Korean Job Discussion Forums

wendysue · Joined: 17 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul

I teach 180 minutes of kindy a day and either three or four elementary classes a day and I really, really like my kindy classes, for many of the reasons stated by other posters. I have a pretty good amount of freedom in my lesson planning, so I mix it up between academic stuff (spelling, subtraction, reading) and fun (coloring, songs, PE time twice a week). I have one class of 7 and one class of ten and I could not imagine having more than 10-- make sure your contract specifies class size!

A question for other kindy teachers--are you expected to give them homework? I was just told this week that I should be doing homework and I just can't stand the thought of giving homework to such little ones knowing that they have a whole life of crazy Korean academic pressure ahead of them.

waterbaby · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie

maxxx_power · Joined: 17 Mar 2003 Location: BWAHAHAHAHA! I'M FREE!!!!!!!

I have a class of 14 kindergarteners for 3 1/2 hours each day for 5 days a week. Mind you, I have no aptitude for dealing with the little hellspawn so I resort to breaking their spirits and forcing them to submit. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife at times.

The korean staff prefer to physically punish the more wild demon children but I find that psychological trauma is much more effective at controlling them. Inflict the wounds that leave no physical scars, only mental ones.

I swear that sometimes I've turned the little ones into miniature adults, sitting quietly in their seats until I utter the magic words "play time". I could have an army of child soldiers in another 3 months of hogwan teaching.

It's not that kindergarten is bad, you just have to REALLY like kids.

Now that I think about it, I really should stop teaching kids. Now if only my @#!$#@@ director would release me from my contract!

tomato · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 6:10 pm Post subject:

Hello, Haxah!

For a new teacher, the kids could be difficult to control.
In fact, for even an experienced teacher, a class newly arriving at the English school or Korean kindergarten could be difficult to control.
It requires a special skill which is somewhat different from the skill required for teaching other classes.

Kindergarten teaching involves providing a wide variety of activities.
That's good news in the sense that it is generous in providing creative outlets.
That's bad news in the sense that it requires a lot of energy.

If you accept a job that involves teaching kindergarten, come with a suitcase-load of books, pictures, and other materials. You cannot trust your director to provide the necessary materials.

Take a look at my Website.
I've listed the activities which I have found most effective in teaching kindergarten.

jacob7207 · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: Seoul

Every time I see a kindergartener I want to kick him/her like you do in football. Seriously, Kindergaten sucks.

chaiplz · Joined: 21 Mar 2011

Anyone have a good salary idea for the average kindie teacher? I'm one of those TESL newbies with a lot of energy, but I've also worked with young children for years... I'm not so much the 'motherly' type, as the 'patient auntie that knows eventually I can give the kiddy back to mom'. Either way, I love singing stupid songs and doing little dances with kids and think it would be a fun job.

But seriously.. are the 35 student classes the norm? Shocked

That, would in fact, be awful.. especially for the kids.

tomato · Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:47 am Post subject:

35-student classes?
We have 22 children and 5 teachers!

chaiplz · Joined: 21 Mar 2011

^ phew... I must have misread Laughing

Marzipoo · Joined: 10 Feb 2011