Old Friends

Who knew a student of mine from only two years ago would become an old friend. That's what she told me we were as we parted ways yesterday after sharing a cup of coffee. With the exception of Facebook, I hadn't seen her for more than two years.

Se Hee was a student of mine who almost failed my class over two years ago. I remember her well from those days, but not for the usual reasons. Most students at my university aspire for an A+, and Se Hee had given up on the prospect of passing due to an illness that kept her from coming to class for about two weeks. What I secretly believed happened at the time was she was just tired of a system that asks too much of her, and doesn't give much back.

After that semester she decided to take some time off from school. She visited me in my office to ask about studying abroad in the U.S. I doubted at the time I was much help. She called me days before she had planned to leave that summer to tell me she was actually doing it. I couldn't have been happier for her. That was the summer of 2009.

She spent two full years in Champagne-Urbana, Illinois.

The woman I met yesterday for coffee was nothing, NOTHING, NOTHING like the young student I once had in class. She had grown up, looked confident, and above all seemed happy.

She gave me a hug as we said goodbye yesterday, and university students in this country never hug me. EVER.

Keep the faith.

The testing culture nobody cares about

The testing culture in Korea is ridiculous.

People from the US, educators included, get sick of hearing how bad education is. We all know how bad the inner cities of America are, just watch 'Waiting for Superman'. Or better, visit an inner city school.

In Korea, people will talk abut it over a beer, but very few people will go on record for fear of losing their job, repercussions, etc. However, I can usually get students to talk freely about it. I find the longer the conversation goes on, the more they end up feeling bad about this place. Think about it: can't really openly participate in class once middle school hits, school until very late once high school rolls around, then by the time they get to university they've literally been schooled to death. (If you haven't live here, you don't know about it, and don't listen to what Obama says about S. Korea on education, he doesn't know either.) Who the hell wants to think about that, let alone talk about it, especially when 99.9% know deep down that it will never change. If teachers here were really nations builders, why would parents rely so heavily on supplemental private education ('hagwons' in Korea) to prepare there children for the university entrance exam?

Am I a fool to think real positive change is actually possible within the next 10 years? Can real creativity be installed in the hgih school classroom environments here? Or will the masses always just be focused on the Su-neung, and the rest of the certification tests that big business has conquered?

Keep the faith.