​As an American teacher working at an international school in Jeju, South Korea, I’ve come to appreciate the unique blend of cultures that surrounds me daily. Teaching 6th-grade science is an exciting adventure on its own. Still, the international setting offers me new perspectives that continually shape my outlook on life. With the Chuseok holiday break just around the corner, I’ve found myself thinking more about gratitude—both in the context of this Korean holiday and my personal journey here.

Chuseok, often described as Korea’s Thanksgiving, is when families come together to celebrate the autumn harvest and honor their ancestors. It’s a major holiday in Korea, and its anticipation is palpable in the air, even in our international school. Students talk about going home to visit family, helping prepare traditional foods like 송편 songpyeon (rice cakes), and paying respects to their ancestors.

​In my 6th-grade science class, teaching gratitude isn’t on the syllabus, but it finds its way into our lessons. Whether we’re studying ecosystems, discussing energy cycles, or completing experiments, I often see my students express their own forms of gratitude—sometimes, it’s for the opportunity to learn something new. Other times, it’s in small gestures, like sharing materials with classmates or helping one another solve a tricky problem.

As a teacher, these moments remind me to be grateful for the curiosity and enthusiasm my students bring to the classroom. We’re constantly learning from one another, whether through science or simply through everyday interactions. I’m grateful for the opportunity to witness these moments of growth and collaboration, which make the classroom a richer environment.

One of the greatest sources of gratitude for me comes from my students. Sixth graders are at an age where they are beginning to understand more about the world and their place in it. Teaching science allows me to fuel their sense of wonder and curiosity, something I consider a privilege. When they get excited about an experiment or ask a question that makes me think, it reminds me why I became a teacher in the first place.
As Chuseok approaches, I’m filled with gratitude for this chapter of my life. Teaching 6th-grade science in an international school on Jeju Island has been a life-changing experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. The students, the school, and the island itself have all left a lasting impact on me, and I feel fortunate to be part of this community.

As my students head home to celebrate with their families, and I take some time to reflect on my own journey, I’ll be thinking about the lessons that gratitude and Chuseok have taught me—lessons that I’ll carry with me long after the holiday has passed.

As a mom who has worn the hat of an expat teacher in China and Korea and now finds herself navigating the uncharted waters of parenting a college student in France, the journey of staying connected has taken on a whole new dimension. If you're in a similar boat or preparing to set sail, here are some insights and tips on maintaining that vital lifeline with your young adult. 

​
Establish a Regular Communication Schedule Time zones can be tricky, but establishing a regular communication schedule helps bridge the gap. Whether it's a weekly video call, a daily text check-in, or a meme sent via Instagram, having a routine gives you and your college student a sense of consistency amid the whirlwind of new experiences.

 ​As a teacher and a parent, I know that every parent wants their child to succeed academically. However, I also know that there is a common misconception that grades are the only measure of success in school. I wanted to take a moment to talk to you about the importance of learning over grades, especially during your child's middle school years.

Middle school is a time of great growth and change for students, both academically and socially. During this time, students are learning not only new subjects and concepts but also important life skills such as time management, organization, and study habits. While grades can be an important measure of how well a student is understanding the material, they are not the only measure of success.

At this stage, it is important to focus on the learning process rather than the end result. Encourage your child to ask questions, to take risks, and to make mistakes. These are all essential parts of the learning process and can help your child to develop a growth mindset. This is the belief that their abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication, rather than being fixed traits.

Developing a growth mindset is essential for success both in school and in life. By supporting your child's efforts and encouraging them to embrace challenges and failures as opportunities to learn, you can help them unlock their full potential and achieve their goals.

In conclusion, while grades are an important measure of academic progress, they should not be the only focus of a student's education. Encouraging a love of learning and developing strong study habits will serve your child well throughout their academic career and beyond.

Below are some activities and skills that students can engage in to support their science learning. 

• Use IXL to practice science questions
• Review vocabulary on a regular basis. 
• Active listening and note-taking: Students should actively listen during class lectures and take notes to help them retain important information.
• Review notes regularly: Students should review their notes regularly to help consolidate their learning.
• Asking questions in class and engaging in class discussions.
• Meeting with me during academic support when they do not understand concepts. 
• Reading both fiction and nonfiction text.

What was a good question you asked today? Says the mom.
Our goal today is for the class to ask three "umm" questions. Says the teacher.

Learning is about the questions you ask, not about the facts you have memorized. 

What are "umm" questions? "Umm," questions are questions that make the teacher go, "umm, that's a good question." "Umm," questions show that students are thinking deeply about the topic. "Umm," questions are tough to answer and sometimes take the class off track (those darn pacing guides).

If you have ever been around a toddler or preschool-aged child, then it is very likely you have been barraged with a plethora of questions. They are so curious. Yet as a middle school teacher, I have noticed that curiosity seems to have disappeared (at least during class). Where did the wonder at the world go? IMO the world (school) has beaten the questions out.

"Don't ask questions — that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys."
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Teachers often are like the Durselys. The reasons include but are not limited to staying on pace with district expectations, preparing for the end-of-year exams, and the fear of the room devolving into a lord of the flies type anarchy. 

