Simpson University

Oh the Places You’ll Go!

It has been a whirlwind adventure this past month for both Melody & I. We were both moving schools and apartments and dealing with the end of the year craziness.  Also, Melody was busy graduating from graduate school all at the same time! So unfortunately we needed to take a break from our blogging, but now that we are on vacation and stateside, I’m finding some time to blog again!

So first thing is first, congratulations to Melody, Dyanne, Semy and their Simpson University Korea Cohort on their master’s degre! As Melody mentioned before here, she has been working hard on getting her master’s degree in education while teaching full-time here in Korea.  I was honored to attend her graduation here.

In honor of your graduation, a few words of wisdom from Dr. Seuss!

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go…

…

On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

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Getting your Masters in Korea!

This weekend I have the joy of traveling two and a half hours away from my lovely neighborhood in the northeastern part of Seoul, down to Suwon… which is at the complete opposite side of the city. This trip, even after a long week of teaching, sure beats taking multiple flights and traveling for over 24 hours to get to Redding, California.

At this point, you may be curious as to what this post is about. Now that I have your attention (BAM! just in case I didn’t have it before, capital letters always grab my eyes, then again the title of this post probably gave away any form of suspense you may have had…shoot) I would like to introduce you to my graduate program. As teachers, we are also lifelong learners, am I right? In order to keep my teaching license valid (I have a teaching license from the State of Michigan), I discovered a way to get my masters in Korea without taking online courses (I am a 100% in-person, visual learner). A program that flies professors over from the USA, so that students can take their classes in person. Now THAT, is commitment!

This program is through Simpson University. I am getting my Master in Education, Curriculum and Instruction for English Language Learners, with an emphasis on Leadership. Yes, it is a mouthful. The classes in this particular program have given me a lot of amazing insight, as the majority of my students (if not all) are English Language Learners (ELL).

Next year, Simpson University is also planning on offering a program to certify teachers in Korea. Which is great if you are here in Korea without your teaching license, and you want to break into the international school community.

The program is two years in length, and classes will most likely be offered at a university in Seoul next year (not Suwon, of course this is after I graduate…). The program begins in January and August of each year. For more information contact Dr. Richard Harris at rharris@simpsonu.edu.

Here are a series of pictures of me and two friends working on a class project in the dorms at GSIS (where classes are held in Suwon). Why? Because pictures are fun!