We are a week into PFO, and we have already received so much information. We've done everything from personality assessments to communication assessments to small group meetings to cultural differences activities to safety/security exercise to talking about Third Culture Kids (TCKs) to discussing the process of transition to brainstorming about what this would all look like in the classroom. It is a lot to take in. We are basically in sessions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with one or two 15 minute breaks, plus lunch. It is a good thing we have a binder with notes, because otherwise all this valuable information would get lost just in the sheer amount we are hearing.
We also have some activities in the evenings, from school bonding time to a tour of the NICS home office to a Memphis Redbirds (AAA baseball) game. The evenings also give us a little bit of down time, which is essential in helping us get to know the other people that will be teaching at our school and in the rest of the network next year. We have had the opportunity to start discussing with other teachers in our same content/grade areas different techniques, challenges, etc. in the international Christian school setting.
The great news is that there's still one more week of PFO! I will get another week of good information that will be helpful as I start teaching. I've already started making lists of what I can use in the classroom and how I might implement it.
One fun thing that we get to do next week is the Almost Talent Show. As the name might imply, this is a chance for the PFO participants to share all their "talent," whether that's in song, dance, skits, or stupid human tricks. My school has decided to put together an act. We have been rehearsing a bunch already and still have a long ways to go before we are ready to perform. I won't tell you what it is right now (I'll let you formulate your guesses). Here's a hint, though: it's probably something you would NEVER predict that I would do.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Pre-Field Orientation
For the next two weeks I will be in Southaven, Mississippi, for Pre-Field Orientation. This is a required training session for all new employees of the Network of International Christian Schools (NICS). Topics covered in these two weeks include third culture kids (TCKs), international schools, teaching in an intercultural context, dealing with cultural differences, and cultural transition. We will be in session all day, everyday. It will be a lot of information, but it will be a lot of good information that will help with the transition to teaching overseas. Since PFO is required for all new NICS employees, I will also have a chance to meet all the other new teachers (and their families) at my school. I will also have a chance to network with the other English teachers at the other schools.
I would really appreciate your prayers throughout the next two weeks. Pray that I would be able to learn, retain, and apply all the information from these two weeks. Pray that I learn more about myself and what I need to adjust to have a successful transition experience. Pray that I would have a soft heart for what God is going to teach me.
I would really appreciate your prayers throughout the next two weeks. Pray that I would be able to learn, retain, and apply all the information from these two weeks. Pray that I learn more about myself and what I need to adjust to have a successful transition experience. Pray that I would have a soft heart for what God is going to teach me.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Pyongtaek International Christian School
Next year I will be teaching at Pyongtaek International Christian School in Pyongtaek, South Korea. In this post I will try to answer some of the most common questions about the school and what I will be teaching. Feel free to comment and ask any other questions you might have.
How big is the school?
The school has about 130 students, K-12. Class size in the high school is about 13.
Is the school associated with any organizations or mission boards?
The school is part of the Network of International Christian Schools, a nondenominational organization that has 21 schools around the world. For more information, visit their website at www.nics.org.
What classes will you be teaching?
I will be teaching high school English for grades 9-12. The classes are Literature and Composition (9th), World Literature (10th), British Literature (11th), and American Literature (12th). I will also be teaching speech and drama.
How far is Pyongtaek from Seoul?
The school is about 50 miles south of Seoul.
How far is Pyongtaek from the border with North Korea?
The school is about 80 miles from the border with North Korea.
What is the background of the students at the school?
The students come from a variety of countries. Most of them do not hold Korean passports; if they do, they need to have lived outside of Korea for at least 5 years to attend an international Christian school. Many of their parents are military contractors. The students do not have to be Christians to attend the school. As a result, my classroom could have atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc., in it. It will be a really neat opportunity to share the Gospel with students who may not have ever heard it before.
How big is the school?
The school has about 130 students, K-12. Class size in the high school is about 13.
Is the school associated with any organizations or mission boards?
The school is part of the Network of International Christian Schools, a nondenominational organization that has 21 schools around the world. For more information, visit their website at www.nics.org.
What classes will you be teaching?
I will be teaching high school English for grades 9-12. The classes are Literature and Composition (9th), World Literature (10th), British Literature (11th), and American Literature (12th). I will also be teaching speech and drama.
How far is Pyongtaek from Seoul?
The school is about 50 miles south of Seoul.
How far is Pyongtaek from the border with North Korea?
The school is about 80 miles from the border with North Korea.
What is the background of the students at the school?
The students come from a variety of countries. Most of them do not hold Korean passports; if they do, they need to have lived outside of Korea for at least 5 years to attend an international Christian school. Many of their parents are military contractors. The students do not have to be Christians to attend the school. As a result, my classroom could have atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc., in it. It will be a really neat opportunity to share the Gospel with students who may not have ever heard it before.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Goodbye Grandview!
