Middle School Welcomes Korean Teachers

Two teachers from Korea will spend a semester at Belleville Middle School and are taking part in teaching students math and science.

They are Sunhee Sunny Ryu, a math teacher with 17 years of experience, and JinJu Pearl Back, a science teacher with five years of experience.

Both are part of a teaching practicum run by Bloomfield College, according to Dawn Buccino, a middle school teacher.

Middle School Principal Dana Cavallo said the entire school staff and many students "are extremely excited."

"Teachers and students have embraced the Korean culture, and it brings a whole new taste to our school," Cavallo said. "We're learning as much from them as they are from us."

She said students are fascinated by the formality of the Korean teachers, and many students now stand up when a teacher walks into a room, a sign of respect. "It is bringing our teaching to a whole new level," Cavallo said. 

Teachers told Cavallo that listening to the teachers give a lesson about Korean geography was an amazing experience.

Reaching students of middle school age is especially important, Cavallo said. "Their minds are so open, so it is great when we can bring anything this unusual to them," she said.

Cavallo said she hopes this is just the beginning of schools hosting foreign exchange teachers. The two teachers are part of faculty meetings and all interactions among teaching staff, she said.

First the visiting teachers will observe the middle school classes, next they spend time co-teaching alongside the middle school staff, officials said.

Ryu is working with math instructor, Robert Silvera. Back is working with science instructor John Calabrese.

Besides doing small group instruction, they will teach three 40-minute lessons to complete their training. They will be at the middle school until Jan. 23.