KaDeWo - The Joy Advocate

When I started teaching English in South Korea I entered in the middle of the school year. The fall semester had commenced when I came in at the end of August 2016. The start of the new academic year commenced in March 2017. After six months of working in a new school, living in a new country and rapidly adjusting to a new culture and community I felt the level in which I was getting to know my coworkers was moving at a slow pace. Although we ate lunch together, several teachers talked around me but not to me. I thought about this one evening and decided that when the new semester started I would write a Welcome Letter.  In my Temple University undergraduate education courses, one of my seasoned professors had us create a Welcome Letter as an introductory assignment. I am so happy that I took that assignment seriously and saved it with my files I knew I would use throughout my teaching career. When I student taught I wrote and distributed a letter to all of my students and it helpe...

For the past several years, she had been on a mindful journey to identify and make peace with her au t hentic self. With the aid of the therapists she reached the goal and began to naturally embrace her authentic self with love. She didn’t even realize the healing was occurring. Yes, she wanted to accept and be at peace with this woman whom she partly knew and would fully come to know. She stared at herself thinking,  I truly love her . She didn’t judge her or make her feel bad about her choices. Mainly because she is now honest with herself, after finding it hard to embrace some “ugly” or “undesirable” parts of herself. This 33-year-old woman found her inner child and let her out, she didn’t always worry about who saw her inner child anymore. She decided to be less guarded and more engaged in the present. She consciously chose to love her faults and subconsciously emerged into a goddess inspiring those close to her. She was fully aware of those in her immediate vicinity who were o...

Happy Thanksgiving! I was fortunate enough to attend a local KOTESOL chapter fall event in Daejeon and hear a message from Eunkoo Lee and Casey Lartigue, co-founders of the  Teach North Korean Refugees  (TNKR) organization.  TNKR  is a life-changing program that raises money and helps North Koreans, who are able to escape the country, adjust to life in a democracy and tell their stories as a form of healing.    Listening to these two passionate speakers caused me to reflect on my summer introduction to North Korean person who had only been out of the country for less than two years. During this summer tour we visited the DMZ to see the double-fenced, wildlife barrier that exists at the point where South and North Korea meet.  *This person explained the difficult adjustment that occurs when one has NOT had access to 24-hour electricity, processed food in numerous commercial stores, ridiculous  amounts of outlets for entertainment - includ...

 Entrance, outside the elevator doors Examination room In March of 2017, I had my first dentist appointment since relocating to SK. I was a little overdue, because my six month check up should have occurred in January. It was not very hard to find an English speaking dentist once I GTS. I found an expat forum that recommended a few doctors. I chose the one closest to my residence that had an English speaking staff and receptionist, Berkeley Dental Office with Dr. Man Hee Park. I had no idea what to expect as far as the conditions of her office, other than previous clients stating it was clean. I was delighted to find a spacious, modern, calm and welcoming atmosphere. The lobby is incredibly spacious and inviting; however, I did not have much time to spend on the comfy couch, because I only had to wait 5 minutes or less. I entered the glass doors to a brightly lit room with a flat screen TV and lots of seating, along the walls various Dr. Park’s degrees and advertisements ...

Teaching in South Korea has blessed my soul on so many levels. It will certainly be hard to return to the states (date definitely unknown). Since the start of the semester (see First Day of School post) my high school - 3rd grade  students  (juniors/11th graders) have been reading a chapter on assertiveness. Reading with them has reinforced some key issues that were established in my cognitive therapy sessions between the ages of 29 and 32, regarding speaking up for oneself and creating boundaries.  Since relocating here I have naturally become more assertive - not to be confused with aggressive. This assertiveness is a result of the language barrier, coupled with the ability to reinvent one's self when living in a new environment. However, in regards to my family, friends and future partners I have a new perspective that I am practicing to keep myself genuinely happy, which keeps my mind and body healthy. I failed to be more assertive at my previou...

Directed Audience: If you are moving to South Korea and have read/heard that you should bring your own toothpaste, this message is for you - especially if you are planning to eat traditional Korean meals regularly. I brought mouthwash and several tubes of a variety of my trusted brand, Colgate. I eat lunch with my fellow faculty every weekday. The meals are delicious, sometimes a little spicy and full of meat and veggies. All things I was happy to find, as I had no real experience with Korean food in the states. There are a lot of red pastes mixed into dishes and dark sauces to dip food into. (Coffee is a favorite drink here. Yuck! lol) All things I did not have regularly in my American diet.  Example of our daily tasty school lunches Another yummy example Anytime a Korean person has asked if a dish is too spicy or has warned me before eating, I have often found the spice to be lacking and just fine for my tongue. You should know that I do not ea...

I am renewed! ^^ Therefore, I felt compelled to renew my teaching contract as of yesterday. I will remain as the English Foreign Langauge Teacher at 대전맹학교 (Daejeon Public School for the Blind). I enjoy my work environment and students, in a way I never thought I could. There are several reasons I have loved working at my school for the past 12 months. I will share three: 1. Small classroom sizes and very few behavior problems. There are times when a student might be upset and choose to stop speaking or participating in an activity. This is human behavior with which I am very familiar with, especially from working with students diagnosed with Emotional Disoders. However, the absence of inappropriate language and violent behavior have left me feeling safe and RENEWED, in the workplace.     Yearbook picture day, Fall 2016 (above) English Zone classroom (below) 2. Utilizing my special education (SPED) academic background to ...