Se-Kyu Oh / Reaction / Tue.11:00

 201102045 EIT

Se-Kyu Oh

Different Time, Different Emotion

 

At any time and at anywhere, children gather and play together. We also have our own beautiful memory of playing with friends outside when we were kids and sometimes indulge in the reminiscences of our childhood. What if someone took pictures of the scene of us running and playing? Here are two photographs of children playing together. One is called "Playing in Street Sprinkler" by Juvenile Aid Bureau, New York in August 8, 1937. The other is called "Children Playing Baseball" taken in 1913 by Lewis Wickes Hine, a sociologist who used photography as a documentary to inspire social form. These two pictures depict children playing together, but the moods of the two are completely different as they are taken in different era.

In "Playing in Street Sprinkler," a bunch of children gathered below a street sprinkler. The children are wearing swimming suits and seem to enjoy the cool water during hot summer. A boy in the left is trying to avoid the water while others are standing below the water. Their motions show that they're enjoying the moment, thus giving energetic feeling to the picture. Behind the sprinkler and the children, a long apartment is placed as a background. The uneven surface of the building gives feeling of liveliness and refinement with is modern textures. Behind the sprinkler and on the right side of the picture, some people are standing and cars are parked. Though they are not the main center of interest, they tell that the place where this picture is taken is busy and lively. Also the light is shinning on the sprinkler and the group of children playing near it. It not only highlights the main center of interest but also makes the picture look bright and cheerful.

In "Children Playing Baseball," there are much more children but they are scattered. Some are on the left or right side and the others on the center are the only ones who play baseball. Children on the left or right side do not play. They just look at the boys on the center playing baseball. In addition, a girl on the left side and three or four kids on the right side are not actually watching the baseball game. They're looking at the camera and it means their minds are not with the players. Therefore, it gives a feeling of isolation, loneliness, and disconnection. The light is shining on the children on the left side, not children on the center. The children playing baseball, the main center of interest is on the dark side; it makes this picture look dim and gloomy. Behind the children, as a background, there are tall walls made of bricks. The wall surrounds the three sides of the place. The texture of the background gives gloomy and poor feelings and because children are surrounded by the walls, it also gives the feelings of pressure and depression. Furthermore, there are laundries hanging above the children. Also, the children on the right side are on a wagon. Compared to cars in the first pictures, it shows poor and old image.

The two pictures depict children playing together. They focus on children and both of them are taken in towns of a city. They show activeness of children as catching the moment of children's playing. However, the mood of each picture is significantly different. First one gives bright and cheerful feelings with the help of light and the background while the second one shows dark and gloomy feelings due to the dim light and background objects. Furthermore, if we consider the time and place when and where those pictures were taken, we can find out a better interpretation of the two photographs. "Playing in Street Sprinkler" was taken in South Harlem during late 1930's. During this period of time, the U.S. was still suffering from the Great Depression. Life was hard and especially for those in Harlem, life was very tough. However, we can still have good feelings from this picture. In contrast, "Children Playing Baseball" was taken in 1913 when the U.S. was enjoying its prosperity. However, we see gloomy and dark feelings in the picture.  

   Two groups of children are depicted in these two pictures, we feel activeness through the motion of children playing in the street sprinkler and playing baseball. However, in the first one, we feel cheerful, energetic, and lively while in the second one we feel gloomy and depressed. Also it's interesting that the feelings of each picture are opposite to the moods of situations when each photo is taken; first one gives positive feelings during tough time while the second one gives negative feelings during prosperous time. Yet, in both pictures we're attracted by the activeness of the children's playing and the memory of old days.

 

 

201200093 Kanghayoung/ reaction/ Tue 3&4

What kind of poses did you take when you were taken photos? Look at those two photographs. Both of two pictures show children who are at different states. They directly and indirectly express their emotions in the photos. The first one is called "Village School" and the second one is called "Children's Puppet Theatre".

In the first photograph, "Village School", children are in the dark room. The place seems to be classroom in the past. Some children are staring at a camera. And some are looking at the front of classroom. The overall atmosphere in the photo is dark and stiff. All children are not doing dynamic action. They are just sitting on chairs politely. The most outstanding feature of the first photo is an arrangement of children. They are positioned like triangle and they are forming V-line which becomes wider as going backwards.

