out of town.

So I'm up.

To run the theatre spaces.

For the start of the school year.

O.O

We went over to the main theatre and he ran a quick tutorial of powering up and running the lighting, sound, and projection systems -- nothing I couldn't have figured out, but it was great to have a crash course so that I've got a little direct experience under my belt before things get rolling.  I also touched base with each division principal to make sure they communicate their expectations of the spaces to me so I can have them prepared for their needs.  Guess Woodzy will have to be even more flexible than expected over these first few days XD

When I filled my buddies in on the situation, they were all as surprised as I was.  But then, HY said the perfect thing.  "You're Grace!" she said with a smile.  "It'll be fine."  I couldn't help but grin, because those are the exact words so many of my friends from college or high school would say to me :)

I had a really awful night's sleep last night, so I think I'll zone out to an episode or two of The West Wing and crash out.  Wish me luck over the next few days, readers!  However, as I said to both Mr. G and Ms. W, it's trial by fire...but honestly?  That's how I thrive.

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Currently reading:  it's my blog, I could take out this category if I wanted to XD But it's a good guilt tool, I swear I'll start again soon!
Current high:  really nice time with HY, EB, and YC tonight...it's wonderful that I'm really starting to make friends here :)
Current low:  the adrenaline is pumping through my system given this change in the status quo!

Everybody's working for the weekend...

Okay, glad that I got the Dr. Kim stuff out -- wasn't sure that I could wait to get all of that down!  Now, a quick recap of the past couple of days.

Friday night was drinks with the third grade team...or at least, four fifths of us!  One had to back out last minute, but the rest of us had a great time.  We went to Beer's Cool (so punny!) for a few rounds, and while we were there, we ran into a bunch of the interns as well!  Eventually most of us headed back to AK and RL's apartment to hang out and play a couple of games.  My team had a difficult loss at Salad Bowl, one of my most beloved party games!  Alas.

Saturday I woke up to some WEIRD weather.  It became increasingly foggy and dark, to the point that I could barely see the buildings next door, and eventually turned into a gorgeous thunderstorm!  I spent most of the morning watching the weather and chatting with a buddy back in the States.  Sadly, the inclement weather cancelled the boat trip scheduled for the afternoon :( After an AMAZING lunch of grilled cheese and avocado cooked in homemade garlic butter (zomg I was so happy) I opened the window in my bedroom and enjoyed the breeze...and eventually fell asleep.  And thanks to an error in alarm setting, took a MUCH longer nap than expected!  Which gave me a lot of time to watch The West Wing?  It was a quiet day, which was nice.

Sunday brought the arrival of my new roommate, HS!  I got up early since I wasn't sure when she was arriving and puttered about, doing a few more things in the kitchen and making sure everything was tidy.  She and her father came around noon (after a second lunch of grilled cheese and avocado, since round one was such a delight) and she is such a darling!  I introduced myself, showed her around the place a bit, then got out of their way so they could move everything in.

Later on, I headed out for one of my favourite SKorean events so far -- an SK Wyverns baseball game.  The school sponsored a trip to the game, and let me tell you, it was WILDLY different than your average trip to Fenway!  A few highlights:  you can bring in your own food and drink (thanks, Mr. M, for bringing a whole cooler of beer!), they have cheerleaders, and instead of hot dogs, the popular food choice is Korean fried chicken.  Which is DELICIOUS.  This brief video might give you a taste of the atmosphere...

Not only was it a really fun, unique, and exciting experience...they won!!!  It was a suspenseful game, with the lead changing three or four times, and ending in a walk-off home run.  Baseball is a beautiful game.  I came home and chatted with the new roomie for a bit, then headed to bed!

Today, another day of orientation.  Lots of time in classrooms, which was nice.  Woodzy and I have discovered mutual loves of cooking and classrooms filled with background tunes!  Also, another "everyone here is so nice moment" -- I was walking to fill up my water bottle after school and I ran into Mr. F, the athletics director.  We've had one brief interaction (an e-mail exchange when I offered to assistant coach cheerleading), but he stopped me just to say hi and ask how I was settling in.  So delightful!!!  I really do love this faculty community.

After school I stuck around for a bit to watch a pickup cricket match (I'm trying in vain to understand this sport) then headed back for an evening in.  Since I got home around 5pm, my brain has been pouring out my fingertips as I save drafts upon drafts in this blog!  I have so many wonderful experiences and ideas to share, so watch this space :) The amount of posts I'm getting queued up about things other than the minutiae of my daily life mean that I'll probably quit doing those quite soon.  But for now, I should really hit the hay, as I'll be up early tomorrow AM for a Skype date with my two oldest and dearest college friends.  'Til next time!

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Currently reading:  okay, I promise, once school starts (ON FRIDAY ACK), I will get back into my routine of reading 20 minutes nightly and then I'll have something to say here
Current high:  I'm just...happy, and feeling like I'm where I need to be right now :)
Current low:  I'm doing that thing where you calculate how many hours you have left until you have to wake up...oof

The Single Story

Oh my goodness, I am simply overflowing with things to write about right now!!!  I'll recap the past few days soon (including an awesome trip to a local baseball game, what an experience), but just now I really want to share some thoughts about the seminar our staff had this afternoon.  As I've written this out I'm coming to realize that I think there are two posts in here, so consider this part one!

