Hello Everyone! my name is JoAnna, but everyone calls me Jo. I grew up in California, and went to Santa Clara University to study teaching and education. I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor's in Liberal Studies and a minor in History/Urban Education. I received my Multiple Subject and Single Subject Teaching Credentials( English) in 2011, and graduated with my Masters in Education(Corrections Emphasis) in 2013. I started teaching full-time right out of college 2010 as a 4th grade general education teacher, with a whole lot of emphasis on ELD/ ELD training. Little did I know that my experience as a 4th grade teacher would be the cornerstone for where I am today. More on that in a sec....After teaching 4th grade, I moved to middle school as an English teacher. Most of my students were Spanish speaking students who had passed the CELDT, so I spent a considerable amount of time refining my English Language teaching skills. This past Spring, I'm pretty certain I found myself amid a quarter-life crisis, searching for a change. I had been laid off for the 3rd year in a row( happens all the time in CA), and I was tired and frustrated with the process of waiting to be rehired again and again. My very good friend from college was stationed in Korea, and I had promised to visit him at some point, so.... During that time, a substitute teacher also arrived at my school, fresh off the plane from South Korea. She raved about the experience. I took this consideration seriously, as it would mean definitively quitting my job and moving around the world--a huge risk. What if I wasn't accepted into the program, and i told my district I wasn't coming back? What would do? I needed more proof that this was for me. I started talking to some of my co-workers and colleagues and they were extremely supportive of the decision. They had all wished they'd done something like this in the past, and told me to GO, GO, GO.. I applied, I was accepted, the rest is history. Not really---it took a ton of money, and I spent lots of time anxiously waiting around for documents to pass through. Thank God,I was offered a position at the Ulsan MOE for this Fall. As I type, I'm at one of the Universities, taking a break at Orientation. I will be teaching English to Elementary School students. As stated earlier, I used to teach 4th grade, and I think this job will be quite similar, making this transition much easier. When I sit back and think about all the "decisions" I've made, I can only be in awe at how God perfectly planted all of these people and past career decisions in my life at the right time so that I would have this opportunity.
Aside from teaching, I am a music junkie,Certified Personal Trainer, AVID gym-goer/lover of all things health and fitness related. I ALSO LOVE LOVE LOVE trying new foods, even if they look like they belong in the zoo :-). I can't wait to experience all of the above in Korea.