In the second photograph, "Children's Puppet Theatre", children are in the field. They are watching something and surprised to see that. Most of children open their mouth loudly to express their surprise. But, there is a child who closes his ears. The atmosphere is much brighter than the first photo. In addition to this, their facial expression is not stiff but very dynamic. The photographer focused on children who are at the front of the photo. The children behind them look vague. The arrangement of the row is horizontal and they seem to be familiar with each other because they are gathered very closely.

The first photo and second one are photos which cover children. However, what is emphasized on two photos is really different. In "Village School", the aura in the classroom is so dark and calm. Rather than focusing on every child, the photographer seems to highlight the atmosphere which is made from the arrangement of the children and dark color. Also the first photo is motionless. Most children are stiff and sitting on chairs with their eyes fixed to camera and the front. In contrast, the second photograph, "Children's Puppet Theatre" highlights the facial expression of every child. Their facial expression is so diverse unlike "Village School" and they look relaxed although they are surprised to watch something. A boy is raising his finger and pointing something, where we can feel movement and dynamic.

In conclusion, "Village School" shows calm and dark mood of the classroom. "Children's Puppet Theatre" shows diverse facial expression of children. Comparing those two photos with color, the first one is black and gray and the other is yellow. Moreover, the two photographs show movement versus stillness. Both of photos contain their own unique colors.

Jung Ji Soo / Photos / Assignment 9 / Tue 3&4

Friday, May 31, 2013

Intermediate Writing

 

201103227 E. I. T

Jung Ji Soo

 

           People are so called 'emotional animals'. It is true that people always have some kinds of emotions; sometimes they affect others to have same emotions with them and other times they are affected by others. Always we feel something. We can see others' emotions through their actions, body languages, faces and also through 'photographs'. Actually, photographs have been really important parts in our lives; because people can feel some emotions watching photos. In the book, there are two photos; one is 'Village School' by Margaret Bourke-White and the other is 'Children's Puppet Theater, Paris 1963' by Alfred Eisenstadt. Though there are children in each photo, the atmosphere they have is totally different.

 

           The first photo, 'Village School', gives something dismal emotions to readers. When I saw this photo at first, I was little bit depressed and sad because of its own circumstance. There are only boys in the class and they are seated neatly. It can show us that the atmosphere of this class is rigid and it seems that they should follow strict rules in the class. The background is dark and only their heads are white. With this contrast, atmosphere becomes more serious and somber. And also what makes circumstance more depressing is children's faces and their facial expressions. When we look at their faces, we can feel that children are somewhat worried and horrified in the rigid isolated class room.

 

           The second photo, 'Children's Puppet Theatre', shows us live emotions. Readers can smile when they look at this photo. Though there is no sound, we can feel children's inaudible voices and their sounds. Children's faces are also really funny points. Their facial expressions are really various and alive. Someone is yelling loudly, and some is surprised and someone is trying not to listen. With their various and vivid actions, we feel that we are also part of them. At the foreground, there are really lots of children trying to watch something. I thought that they are excited at something which we cannot see in the photo. The atmosphere seems more free and alive.

 

           Through this paper, I introduced two photos which seem to have some similarities; children, but the atmospheres are totally different. One is serious and the other is vivid. They are very good examples which have a lot of contrasts. With these photos, I could also remember my school days. Some were bad but others were good memories regardless whether atmosphere were harsh or not.

Se-Kyu Oh / Pinning it down / Tue. 11:00

Most Impressive Teacher I've Met

 

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Some are good and some are bad. There was the most impressive teacher I really liked when I was in high school. It was his first year to teach students but he had passion. Whenever his students got bad grades on tests, he said "It's my fault that you didn't do well on the test" and then prepared better lectures with improvements such as video clips of documentary channels and pictures of historical sites and events. He even brought us to historic sites in our city on one weekend after the mid-term. He also helped us learn an important lesson of life. It was the day before SAT. At the end of the class, he stayed at our classroom. Looking around the classroom, he said "Everyone fails. Some of you will fail. However, don't regret or blame yourself. Once you fall, you'll know how to stand up again. That's how life works." After I hear his advice, my heart started to beat with an emotion that I've never experienced before. Eyes opened wide, my mouth repeated what he talked to us and it felt like something inside of me was moving to make me impressed; it was sincere respect to him and his advice.  

