WordCount:817

Finaldraftretake/Issue#1
[FeatureStoryA1]

Hola! Christina Choi says at the start of every Spanish class. Ms. Choi is adored amongst her
Spanish students. Always bubbly, and happy to teach, Ms. Choi is often listed as one of the
students most popular teacher because in a minute or two, Ms. Choi can become any students
best friend.
It is a commonly known fact that many teachers scream or scold their students for making
foolish mistakes or interrupting the class. However, when boys throw pieces of paper at each
other in Ms. Chois Spanish class, she tells them in a calm manner to quiet down, unlike any
other regular SIS teacher in the same situation. This shows that she truly cares for her students
education and feelings.
Ms. Choi incorporates her buttery smooth Spanish accent with English to teach during Spanish
class. Anyone would be fooled to think that her first language was Spanish, only to figure out
that her native language was Korean. During class, if a student makes a pronunciation error with
one of the Spanish terms, he or she is never scolded or ignored by Ms. Choi. Instead, they are
carefully guided through on how to correctly pronounce the word.
Ms. Choi always jokes around with students in a friendly matter, which makes every Spanish
class a special treat, Sunny Oh (9) said.
Every class or anytime Ms. Choi is open to any questions or opinions whether or not it is even
related to Spanish at all. Ms. Choi is engaged in forming and maintaining fruitful relationships
with her students. She promotes understanding the importance bonds in order to get along and
deal with students with her decades of experiences.
It was my third period class and I was very lethargic because I didnt get any sleep the previous
night, reoccurs Annie Kwon (9). However, Ms. Choi brought Mexican rice for the entire class.
This made my day. In fact, every A day is a joy because of Ms. Chois wide smile.
Ms. Choi was also once a child herself, and how

Children grow up to look like a replica of how their parents raise them, because ones family has
a significant impact on their childrens growth. Clearly Ms. Choi, this friendly and popular
teacher, through multiple experiences with her parents has become the person who she is today.
Ms. Choi moved to Ecuador from Korea when she was three-years-old, where there was a
constant threat of her town being tear gassed because of the several dangerous people in her
town. However, living close and spending time with her family took away her fears of the

outside. It made her value her parents more since they provided means of security to her. Unlike
any other typical Korean parents, Ms. Chois parents Hwa Choi and Shin Joong Ja, had no strict
policy in terms of education. Hwa Choi and Shin Joong Ja valued their parent to daughter
relationships greater than education. They knew that true knowledge and wisdom comes by
forming healthy relationships, and knowing that relationships go further than getting bonus
points on a test.
I think it is because my parents trusted me with anything related to education. My mother didnt
check whether or not I did my homework. She didnt check my grades. She was happy with the
fact that I was stable girl, Ms. Choi said.
Thanks to her parents leniency towards educational standards, Ms. Choi did not undergo the
intolerable stress her students at SIS are going through. Ms. Chois parents did not glue their eyes
onto her power-school account. Though Ms. Choi cannot share the same experience in terms of
the unbearable stress levels, she does her best to coordinate her classes so that students are not
loaded with masses of homework. The forgiving and lenient relationship between Ms. Choi and
her parents enabled her to see the importance of the students well being above pressuring
students academically. Students have no reason to not befriend such a teacher.
Ms. Chois parents decided to send Ms. Choi off to America in Orange County, California to live
with her relatives from when she was 10 to 12-years-old . Christina was able to adapt well to the
foreign surroundings without the protection of her parents because she was surrounded by caring
relatives. In the duration of time that she was there, she formed a special bond with her cousin,
Esther. Fortunately, Ms. Choi was not lonely during her time at her relatives house because
Esther was always by her side. Ms. Choi recalled the time where she received 20 dollars and
Esther had told her that it was a large sum of money. Esther then introduced Ms. Choi to a
supermarket with automatic doors which surprised Christina who saw none in Ecuador. Not only
did Esther make Ms. Chois experience in America thrilling, but their relationship also opened up
opportunities for her to learn English faster. This relationship meant farther than fun and games.
Rather, it was the cultural experiences that were introduced to her, which made this one of her
few wonderful experiences in America.

However life for Ms. Choi was not spent always peacefully and happily. Ms. Chois family faced
a tragedy during her high school years. It was the loss of her mother, Hwa Choi. The passing of
Ms. Chois mother happened not far from the event that Ms. Choi cherished the most. When Ms.
Choi was apart of the high schools dance team in her sophomore year and during the middle of
the year, her entire dance team went away to dance camp far from her neighborhood. At this
time, she was unaware that her mother even knew where she was going to go because of the
distance. It became a big surprise to her when she saw her mother holding a box of Snapple cans

for Ms. Choi and her friends. Her mother actually figured out where she was going, and drove a
long way just to treat her daughter and her friends with Snapple drinks.

It was just a really a nice moment. You know, she doesnt speak the language and she doesnt
know the culture, but my mother always did whatever to make me feel like I belonged there,
Ms. Choi said in tears.

Ms. Choi is more grateful than other people for the several opportunities in terms of different
relationships that were given introduced to her, which formed the person she is today. Her
meddled experiences formed her not only into a wonderful teacher, but a warm friend. Christina
is a woman who does. She does not just skim the surfaces of her relationships, rather, she goes
deeper and tries to find special qualities in each individual. She knows that relationship is
valuable and memorable.