DIY: Self-confidence for students.

I know that being a good teacher isn't about giving things to your students; being a good teacher is about getting students to think for themselves so they can lead a capable and sustainable life. We can't just give them answers, or ideas, or things. They have to cultivate their own learning from the seeds we plant.

But I'm also the kind of teacher who, now that there are only 2 weeks left in public school, wants to bribe her students into remembering her. Or at least leave them with something special.

However, calculating it out, I have 22 classes weekly with about 30-32 students each.

22 classes x 30 to 32 kids = OVER 660 STUDENTS.

Soooo getting them all Rolex wristwatches certainly isn't an option.

What's cheap, cultural to the US, and not candy, which will be eaten within a day and quickly forgotten about? What's something they will want to keep, without breaking my budget?

And then I had an idea.

With the concept of 'lucky pennies' being foreign to Koreans, I thought this was a really good opportunity to give them all a little US money. After making a template, printing them on colored paper, and cutting them all out, I glued these pieces of paper to pennies sent over by my mom (thanks again, Mom!).

Cheap. Cultural. Fun.