Soyun Jeong/pinning down assignment/ Tue 11 am

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Some are such a great teachers that we learn a lot from them, and get positive influences. Some are bad teachers who influence us negatively. Mr. Kim, who taught me mathematics when I was in grade 10, was one of those great teachers. He was my favorite teacher because he was always kind to the students and he always did his best to make us understand what we learn. Before I met him, mathematics was my least favorite subject because I always thought it was too complicated and boring. However, Mr. Kim changed my point of view. When he explained certain math principles, it was so easy to understand. If I couldn't understand something during the class, I was free to go to the teacher's office and ask him again. Then he explained it to me over and over until I completely understood. He also told us a lot of interesting facts regarding mathematics, so our interest in math increased very much. Whenever I think of him I smile with heart full of respect and gratitude. I am glad he was my teacher.

 

Minyoung Kang/pinning it down/TUE 11

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. From kindergarten to university classes, the teachers we meet can sometimes the best teacher who lives on in our minds forever, or the worst teachers who still haunt us in our dreams. Out of all the teachers I met, the one I can remember the most clearly is a teacher I really loved being around in middle school. He was my social studies teacher, and every morning when I had his class, I would go to his classroom and help him prepare class material for the first class. Even though social studies was not my strongest subject, the connection I had with him and the lessons I have learned from him about life still forms me in a better person. Three years after graduating from the middle school, I went back to see him and I was so touched to see him still remembering me and welcoming me like he did exactly the same three years ago. I am grateful that I was able to have a teacher like him who had a positive influence on my life.

An youmi/Pinning it down/Tue11am

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Some are good and some are bad. One teacher I really liked. His name was Gildong Hong. Mr. Hong was a math teacher when I was a middle school student. He taught us well and helped us learn other things too. His teaching style was very concentrated on reviewing. He emphasized the importance of review. He had us take a lot of notes during his classes, rewrite and reorganize those notes reviewing the classes at home. It was very helpful to follow the classes thoroughly. Mr. Hong started every class with this question. "What happened yesterday?" He let us know current affairs before starting the class and helped us think about it. It shaped my habit of reading newspapers every morning which means Mr. Hong influenced me a lot. I am glad he was my teacher.

Hannah Bae/Pinning it down/Tue 3.4

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Some are good and some are bad. There is one teacher I really liked. He was a music teacher when I was in the 2^nd grade in middle school. He always wore jeans and liked playing guitar. Because I liked music, I was interested at the class from the beginning. I still remember what he said in the first class. He told us, "Music is like your boyfriend or girlfriend because it's always there for you whenever you need. When I was really sad after losing my girlfriend, the music of Oasis helped me a lot to get out of that feeling". He taught us well about various kinds of music such as from jazz to classic. Also, he helped us learn other things too. For example, he told us about life and how to cope with hardships mentioning his experiences. I am glad he was my teacher.

Young-jun Yoo / Pinning it down / Tue 3,4

Teachers

 

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. From kindergarten to middle school to university, we learn many things from teachers. Among these teachers, some are good and some are bad. Most people probably only remember the best ones, but in my case, the worst teacher is who I remember most. He was in charge of my class when I was 18 years old. My classmates and I were very noisy and distracted back then, but not in his class time. He was one of the most charismatic teachers in my school so nobody dared to chat with their classmates. Although he was short and a bit old, he was very bulky and his eyes were sharp as an eagle's. We were forced to memorize all the words in the textbook and take a test besides the regular curriculum, and the teacher's rule was that "if anyone fails the test, all of you take responsibility." So, whenever anyone got a wrong answer, all of students in my class were hit in the thigh. When hitting us with a billiard cue, he always said that "this is for all of you to learn a sense of solidarity." I thought it was absolutely unfair and really hated that teacher. But, as I grew up, I realized that he did those things for our sake and I grew up into a right-minded person thanks to him. I am glad that he was my teacher.

