I received an email from one of my Korean students

Between 11:15am service and Communion service yesterday, I went home to relax, eat some food and check my email. When I checked my hotmail account for new emails, I found that I had received an email from someone I was not expecting to receive an email from. This person is very special to me and I love him very much. I received an email from one of my first grade students in Korea. And I am telling you that almost let a tear drop. I could not believe it. I have not seen, Mark since I left Korea on September 30, 2008. Its been about 6 months.

Before I left, he told me that he asked his father if he could create an email account so he could keep in touch with me. And so he did. We emailed each other a few times after I returned home but somehow life became a distraction. Now that I have received this email, I have begun to recollect all of the memories that I have stored in my mental archive as well as my blog archive.

This is the email Mark sent me. Wouldn't this make you a little teary eyed?

Hello! Christoph!!
Did you have a good time?
I am 2nd grade now.
In Korea it is spring.
Did you forget me? I did not forget you.
If you forget me, I will be very disappointed.

sincerely!

from mark

I miss my students so much! See, in Korea and in other countries. Students have no problem with saying, "I love you." And it is not a problem for a teacher to respond in like manner.

So, Mark, I want you to know that I love you and I will never forget you!

Christoph J.

I'm going to miss my students so much!

The Korean Pre-school version of Alpha Phi Alpha

My students and I brought back "MC Hammer"

It was the Friday before the Chuseok Holiday school vacation and all of the staff and students were told to wear a Korean traditional Hanbok. The school ordered Hanboks for the foreigners. It's funny because when they handed us the boxes with the Hanboks in them, I said jokingly, "I bet mine is pink." Lawd, if it wasn't all pink... see, God has a sense of humor. lol Next time I'll just keep my mouth closed. :)

My Korean co-teacher and I wish Da-Hye a Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Da-Hye!

My little Chuseok babies in their Hanboks

So nice!

Smile guys!

Chae-Ahn. I call her Chae Chae.

Do-Won. I call him Young Doe. lol

Awww... my girls.

My Korean co-teacher was teaching them how to bow.

My lil dude, Yu-Chan.


Christoph Teacher acting silly.

Too cool for school!!!

He's my little model.

He's the terminator.

Miami Vice. The Korean preschool version. lol

He's just happy to participate.

My favorite!!! My man, Do-Won!

My Korean Students Jungle Gym to Tye Tribbett

My students continue to make me cry

I recently put together a CD for the students that I taught when I first arrived at my school, here in Seoul, South Korea. They graduated from preschool in February. The majority of them are still at my school, just in the next level of learning English. On this CD, there is a slideshow that I put together, with pictures and music in the background. I also put a file full of pictures of the them and their classmates, pictures of me so they won't forget my face, and then I included a letter in a word document. Here it is...

Dear Eagle Class,

It is time for me to go back to America so I made this CD so that you would always remember me. I won’t forget you and I hope you won’t forget me. I had a lot of fun teaching you all when you were in Eagle Class. You were my best students ever. I hope that when you get older, you will come to USA and visit me. I will miss you and I won’t forget you. You can email me and go to my website if you want to talk. Do well in class and always fly like an EAGLE!

I will love you always,

Christoph Teacher

www.ChristophJ.com

christoph_jenkins@hotmail.com

I gave my students their CD's today at school. They were happy to receive them. So when I got home, I took a nap and when I woke up, I checked my email. One of my students, Mark, left a comment on website and it read like this...

Dear teacher

I was so sad because you go.  I was very happy to meet you. I will never forget you. When I grow up, I will go to U.S.A. to meet you. Please be a good teacher in your country.

I love you.

Sincerely

from Mark, Seoul

p.s. It's my father's e-mail.  I will contact you with my new e-mail next time



The next few weeks are going to be so emotional.  Some of kids have already started crying.  Ah, I can't take it!  I'm such a cry baby! lol

Church in Kangaroo Class; Just funnin'!

They love when I sing their names in a church voice! Now, they sing each other's voice and mine the same way. LOL

We are just too cool for school!!!

So cool!



"Don't say nothin', won't be nothin'!" lol



"What you say?!"



"I'm "ret" to go!"



"Leopard Class for life, son!"



"I'm so FABULOUS!!!"



"I'ma DIVA!!!"



We fly high!! No lie!



You know this!

