Korean Job Discussion Forums

dankdo · Joined: 21 Mar 2007 Location: Paju City

Part of my job requires me to do some 'Demo' classes (my CT calls it a teacher's teaching contest). I have to do this 3 times as practice, once for the faculty, once for the parents and another time before the actual Demo in front of the Board of Education.

It's very nerve racking having to teach in front of people and I hate it. I was wondering if other teachers have to do these demos. It feels like a circus act...everything is rehearsed and the children do not learning anything. What kind of lesson plans do you come up with? Does anyone rehearse their lessons?

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Why do you find it nerve racking?

You do it everyday in front of students who are harder to please than the adults.

It's an easy thing to do. The hardest bit is getting your CT to stick to the plan.

I have two more next week. One of them is in front of some outsiders the other is internal and possibly parents.

My biggest worry is that my pregnant co teacher isn't cutting the mustard just now and needs a swift kick up the arse.

bosintang · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:06 pm Post subject:

Just do the lessons. Don't worry about it. You're not going to get a payraise but you're not going to get fired either.

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

He could get is CT a bollocking though and end up in her bad books which could mean the rest of the year with a spiteful woman/man.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

The demonstration lessons are as much for show as anything...Many times they are scripted and rehearsed before actually presented to the people who matter...I have done these for 4 years now three times each year and more when I have more than one cooperating teacher...Just be yourself and teach like you normally would...The students usually shine when they know someone is watching them, and it usually ends with a group session where the people visiting have an opportunity to share their likes and dislikes about your presentation...In the end, it will have little impact on your job unless you screw up royally and make the school look bad in some way...

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

I'd rehearse your lesson if possible. And give your co-teacher a lesson plan. I've refused to do demo-lessons with one co-teacher as they keep changing my lesson plan in the middle of the lesson. That's just plain embarrassing. Otherwise - it's the usual circus here, there's always someone just 'dropping by' for a look (visiting professors, trainee teachers, parents, Vice Principal etc). I've refused TV camera's though. Just put on your best clown smile and teach normally. Good luck.

bosintang · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:47 pm Post subject:

They're just dog and pony shows. They're not about how great or terrible a teacher you are, they're about showing your obedience by doing them and going through the whole ceremony of it all. You'd really have to make a royal mess of it for it to matter.

cwemory · Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Location: Gunpo, Korea

The Gyeonggi CGE website has some great examples of demo class lesson plans. There are 18 examples. The subject titles are in Korean but after you open the file the lesson plans are in English.
http://cge.ken.go.kr/r/bbs/board.php?bbs_code=k_m_teaching

The link is for middle school. i f you need elementary or high school there there too.

VirginIslander · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: Busan

What a joke! Having to act out a rehearsed lesson plan in front of a crowd. My friend has been preparing an act for her student's parents for a month now. The students memorize every answer for everyone of her questions. What a joke!

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

I'm going to wing it.

My ct couldn't be both ered to work out what lesson we were going to teach so didn't tell me until last Friday.

Wing it and see what happens.

Stuff her.

poet13 · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 4:28 pm Post subject:

Demo classes are only scripted dog and pony shows if you let them be.

I did one internal at the beginning of the year, and I have another provincial one in about two weeks. As far as I know, +35 English teachers from other schools have so far signed up. My official co-teacher suggested to me the other day that we do a show. I stopped him in his tracks and said we would be doing a normal class. The students would not be prepped, nor would they rehearse. I told him we would change the lesson plan at the last minute if they were prepped and rehearsed. He wasn't happy. Tough *beep*. It's just another class, and the only difference is that there are some extra people there. We talked about it in our weekly meeting yesterday and he understands my point, so it's not a problem. He thinks I am very brave.

I have some questions about what to put on my feedback form, but I'll start another thread rather than hijack this one.

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Hmmm

I had a look through the website with the demo lessons lesson plans available for download.

Why do some of them have an in depth analysis of the students opinion of having a native teacher at their school and the benefits that they felt they received from having one.

I'm off to one today in Yongin to have a look and see what it is all about.

Do you think they would notice if you just copied another teachers LP from the website and did that?

I don't believe in reinventing the wheel.