The school invited Dr. Josephine Kim to address us (and later parents and students) in a discussion entitled "The Culture of All Diversity."  Dr. Kim is a lecturer in Harvard University's graduate school of education, and her talk today was tailored to our experience -- a largely Western faculty coming to teach at an international school in South Korea.  So much of it deeply resonated with me, particularly given my background at a women's college with a major social justice orientation.  I know I won't be able to do her presentation justice, so do bear with me!

She started out by telling us a little bit about her experience of moving to the United States from Korea when she was in elementary school and the microaggressions she experienced as people associated phenotypical experiences with certain cultural stereotypes.  Throughout her time in the US she has weathered constant questions of "where are you from?" searching for information about her ethnicity.  More recently, strangers will remark to her that "your English is so good!"  People often don't think about how such things are received -- both of these remarks imply "you are foreign," "you are different," "you don't belong."

Later on, we did a quick activity.  We divided into groups of 5, and each group was given a few strips of stickers and a "cultural norm" (of which there were eight altogether).  Following that, we had to try and interact with those around us, and anytime someone offended our group's norm, we gave that person a sticker.  My group's was having a 5-foot personal bubble, and other norms included viewing smiling in conversation as offensive, a dislike of eye contact, needing to keep one's neck covered, preferring a 10-second wait time before responding to a question, and so on -- all norms drawn from cultures around the world.  Only one person (out of our staff of ~125) didn't get any stickers, and that from largely avoiding interactions.  Even students who are being trained in counseling won't admit to starting to feel culturally competent until completing an average of eight semester-long classes directly relating to cultural sensitivity.

There's a culture of power, and those in power are least willing to acknowledge the existence of this matrix.  The powerful define a reality, and that which is marginalized by the reality they create becomes institutionalized.  Everyone in the society begins to internalize these ideas, and ultimately the powerful culture will impose their values and beliefs to the eradication of the culture, language, and history of minority groups.  Children's self-efficacy comes from seeing someone like them in a position of power.  I recently read an interesting Whoopi Goldberg quote that really sums up the importance of representation:  "Well, when I was about nine years old, Star Trek came on, I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, 'Come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there's a black lady on television and she ain't no maid!'  I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be."  Similarly, I went to see Hilary Clinton speak when she came to San Jose during her presidential campaign in late 2007, and as they say, she had me at hello.  (Still holding out hope for 2016!!!)  She opened her speech by saying something along the lines of, "I am proud to be running in this election, which means to me we can look our children in the eyes and honestly say, you can be whatever you want to be."

No matter the culture we come from, we're socialized to be ethnocentric, so we all naturally carry with us certain prejudices and biases.  I don't believe there is anyone in the world who does not have any such beliefs.  I remember being in high school and celebrating international day and joking with other friends of European descent that we "had no culture," not realizing the gravity of those words.  The important thing is to be considerate, open, and accepting of those around us.  We have to be ready to listen and learn, respect and celebrate our differences, not make assumptions about others' identities.  There was an org at my college called the Beyond Tolerance Project, and I think that says it all.  As Dr. Kim said, you tolerate a headache -- we have to extend more than just tolerance to our fellow human beings.  In addition, it's crucial to recognize our positions of privilege, because those at the top of the hierarchy of power often do not realize that they are there, even though they are the ones with the greatest ability to affect change.

While the focus of much of our conversation this afternoon was largely Korean and Western cultures (which will be part two of this mini-series), I think it's really important to broaden our sensitivities to include sexism, heterosexism, cissexism, ableism, ageism, classism.  (Check out this gif-set for a good quick summary of why that's important.)  These were touched on in Dr. Kim's talk, but I think it's important to bring them frequently into the spotlight.  For my last four years at a women's college, I have been surrounded by others who were, on the whole, very thoughtful of how they spoke and acted.  Since coming into the "real world," I've frequently been surprised, shocked, even offended by what others say, particularly around sexism and heterosexism.  As a queer woman, I feel so strongly about equality and acceptance for all populations, and throwaway comments about something being "girly" or "gay" hit deep.  The frustrating thing is that many others don't react strongly to comments like this, because it is so deeply entrenched in Western culture that they don't bat an eye.  One of my goals as an educator is to engage students to question inequality and confront prejudice and injustice, to be sensitive and accepting and loving.

I'm going to end this post the same way Dr. Kim ended her talk, which was with a TED Talk featuring storyteller Chimamanda Adichie entitled The Single Story, thus this post's title.  I urge you to watch it; she is a compelling speaker and sums things up far better than I can.  Even if you don't have time to watch it now, here's the quote that I really took away:  "Show a people as one thing over and over again and that is what they become."

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Currently reading:  gah, I'm stalled, I have to get back into reading!
Current high:  deep thinking about things that matter...plus a Skype date with two of my besties tomorrow AM!
Current low:  spent a few minutes trying to come up with one but all I can think of is that I'm hungry, so I guess I'll go fix that XD