Korean Job Discussion Forums

MESL · Joined: 23 Jul 2006

Met a foreign teacher who works in a public school in Seoul. She teaches 25 lessons a week. She has 25 classes. One lesson per week per class. No team teacher. No translator. Home room teachers leave because they will lose face if she asks for help and they don't understand what she says. Textbook notes are in Korean.

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

EFLtrainer · Joined: 04 May 2005

She should be thankful the Korean leaves her to teach.

passport220 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do province

I would not want to be unsupportive to the actual teacher. However, nothing you describe seems wrong. It is a teacher in a classroom with students. In line with what Butlerian wrote, suggest she develop interesting lessons as best she can and teach them.

oxfordstu · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Location: Bangkok

The only thing I see that's bad is that the textbooks are in Korean. Other than that, she only has to plan one lesson per week, so it seems like that would be pretty easy, even boring after awhile.

poet13 · Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 3:54 pm Post subject:

I think she has a great opportunity to plan and perfect lesson plans and deliveries. By the end of the first day on a particular lesson plan, she will know what works, what doesn't, and where to go given X responses. Very cool. A whole lot better than having to plan 25 lesson plans a week!

bosintang · Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 4:44 pm Post subject:

At the Kyeonggi PoE meeting, they mentioned that 60% of foreign teachers want the Korean teacher to lead the lesson.

I think this is retarded. They are basically expecting that the Korean teacher will do their job for them. Why bother hiring a foreign teacher if aren't even responsible for preparing and delivering lesson?

On the other hand, you can hardly blame someone inexperienced as a teacher and new in Korea for not wanting to lead a class. The public school jobs need to be a lot more honest to who they're hiring about the job expectations (don't go with the silly facade of team-teaching if it isn't happening), and they have to be a lot more honest with themselves about what they can expect a foreign teacher is capable of doing.

Boodleheimer · Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 5:06 pm Post subject:

bosintang · Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 5:08 pm Post subject:

poet13 · Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 5:18 pm Post subject:

OP. There may be a clause in the PoE that says there MUST be a Korean teacher in the classroom with you. I know there is in EPIK Kyeoung Buk. I don't adhere to it, but it's nice to know it's there to fall back on.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul