Messages from former students

I received two heartwarming messages from former high school students on Teacher’s Day. They concerned the past, but memories linger.

One message was from a young woman who embarked on an incredible journey. She gained admission to a prestigious university in Japan and is now in her senior year. She successfully passed the recruitment exam for a top-tier conglomerate. Her expressions of gratitude touched my heart. I can imagine the challenges she faced studying abroad. As a student in a small rural high school, financially disadvantaged and lacking any foreign experience, her dream must have appeared unattainable. While her classmates focused on the national college entrance exam, she prepared for the rigorous university entrance exams in Japan.

I had no experience of sending students to Japan, but I had braved a study year in Canada on a scholarship from the Korean Education Board, so I encouraged her to pursue her own dream. Now, I appreciate this country girl’s courageous determination. Her memory of my encouragement during that pivotal time remains vivid, and she wanted to thank me for my role in her achievement. Her message moved me deeply.

In my teaching career spanning several decades, I’ve met countless high school students. They’ve gone on to lead diverse lives. Why have some students remembered me? For my brilliant teaching skills? Hardly! I believe kind words offered during critical moments can encourage a powerful and positive turning point in a student’s life and justify one’s career.

Another student, shy yet determined, pursued her dream of studying drama at a prestigious university in Busan. At our small, remote girls’ high school, her aspiration was unprecedented. Grasping at straws? Not at all! Her dream was realized. She is performing brilliantly on many stages. She promised me a ticket for her next performance. I was almost in tears , realizing that now she is no longer a shy young high school student, but a professional lady who is living her dream. I felt really grateful to her for her words of gratitude. As you may know, one of the greatest pleasures for a teacher is to see his or her students grow up and do their best in whatever pursuit they have chosen.

But amidst these heartwarming messages, news of a tragic incident broke, prompting introspection. An aspiring doctor who had a perfect score in the national college exam stabbed his girlfriend to death. This news broke my heart. I wondered: what if he had someone to rely on and give him genuine advice in critical moments? What if he had encountered someone who could have passionately taught him the nobility and value of every human life, and the truth that others’ lives are no less precious than one’s own? Perhaps then, he would not have given in to extreme behavior in any situation.

Sadly, in our fiercely competitive educational environment, there is no room to instill such moral reflections into students’ souls as beacons of guidance. It is no longer true to say that the role of the teacher is to inculcate a well-rounded education. We have evolved into mere assistants fixated solely on enhancing students' grades, rather than proactive leaders shaping students into well-rounded individuals. In extreme cases, we may even become bystanders, avoiding involvement in parents' slanderous allegations. Instead of serving as genuine connections in the journey of life, we risk becoming strangers merely passing each other on the street.

This year, Buddha’s Birthday fell on May 15. So, a myriad of people visited temples to celebrate it. But that day was originally Teacher’s Day, which, sadly, very few people paid any attention to.

Lee Eung-tae (eungtae@gmail.com) is a former high school teacher who taught English for 35 years.