Eun Hye Jang /"Pinning It Down"

201104213 Eun Hye Jang   We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Some are good and some are bad. One teacher I really like. At first, I was not much of a fan of him. He taught us math, which I could not care less about. Neither did I like the first impression I got of him nor was I fond of his teaching style. In addition, he was a dreadful penny pincher. I could not erase the thought that he was very boring. I used to doze off during every math class of him. Every time I was scolded for dozing off, I made an excuse for that. "Your class is so boring that I cannot help sleeping in your class." I used to say. At that time I was really rude to him. As time went by, our relationship became worse and worse. Then, something that changed my mind happened. When I went to an orphanage grudgingly to do a voluntary service, I saw him there. He volunteered a difficult job like bathing and changing babies' diapers. When seeing him sweat profusely, I could see an angel on his face. I could feel that his voluntary activities came from the heart. Also, I heard that he made a big donation to that orphanage. Next day, at school, he taught us as usual. However, the way I thought of him was changed. I tried not to doze off and it was successful. I found on reflection that my prejudice against him prevented me from understanding him. When I listened carefully to his class, I found myself enjoying the class. He taught us energetically despite his old age. He taught us well and helped us learn other things too. Every weekend, he took us a place which needed help. He taught us the ways to help other people sincerely. He used to cite a saying from Albert Schweitzer, "Do something for somebody everyday for which you don't get paid." I have kept that phrase in my mind from then on. He was more than a teacher. He was my mentor. I am glad he was my teacher.

Chaemin im/ Pinning it down/ Tues 11am

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Some are good and some are bad. I met a teacher that I can never forget in my entire life. He was known to be the strictest teacher in my high school. He was said to slap on students' face, pinch the inside of the thighs and even nibble ear! On the first day of my sophomore life, what I thought first after seeing him was a fear. As people said, his appearance was threatening all the students in a classroom. He looked like an ugly bulldog and it looked like the laser beam was about to come out from his big bulging eyes. Even more striking was the fact that I was slapped in the face without any reasons. When he asked abruptly, "What did you do wrong?", we just had to answer anything whether having faults or not. However, we couldn't say anything because we didn't know what he really wanted. Therefore, for about two months since the beginning of the first semester, we were always kind of tortured. Later, It turned out to be that he just wanted a witty answer and it was his style to get closer to his students. After the painful time passed, we didn't experience that kind of torture anymore. It's been a long time, but I still remember the unforgettable time in my high school and I often miss the creepy feeling.

Park Shin Young/Pinning it Down(Teacher)/Tuesday 11 a.m.

200801274 Park, Shin Young            "Pinning it down"

 

<Teacher>

 

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. They influence us in many ways. As a middle or high school student, we spent almost one-third of a day with teachers. So, it's not much to say that we spend more time with them than anyone else. Of course, each of us has a different memory on them. Some are good and some are bad. One teacher I really liked. He was a math teacher. At that time, I was a first grade student in the middle school. He taught us well and helped us learn other things too. He said he had superiority on his short height when he was young. Actually, he was short. I was also short as compared with my friends. Since I was at puberty, I was so frustrated. But, he advised me saying "It's you who is the main character in the world. I could overcome my superiority by thinking so. Chin up! You'll be OK." Right after hearing the advice, my heart was pounding. I felt I had achieved such a great enlightenment. I am glad he was my teacher.

Ji Soo Jung/ Pinning it Down / Tue 3&4

Sunday, 26 May, 2013 

 

           We meet a lot of teacher in our life. I've also met a lot of teachers in my life. Some are good and some are bad. I remember the most horrible teacher in my whole life. I met him when I was 18. He always scolded me only for reason that I had a boy friend. The reason he scolded me was even not related to my score. Because my boy friend had the top score and I had 2nd score. He just hated the fact that students had boyfriend. But the way he scolded me was too harsh and unreasonable and everyday he told me badly and always underestimated me. It was the nightmare of high school at that time.  

However some teachers were really understandable and kind to me. There was a one teacher I really liked. He believed us and he always taught me by reasonable ways. He taught us well and helped us learn other things too such as how to keep good relationship with others and what would be good to know to keep condition well. When I was teenager, I was too stressed out because I only had to study and study. Whenever I had trouble about this, he gave good words for me and I could be refreshed. I'm glad he was my teacher.

