Teaching in South Korea - Seoul Korea

Last August, the HCPSS delegation to South Korea had the honor of meeting the National Assembly Member that represents the City of Iksan in the national parliament - Ms. Cho. She invited our entire delegation to the National Assembly building where we were given a special tour and then we were given the wonderful opportunity to eat lunch with Ms. Cho in the National Assembly building.

We visited Changdeokgung, known as Changdeokgung Palace which is set within a large park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Because of its location east of Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeokgung is also referred to as the East Palace(東闕, Donggwol). The literal meaning of Changdeokgung(昌德宮) is "Palace of Prospering Virtue".




Enjoying a traditional Korean meal with our homestay families.

ESOL World

Through my travels I have learned many lessons in the ESOL World! I have learned that ESOL and classroom teachers are the most compassionate people when teaching their new English Language Learners. They are the most amazing people I know. They use many teaching methods to differentiate their instruction to their newly arrived students coming from different corners of our world.

I see the collaboration between ESOL/classroom/reading teachers and students in the classrooms working hard and meeting school, county and state academic standards. I have learned that creating positive relationships with students, staff and parents is the key to academic success

Teaching ESOL is a rewarding challenge. It has brought me great happiness watching the students learn English in both their social and academic environment. It is exciting to learn about everything, constantly seeking out new knowledge, looking to the veteran teachers and administrators as mentors and advisers, and absolutely enjoying my time with my students.

As an ESOL Team Leader, teaching ESOL is the best job in the world! Thinking back to the teachers that you had in your early years, what impact did they have in your life? What was it that made them so important to you? Was it the subject that they taught? How did they motivate you to be a life long learner? I remember my social studies teacher pulling down the wall map. I fell in love with the different geographical places, culture and people. I became very inspired! It was this inspiration that helped me explore beyond the classroom and towards the outside world with a certain sense of curiosity to be taken on and to learn about this world around me. Why? Because teaching is the most important job in the world. Teachers are the bridges to the outside world!

We knew that someone cared about our success even if that teacher never said it. Remember this as you enter your classrooms... Children will never care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

I will share various teaching and experiences with you and
if my topics are interesting to you, I hope you will write and share your comments. Happy Teaching and Welcome to the ESOL World!

My favorite "BOOKS" for "Book CLubs for Teachers!"

Liliana, Misti, Laurel


From Boomers to Bloggers:Success Strategies Across Generations by Misti Bermeister (A powerful, inspiring, action-oriented keynote speaker! Check out her blog at http://www.InspirionLLC.com/)

1089 Nights by Ann Von Lossberg (a friend of mine!)

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin

In the Land of Invisible Women by Qanta A. Ahmed

The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo by Paula Huntley

Insights On Life and Love by Salvatore Bernocco
(BTW, I love Italian poetry and I know the author!)





Can you recommend an excellent book to read about traveling and teaching abroad?

My favorite quotes:

"The caterpillar thought its life was over, until it turned into a Butterfly." ~Laura

"The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can't are both right. Which one are you?" -Mike Ditka

"I can't really make you do anything. I can only make you wish you had." -Stephen Ambrose in A Band of Brothers

"Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine." -Old English Proverb

"For those that say it's impossible, don't disturb the one that's doing it." -unkmown

"Rosa sat so Martin could walk.
Martin walked so Obama could run.
Obama runs so our children can fly." -unknown

“Before you criticize someone else, try walking a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.” - unknown to me

"A traveler without knowledge is like a bird without wings." -- Mushariff-Ud-Din, 1184-1291

“You are not judged by the height you have climbed, but by the depths from which you have risen.” Frederick Douglass

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." – Plato

"Those who know nothing of foreign languages, knows nothing of their own."
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749-1832) German poet, novelist and dramatist.

"Children are like Butterflies
If you hold their wings…you sufficate them—
If you let them go…they will soar to new horizons!" ~Laura

"Learning has liberated more people than all the wars in history." -Carl Rowan

Collaborating Together!

.
Autumn Smith, 5th grader teacher, Laurel Conran, and Ellen Giles, School Board Member, attends the FIRN (Foreign-information Referral Network) ASA (American Success Award) dinner!
http://www.firnonline.org/contact.html

Articles written by Laurel Conran

MDTESOL:
http://marylandtesol.org/

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Spring/Summer 2007 Building Bridges to Academic Success
Spring 2008 Teaching Burmese Refugees
Summer 2008 Language Experience
Fall 2008 Studying and Teaching Abroad in Calabria
Winter 2009 The Write Way
Spring 2009 It Takes a Community to Teach Our Children
Fall 2009 The Language of Soccer
Spring 2009 Co-Teaching Reading

John Hopkin University:
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/

Fall 2009 Connecting Families to Communities

OutREACHING to the Community!

First experience cutting out pumpkin faces and getting ready for the Chin Festival!!!! Come and join us at Bethel Assembly of God in Savage on Saturday starting at 3:00. Young-chan Han from the MSDE and I will be at their church Friday night to talk about parent involvement, resources in this community and family literacy!!!October 29, 2009 at 9:50pm