The handover is complete. Danny and Diana left the school today completely in the hands of its new owner, LinguaForum, and left for their missionary training. I had a rather idiotic minor tantrum over additional work that seemed to be piling on at the last minute – additional student evaluations which in principle I support but when I'm given 24 hour notice that they need to be completed, I'm rather easily annoyed.
Then the staff (minus Danny and Diana) went out for dinner, which was alright, though I didn't do very well with the efforts at earnest discussion of what happens next now that the erstwhile owners are completely out of the picture, especially as the soju was circulating thickly.
And the we all went out to a noraebang (karaoke room, basically). Now, most people know I neither sing well nor am I particularly accomplished at singing badly in an uninhibited manner – therefore my efforts at karaoke are both self-conscious and painful for me, and probably unpleasant for others, too. But I made efforts to be sociable, and to make amends for my earlier tantrum at work.
All this, in the wake of one of my best in-classroom experiences so far. Students took charge of their class, where we were having a little debate. They made up teams, they discussed strategy, they coached each other. There was some Korean used, but the speeches themselves as they took turns in the debate were all in perfectly acceptable English (at their level, of course). But wow… the way they showed enthusiasm for learning, for helping each other: I was very impressed and pleased.
So that was a proud moment. But what followed. Wasn't.