Korean Job Discussion Forums

[njp6]

I know this topic has been covered before, but I'm looking for some good lesson plans on what to do the first day at a public elementary school. I'm going to be teaching 40 minute classes to 4-6th graders and I'm wondering what has worked for you in the past. Any info is appreciated.

[hubba bubba]

Lay down the f--king law the first day, and don't try any of this "I'm your new friend from Canada" bs.

[passport220]

(I wrote this in another thread but that thread was hijacked by a few posters bickering)

My advice would be to prepare an introduction lesson. For your first lesson keep it light and simple. The students and Korean teachers will want to get to know you. If you can make a PowerPoint presentation, with slides of your hometown and family as a prop. The idea is not to set traditional learning goals but to let the students (and teachers) get used to listening to the quality of your voice, accent and pace.

After I introduce myself I play the well known ESL intro game where the I write 5 sentences on the board. 3 are true, 2 are false, I let the students guess which is which.

Next it is the students turn, have them write 2 sentences 1 true, 1 false. Then I have each student read the two sentences individually and I guess which is true. The main point is to have each student participate and get over the jitters of speaking with you. Keep it light and fun.

Overall my advice is to make your base lessons on the easy side and be prepared to expand and make them more challenging if you feel it is warranted on the spot.

If the lessons are too easy the students will complain, but they will participate.
If the lessons are too difficult the students will complain and shut down and do nothing.
It is better to start too easy.

The introduction lesson will get you through until you can get your feet on the ground and take a look at what the students are studying, you can then tailor your lessons accordingly.


Good luck

[pkang0202]

[passport220]

To expand on the advice above you can focus on school life in your home country as part of your PowerPoint introduction the kids will love it. Compare what it was like to go to elementary school in your home country compared to what is like in Korea. Hours kids go to school, vacations, sports, meal time (use actual school menus and pictures of food), etc.

You can use this same PowerPoint later (with some additional slides) for future lessons on classroom language, classroom and school vocabulary, and food.

--------------------------------------

If you don�t have PowerPoint tools available in the classroom - I recommend a simple introduction device. I introduce myself as �Mr. David� using the letter of my name I tell a fact about myself. Example:

My home is Chicago, Illinois - Chicago is the 3rd largest city in America, etc.
Relatives - My relatives in America include my mother, father, two older sisters, etc.

Delicious pizza is my favorite food, blah, blah, blah, etc.
A - blah, blah, blah, etc.
V " "
I " "
D " "

It is rather simplistic but it is effective as a way to let the students hear you speak. Let the kids interrupt with questions, best case you elicit some actual conversation.


Good luck

[ddeubel]

I'm giving a lecture on this shortly. I'll be brief here but look in my community below for a full version and the attachements / ppts.

First, you want to access student knowledge/fluency. So important.
Second goal, let the kids know you and begin the bonding process.

How? One, start with an interview. They interview you. I used to use photos of myself, passed around class. Now an interactive powerpoint with prompts. Students see the prompt words and illicit a question. They can then ask further info. Ex. Is he your father? Yes! What is his name? etc..... See my own presentation and find out how simple it is to make /do

Next, you want to do an activity that will be "routine" for the class. Establishing routines. Every class I do an interview to start. On chart paper, write down all the questions with reference to the Little town or Big town cards (see attachment). What is your name? Where do you work? How tall are you? etc.....

They can use these to interview you and then another student and then in pairs. Later, use the big town/little town character cards each class to practice this interview. Really a great solidifying/routine builder. Later in the year when they have interviewed all the class or even before, they can assume a character and be interviewed.

Don't go into class rules, expectations, the book, rote stuff etc......until the second class. Then set them down out of their desks if possible, brainstorm the rules and agree. Each class signs a big sheet. Go through procedures for lining up, entry/exit and signalling.

Then you are set.....

Sorry, so busy but I'll expand on this later.

As always, passports ideas are super also, imo.....