Hyejeong Yu / Pinning It Down / Tue 3&4

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. When we go to the elementary school, we meet homeroom teachers. Then when we go to the middle and high school, we meet math teacher, English teacher, literature teacher and social study teacher. And in Universities, we meet professors. There are countless teachers we meet through our entire lives. Among these teachers, some are good and some are bad. Some teachers teach student in a way that is easy to understand or they listen to what students say. But some teachers are terrible explaining so the students would not understand clearly or they scold students with no reason. For example, one teacher at my high school always tried to pick on my class when we were doing extra self-study time. Even on the day my class was studying quietly, he opened the window and said, "Keep talking, you'll end up with university with no name." It turned out later that the next class was talking not my class. But not all of teachers we meet in our life are not like him. There was one teacher I really liked. She is my last homeroom teacher at the high school. She taught us well and helped us learn other things too. She was English teacher and she taught students very well that when signing up classes for summer vacation, her class was always the first class became full. She also helped students learn other things like having courage no matter what. She listened to students problems carefully and gave us inspiring message to encourage us. Just before 20 days before Suneung, when I was depressed because my grades were not satisfying, she said not to worry because I have been doing my best and I will be rewarded someday. It gave me courage to keep going on through hardships. I am glad she was my teacher.

 

	. Look Closer

Min Soo Lee/ Pinning it down/ Tues 11am

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Especially for Koreans, we get to meet more teachers than other nationality of students because Korean students take lessons even after the school. Among those numerous teachers, we remember only handful of them who had great impression on us. Some are good and some are bad. Obviously, we don't have good impression on every teacher. However, bad teachers often turn out to be the best teachers after years. One teacher I really didn't liked when I was in my high school. He taught us well and helped us learn other things but his teaching style was harsher than other teachers. He was my science teacher with a fat belly and grumpy looking eyes. He always wanted us to memorize what we were taught each day and got us tested in the next class. So the science class was the worst class for me and my friends. It was not the memorization of class work that we hated but it was what comes after the test. He hit us for each question that we got wrong with a wooden stick. I really didn't want to be beaten up so I studied hard for this science class. After all, he was the true teacher who guided me to study and I am glad he was my teacher.

Jung Yong Tae/Teacher/ Tue 3,4

 We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Some are good and some are bad. One teacher I really liked. When I was in high school, I used to be a bad student who smoked and didn't study well. There was a teacher whose name is Kyung Won Cho. He taught us English. He kept following us and tried to talk with me. One day, he gave a book called "Change your thought". Also, he gave me homework that I had to write a report after reading the book. As I mentioned before, I wasn't a good student. It took two weeks to finish the book. The book was really impressive to me. After I submitted my report, he and I had a conversation about my future. That was the moment when I made up my mind to join a university.  He taught me well and helped us learn other things, too. I am glad he was my teacher.

Jisu Song 201001709/ Pinning it down(Teacher)/ Tue 11a.m.

201001709 Jisu Song

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Some are good and some are bad. There was one teacher I really liked. He taught us well and helped us learn other things too. When I was in 10^th grade in an international school, I was having a difficult time with algebra. Simple equations were very easy but I couldn't easily understand wordy problems. So I didn't even solve those problems and got a C which was a very unusual grade for Asian students. When I was having lunch with my friends at the cafeteria, Mr. Luman, my algebra teacher, came over to me and quietly told me that I can take a make-up test. I thought he was going to scold me for not working hard. When I was in Korea, most teachers judged students based on the scores. But he treated me as same as other students even though I got a C. I was glad he was my teacher. 

Hyein Jin / Pinning it down(Teacher)/ Tue 11a.m.

Teachers

          

           200903450 French

Hyein Jin

 

We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Especially when we were teenager, we are strongly influenced by teachers. Some are good and some are bad. When we are confused with ourselves and the outer world, good teachers set us on the right road toward what we really want in life. Bad teachers also somehow remained in our memories. There was one teacher I really liked. He taught art subject in my middle school, and fully encouraged us to create what we want to express. Surely he did have a good curriculum, but he never forced us to draw what he recommended. Once I drew a cartoon in watercolor painting class which upset my teacher's expectation. However, I was praised on my drawing – anyone else would scold me. He even appreciated my creativity and recommended me go art high school. Thanks to him I'm able to think outside the box even though I was under typical cramming education system of Korea. I am really glad he was my teacher, and I sincerely appreciate his creative education.

