Friday, October 24, 2025
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Coulston Teacher Shares Lessons from South Korea Fellowship
Coulston Elementary teacher Jonathan Baldwin, left, traveled to South Korea this summer as part of a fellowship experience. | submitted
Coulston Elementary fourth grade teacher Jonathan Baldwin says his summer in South Korea left him “renewed,” and more thoughtful about how to help students face hard history with honesty and hope.
Baldwin was one of 30 educators worldwide chosen for the 2025 Discover Korea Research Fellowship, a yearlong professional development experience sponsored by the Korea Foundation. The fellowship culminated in a 10-day trip that immersed teachers in the nation’s culture and education system.
At Monday’s Shelbyville Central Schools board meeting, Baldwin shared highlights from his journey, thanking district leaders, the Shelbyville Education Foundation and the Blue River Community Foundation for their support.
Baldwin recalled interviewing with Kathleen Miltz, assistant superintendent, four years ago, and eventually accepting a position at Coulston.
“I fell in love with that school and feel so fortunate to get a job there,” he said.
The summer trip began in Seoul, where Baldwin’s cohort visited major historical sites and met with historians and members of South Korea’s National Assembly. “We went to the DMZ on the very second day: a long hike down a tunnel, not great for tall people,” he said. “It was humbling to stand in a place so sensitive and so full of history.”
Other stops included Busan’s UN Memorial Cemetery, where the group heard veterans’ stories, and Haeinsa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site where monks have spent centuries carving sacred texts into wooden blocks. “We met a teenage monk and a 60-year-old monk performing the same work, both dedicating their lives to preserving their history in an authentic way,” he said.
The fellowship also explored South Korea’s rapid postwar transformation. “The Korean War devastated the country,” Baldwin said. “And today, South Korea is one of the 10 most developed nations in the world. That growth, that transformation, is a story of dedication to education and community.”
Two lessons from the experience have already shaped his classroom. The first, he said, is a new framework for teaching “difficult history,” how to discuss war and tragedy “in ways that are respectful and honest.” The second came from experiencing life as a linguistic outsider. “When I couldn’t read the signs or understand every word, it made me reflect on what our multilingual learners feel when they first come to Shelbyville,” he said.
During a question-and-answer period, Baldwin described South Korea’s education system as “highly student-driven,” with long school days and a strong sense of personal responsibility. “Students prepare their own materials for the day, clean up after lunch, even wash dishes,” he said. “There’s a sense of ownership over learning.”
As he returned to his classroom this fall, Baldwin said his students were eager to hear about his journey, and to sample the Korean candy he brought home. “They sought me out on the first day of school,” he said. “They wasted no time.”
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NOTEBOOK:
A two-vehicle crash was reported recently at the intersection of Highpointe and Ellington streets. According to the responding officer, a black Kia Soul and a blue BMW Z3 collided as both were rounding a curve. Each driver told a different version of events, and investigators were unable to determine which vehicle crossed the center line.
HOOSIER NEWS: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reopened about 2,100 Farm Service Agency offices across the country to assist farmers and ranchers in accessing $3 billion in aid from existing programs, despite the ongoing government shutdown. Each office will be staffed by two employees to help with farm loans, crop insurance, disaster relief, and other services. The move aims to provide timely support as harvest season continues and many farmers face rising costs and tight markets. (IBJ)
NATIONAL NEWS: Deloitte’s annual forecast for holiday retail sales shows consumers dialing back holiday spending, averaging $1,595, a decline of 10% over last year. The projection is $902 spent on retail goods this holiday season (down 14%, from $1,043 last year) and $694 spent on experiences (down 6%). According to the survey data fueling the analysis, shoppers intend to trade down, chase deals and reuse items from past holidays. (Numlock/The Toybook)
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YELLOW BOOK LOOK-BACK
1988
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This Day in Shelby County History
Local headlines reported on or around this date in Shelby County history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2005: The Grover Museum hosted its second Street Fair, featuring 28 vintage-themed exhibits such as a bakery, butcher, barber shop, saloon and print shop. The all-day event included food, crafts and live demonstrations, with local magician Kyle Marlett performing as a special treat. The fair served as the museum’s main fundraiser, celebrating the Streets of Old Shelby exhibit and offering visitors a glimpse into early 20th-century life.