DD

[dogshed]

With the Korean teacher translating I explained that we all get embarrassed. I misspelled embarrassed and asked the class if it had one r or two and it
worked so well I did it in all the classes.

I asked had each kid stand and sing an English song. Once they sung a few words I had them sit. After a bit they figured out that the best way to avoid embarrassment was to sing. I did skip over the truly frozen ones or the ones with issues and the Korean teacher helped with that.

In the end I told them we were all embarrassed today and we don't have to worry about it anymore.

[bosintang]

Middle School here, but first lesson I just let the students interview me and encouragin them to ask anything they want. If I don't want to answer a question, I make a joke about it.

If they run out of questions too early, I make them each make 3 or 4 questions on a piece of paper with a partner. The first day I let them write the questions in Korean and help them change them to English. After that I lay down the class rules and expectations.

[Smee]

These are great tips, and I'll keep them in mind when I do my first middle school lessons.

BUT

the OP is teaching elementary school, and there is a set curriculum. Each school does things differently---some are okay with foreigners improvising, some are not---but on my first day last year my coteacher and I went right into the book. I was told we weren't allowed to "waste time" by doing an introductory lesson, haha (but we can cancel classes for volleyball practice).

Anyway, a lot will depend on where you are and who you work with. From my experience, only a very, very tiny percentage of elementary school students knew the basics (My name is __, I am ___ years old, I like ___). You could review these things with them, but don't get discouraged if they give you blank stares. Again, it will depend on where you are and the level of your students, but you might find that your students can't read or write English very well (certainly not well enough to make sentences).

The students have just finished a 5-week summer vacation, so there's a good chance they've forgotten much of what they studied the past semester (or past few years). But, you'll pick things up in the middle of the textbook, which means you could always review terms and phrases they studied earlier. You won't see the textbook until you get there, but it doesn't take much prep to skim through the text in class and say "how do you spell breakfast?" Also, there's a good chance the kids will have favorite songs from last term, so you could always go through one or two of those (yes, you'll be singing and chanting in elementary school, haha).

Well, anyway, it's good to have a few general ideas in your head, but don't sweat it too much . . . chances are there's already a system in place for you and, for better or worse, they'll expect you to jump right into it. Good luck.

[Sody]

I strongly recommend you listen to what Smee is saying. Especially the last part of his/her post:

[crusher_of_heads]

Dave should start the ddb cafe

Thanks Dave

[saybanana]

OK I taught in a public elementary school last year and first week of classes are always the hardest.

If the books you are using is with Nami, Jinho, Joon, Julie and all the fun people, then there isnt really a lot of time to chit chat if you plan to finish the book, by the end of the term.

but since it is your first day, I think the best thing for you to do is keep your introduction short and simple. Too much talking will bore the students especially since their language listening ability will probably will not be that great. If you are boring, then kids will always think of you as boring.

I made the mistake of talking a lot, with no pictures or props, and saw a lot of restless children in a hot humid room. How fun.

Anyways, your co-teacher will probably translate everything you say. If they understand. Then the student will ask you the same thing the teachers will ask you. Are you married? Are you interested in Korean girls? Do you like Korean food? Where do you live (dont tell them or they will hunt you down)? Can you speak korean? Do you like Korean food? What is your favorite food?
You will do this for 22 classes but you will be a pro by the 2nd or 3rd class. Anyways the meet and greet Q/A session will end and the teaching begin. I ended up just watching my co-teacher and how she manages the class. Then the following week I kinda took over.

[Kid65]

Hey all, many thanks to njp6 and all you that've replied to this post.

I'm starting in a public school in Korea in, well, two weeks, and this post has just allayed some fears I have had.

From what I can tell i'm starting in a school in Incheon where the English level of the students is very basic, if not non-existent.

The only thing I would suggest is that you could try emailing your recruiter or whatever to try and establish what level the students are at. But then again I guess that will be done on the first day anyway...

[icicle]

[icicle]