Today was my last day as a teacher at Grandview Park Baptist School. That chapter of my life has closed. It was a great time, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to attend Grandview as a student and also to teach there for two years. Grandview, and all the people there, has shaped me so much. I would not be the person I am today if Grandview was not in my life. I may not even be going to South Korea now if it wasn't for Grandview. God has orchestrated so much of my life, and that includes my time at Grandview and all the opportunities that have come as a result.
I am sad to be leaving Grandview. The faculty and staff and students have really been like family. I will definitely miss that daily camaraderie, but I know that I can still continue those relationships, especially with all the available technology.
But at the same time, I am excited for the new opportunities I will have in South Korea. Now that my time at Grandview is done, I am really getting excited for when I leave in 2 months. I know God will continue to provide, no matter what.
I am sad to be leaving Grandview. The faculty and staff and students have really been like family. I will definitely miss that daily camaraderie, but I know that I can still continue those relationships, especially with all the available technology.
But at the same time, I am excited for the new opportunities I will have in South Korea. Now that my time at Grandview is done, I am really getting excited for when I leave in 2 months. I know God will continue to provide, no matter what.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Life Changes
I mentioned in my previous post that some things have changed in my life recently. And they have, drastically. On Monday, February 13, 2012, I was informed that because of enrollment and budget cuts, I would not have a job at Grandview next year.
This was not news that I was expecting or prepared for. When I first accepted the position at Grandview, I knew that it was not a permanent, life long position. At some point, I was going to move on. I had been praying for wisdom as to when I should move on and what that next step should be. But I was not thinking that time had come. God had other plans.
After losing my job, I had to figure out what to do. I began seeking God's guidance as I went through all the different options I'd considered for my life post-Grandview. Finding a teaching job in the Des Moines area? Possibility, but limited options. Finding a teaching job else where in the country? Possibility with a whole country of options. Grad school? Too late to apply for the next year, so no. Teaching overseas? Possibility, but one that I need to start working on immediately.
As I'm considering all these options, one thing becomes clear: I really want to pursue teaching overseas first, and then see what happens. Ever since I was in high school, I have been thinking about teaching overseas as a missionary. The desire to serve overseas first started after going on a few missions trips in high school, and God continued to lead in that direction in college. As part of that, I was able to do my student teaching in South Korea. I had a fantastic experience, and ever since then, I've been praying about when God would want me to go overseas again. After being laid off might just be the perfect time.
It turned out to be the perfect time indeed. A few weeks earlier, a friend had mentioned that the Network of International Christian Schools was having a job fair sometime in the middle of February. It was down in Mississippi and would give attendees the chance to interview with all the schools in the network. After looking into it, I discovered the job fair was that weekend, and registration was still open. By Wednesday morning, I had registered for the fair, bought my plane tickets, and was working on booking hotel rooms. Registration closed that evening. The job fair was only on Saturday, so I would be able to travel on Friday and Sunday. However, I did not have to take Friday off, because it was already a scheduled day off of school. Everything was coming together.
At the job fair, I had the opportunity to interview in person with three different schools: one in Indonesia and two in South Korea, including the one I student taught at. However, the school where I did my student teaching had already offered the job to someone else, so that job was a long shot. All of my interviews went well, and the two other schools wanted to do a second interview with me the following week.
A day after my second interview with the school in Indonesia, they extended me a contract for the following year. This was on Thursday, only 10 days after being laid off, and I had until Monday to decide. I was still waiting to hear back from the school in South Korea. This put me in a tough place, because I had a really good experience during my student teaching, and I was excited about the possibility to return to South Korea. But I didn't know if I was willing to say "no" simply because I was hoping another place would offer me a job.
Friday afternoon rolled around, and when I checked my email, I discovered an email from the school in South Korea. It contained a job offer. I was ecstatic! Not one, but two job offers within 10 days of being laid off, and both were really good opportunities. Now, I had just one weekend to decide which one to take. After praying and seeking the advice of others, I decided to follow my heart and accept the offer from the school in South Korea.
When I look back at the sequence of events and how everything happened, I am astounded. Within two weeks of being laid off, I had a job that I was excited about in a place where I wanted to teach. That is just unheard of! God is truly amazing and worked in my life beyond what I could ever have imagined. All the glory and praise has to go to Him.
So next year I will be teaching high school English 9-12 at Pyongtaek International Christian School in Pyongtaek, South Korea. I will share more information about the school and the job over the next few weeks.
For more information about the Network of International Christian Schools, visit their website at www.nics.org.
