Job Discussion Forums

[opentin]

Hi,

I have recently been in Korea teaching at a University and felt like I was in a dream - The classes were small, the student's were interested and tried hard and everything I did was quite successful. But I didn't like the country so much so I decided to return to China to teach at a school, and am now pretty seriously regretting my choice.

I'm in a private school here teaching juniors, seniors and middle-primary levels and am really lost about how to cope with the classes. I did do some public school classes last time I was in China and they were very hard to plan for etc, and now all those memories are coming back.

The problem is with the class sizes (about 40 per class), but also that my classes are just 'laowai hour' and so are completely ungraded and so the students see it as pointless, and an opportunity to muck around and do nothing. I've had a really hard day so far today (halfway through) and I was wanting some advice about how to cope with these classes.

I'm sure many of you are in a similar situation so I was looking for advice on how to let the students know I mean business. It's really difficult to go into a classroom with what you think is an OK lesson plan only to have it torn apart by 40 students who fight you on it at every turn...Even to the point of when I say - "take out your notebooks" having 2 or 3 people take it out and 30-something looking at you blankly or churlishly. I've been sending kids out of the classroom for talking but it doesn't do much and there's only so many times you can say An Jing or give them the silent treatment before it becomes meaningless. So I come away from the lessons thinking it's my fault that my lessons aren't good enough and the students aren't engaged enough...but I dont necessarily think it is. The students seem to groan and are reticent to participate even when are playing games.

It's so frustrating after having nice small classes where everyone participates and there's a really good energy to come here and experience a classroom atmosphere where people couldn't care less. It's only my second week and some classes seem to be a lost cause already. How do you people cope with this?

Anthony

[Mytime]

[Roger]

We have discussed lesson plan ad infitum and I have nothing new to add; basically, it boils down to whether you can earn their respect.
You have to adopt a few oldish ideas about how to run a class: the teacher is the students' guide and not the other way around! You must also be seen to be in possession of "knowledge" - i.e. the nitty-gritty of your first language. Forget about oral and aural practice, there is going to be too much inattention and commotion.

One thing that I feel I should bring up here is peer teaching. You should let them know each other's skills. Have them correct their writing. Surely you have to give them some instructions in writing every once in a while? Do it as a dictation! Then have them pass on their papers to their neighbours for correction! Then correct them in your turn - or correct one paper for every 4 or 5 students.

[vikdk]

MOD EDIT

But back to the topic - the OP writes -