Job Discussion Forums

alexis · Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Posts: 20 Location: Asheville, NC

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I teach primary. To say the least -I absolutely hate it!!! Anyway, the first semester I tried "teaching". Sadly realizing that they could care less. This semester I just want to do really easy, no prep. lessons-something to just waste 45 minutes with the least amount of talking on my part. I just want to make it to June and then get the hell out of this school. This week (all 18 classes) I watched a disney DVD and then asked a few questions. Unfortunately, I do not think I can do this every week so I am hoping that someone has some additional ideas. Oh, and did I say....I absolutely hate it.!!
P.S. Before anyone starts telling me that I need to change my attitude....Trust me--I am perfectly fine with my "attitude" I am an experienced teacher from the US. I checked this positon out among many before coming and was assured that I would not just be a "token" foreigner. Unfortunately, that has not been the case and now it is too late.

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

I really don't know how to give "instruction-free" lessons. From my experience, as teachers, we are here to be instructors and teach English.

I really don't know what you're looking for.

You just want to sit back and watch DVD's with your kids all day, or what?

alexis · Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Posts: 20 Location: Asheville, NC

As I said in my earlier post, I obviously can not watch DVD's every week. That why I was trying to get other ideas on easy, no prep lessons.

Ger · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 334

Disney is a great idea. How did the pupils respond?

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provide videos with the pupil's book.

I worked with some primary school foreign teachers in China, they grew to have the same attitude as you.

They tried several methods to deal with the naughty kids - one child policy means that kids want to play with their classmates at every chance because they don't have siblings of their own! Playing and talking with other kids is natural. Fat lot of help that is to you as a teacher who has to get through 45 minute periods!! Sorry for you.

One foreign teacher would allow the kids to watch vcds on Fridays if the kids were good in lessons the other four days.

Another FT used videos as part of her teaching.

All the classes had the overhead projecting machine which allows the teacher to put a book on top of the machine and the page is projected onto a screen. This machine was used for the VCDs as well.

alexis · Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Posts: 20 Location: Asheville, NC

They did of course like the Disney DVD. Most of the time the projector is broke. Do you have any ideas other than DVD? I have no problem with discipline. The school I work in is just a rich kid boarding school. I am used to teachin college kids in the US. I have tried really hard to fight against excepting the reality that I am just a "token white face" but I have given up. Now, I truely just want to get to the end of the week and collect my pay. Before being hired the school assured me that this would not be the case, but they obviously lied. Unfortunately, it is too late now.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Have you ever thought of how your kids feel?
Yo8u hate it, and so do they. Not your fault, tobe sure, but not theirs either. What can be done?

Do something out of the ordinary. Skip books and videos. Avoid the problems that lead to translations. Your kids sit too much and get too little exercise. On the other hand, they have way too many lessons and too much homework. All in the name of exams.

Take them out to the sports ground and do some PE with them. Now is the time. Nice weather, and students likely to appreciate a change.

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

There can always be problem classes but try and remember, your classes are what you make them. Just because they hired you to be the "token" face, doesn't mean that you shouldn't try and make the most the most out of your classes. Kids really like teaching aids. If you are talking about a topic, bring in some props. A friend of mine was teaching the class about clothes, she put on layers and after talking about each item, she would take it off and show it around. She ended off in shorts and a tee-shirt, the kids loved it. I taught about food and the food groups. I made pictures of all sorts of food and bought in 4 boxes with the groups written on them. The students would come up and select a picture and had to put it in the right box. Everything needs some preparation. If the students enjoy the classes, I think this would improve your outlook. Why not give it try?

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Hooray Babala! Visual aids (especially at the primary level) make kids curious, and they have something to look at. The more colorful, the better. And for goodness sake, don't try to do 45 minutes of "talking". Introduce a topic, have a picture for them to color, talk about the pictures, have a worksheet for them to work on, choose different students to answer (outloud naturally) the questions after everyone has had a chance to work on them, teach them a song maybe with an accompanying CD, show a VCD from time to time (nothing wrong with that), have them do some simple role-playing of the characters from the movie. Can you get or make little costume pieces for them to wear during the role-playing? If it's a princess or a king or something, making crowns and tiaras should be easy assuming you can find the stuff for them. Go on a nature walk and play "I spy" with them: "I spy a tall plant and it has green leaves . . . " "A tree! a tree!" is what I'm guessing you'll get from some of them. Get your more advanced students to be the "I Spy" leader if they can manage it.

What about games? There are hundreds of ideas right here at Dave's.

Now, saying all that, I agree that getting them to cooperate and settle down could be daunting - - I have enough problems with my Senior 1 kids.

Ricepaddy · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 219

Roger is on to a good idea. One day a week take 'em out to the playground and teach them kiddies school games from home. I used to do that with first year middle school students, and it usually worked out quite well.

Taught primary school once, for a week, filling in for a friend. Never, ever, ever again....