For more information about Pyongtaek International Christian School, visit their website at http://www.icsptk.org/joomla-1.6/index.php.
This was not news that I was expecting or prepared for. When I first accepted the position at Grandview, I knew that it was not a permanent, life long position. At some point, I was going to move on. I had been praying for wisdom as to when I should move on and what that next step should be. But I was not thinking that time had come. God had other plans.
After losing my job, I had to figure out what to do. I began seeking God's guidance as I went through all the different options I'd considered for my life post-Grandview. Finding a teaching job in the Des Moines area? Possibility, but limited options. Finding a teaching job else where in the country? Possibility with a whole country of options. Grad school? Too late to apply for the next year, so no. Teaching overseas? Possibility, but one that I need to start working on immediately.
As I'm considering all these options, one thing becomes clear: I really want to pursue teaching overseas first, and then see what happens. Ever since I was in high school, I have been thinking about teaching overseas as a missionary. The desire to serve overseas first started after going on a few missions trips in high school, and God continued to lead in that direction in college. As part of that, I was able to do my student teaching in South Korea. I had a fantastic experience, and ever since then, I've been praying about when God would want me to go overseas again. After being laid off might just be the perfect time.
It turned out to be the perfect time indeed. A few weeks earlier, a friend had mentioned that the Network of International Christian Schools was having a job fair sometime in the middle of February. It was down in Mississippi and would give attendees the chance to interview with all the schools in the network. After looking into it, I discovered the job fair was that weekend, and registration was still open. By Wednesday morning, I had registered for the fair, bought my plane tickets, and was working on booking hotel rooms. Registration closed that evening. The job fair was only on Saturday, so I would be able to travel on Friday and Sunday. However, I did not have to take Friday off, because it was already a scheduled day off of school. Everything was coming together.
At the job fair, I had the opportunity to interview in person with three different schools: one in Indonesia and two in South Korea, including the one I student taught at. However, the school where I did my student teaching had already offered the job to someone else, so that job was a long shot. All of my interviews went well, and the two other schools wanted to do a second interview with me the following week.
A day after my second interview with the school in Indonesia, they extended me a contract for the following year. This was on Thursday, only 10 days after being laid off, and I had until Monday to decide. I was still waiting to hear back from the school in South Korea. This put me in a tough place, because I had a really good experience during my student teaching, and I was excited about the possibility to return to South Korea. But I didn't know if I was willing to say "no" simply because I was hoping another place would offer me a job.
Friday afternoon rolled around, and when I checked my email, I discovered an email from the school in South Korea. It contained a job offer. I was ecstatic! Not one, but two job offers within 10 days of being laid off, and both were really good opportunities. Now, I had just one weekend to decide which one to take. After praying and seeking the advice of others, I decided to follow my heart and accept the offer from the school in South Korea.
When I look back at the sequence of events and how everything happened, I am astounded. Within two weeks of being laid off, I had a job that I was excited about in a place where I wanted to teach. That is just unheard of! God is truly amazing and worked in my life beyond what I could ever have imagined. All the glory and praise has to go to Him.
So next year I will be teaching high school English 9-12 at Pyongtaek International Christian School in Pyongtaek, South Korea. I will share more information about the school and the job over the next few weeks.
For more information about the Network of International Christian Schools, visit their website at www.nics.org.
For more information about Pyongtaek International Christian School, visit their website at http://www.icsptk.org/joomla-1.6/index.php.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Welcome to my new blog!
I have decided to start a blog to share my life with my friends in various places around the world. There have been a lot of changes in my life recently, but I will talk about those in another entry.
Figuring out a name for this blog took me a while. I finally landed on "Discovering Hidden Treasures" because life is full of so many treasures just waiting to be discovered. The first hidden treasure that I've discovered is the kingdom of God. Matthew 13:44 describes the kingdom of heaven as a "treasure hidden in a field." Everyday I'm learning more and more about God and what He is doing. The other hidden treasures come in different circumstances of life, ranging from big life changing events to everyday occurrences. In this blog I want to relate what God is doing and what He is teaching me as I go through life. I want to share all the "hidden treasures" I discover, especially the treasure that is found only in Jesus Christ.
Figuring out a name for this blog took me a while. I finally landed on "Discovering Hidden Treasures" because life is full of so many treasures just waiting to be discovered. The first hidden treasure that I've discovered is the kingdom of God. Matthew 13:44 describes the kingdom of heaven as a "treasure hidden in a field." Everyday I'm learning more and more about God and what He is doing. The other hidden treasures come in different circumstances of life, ranging from big life changing events to everyday occurrences. In this blog I want to relate what God is doing and what He is teaching me as I go through life. I want to share all the "hidden treasures" I discover, especially the treasure that is found only in Jesus Christ.
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