The Last Week of Classes...

I had a great time with all of you over the last couple of weeks of "goodbye" classes.  It has been a great semester and I hope that everybody who came to class found something useful that they could use in their teaching.

I also announced last week, that after 6 years of teaching in the YL-TESOL program for Sookmyung I will not be returning to teach next semester.  I have enjoyed my time here, the work I have done and the teachers who have allowed me to be a part of their lives.  However, at this time I need to take a break and spend some time with my family and also focus on my academic work.  I will still maintain this blog and will be available to any alumni who need questions answered, recommendations written or would just like to meet for a cup of coffee!

Best Wishes,

Joey Croner

Sold Out!!!

Registration for Sookmyung TESOL's Halloween party has hit the maximum number!  At this point, no more tickets can be issued for the event due to limited space in the building.  If you didn't get your tickets, please check back in the case of possible cancellations. I really wish we had space for all who want to come, but sadly we must draw the line here.

Again the tickets are not required for the children of current trainees in Sookmyung's TESOL programs. So if you are currently attending a Sookmyung TESOL program, you can come without registration.

The Halloween Party!

Over the next couple of weeks, we will be giving all of you some information about the Halloween event on November 1st.  It's going to be a lot of fun and I'm always excited to provide a fun experience for some children.  Here's some important information...

Children attending the event should register and bring a ticket.  Children of current TESOL trainees and adults do not need tickets.  The only reason we require some registration is to give us an idea about how many children may be coming and keep the building from becoming too crowded.  You can get your tickets here:

Costumes are not required, but everything is always more fun with a costume!  Here's a picture of one of my costumes from a past event:

Here is an interesting and fun video somebody shared with me about creativity.  It only takes a minute to watch it, so go for it!

A little about listening...

Last week in Management we were practicing our active listening skills.  Being a good listener is a very important part of being a good teacher and an effective communicator.  Julian Treasure's TED talk goes along with some of the things we will be talking about in class this week.  Watch it before class as preparation, or watch it after class as a review!  I hope you enjoy it.

Raising Successful Children

I found this interesting article about parenting.  I posted this at the beginning of the year, but there were a few of you interested in it after our unit about challenging children properly.  I'm reposting it because it applies to some of the concepts covered in our positive reinforcement lesson in Management this week.  We'll also cover this concept in PAL later, so it's useful for everyone!

A nice tune to study to...

For those of you who don't know, the man in this video was very special to generations of young people in North America from the 60's to the 90's.  His name was Fred Rogers and he had a public television show for children.  He was known for his kind voice and for encouraging children to use their imaginations.  At the end of every show, he told his audience that they were special and that it's ok for them to be themselves.  This song is a great tribute for a very special man.  Give it a listen while you're doing your Management homework!