Min Kim

My teaching philosophy has been and will always be based on ‘confidence.’ Over the years, I have taught at two of the most competitive schools in the nation. From my experience by far, Daewon has been the most intensifying and stressful teaching job. As a first job, I tried my best to best understand the strenuous effort to achieve one universal dream of entering Seoul National University or an Ivy League. Sending from 85 to at least 40 students per year to achieve this identical dream was gruesome and difficult. Looking through an opaque window, I had always seen the bleakness in these students’ eyes. Although these are high school students, the English and other language and math aptitude was level at or higher than my Seoul National University students. These students were drained with tests and input knowledge which gave no room to think outside of the box.

Unlike other teachers, I did not always follow the textbook. I went beyond my ways to formulate an environment where students were more focused on social communication ques than grammatical structures. Despite fluency, students were able to pick up their own idiosyncrasies through habitual speaking and common conversations. Through practice in informative speeches and persuasive impromptu speeches, both students and adults are able to use their organizational skills and learned grammar use into practice, which is only possible through comfort and confidence.

When I studied Hakwons (private institutions for extra studies) during high school for APs, my former teachers, now my colleagues, gave me tremendous freedom to shape my curriculum and classes, and it was a perfect opportunity to experiment, learn, and hone my skills as a student and as a teacher. I formulate the same idea to my classroom. Simultaneously, my students experimented and practiced in discussion and on paper; with practice came confidence, and they took responsibility for their ideas, growing as writers and thinkers. In the midst of this great six years, I realized that I could easily spend my life teaching, but I did not want to share this with only one type of education and limit my ability to engage students of varied backgrounds. Beyond these specialized schools, I knew I could help more. I decided to look for a job that could stretch me, expand my horizons both culturally and pedagogically, and University was an obvious choice.

The move to the other side of the world was more than just physical. Within the walls of my classroom at Daewon, Seoul National University, and Yonsei University focusing on independence and freedom, Daewon Foreign Language High School allowed me to understand the value of a highly measured, objective, and standardized system. Daewon students, as well, are worlds apart from their counterparts. They are bright and diligent but hesitant to speak up or share. They are orderly thinkers, expertly using structures and frameworks, but they can be afraid to experiment or pursue new ideas due to their set habits. In response, I devoted my time to drawing out quiet classes and encouraging them to take risks, speak with confidence despite their aptitude and skills. I strove to balance frameworks and freedom, providing enough structure to guide them, but also leaving them space to grow and experiment. The result has been an amalgamation of my own methods and Daewon’s methods, adapting both to serve the needs of my students.

I came to Daewon knowing that teaching, at its best, is a collaboration. Many times I have been reminded, both as a student and as a teacher, which a class of bright, motivated students can accomplish more than the smartest teacher. A teacher must provide the right environment, and establish the proper foundations, the basic structures and ideas, to make this collaboration effective for all his students. I left the United States not to become anything else but to teach students of varied backgrounds in hopes of offering them something different in the classroom and affect their life choices. As they learn from me, I hope to continue learning from them.

I was a reticent child. Knowing myself and many other potential students who are afraid to speak up are not untalented but a hidden gem that is waiting to be discovered and carved into the models of society. As a global nation, education is not the answer. It is the goal to help them use what they have learned through response and actions. After all, speaking can be considered to be many things: grammar, communication, expression, and etcetera. To me, speaking begins with ‘confidence.’ Without it, it is impossible to make that first step. To think differently allows students to speak and act differently in whatever language they desire.

My philosophy of planting ‘confidence’ is my specialty and goal to help students of all countries to speak any language fluently with proper guidance and support. Now, with this experiences, I would like to explore and challenge the potential for a different pool of students with unforeseen talent.