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Really frustrated...
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mandrews1985



Joined: 12 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 9:57 pm    Post subject: Really frustrated... Reply with quote

I teach at a pretty prestigious high school and earn a fair deal! (2.7million before tax and I don't have to pay for accomodation too. The school pay me this by charging their parents more)

I applied for the job, partly because of the money/extra vacations, partly because I wanted to teach older students and also because it was a new challenge.

I was employed to teach SAT critical reading and writing, and TOEFL to 1st graders. It's a kind of International Program I say kind of because out of the 10 students I teach only 2 of them would have any chance at all getting into an American college.

So, I teach 10 students. That's it... the same 10 students all day, all week. Their English ability range goes from low for elementary age to near perfect and theyre in the same class.

How can I teach students SAT reading, when half the class would struggle reading The Cat in the Hat? I was told that we'll leave SAT classes till next semester (September I guess) and that I should focus on TOEFL instead. I start off with the basics, the students still can't get it and the few that can have no challenge, they've already hit 100-110 in the iBT test.

That brings me to last week. Kids start skipping my class. Or pretending to be sick to get out of it. I report the attendance to my co teacher. She speaks to the class, they tell her the classes are too difficult and not fun.

I was expecting to teach a bunch of interesting and intelligent students who were focused on improving their English ability, instead I get a bunch of lazy kids who have no interest in English at all. Maybe I was partly naive in my expectations, but I have taught middle school kids who have higher ability, motivation and potential than these, I think I was right in expecting something... more elite.

I can do fun classes, I can be entertaining but I feel it's the opposite of what is expected of me from the parents. I can keep the kids happy and they fail and piss off the people who pay my wages or I can teach them and they do well but they don't like me. I think it's a joke the link between a good teacher is a fun teacher. I could of went to a school where I was expected to entertain the kids and I would of had a laugh doing it but I felt this school would help develop me as a teacher, it hasn't.

It's a high school, but I don't have a Korean co teacher in class, it's all mine. With that in mind I'm not allowed to discipline the students. I'm not allowed to give them homework, because they are too stressed. And now 4 of 17 classes have been turned into 'outdoor' classes where they want me to play sports with them, or go for a walk or whatever.

I'm really at a lose here. I genuinely don't understand what is expected of me, as it is there was no syllabi in place for me. I had to produce it all the co teacher tells me it's my class, but then interferes regularly, which I don't mind if only it wasn't one knee jerk reaction to another.

How can i teach these kids of complete different abilities at the same time? How can I make TOEFL fun? how can I teach it without alienating the smarter kids?

EDIT: I'd just like to add that I have taught TOEFL for over 2 years very successfully with 100s of different students who all studied well, improved and enjoyed the class, participated, raised questions etc etc.
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augustine



Joined: 08 Sep 2012
Location: México

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That was quite jumbled. You're teaching the SAT to first graders? Shocked
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mandrews1985



Joined: 12 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sorry Augustine, but I don't normally take a planned approach to my forum rants. I didn't take the time to brainstorm and outline while typing angrily and that was shown in the messy 'as it came to me' style of writing your just witnessed.

Now if you're going to be helpful, please do so. Otherwise be pretentious elsewhere. Thanks Smile
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hogwonguy1979



Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: the racoon den

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

augustine wrote:
That was quite jumbled. You're teaching the SAT to first graders? Shocked


get a frigging grip, he's just venting,

man some people can be such jerks

hang in there op
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augustine



Joined: 08 Sep 2012
Location: México

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Psf, get a grip yourself, I don't mind if he's venting at all. I'm just curious about why in the world they're expecting the OP to teach the SAT to first graders, that's nuts.
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mandrews1985



Joined: 12 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's a quick likst of why they expect me to teach SATs.

1. 1st grade high school (maybe you missed that?)
2. It's an international program so the students I teach will apply for American universities. (They start AP classes in 2nd grade)
3. I have very good A levels in Eng Lit and Lang incase you were questioning my ability to teach the SAT classes (which is how it came across in your post)

Cheers.
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augustine



Joined: 08 Sep 2012
Location: México

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No, I wasn't questioning your abilities at all, I just said your post seemed jumbled.

Quote:
1. 1st grade high school (maybe you missed that?)



Quote:
I was employed to teach SAT critical reading and writing, and TOEFL to 1st graders.


