Pool Play

Beginners learn with a yellow "floaty" strapped to their backs.

The bright sun provides HD-quality vision from sun up to sun down. The springy, casual, familiar smell of sun screen greets one's nose with its expectant, annual nod. Summer time has approached, and with it, pool time play. Pool etiquette involves soft speakers pulsing with favorable music from whatever popular, country, or classic rock station nearby listeners can tolerate. If fortunate, you haven't been splashed by rowdy neighbors (unless you enjoy that sort of thing). As I recline in a sturdy lounge chair and inhale the fragrant scents of Hawaiian Tropic and grilled steak, I can't help remembering my time at the local YMCA, where I taught swim lessons to small children.

Our spirited campers pause for a rest under the toasty Chattanooga sun.

 After obtaining my lifeguard certification,  I quickly learned that teaching doesn't just happen on the dry land of school campuses, it happens on the water too. Back in graduate school, I chose to teach high school students for the maturity, the independence, the excitement of college preparation and the thrill of advising them to recognize their strengths. Though I've avoided the sound of faux female baby voices emitting through cinder block walls and the experience of whole-class nap time, I feel the experience I've had with young children is highly valuable. My experience with them is unique. I learned to deal with young children in the water.

During the eruption of the downtown fountain, 5th graders squeal with delight.

 I may not be a navy seal, but if you have a young child, believe me, I can teach them how to swim. Swim lessons come with a level of unmatched excitement, yet there's a secret, incommodious stress that swim teachers and lifeguards rarely discuss aloud to parents: Unobserved, a child could slip into the water and drown. This simple fear plagues all swim teachers, resulting in the repetition of phrases such as, "Everyone stay seated while so-and-so has their turn. When we paddle back to the edge, you're next. Do not get in the water!" "No running!" "Do not jump in the deep end without permission!"


While teaching in the water, I overcame my insecurity of deep water, one-piece bathing suits, and 68 degree locker rooms. The joy of helping a child to conquer their fear of the water is a rewarding blessing. In addition, parents find a sense of relief when their apprehensive youngster finally glides forth unaccompanied into the smooth, cerulean waters of the swimming pool. No matter the level of education or intellectual ability, all children benefit by learning the vital skill of swimming. Teaching a child how to swim is actually symbolic of regular 'ol dry land classroom teaching: if you teach a child to swim, imagine how far they can go!

Graduation and ESOL

Getting this group to sit still for ONE decent class picture was, well, you know...

We've wrapped up another school year, and though two years of official teaching doesn't sound like much, I feel I've experienced SO much more than twenty-ish months of classroom instruction. Beginning this career hasn't been easy. Ok, starting ANY new career can be full of headaches, and when young twenty somethings decide to relocate to work outside their zone of family community, finding connections through the "good ol boy" system is ZILCH. You have to start from scratch, and that can be a herculean feat. If you teach at your alma mater, that's a gratifying experience. I'm sure of that. I've met so many people who say things such as, "Yeah, I graduated from here back in..." or the occasional, "Yeah, I student-taught here, so after that, they gave me a job." I sometimes find myself envying (what sounds like) the smooth transition from menial apprentice to fellow co-worker.  Being ME and my typical self, I chose the longer, more winding path, but for some reason deep within, I felt an inner drive to go somewhere new. I hate it sometimes, because it's awkward being the outsider who "didn't grow up around here."

Here I am, pictured with my two favorite seniors!

This school year was valuable to me for one major reason: my ESOL class. Teaching English to "speakers of other languages" is becoming more and more prevalent throughout the U.S, and schools are working hard to keep up with rising numbers of the ELL population. For years, I ignored the media's talk of immigration. Not anymore. I personally feel that having students from other countries/cultures adds rich dimension to the class environment. Teachers who have "English-learners" on their rosters should value the presence of such students and make an effort to speak to them one-on-one. Quite often, their backgrounds are different than ours, and thus their beliefs, attitudes, and expectations are worth learning. When teaching students from other counties (or for that matter, ANY student from a culture or background that differs greatly from our own), we become more educated and more sensitive to the needs and desires of such students. 

Another new detail I've observed this year: Teachers are excellent at content instruction, but may lack confidence when it comes to reaching our English learners, especially those ELs with lower English proficiency levels. After all, who enjoys being misunderstood? Not the teacher, and certainly not the student.

".....I'm as free as a bird now..."

"She seems like a sweet girl, but she won't talk in class, and I don't know how to make her understand the homework."

"Oh, you teach so-and-so? How can you understand him? I can't understand him when he talks."

There's much more to stay about this topic, but I'll save it for future posts. Being granted the opportunity to work with these students has been a blessing that I'll probably never completely comprehend. Perhaps the fact that I am also somewhat (I mean, just an insignificant little bit) of an "outsider" helps me relate.

School's out for the summer!

Welcome to my first narrated video! The weather was just TOO PERFECT today. Both Pepper and I decided to include a tiny bit of footage from the famous and dynamic downtown Athens. Also, I happened to receive a couple end-of-the-year student gifts which were too special to keep secret. I mistakenly use the word "souvenirs" instead of gifts....not quite sure why I did that. Despite windy conditions and nearby construction, I think the sound turned out alright. Enjoy!

South Korea: teach, travel, and be enlightened

It's time to unveil the big news: We are going to South Korea! For the past few months, I've been immersed in a big vat of wedding stew: traveling to Nashville for my friend Hollie's wedding, being maid of honor in my sister's wedding, plus planning my own upcoming event! Its a year full of multiple changes. With this said, I feel it is only fair to tell my friends and loved ones what my future husband (Pepper Pezold) and I plan to do during our first year of marriage.

Our careers are at a turning point. We could do the conventional thing: get married, purchase a house, settle down, work our day jobs, squeeze in one vacation a year (if that), and get comfortable. We'd discuss the distant possibility of foreign travel, but would make the safe decision to merely stay within the states and simply WAIT for a convenient, inexpensive opportunity to travel overseas.

Or, the second option: Research teaching opportunities abroad, weigh the pros and cons, make the necessary contacts, talk it over, pray about it, and just GO!

Obviously, we have chosen option number two.

I've always had a craving to travel abroad, but I was a student for most of my life, and after that, I became obsessed with starting my career. Therefore, there was no room for travel, and barely any finances to do so. I did have the opportunity to study abroad in Mexico for a month, and that was a thrilling experience. However, that was in 2008. To me, it's ridiculous that I haven't been to any other foreign country. In addition, Pepper has been to Europe, where he traveled to England, France, and Italy (you know, the traditional abroad places). That's the extent of our travel.

Apparently, many foreign countries offer great benefits for English teachers. When I say "English," I don't mean analyzing how Beowulf has all the characteristics of an epic hero or interpreting meaning from Shakespeare's famous sonnets. I mean that non-English speaking cultures have the desire to learn and/or improve their English-speaking skills.

Pepper and I both accepted positions at different schools that are located within the same vicinity. Our contracts last for a year, which is an exciting, yet tremendous commitment. Some might say we're not only planning to marry one another; we're also planning to "marry" another culture. South Korea is highly developed and I hear that Wi-Fi is plentiful. Therefore, we will have multiple opportunities to blog, post videos, and keep all of our loved ones and acquaintances informed. Stay tuned, folks. We'll keep it interesting. Expect to see different posts from both Pezolds. Maybe we'll have a contest to see who is the better writer.... ;)

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