 

Myong Hwa Yang / Teachers / Tue 3,4

Teachers   We meet a lot of teachers in our life. Especially, the teachers who taught us during school days left a variety of impressions on us. Some are good because they gave a good grade or treated us nicely and some are bad since we have embarrassing memories such as being scolded in front of others. Among these teachers, I really liked one teacher whom I met during high school days. He taught us well and helped us learn other things too. When the students struggled to understand what the textbook said, he always explained it again and again with patience. Also, every time we took exams, he cheered for us, saying "Do your best. Real loser is someone who doesn't even try." I am glad he was my teacher.

Park Sae-whan / Teachers / Tue34

Teachers

 

Korea's education system, ranked second in the world in some assessments, has been fated far and wide. In the center of its impressive ranking are there teachers who put so much of their efforts for the education of their students. I have also met some teachers with huge influence not only on my academic life but also on my life in general. They never pushed me to the end for better grades or to get me a college. Rather, they tried to build an upright character of mine in order to live a good life. They also helped me go through a stormy period of my puberty and made sure that I did not do something stupid. Has it not been for my teachers, I would have never been able to become what I am today. 

Teachers/ 200801262 Seungmi Park

Teachers

 

     We meet a lot of teachers in our life. As we go through mandatory education throughout out childhood and adolescence, we get different teachers for each subject. We even have homeroom teachers. Some teachers are good and some are bad. Good teachers sincerely care about their students and take care of them with love. However, bad teachers only force them to obey and sometimes want some preferential treatment from their parents. My homeroom teacher in my second year of high school said, "Go to your parents and tell them to bring me something for Teachers' Day." I still remember her slanted eyebrows and commending voice. On the other hand, there was one teacher I really liked. I had him in my junior year of middle school in my ethics class. He was very knowledgeable about his subject and taught us very well about difficult concepts such as Confucianism. He also helped us learn other things too. He helped us to be a better and moral person, teaching us lifetime lessons other than knowledge-based class. I am glad he was my teacher.

 

201200093Kanghayoung/pining it down/ 11am tuesday

Beautiful Person

 

 

People passes many teachers in their lives. But some have good memory on the teachers and some may not. There is someone who I have never forgotten. That is my mother. She is my mother and my best-ever teacher. From the time when I was born, she has affected me in a positive way. Until now, she gives many lessons to me. However, I didn't thought my mother is a teacher who gives many lessons to me at the first time.

Actually, my mother was a real teacher who worked in a school. Someday, I asked some questions related to history to mother. She drew a chronological table and explained even detail things for me. But I couldn't understand what she explained. I couldn't read the chronology table and had no idea about terminologies she used. Because I was so young in that time, I was angry about my mother. I shouted to her, "you are really not good teacher. You couldn't make me understood. How can you teach the students? You even can't teach your daughter". She was so shocked to hear that. But I didn't care about. I can remember her disappointed eyes and dropping shoulders. For that event, I didn't think my mother as a good teacher.

Then, I changed my thought about her as I grew up. In the middle of that changes, the event that I was moved by her saying happened to me, which was really turning point. My mother and I was walking in the subway station. At the corner of station, a man who wore shabby clothes begged us for help. He covered his lower half of the body with black blanket. When we met his eyes, my mother took out her wallet and gave 10000 won to him. I couldn't understand why she gave much money to him. I thought he pretended to have no legs, covering his legs and crawling on the floor. I asked to my mother, "Why did you give him money? He pretended to have no legs!! He intended to look miserable!". She smiled generously and said that the thing which is really important is our heart to help him. We don't have to care what ways he used that money and he pretended to have no legs. We just remember what we did to him in the best way. When I heard that, I got moved to realize the true meaning of helping others. I was proud to have such teacher who is really wonderful. After this event, I got many other lessons from her.

Now I respect my mother and want to be similar to her. I am happy to be with my wonderful teacher, my mother. And I am really thanks for god to give me such great teacher.