BALLIN'!!!

Look who I found at the park.

Today, I went on a couple of photo shoots with my friend, Natarsha, in Olympic Park. While Natarsha was busy taking pictures of her clients, I was riding my bike and I spotted two little 4 year old girls that looked very familiar. I looked a little closer and called out, "Chae-Ahn!!! Su-Min!!!"

It was two of my favorite students, Chae-Ahn and Su-Min. They're in my Leopard class. Chae-Ahn's mom was there too. She almost cried when she saw me. We had parent teacher meetings a week ago. And she expressed to me how much she appreciated my teaching Chae-Ahn. I, in turn, told her how much I've enjoyed teaching her. I will miss my students a lot when I leave to go home!!!

My 4 year olds on the Jungle Gym

My students are great!!!

A MUST READ!!! My favorite student almost made me cry!!! Ok, I cried. lol

Today was my first day back at school after having a week off for summer vacation (imagine being a student in grade school and only having a week off for summer vacation). Anyway, in class today one of my 5 year olds, my favorite student, Do-Won, slips me a letter in a colorfully decorated yellow envelope. I didn't think anything of it because my kids always draw me pictures and give them to me. So I put it in my pocket, thinking that I would look at it on my lunch break. It wasn't until 7:00pm until I emptied my pockets and found his forgotten letter. I open the letter and I see that Do-Won's older sister (she's only 9 years old and she is the only person that speaks English well) decorated and wrote one of the two letters that was in the envelope. The letters were about me leaving Korea and returning home to the states at the end of September. She wrote...

"Christoph!

I'm Do-Won's sister. He really likes you and enjoy doing lessons with you. This is a secret but Do-Won likes you more better than Grace (that's my Korean co-teacher). Did you told Do-Won you are going in September? He cried that day. Thank you for teaching him so well. I'll miss you. Bye!

-Amy

(P.S.) Do-Won will miss you! Have a nice trip!"

I have never met her before. lol

The second letter was from Do-Won but his sister wrote it because I have yet to teach them how to write just. They just learned the alphabet, geez. lol. Here's what he had to say...

Christoph!

I'm Do-Won. I'm glad that you are my teacher. I'm so sad that you are going in September.

Love you,

-Do-Won

I guess the reason I was so taken by these letters is because the week before the vacation, I told my class that I was leaving after September and it didn't seem like they were to sad then. They kept on playing with there blocks. I was like, "Oh, oh, for real? That's how it is?" lol

I'm going to miss students when it's time for me to go. I'll miss Do-Won most of all.

Do-Won playing with his food before I took away one of his stickers. lol

My Little Korean Alpha!

Do the running man!

Once a month, my school celebrates the birthdays of the students who were born in that month. During the birthday party, each class has to get in front of all of the students has to sing one of the songs they learned the previous month. My class of 5 year olds are such extroverts that they wanted me to teach them a dance to go with their song. So I thought to myself, what dance can I teach them that won't cause there parents to call the school? lol. I went back to the 80's or what ever decade that was. I had my students do the "Running Man." I was dying laughing and so was everyone else, including the Korean teachers. We had a ball!!!

Let Me See Your Monster Face, Teacher!

Korean Alphas; The Preschool Version

They finally crossed! They just finished learning their alphabets. Next is the greek alphabets. lol

It's not a game in pledgin' in preschool. lol

We have the AKAs too. lol

I thought his shirt would suit the"Q's" quite nicely. lol

My goofy one, Do-Won. I try to toughin' him up by giving him an alias.

"Young Do." (Sounds like Young Doe)

Representin' A Phi A to the fullest. lol

Geon-Ho is so serious!

Seung Min is teaching me how to beat box.

My choppy student was so excited to join. lol His name is Jun Woo. I call him Woo Woo. lol

Seung Min is ready!

Fresh FUBU hat. lol

"Happy Birthday" to my students!

Field Trip Day!

WAKE UP!!!! lol

My lil' Models

Awwwww! So cute!

My chubby wubbies!

London bridges!

Leave me alone! lol

I was sooo tired afterwards. It was hot too.

He wouldn't let me put him down. My arms were hurtin'

My lil' man.

They are the greatest. My kangaroo class.

Kimchi!

Duck Duck Goose!

"Teacher! I'm thirsty."

My pretty girls.

My lil' players.