Sidewalk English started as a very specific collection of materials that I created myself to solve very specific problems that kept coming up for me as a public school teacher in Korea.
It takes way too much time to sift through thousands of worksheets online to find something that is engaging and fun for students, is designed well, and perfectly matches the lesson I’m teaching.
The public school curriculum is very specific and it’s important that students master the topics in their textbooks first. I want to emphasize the key expressions and vocabulary from the school lessons first and foremost, but many ESL resources are bit too generic for that.
Even if I manage to find a good resource, there are often paywalls. If I have to pay even just a few dollars for simple lesson material, that’s already too high a barrier for me, especially when I actually enjoy designing teaching materials myself. I don’t want to pay out of pocket for materials just to do my below-average paying job.
So I began making my own content for each lesson because I enjoyed being able to curate exactly what and how my students study the material.
I love creating word puzzles and thinking of fresh ways to challenge students that are more interesting than the basic presentation of textbook activities or some ESL resources online. I found my students enjoy the puzzles and it helps them remember spelling for their tests.
Since I make the games and worksheets anyway and I didn’t want them just sitting in a drive to only be used once in a year, I decided to create a website to display everything I’ve created at once. After realizing that other people find this content useful, I became inspired to keep creating more!
So why did I name the site Sidewalk English?
I was inspired by a beloved children’s book author and poet, Shel Silverstein, author of famous poetry collection Where The Sidewalk Ends. Every page is a simple white space with a few black-and white line drawings next to witty and playful poetry for children. Clean, punchy, and memorable.
I remember memorizing one poem titled “Invention” with my dad when I was young. The first few lines read:
I've done it, I've done it!
Guess what I've done!
Invented a light that plugs into the sun.
I memorized it because it was my dad’s favorite Silverstein poem and we would recite it together sometimes, so it quickly became my favorite as well.
When I was thinking about making a website, the name Sidewalk English came to mind very naturally and immediately. The thought came suddenly and then that was the name. No hesitation.
I believe Where The Sidewalk Ends has taught young children and adults everywhere a love for reading and an appreciation for curiosity, youth, whimsy, and wordplay. With this book, you can discover the silliness and joy that can be found in a language. I want the same for students around the world learning English.
I also like the idea of casually meandering through language learning on a “sidewalk” instead of focusing strictly on a set structure of grammar or memorization, and the idea of language as a pathway to new opportunities and ways of thinking.
I’m reminded of my middle school principal gifting me with a copy of Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss when I graduated. I could’ve have never imagined I’d end up teaching in Korea and creating Sidewalk English. In two words, there’s a language, a childhood memory, and a path toward places yet to be discovered.
Love,
B.
Leave a Reply