Get to Know MCH’s Dormitory Teachers!

▲Getting to bed at 2 o’clock in the morning and getting up at 6 is no easy feat. Still, says Teacher Jinho Lee, dorm teacher of the boys’ dormitory, Gaon-Haksa, “being with students gives me all the energy I need for the day.”

 

 At Michuhol Foreign Language High School, the dormitory teachers play a vital role in guiding and supervising the students’ lives in the dormitories. This profession can be exhausting and demanding due to the reversed day-night schedule, but they find it rewarding from time to time. We interviewed Teachers Myunghwa Ko and Jinho Lee, respectively the dormitory teachers of Nuri-Haksa and Gaon-Haksa. In our interview with the two teachers, we delved into subjects of much interest, such as whether dorm teachers knew of students secretly breaking the rules.

 

 Upon being asked about why she had chosen this job as a dorm teacher, Teacher Myunghwa spoke of her general love for children and her experience of a position as an academy teacher. Moreover, she told us that her son—now in university—had graduated from a boarding high school. For these reasons, she became interested in working with high schoolers, and because she had time on her hands, she decided on a post at a high school dormitory. Teacher Jinho revealed that a close friend with experience at a boarding school had suggested this work would suit him.

 

 While the position can be physically tiring, there are many good sides to it. Teacher Jinho told us that being with students is energizing most of the time. Teacher Myunghwa agreed that the students are sweet. She still remembers receiving notes from students expressing their appreciation for her. Many students also request counseling sessions with her, and some even approach her, saying: “Teacher, will you be our grade teacher this year? We really like you.”

 

 Like these moments, she feels a sense of fulfillment when students consider her a good teacher. Furthermore, Teacher Jinho, who genuinely enjoys being around children, said, “I feel fulfilled when students shower me with their pure love. When students show their affection towards me with those pure hearts, it warms me up, and I feel really good.”

 

 Another pro of this job is that except for the weeks when she is specifically on duty, she only works four days a week, said Teacher Myeonghwa. But both of them remarked that they could never get enough sleep. Their days and nights are generally switched, and when they get to their homes, they head straight to bed to get in some sleep.

 

 The two teachers also had a lot to say on the subject of rulebreakers. To ensure students’ concentration and health, the use of electronic devices and eating things that disturb others are prohibited in study rooms and dormitories. If someone breaks the rules, they must give them penalty points.

 

 “The most frequently broken rule is the use of electronic devices. Getting caught looking at iPads or tablets secretly…” said the teachers, smiling knowingly. This occurs frequently in both the study rooms and the dorms. When asked whether they could see right through students’ breaking rules most of the time, Teacher Myunghwa told us that she already had much experience in this field with her son. Teachers see students with Bluetooth earphones on during Friday afternoon self-study hours; they hear students talking late into the night. Dormitory facilities are not soundproof, so even the slightest whispers escape the walls. “No matter how quietly the students speak, it is as vivid as if they were right next to me. So, you have to be careful (jokingly).” It’s not just electronic devices: illegal food consumption also occurs in dormitories. The foods range from the most common “ramen” to convenience store lunch boxes. The teachers simply choose to overlook it a lot of the time. 

 

 Both teachers commented on the difficulty of handing out demerits. “We must take care of our students, but when we're in children’s shoes, we become weak-hearted…” They said that they faced a dilemma because of the conflict between their ego as a person looking at young children and their work ethic as dorm teachers. “We are adults, so we see every student's actions. Most likely, every teacher notices them. However, we choose to let it go. If that behavior causes harm to oneself or other students, we address it. But if it doesn't cause significant harm, we often just let it slide. Giving demerits would make students feel too guilty.”

 

 Sometimes, unexpected events surprise the dorm teachers or get them laughing. Teacher Jinho provided us with an especially memorable episode. “One time I told the students I was hungry. When I was rounding the rooms for the night, this one boy gave me a snack. I ate it up deliciously, thanking the student. However, rules are rules—I gave that kid demerits, and we both got a good laugh out of it,” he said, laughing. Teacher Myeonghwa also gave us a funny anecdote. One day, she heard students talking while patrolling, so she went down to get penalty point cards. When she came back up, however, she found the students asleep! “They got lucky that time,” she recalled with a smile.

 

 For our last question, we asked our two interviewees if they had anything to say to MCH’s students, with whom they naturally spent a long time. Teacher Myeonghwa went first, assuring us that “the current times may be tough and exhausting, but a wonderful life will unfold in a few years. These challenging times are preparation for your future, so stay strong—and love yourself.” Teacher Jinho added, "Many people live their lives only looking up, but instead of focusing solely on the top, I hope you become great individuals who take the time to look around and support those beside or behind you.”

 

 Through this interview, we had the opportunity to see how much the dormitory supervisors value and care for us. Our dorm teachers are some of the people we see the most during the week, but in truth, there was so little we knew about them. It was intriguing to hear about all the tidbits and episodes in the daily lives of our dorm teachers, and after the interview, our love and respect towards them could not but double. We also felt the need to be on our best behavior when the dorm teachers were watching us. Overall, this was a great opportunity to better understand the lives of MCH’s very own dorm teachers, and we hope that this interview has the same effect it had on us.

 

Lee Yueun (1-1)¹ | Staff Reporter

Kim Jiwoo (1-8)² | Staff Reporter

Yoo Nayeon (2-3)³ | Staff Reporter

Bok Gahyun (2-7)⁴ | Staff Reporter

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1) yueun10118@gmail.com

2) 10807jiwookim@gmail.com

3) 20311yoonayeon@gmail.com

4) karenbook0801@gmail.com