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My most memorable moment while teaching English in Seoul, South Korea was when a former student warned me “if you drink coffee, you die!” This was in an attempt to tell me that coffee is not good for my health. I realized that moments like these where I could put myself in this student’s shoes, review his choice of wording, and correct his English in a way that makes sense to him encouraged me to pursue a career in education. Most of the students at the school were comfortable enough to speak to me in English even though it was not perfect.
The increased comfort level of the students was aided by the fact that most of my English classes mostly consisted of games where students had fun while improving their language skills. This allowed me to use my creative abilities to invent new ideas that appealed to my students. It was a challenge to teach Korean students in my school because each had different levels of proficiency in English. I modified my lesson plans to accommodate everyone and worked closely with those that were at a lower level of understanding. At the end of the year, the lower level students caught up with the rest of their peers. This achievement was immensely gratifying and is a reason why I would like to learn more about this field and implement new ideas into my lessons.
As a result of my curiosity, I ventured out for more opportunities to challenge myself by teaching a different audience after returning to the United States. I accomplished this by joining the Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta and working as an assistant teacher for a citizenship class. This was a different challenge because I had to teach adults instead of sixth grade children. I was still able to create effective and enjoyable lesson plans that kept the class lively and active. For example, I created a Jeopardy-style game that consisted of questions that would be on their citizenship test. This game engaged the classroom and identified the weak areas that needed more attention.
My affinity for teaching, however, began before I taught abroad. I tutored English to the Korean community in Duluth, Georgia. Initially, the sole purpose of this part-time job was to earn extra money. As I taught my students, I quickly realized that I enjoyed the tutoring profession. Meanwhile, I became disenchanted with studying chemistry in college. Basically, working in a research lab and synthesizing dyes did not fulfill my original interest of becoming a chemist. The grades that I achieved in my advanced-level chemistry classes lowered my overall grade point average, especially those of organic chemistry. By the time I realized that I did not want to be a chemist, I had already completed most of the course requirements for the major. Nevertheless, I do not regret my degree in chemistry since I would be able to teach this subject and make it more appealing to students in the future.
After I complete the required twenty-seven months of Peace Corps and a Master’s degree in Educational Policy and Leadership, I want to use my skills and teach basic chemistry in American high schools that are in need of effective teachers for a few years. I believe that the degree would help me to become a productive teacher, which is why it would be important for me to have educational experience before taking over a classroom. After teaching chemistry, I would become more knowledgeable about the American school system. Eventually, I would like to work with advocacy groups or non-profit organizations to create educational policies and reform school systems. America ranks close to the bottom compared to other industrialized countries in math and science and could benefit from a motivated science teacher and an improved instruction method.
Looking at my future goals, it is obvious that Florida State University would be the ideal choice for me, since it offers a Masters International program in Educational Research and Policy. This would allow me to join the Peace Corps while completing my desired degree. The Socio-cultural and International Development Education program offers courses such as Educational and Economic Development taught by Peter B. Easton. His work on promoting adult literacy in West Africa and his involvement in the UNESCO Institute for Education and the World Bank appeal to me because I would be joining the Peace Corps and teaching children or adults.
Another professor that I would like to know is Dr. Lora Cohen-Vogel. Her research concentrates mainly on educational policy and the politics of education, an area that I am very interested in. I would like to take her class on Policy Development in Education. Since Florida State University offers a wide selection of professors and courses in the field of Educational Policy and Leadership, a top priority for me, I am eager about the possibility of continuing my education at this university.
