Goodbye Sincheon

Back in August, when I thought I would be leaving Korea, my students threw me a bunch of surprise "goodbye" parties during our last week before summer vacation. There were lots of tears, gifts, letters and pictures.

The next week, while all the students out of school on vacation, my co-teacher came to me with a special offer that the program was willing to let me change my contract to stay 6 more months (this was something that usually doesn't happen), and I decided to say "YES!"

Lo and behold...a few weeks later when school resumed, all the students were surprised and ecstatic that I hadn't left and school life continued as normal again. Since I didn't leave Korea at that time, I didn't end up putting the pictures from the goodbye parties on my blog. But since I'll be leaving in 11 days now, I suppose I'll add them now...


I actually woke up late the day that my 4th graders threw a surprise party for me and arrive to school about 5 minutes late. Somehow though, the students watching me walk into the building from the window and running away (to tell the class I was coming, no doubt) didn't trigger to me that something was up. I was completely surprised! As I entered the classroom, a song came on. I was handed a balloon flower and a choco-pie cake by two girls. Then  I stood at the center of the room while another student flipped through a sketch book for me to view while the song played out. It was filled with drawings of the students and I together. Every other page said "Nicole teacher, we love you!" "Nicole teacher, thank you!" or "Nicole teacher, please don't go!"


Once the first song was finished, my co-teacher turned on some sad, slow piano songs for background music (she really wanted me to cry - haha), while my students took turns reading their letters to me and giving me gifts. One boy even wrote me a rap (in Korean and English) and performed it for me!


After the letters were finished reading, we took turns taking pictures together and singing some songs. Then they wanted me to make a "goodbye speech". This part was the hardest. I teared up for many of my classes. I gave them all my email, told them to keep studying English hard, so they can travel the world and come visit me in New York someday!





Of the cards and letters I received, many of them included drawings of me (almost always with bangs... I don't know why. I don't have bangs...), but this one was my favorite! Apparently I should have spent a little time teaching some geography.


By the end of the week, my classes had filled the white board with messages to me, and I was exhausted from feeling so sad through all those goodbyes. Listening to a student, reading her goodbye letter to you while tears run down her face is a really hard thing to do. Especially when you have to do it over and over for 13 different classes over 3 days.


Before each class left, they took a  group picture with me, so I get to remember them forever.

Class 6-1
Class 6-2
Class 6-3
Class 6-4
Class 4-1
Class 4-2
Class 4-3
Class 4-4
Class 4-5
Class 5-1
Class 5-2
Class 5-3
Class 5-4

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