 

Yun Jeong Lee/ Pinning it down(Teacher)/ Tue 11a.m.

<My Homeroom Teacher>

 

201002551 EIT

             Yun Jeong Lee

 

It has been over 10 years since I graduated elementary school, but I still visit my elementary school every year on Teachers' Day to see my 6^th grade homeroom teacher. She is the best teacher I have ever met in my life because she was so caring about me.

 

When I was nine years old, I went to live in Malaysia and attended an international school. I spent more than three years there and came back to Korea when I became a 6^th grader. It was not easy for me to get used to the new environment because I was unfamiliar with the Korean-style education, especially science; science in Korea was based on memorization while science in Malaysia was based on experiments. Understanding my difficulties, my homeroom teacher willingly suggested that I have afterschool science lessons with her. Since that day, I stayed after school every day and my teacher helped me with by science studies. It was very considerate of her to spend her free time helping me.

Se-Kyu Oh / Classfication / Tue.11:00-

201102045 EIT

Se-Kyu Oh 

 

To Be a Teacher

   "Teaching is not just to deliver knowledge written on books, but it's also about communication, understanding your students." It's what my English teacher said to me when I told him I was looking for an opportunity to teach students. He used to teach me English when I was in high school and I once hoped I could be a teacher like him. Time has passed, the dream of being a teacher in schools has gone away and now I find myself having other dreams and plans for my future.  However, working as a private English tutor for high school students, I sometimes wondered what my teacher really tried to say and recently, I thought I found the answer; teaching does not only require knowledge, but also interpersonal skills and problem solving skills.  

   First, most importantly and basically, teachers must have knowledge of their subject and of teaching. If a teacher lacks knowledge of what he teaches to his students, then the class and school are meaningless. What makes the difference between the teacher and his students if he doesn't know something discussed in text books?  In addition, teachers must have knowledge or skills of teaching. If the teacher doesn't know how to teach, then it also leads to failure of the class. For instance, when I was in middle school, there was a math teacher and he often got the wrong answer for questions on an easy textbooks.  All those years of studying in education colleges must have been for knowing what to teach and how to teach.

   Second important thing to be a teacher is interpersonal skills. As my English teacher told me, teaching is not just about passing on knowledge to students. It's communication between the teachers and their students. After all, teaching is a matter of human beings and humans need to communicate, understand, emphasize with one another. Teachers must have a warm heart, ears to listen to his students, and a mouth to talk softly but logically and persuasively. For example, the most impressive teacher I've met during my past school days is my homeroom teacher in 2011 when I was a senior. Preparing for the SAT, most students were depressed and nervous and were getting tired of studying. At the early time of the first semester of that year, knowing his students are going through a hard time, my homeroom teacher said that he would have counseling for all his students. It was a rare case for high school teachers because most of the teachers were so busy dealing with grades, classes, and SAT-related matters. However, my homeroom teacher, during his busy schedule, managed to make time for us.  For some students, he just listened and tried to put his feet in their shoes. For other students, he listened to their problems and gave sincere advices. At the end of that year, after graduation ceremony, our class visited him altogether. The reason why it was possible for him to be a good teacher is because he knew how to communicate. He knew his interpersonal skills.

   Third, lastly, problem solving skills are also required to be a teacher. On the surface, writing down something on the boards, giving tests, and being nice to his students seem to be what teachers do as their job. However, teachers also need to be decisive, confident, and reasonable.  Other than teaching, there are lots of works to do for teachers. After all, teachers are public officials in Korea. Sometimes they need to make decisions on an important issue or have to be brave to start a new project or correct problems. Even in classes, everything from punishing bullies to taking care of students lagging behind requires decisions. Teachers need problems solving skills every day, whether in class or office.

   As the private education field thrives, there are fewer places for public teachers to be focused and appreciated. We're more likely to consider our teachers as someone who gives knowledge, someone who teach for money. All teachers are equal in that they help us to be better. However, we're not trying to look at the real meaning of being a teacher. Teacher is not just a person who gives us knowledge. Teacher is the title for those who have knowledge, communicate and understand his students, and deal with a variety of problems in or out of the class. That's what the word teacher stands for, that's what a good teacher does, and that's what is needed to be a good teacher.