In a world of Google and Siri, students (all of us really) need to do more than memorize facts. The facts are at our fingertips. ​

"My investment of time, as an educator, in my judgment, is best served teaching people how to think about the world around them. Teach them how to pose a question. How to judge whether one thing is true versus the other." 
– Neil deGrasse Tyson


What are you doing to encourage your kids (either personal or students) to ask more "umm," questions? Are you asking "umm," questions yourself?


Like the mom, instead of asking, what did you do today, try asking what is a good question you asked in class. 


Like the teacher give at the start of class, give your students an "umm" question goal. And don't let those good questions fall by the wayside. Be okay with giving time to "get off task". 
​
Remember, 
"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." 
– Eugene Ionesco.

​The video (about 5 minutes) explains how to use the website. I also encourage you to give this episode of Star Talk a listen as the guest speakers do a much better job explaining the current issues with news and journalism than I could. 

I believe ImproveTheNews.org could be a great asset to students and teachers in the classroom. 

How could you implement this tool? 

"Victims have big TVs, leaders have big libraries."
           -The Tycoon, The 5 am Club 
"Poor people have big TVs, rich people have big libraries."
        -Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur, author, and speaker

The 5 am Club: Owning Your Morning, Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma is an interesting book. I am on my second listen on Audible. I may be a little bit in love with this book, even though I almost quit listening to it the first time. 

The formatting of this self-development (formerly known as self-help) book is different from any book in this genre that I have ever come across. Instead of the author telling us how to make our lives better, Sharma has taken himself out of the equation. The concepts covered in the book the reader learns about via a hallmark movie type story (I mean that in the best possible way). The main players in the story are:

• An artist (representing the creatives of the world).
• An entrepreneur (representing the more business-minded).
• A billionaire. 

Both the artist and the entrepreneur remain unnamed. Which I think is pretty smart. It allows the reader to visualize themselves in the characters' place (if you know me, you know which character I am). 


"There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches."
-Proverbs 13:7

As the book opens, the tycoon is described as a homeless man. Although a bit skeptical (guess which one), the artist and the entrepreneur trust the homeless man/ tycoon and take him up on his offer to go to his island "called solitude." Even if you are not a religious person, we have all heard stories of characters who aren't beautiful (or are different in some way from the norm) offering help to the protagonist. Sometimes the protagonist refuses to help (or refuses to receive the support offered), and they are punished. Disney's Beauty and the Beast comes to mind. In other stories, the protagonist (sometimes against others' warnings) takes the help, and their path to the goal is eased. But I think that modern media gives us very few of these stories. The different are usually just plain ole bad/ evil and have nothing to offer. 


The central learning from this self-development book can be simplified into three points. 

1. Waking up at 5 am will provide you with solitude and an improved brain state to perform like the pros.
2. Balance your four "interior empires" to achieve self-mastery.
3. Don't waste time when you wake up early. Use the 20/20/20 formula.

I will not go more deeply into Sharma's points, but this is where some of the issues with the book start. 


Granted this those points are not just with Sharma but with self-development books in general. 


The pull yourself up by your boot straps/ all you have to do is...


The artist and the entrepreneur both have the time/ resources to just up and leave to go on an adventure with the billionaire. I have been a single mother since 2001. If I had gone to this conference and meet the homeless man, I would not have been able to go (as much as I would have wanted to). Both characters also have freedom in their careers (the entrepreneur owns her company, and the artist is a freelancer. What about those who have to clock in/out of a 9 to 5? 


And if we forget about the fictional opportunity of the adventure (gosh, Jamie, that's why the man wrote the book). The book's main concept is waking up at 5 am and using that first hour to change your life, but although we all have 24 hour days, not everyone's 24 hours are equal. Beyonce can get more out of her 24 hours than I am. She has a staff that probably includes a chief, trainer, personal shopper, and things I haven't even thought of. I can get more of my 24 hours than someone who has to work zero-hour contracts (and therefore has to work multiple jobs). I have health insurance, some savings, and I don't have to worry about having enough to pay my bills. 


This book and many others like it do not acknowledge that resources (even time) are not applied equally to everyone in society. 


"When people talk about the good old days, I say to people, 'It's not the days that are old, it's you that's old.' I hate the good old days. What is important is that today is good."
        -Karl Lagerfeld

In the past, they had the answer. If only we didn't have modern technology, we all would be perfect people. 


It erks me when authors use the past as shorthand for all that is right and good and paint technology with the brush of evil. There have always been humans who are exceptional (the overachievers and the layabouts), and there have always been humans who are just getting through life (the majority of us). I do not understand why writers feel the need to compare the imperfect present with the supposedly perfect past. I think this comparison takes away from the actual message. The message that no matter your place, position, or personality, if you follow the prescribed plan, you to can be great. 


Why is every self-development writer a Luddite? I wonder if they were writing their books if they would hate on using the printing press, the steam engine, or the loom. I agree that all new technology comes with contemporary issues and consequences. Still, the answer is not getting rid of the technology. Like your daily coffee (from your coffee house of choice) isn't making you poor, having a smartphone isn't making you stupid and lazy (I can be lazy without using my phone, thank you very much). 


The 5 am Club doesn't include any new innovations in the world of self-development; it is a nice easy listen. If you purchase the Audible, it comes with a PDF that contains the models that are covered. 


Have you read the 5 am Club? What did you think about it? Do you have any self-development suggestions (I am looking for suggestions written by people of color and women).