Yes, that's it... I've never heard freshmen referred to as first graders.
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everything-is-everything



Joined: 06 Jun 2011

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well Koreans mistakenly refer to high school freshmen (or 1st year students) as 1st graders in English.

So the OP was just making the same mistake as Koreans do.
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mandrews1985



Joined: 12 Sep 2011

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

everything-is-everything wrote:
Well Koreans mistakenly refer to high school freshmen (or 1st year students) as 1st graders in English.

So the OP was just making the same mistake as Koreans do.


I'd hardly call it a mistake though, just not keen on adopting Americanisms for everything especially when the Koreans dont use it. I might call them Year 11s from now on, like back in England.
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nicwr2002



Joined: 17 Aug 2011

PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 12:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The outdoor classes seem to be one of those casual learning type things. By just being around you and conversing casual, the student can learn "real" English. Maybe I'm thinking too much into that one. They won't allow you to split the classes into different levels? If you are teaching the same students all day then it would seem like they could split the classes for you. Although this is a Korea school.....
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le-paul



Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre

PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 12:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

if i were you, id concentrate on teaching vocabulary and do listening comprehension exercises with them (cd/mp3) just make sure they have
some kind of translation.
and then set them lots of tests for the vocab.
Parents/teachers will like that.
boring as shit for everyone else...
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globusmonkey



Joined: 19 Aug 2011
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 1:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One possibility is to start doing team-based, student centered lessons. You can split the class into teams, stronger students with weaker, and have activities where the groups compete to complete tasks. You could even structure the whole term like a game show - keeping score and giving small prizes (ten minutes rest, etc. Stay away from physical stuff like candy.). Do it every day, and it could show results quickly once they're in the swing of it. This approach can even be used for testing, to show the parents the kids have regular exams, as long as it is monitored carefully.

Design the lessons so the weaker students are responsible for things (such as being the reporter at the end, or taking notes, or whatever), so the stronger students don't end up doing all the work. Since it's a small class, it should be easy to give a lot of teacher attention to your teams, and ensure that the strong help the weak. Be careful to group them so they can work together (no big personality conflicts), and it may take some time to get rolling, but it could work and lead you into TOEFL/SAT prep activities down the road. You could even do these types of lessons when you're outdoors. This approach takes more prep, but it could be a good way of challenging yourself, as you were hoping to do. Good luck!
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joelove



Joined: 12 May 2011

PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 4:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I probably don't have anything helpful to add, but your job sort of reminded me of one I had in China. For the first 4 months I was at that school I had the same class 20 times a week on average: we often worked more than 5 days, up to 10 in a row and then took 3 or 4 days off so the students could go to their hometowns. They lived on campus. We were expected to teach the material students their age in Canada were doing as these Chinese students were all going to Canada to finish high school. I think most of them are in Canada now. Some went there still really basic, maybe able to tell you their birthday in English. Others had pretty good conversational ability. A few could probably write as well as an average ten year old native speaker. These kids were between 15 and 17. Quite a few were really lazy and didn't care to make an effort. It all came down to money. Their parents had enough to buy their way through school. I am sure the program in Canada accepts kids who have near zero English ability for the money they get. Apparently some improve a good bit at English once they get to Canada and live with a family.

Anyway, it is tough trying to teach material way beyond student ability. It's like giving a beginner a newspaper. There could be 40 words on one page in the book that they don't know. I got some other material to use, though it was hard to find in that city. Had to make up topics and stuff to talk about. We ended up watching videos a lot too.

When you're stuck with tough material to use that is not suited for the class, it can be hard. When you've got lazy students who know they can't fail as daddy has the money, there's not a lot you can do. You can do well with some students and sort of ignore others. Your classes are smaller though.

It can be a frustrating job.
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fustiancorduroy



Joined: 12 Jan 2007

PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 4:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

everything-is-everything wrote:
Well Koreans mistakenly refer to high school freshmen (or 1st year students) as 1st graders in English.

So the OP was just making the same mistake as Koreans do.


I don't see why it's a mistake to call first year high school students first graders. That's what they are: 1학년고등학생. You can communicate this idea in English. By American standards, they are 10th graders. But this isn't America, so calling them 10th graders is wrong.
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rollo



Joined: 10 May 2006
Location: China

PostPosted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Games, activities, some not nessacarily esl oriented. I have taught clases like you described. Advanced material but to a small group with mixed englsih abilities. They get bored and distracted. English is often not seen as being important. It can get very frustrating. Have to really look at all resources, scour the web for ideas.
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