Global Comprehension and English Immersion Camp
For five days in January 2023, 30 advanced ESL students from Seoul's Daedong Taxation High School traveled to Jeju Island, South Korea. These students were instructed by five American English teachers as they toured sites, attended lessons, and conducted research.
The Challenge
Daedong Taxation High School needs a five-day camp to educate 30 advanced first-year students in intercultural analysis and English as a foreign language. Though the camp has traditionally seen students travel to the United States from South Korea, COVID-19 risks have forced planning to adapt to a domestic itinerary for the past three years.
The Goal
This project requires the recruitment of five TEFL-certified, native-speaking English teachers to create and teach an interdisciplinary curriculum of five lessons with additional programming as needed. The curriculum should prepare students to produce one research essay, one reflection essay, and one group presentation per student.
Role
Camp Coordinator
Sponsor
Daedong Taxation High School
Project Duration
October 2022 - January 2023
Recruitment Opens Late in the Year
Many native English teachers travel abroad or relocate to their home country during the holidays, making them unavailable for the camp. This reduces the pool of likely candidates to recruit.
Counteracting this headwind required following leads from previous camp teachers and contacting as many qualified candidates as possible. Social media and networking were applied to rapidly contact a high volume of eligible teachers, resulting in full staff.
Preparing Curriculum
The diverse team of five American English teachers included varied competencies, from international politics to journalism, and was spread across several cities. Each teacher contributed one lesson plan to the curriculum through remote collaboration.
To facilitate teamwork and accountability, all project items were tracked via spreadsheet. Meanwhile, a combination of regular video conferencing and group messaging was used to introduce team members to each other and communicate important updates.
Rapidly Evolving Schedule
Ambitious travel breadth and logistical delays compounded to produce unforeseen schedule changes each day. This harmed morale and confused the English teachers, who needed to assemble promptly with little warning. To adapt, both real-time check-ins and day-end debriefs were initiated.
Throughout each day, the Camp Coordinator cycled between teachers to assist in activities and provide offer resources. During evening, English teachers gathered to express frustrations and identify needs. These needs were advocated to Korean counterparts, who enthusiastically agreed to provide additional time padding and context wherever possible.
These efforts improved trust between teachers and coordinating staff, repaired morale, and improved resiliency in the face of changes moving forward.
Successful Camp Launch
The preparation and adaptation resulted in a successful camp for the students. Not only did the cohort produce 60 high-quality essays and perform five collaborative presentations, but many students communicated meaningful bonding and perspective growth from their time.
All Student Work Published in a Camp Book
English teachers worked with students via remote editing and feedback to submit polished essays during the weeks following camp close. All work was published by Daedong Taxation High School to showcase the high quality of the planning, curriculum and student cohort.
Successes and Improvements
Program Successes
Teachers built connections with students throughout the camp.
Students produced all essays and presentations to excellent quality.
Teachers ended the camp with high morale and cohesion.
Areas for Improvement
Open teacher recruitment during summer break or earlier in the year.
Create schedule on a platform that can share updates instantly.
Build debriefs and check-ins into the schedule during planning.
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