The Beginning of the End

I've started telling some students that I won't be coming back next semester. Here are some of the responses:

"Oh my god!!"

"Really?!"

But the most common reply was "Why?"

I've had the following conversation a handful of times every day.

Student: Teacher, you go back America?

Me: Yes...       

Student: Why?

Me: I miss my family.

Student: Go home during summer vacation

Me: Summer vacation is only one week... That's too short. I haven't seen my mom in over a year.

Student: Oh my gosh (in a manner indicating complete shock)!! But don't go!!!

In one class I told the students who had arrived before the bell rang and a boy ran outside to tell his friends. Haha^^ Often while I am analyzing the foreign language teacher and student relationships and interactions I have here, I think about what I probably would have done if my situation was reversed. If my high school had a native Spanish teacher, I don't think we really would have cared that much about be the teacher. It's nice to feel special sometimes here in Korea because I'm a foreigner and a language teacher and think I might have made a cultural impact on the kids. 

Every day students spend 10 minutes in their homeroom before school starts and last Friday they had to write English letters to anybody at the school. Here's one funny one I got.. :)