tahn

In my experience teaching in South Korea over the years, it seems that most students are not encouraged to speak their opinion due to the nature of the collectivist culture. However, with globalization, this is slowly changing through academia with foreigner interactions. At my current school among the different types of English classes: reading, writing, conversation, etc., debate classes are at the core of our conversation classes. In the debate classes, we instruct our students to not only communicate strategically, but we also train them to express meaning orally in interpersonal, transactional, formal and informal ways in form of recount, narrative, procedural, descriptive, analytical exposition, spoof, didactic explanation, and review in daily life. I believe that having more conversations through debate classes can help remove such cultural restrictions and make our upcoming scholars to become more adaptable to exercise their freedom of expression in a thought-provoking and engaging class which is a necessity in our changing world.

The coronavirus pandemic took all the teaching methods I had employed for nearly a decade and made me quickly adapt to online teaching—something I had never done before. At my current position at Sahmyook, the first job where I had to work with 11+ other foreigners, I learned the importance of teamwork and accepting criticisms in areas I could improve as a teacher. For example, though I work well with my students, I did not know how to organize or keep track of students’ concurrent progress online, which was a necessity through Zoom since teachers could no longer meet and teach students physically in the class. A co-worker introduced to me Class Dojo, a school communication platform that helped me organize students’ achievements, scores, and other related material readily available for parents/students to view. So, you will get an adaptable and now organized teacher that is great with communicating with a team of teachers and faculty amicably. Also, you will get an experienced teacher that knows how to teach students online through Zoom simultaneously along with physical students in class giving equal opportunity for all to participate. I think this is the first time in history classes were taught both online and offline at the same time and I'm glad to be apart of this challenging teaching era. I have grown in many ways because of this unique teaching experience.
This is a tangent to my strengths, but I believe it is important to have teachers that can relate to their students because oftentimes students have a hard time relating to teachers from different nations. I have been in South Korea for over a decade now, and as an educator, I am expected to do more than just share ideas, language skills, and their applications here and abroad. I have examined the challenges that Korean students face because I have worked in many of the institutions that they attend. Since I have witnessed their stress during testing and entrance exams, I am very understanding of their sensitive nature. I am also mindful of Korean etiquette and have a working knowledge and great command of the Korean language.

To Whomever This May Concern:

I am an ideal candidate for this job position because I meet all the criteria for what it takes to work in this specific educational environment. In terms of experience, personality, and skills, I have gained all the valuable interpersonal, leadership, adaptability, and communication skills needed for this job position.

For example, as a global student ambassador for an international study abroad company called ISA, I have persistently put these skills to practice throughout my service on the job. I always seek to volunteer to make a significant contribution to the immediate community that I am a part of, thereby extending the success of any institution that I belong to. Moreover, before accepting any responsibilities, no matter how small these may be, I always take the necessary steps to prepare before accomplishing all important work or school-related matters.

Passion for any work that I pursue and persistence in my everyday mannerisms help me stay motivated and finish the goals that I set. I was trained to be a goal-oriented learner since my days as an IB Diploma high school graduate, and has continued since my university days as a 3.785 GPA student. Another example where my passion has been extended to education was towards self-studying the Korean language for three years. I will carry this “lover of knowledge” spirit with me throughout my time serving your company.

Thank you so much for your time, and I am looking forward to an interview with your company.