Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kilgore Trout]

I wonder if anyone has experienced a similiar lapse of confidence in their public school job...

I'm teaching in a high school and prepare the curriculum and all the materials myself. I have a great relationship with my co-teachers and with most of the students as well. The situation is as good as anyone could expect.

My problem is that, it seems unless the content is terribly easy (too easy for what should be high schoolers' level after 10 years of almost daily English study), many of the students just give up and nod off. I try to keep things lively in the classroom and have an arsenal of fun activities to support the various topics we cover in the class. Yet, unless there is a game on the horizon, it seems a number of students can't or won't participate in the lesson. For my own self-respect as a teacher, I can't be doling out games all the time; and there has to be some challenge to what we do. I suspect my approach is missing the mark for these more serious lessons; isn't it a teacher's responsibility to make it all engaging as well as instructive? We also meet only about 3 times a month, I teach 1100 students and it seems like there's no progress being made.

Geez, I'm all over the map. Sorry for that. It's hard to nail my thoughts down concisely. What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that my students aren't progressing because of a) insufficient time to practice speaking, b) lack of any extrinsic motivation (no need to use English; no tests or homework in speaking class); c) enormous number of students, and d) possibly a poor choice of topics on my part (though I've tried many different approaches).

What I want to know is, does anyone else feel their public school classes are generally pointless and worry about how to improve the situation? And does anyone have any constructive advice to offer to soothe my sagging spirit?

Trout

[passport220]

I can relate. I think the students really are not used to being challenged. They are easily frustrated and will not stick with you to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even if I am willing to take them by the hand and walk them through. I have had Korean teachers tell my��.. the students don�t know X, Y or Z so I should not teach it. WTF? If they already knew it��..it is not learning!!!

However, to keep the students awake and participating I have continually made my lessons easier. Everyone seems more comfortable that way. I just have to measure success in smaller doses. I interject more complicated vocabulary or tasks�.but only surrounded by easier activities.

[babtangee]

Yeah, you really have to shoot to their level. You're not going to teach them much with such little contact time, so just try to give them as much speaking practice as possible. No sense in swimming against the current.

[Juregen]

I noticed the same with my students.

As long as I keep the difficulty at a manageable level they do well, but once the difficulty is beyond their grasp, they just don't even try.

Finding a balanced mix is a challenge, but then I only have to worry about 20 or so students ...

[Kilgore Trout]

Thanks for the replies. There is some comfort in knowing others are battling the same forces I am. It's frustrating (I'm sure many will agree) having to 'level-down' lessons on the fly to maintain some focus - however tenuous - on a challenging lesson. I can't say I really fault the students for their occasional apathy; high school kids are always exhausted after 14 hours at school everyday. They look at my class as a chance to unwind without having to think too much and anticipate it each week because of that. When I've got something on the table which is beyond what they expect to have to do, well, I guess the irresistable force (my determination) meets the immoveable object (their collective fatigue) and a stalemate ensues.

I had the same experiences back in my hagwon days, too, so I know it's not just an artifact of the public school system. I console myself sometimes with a line from Frank McCourt's "Teacher Man" that goes something like you want to succeed, to change their outlook, to motivate and impress them, but they don't necessarily want you to do that or hear about how you can't because "they've got their own problems, and you're one of them."

I don't know why that consoles me, but it does.

[Julius]

To me whats important is giving the students a positive interraction with a foreign person and enjoying the subject. Strict progress goals are not so important to me. You'll find that they will learn once they enjoy your classes.
Last year I had several students that really liked me and english. Their standard increased dramatically because they wanted to learn. paying them attention and taking time to chat with them after class about their little lives is what made the difference.

I don't think you can ever force students to learn, just provide the information. They absorb much of it without trying, the rest is up to them.