A week from now, I will be saying goodbye to North London Collegiate School (NLCS) Jeju - for the second time!
My association with the school started ten years ago when I first went for an interview at NLCS UK in London. After serving as the Head of Junior School who, along with many others, helped establish the school as one of the best international schools in Korea, I left in 2015 to take on the principalship at Walter Panas High School (WPHS) in New York. The total of ten years at WPHS as assistant principal and principal was one of the best gifts I received as an educator. After a brief six months of "retirement," I came back to Korea to NLCS Jeju to be the Head of Parent Relations working to build stronger partnerships and relationships between the school and parents.
Fast forward to today, this morning I delivered an assembly message titled, "Teachable Moment" to students in the senior school via online. Yes, times of COVID-19, so sad. As teachers, sometimes we have to take advantage of significant events that occur around the world and use it as an opportunity to teach students about a particular aspect of life. We all know there are two very important current events that have impacted our lives in many ways these past several months - the pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement.
Hopefully, my last lesson resonated with some students, and the message was well received. NLCS Jeju is an IB World School and as such, we must ensure that the students aspire to the following ideal: The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
There is a saying, "never say never," but I believe this will be my farewell to secondary education. I am grateful to have enjoyed the thirty-four-years of my educational journey, blessed with meeting so many exceptional students, dedicated staff, and supportive parents along the way.
At this point, I am not exactly certain where my life's journey will take me, but I am sure it will be somewhere related to my motto since I became a teacher - "I Touch the Future, I Teach."
Stay tuned...