1995: The Shelbyville Plan Commission approved rezoning about 22 acres behind the old Target building on East State Road 44 for a proposed 280-unit Blue River Village apartment complex. The project faced some neighborhood opposition over drainage and traffic concerns.
1985: The Shelbyville office of Indiana Gas had an open house at its new building on County Road 150 N, between North Michigan Road and State Road 9.
1975: Major Hospital’s board of directors approved a new around-the-clock physician emergency treatment plan, set to begin January 1, 1976. The program replaced the on-call system previously used by five local doctors and ensured 24-hour staffed emergency care through a physician service group.
1965: Work was underway for an addition to the KCL Corp. The addition would house a new warehouse and provide manufacturing space.
The Major Hospital dietary department prepared a cake for Dr. W.R. “Bill” Tindall. He had practiced medicine at the hospital since 1933 and served as a board member since 1947. Dr. Tindall, accompanied by Major Hospital board president Jim Williams and Lowell Rudicel, told The Shelbyville News is was his 39th birthday.
Plans were announced for the Harlem Globetrotters to appear Nov. 20 at Paul Cross Gym, sponsored by the Exchange Club of Shelbyville. Joe Risley was named general chairman of the event, which would also feature a halftime show by the Czechoslovakian State Folk Dance Troupe and a preliminary game.
1955: Dr. Wilson L. Dalton of the Shelby County Health Department reminded parents that children up to 10 years old should begin their polio vaccinations in the fall to ensure protection for the following year. The shots had to be given over several months, and local physicians were already administering them at parents’ requests. Children who received their first two doses the previous spring were due for booster shots during the current term.
Shelbyville police nearly filled headquarters while enforcing the city’s curfew law, bringing in juveniles who were still out after 11 p.m. Officers contacted parents to pick up their children, or, when unreachable, drove the youths home themselves. Police Chief Lloyd Mellis said curfew enforcement would continue.
1945: Marine Sergeant Norman L. Thurston of Shelbyville had a story he wrote broadcast on the “Your Marines” program over WFBM and later on WIRE’s “Your Hoosier Marines.” Thurston, formerly editor of The Democrat, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Thurston and husband of Mary Thurston. He was stationed in Japan.
Flight Officer Jack R. Pettit, a former Shelbyville resident, escaped injury when his light Army plane crashed in the Smoky Mountains while he and an aerial photographer were surveying a previous wreck site. The men hiked about 15 miles through wooded terrain to safety. Pettit was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Plez R. Pettit and grandson of Mrs. Charles Pettit of Shelbyville.
1935: A mock trial was scheduled at the Geneva Methodist Episcopal Church, where Ed Brooks would be “tried” for conduct unbecoming a church member. George Stubbs Jr. was to serve as prosecutor, Fred Cramer as defense attorney, and George Tolen as judge.
1925: Herbert McCabe, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bert McCabe, narrowly escaped serious injury when his milk truck was struck by a fast Big Four eastbound freight train at the East Washington Street crossing. The rear wheel of the truck was smashed, and McCabe was badly shaken but not seriously hurt. Reports said he failed to see the approaching train in time and was brushed aside as the rear of the vehicle was hit.
1915: A First Baptist Church choir practice turned into a Halloween surprise when a man, woman, and child, heavily masked, entered the church carrying cider and gingerbread. The startled choir quickly turned the evening into a Halloween social, sharing refreshments instead of continuing rehearsal.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Troy Thomas Lanter, 54, of Waldron, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. He was born Sept. 17, 1971, in Indianapolis to Thomas Lanter and Betty (Ryle) Harrison.
Troy was a semi-truck driver.
He married Beth Ann (Lisby) Lanter on April 21, 2001, and she survives. He is also survived by his son, Jonathon (Tiffany) Winkler; grandsons, Paxton and Carson; and sister, Shelly (Brian) Adams. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Troy’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.