The best expression is that “Teacher did nothing”.

 In Young Choi, a literature teacher at the Gyeonghui High school explains to students ‘Creating your own book’. A person standing between the right student groups is teacher Choi.

Interview/ In Young Choi, a literature teacher

When we give them a place to show     

They tell their stories naturally by themselves      

At the Gyeonghui High school, the total number of students who are doing “Creating your own book” is 250. To publish a book, teacher Choi should read them and comment on the manuscripts which 250 students wrote hard. Teacher Choi reads all of students’ manuscripts which are over 30 pages. If we think what she does as a job, she is doing a publishing editor who helps author to be able to write a book well. I met teacher Choi and asked why she made this kind of class.

-You have started this class since 2010. Is there any reason?

“In 2009, I was homeroom teacher for 1^st grade and took lessons. It was been almost 10 years since I taught 1^st grade students in the last time. They did not know what they should do and what the dream is. I got a great shock. I kept thinking about the power change students. I thought if they have dream, their lives will be changed. Then, I was concerned about how to make them have dreams. I think dream is created in the story of the past, the present, and the future rather than falling out of the sky. Dreams grows well when the whole story is completed such as in the past I had some experience, and based on that experience, I've got some goals, and for them what do I do and how do I live my future. In this sense, I made ‘Creating your own book’ class to make them reflect on their lives.”

- You made students write many articles as answers of a lot of questions, so they could write them from their minor stories. Is there any reason?

“I believe that their story have the fundamental power to change the children. Nowadays, children look very depressed. They are tired. All students feel like they are always being chased not only students who are behind of the entrance exam competition but also students who are in front of it. Then, the current education system forces them to memorize Knowledge. I thought they need to be healed. I think that they can change their lives when they look at their life stories and they make their lives by themselves. Those students have the power to overcome when they meet quite hard difficulties.”

-I think students do not write an autobiography or poetry but they are in the situation that they cannot do. How do you think?

“The environment surrounding the children quickly changes itself. I think if they write poetry well, they will get good test scores in Practice Tests but many people think that two things are totally separated. So, they are getting away from poetry. They think poetry not their lives but the problems so they never try to read and write them. I worried about they cannot write a lot, but they were better than I expected. Sometime while I was reading, I shed tears a little. I realized that they were much more tired and hurt than I thought. While I was looking at them, I thought that though they have something they want to talk in their minds, there is no place where they could express them. If they could be released by writing, I thought it worth it. Interview was the same. The only thing that I did was showing demonstration to try it like this. Among what they said, the best expression is that “Including interview, teacher did nothing”. It is true. Students did everything.”

- Through this class, I think you would be concerned with teacher’s role. What do you think of about teacher’s role?

“A great class is not teacher lugging students but putting cornerstone to let them do by themselves. A great lesson is that students feel a sense of accomplishment by themselves after class. I should plan a big picture and put a corner stone of class. After then, I should step behind. I am not a main actor. The teacher’s role is making students feel that they did it by themselves.”

-What is the most impressive autobiography which students wrote?

“From the teachers’ perspective, everything is great. ‘The closer you see the more beautiful. The longer you see the more adorable. You are the same.’ This is Tae Ju Na’s poet, A Flower. Students’ lives are the same. If you look at them closer, everything is beautiful. There is one thing I did not know until I read writings. After reading the articles, each one looks adorable and pretty. However, they cannot afford to face their wonderful lives by themselves. There is no chance to look at their lives closely. When they have the power, they could take care of others beyond themselves. I hope that they could get the power through this activity.”

The original article
http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/schooling/562333.html

Reference