"Just Watching the Judges' Reactions Until the Class Ends"... Senior Teachers Share Their Dark Histories

"When I was in charge of the 4th grade, I conducted a research competition class for 80 minutes. At that time, I only thought about how to appear more impressive and how to look better to the judges. However, during the long session, not a single child said, 'Teacher, stop, it's too hard.' I thought I was just teaching the class I designed to the children, but the children felt a sense of responsibility as the main characters in the class and completed it to the end. Do you want to conduct an interesting class where the children's eyes sparkle? Then ask the children."

-Ahn Hye-jeong, Teacher at Balsan Elementary School in Seoul



On the afternoon of the 21st, around 100 young elementary school teachers in their 30s gathered at CGV Myeongdong Station Cine Library in Jung-gu, Seoul. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education held the 'Class Growth Talk Concert Class Table' for newly appointed teachers and those with less than 5 years of experience. Last year's 'Teacher of the Year for Class Innovation' award winners, 8 in total, shared their experiences of success and failure in classes and overcoming frustrations, communicating with young teachers.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education organized this event to support the protection of teachers' educational activities and the growth of class experts. Choi Chang-su, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's Elementary Education Department, emphasized on the 27th, "Protecting teaching rights starts with the class," and "Becoming a class expert is a slow but most certain method." He stated that 'Class Table' is completed through contemplation and trial and error like cooking, and that the great reward of teaching can be felt in the eyes of children immersed in it.

■ Honest Confessions of Veteran Teachers

At the talk concert, teacher Oh Bo-ram from Yeonghwa Elementary School shared experiences under the title 'I Failed Miserably', teacher Kim Jang-cheol from Guui Elementary School shared under 'I Succeeded Greatly', and teacher Oh Yeon-ju from Seocho Elementary School shared under 'I Was Deceived Greatly'.

Teacher Oh Bo-ram confessed that even in her 18th year of teaching, there were many 'failed classes', and introduced her experience of leading student participation through attempts at digital education such as AI, prompted by difficulties in communicating with students. Teacher Oh said, "Even if things don't go as planned, 'the attempt itself' is important," and "Failure cultivates solid 'resilience'." She also mentioned the 'Planned Happenstance Theory', emphasizing the importance of an open mind as unexpected coincidences can become opportunities.

Teacher Kim Jang-cheol shared his experience of international joint classes with a Japanese school that started during the pandemic. It was an attempt for students who found social studies difficult, and he stressed the importance of three-stage cooperative education between teacher-teacher, student-student, and teacher-student. He presented examples of real-time classes making Korean sweets, using Padlet for exploration, and metaverse ecological transition education, suggesting the potential of digital tools. He felt rewarded by the positive reactions and growth of students, quoting the saying that "the distance from the head to the heart is the farthest" to emphasize the importance of 'practice' in knowing.

Teacher Oh Yeon-ju talked about 'staircase' growth as a teacher, sharing three special moments: teaching practice, clinical supervision, and research teacher activities. Teacher Oh said, "I learned through class reflection and sharp feedback, and opened my eyes to the overall education field through research activities, consistently making efforts." She realized the sincerity when students responded that they felt the teacher's 'passion' in class satisfaction surveys and made efforts. She emphasized that a teacher who devotes passion in the classroom is a true 'class innovation teacher'.

■ Jeong Geun-sik Emphasizes the Weight and Praise of Teachers

In the latter part of the event, Jeong Geun-sik, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, communicated with young teachers by sharing his teaching methods and educational values from his time as a university professor. Superintendent Jeong repeatedly emphasized the importance of 'praise' in education. He insisted, "Unlike in the past, more praise is needed for all students, especially those who are falling behind," and "If scolding is 1, then praise should be 99." Praise is powerful for student motivation and essential for children with low self-esteem these days.

Recalling his university professor days, he shared his philosophy, "I preferred classes where students raised their own questions and explored by themselves," and "Studying is forgotten if done only with the head, but not if done with the feet."

He also mentioned the 'weight' of teaching. He confessed that because a teacher's influence can change a student's entire life, sometimes he feels the burden of having to take responsibility for the outcomes of students who follow the teacher's words too closely. He said that the better a teacher is, the more they struggle with this sense of responsibility. He added, "It is important to help students find balance by praising them a lot and giving light advice to overly serious students."


monarch@fnnews.com Kim Man-gi Reporter