this week i received two more gold stars on my teaching resume. as disheartening as its been teaching in the environment i've previously described, there are a few glints that manage to twinkle through the murky cloud of bullshit.

MOMENT 1:

our core curriculum consists of two sessions that last 3 months. prior to my completion of the whole sh'bang, i had taught one particularly...i'll say...animated student (pictured right). outstanding, at least academically, would not be a word i would use to describe this girl. words i would undoubtedly use would be charismatic and enthusiastic. so, upon finishing an 8-class marathon monday, i finally got to cushion my cheeks for more than a few seconds. one of our favorite pastimes during our final hour of prep work is reviewing some of the "hits of the day"--as in the best written work--be it comical, endearing, or just awkward in translation. today, a colleague's student was assigned a brief writing exercise with the instructions to "write about yourself." it was filled with your standard i like kimchi many and in the summer i like go to pool and then to the my home responses. but, she did include a brief passage about her favorite teachers. when laura (my co-worker) read her name along with mine, i felt as if sacrificing my pee breaks to share a couple moments with my students outside of class had been worth it that day.

MOMENT 2:

in the last few weeks, the temperature in korea has been climbing at a rate that would surely peak everest, and i have taken asylum in the seminar room. normally, this would be avoided at all costs, as that would be cause for more headache with the wild crew that assembles there after hours (that is where "detaashion" is held). surprisingly on this particular day, a student, that had previously deemed me unfit to be in her presence, finally came around. before, every time i met heidi in the hallway, she would stop, aghast that i had a korean face but didn't have the tongue to back it up. though i had heard that this was only a ploy, it still was like a little knife gently tearing the fresh scab of identity crisis. however, on this day...she extended a sign of kinship through sharing a prized chocolate bar from thailand. it almost made me feel as if i was sort of korean...

i know i haven't been getting the same feeling as tutoring students--expatriates who may actually have a chance at providing themselves with a better life by refining their communication skills--who eagerly await my assistance in their english studies; yet, i still feel as if i am making somewhat of an impact on their brief lives.

so, although i may not be saving the world here and though they may seem few and far between, these kinds of moments make my days semi-worth it.