I had not written much on the blog because I was physically and mentally exhausted. Messages from students were what kept me going—especially news of a perfect IB Chemistry score, a first-place school ranking, and a student whose grade had risen sharply.
When nearby students were struggling emotionally, I sometimes shared a meal with them before returning to class. Those small moments and their later progress made the demanding schedule feel worthwhile.
At the same time, an investment of 60 million won had temporarily grown to about 400 million won through Nasdaq stocks. The gain was so large that ordinary life began to feel unreal. I watched price charts late into the night even though no amount of staring could change the market, then taught the next day without enough sleep.
A one-percent move meant a change of roughly four million won. It became difficult to focus on lessons, and I disliked the effect the market was having on my attention and health. The larger the profit became, the less interested I felt in anything except stocks.
A sharp Nasdaq decline then erased a large part of the gain. Strangely, the loss brought me back to reality. I felt grateful again for the people around me and for the value of the work I had been doing.
New university-admission messages from former students helped complete that change in perspective. I had studied companies with the same intensity I once brought to examination preparation, but I could finally see that the pace had become unhealthy.
Former students continued to contact me after entering university, sometimes asking where to find solutions for university textbooks or how to approach a difficult Chemistry problem. I wanted all of them to do well.
With AP Chemistry approaching and a new group preparing to begin IB Chemistry, it was time to return my attention to teaching. The original post closed by noting the IB and AP Chemistry classes, along with IB and AP Physics support available at that time.