Korean Job Discussion Forums

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Any suggestions for teaching middle school please!!!!!
Thankfully I have only one class of these sullen adolescents. As you all know, getting them to speak is like trying to pry open a giant clam. They are all take, take, but never contribute to lessons. You find yourself just talking at them for the entire lesson. They take ages to respond, follow cues, so you end up doing all the talking.
Nothing much works. They have the mixed character of both adults and children, with the downsides of both. You can devise the most interesting of lessons with good source material, whatever, but it sinks without trace.
Politics, adolescent sexual tensions, fear of embarrasment etc all take centre stage.
Whats the best attitude to have to them? I used to send the most boisterous/ ignorant ones out as "punishment, but then they rebel. You treat them like adults, and they become stoney silent. Treat them as friends, try get on their level, they snigger. They always act all bored and huffy that their teacher is not good amusement value, but forget that they never try or contribute...
agg, I know I was the same at that age, but, ..Impossible!!

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

Sorry rapier I can't offer any help see this thread for details on my guys.

However I'm making small gains. One of my students who used to answer every question with 'what?" has now moved on to using 'throat sore' every second utterance.

I will be watching this thread with bated breath.

CLG

Zyzyfer · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:40 am Post subject:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

whatthefunk · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Location: Dont have a clue

How big is your class?

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Nice rhyming verse there CLG!! Yeah, it helps to know that everyone without exception tends to have problems with middle schoolers- truly the most awkward agegroup i find.
have you noticed how the girls are huffy princesses or domineering degenerate motormouth bullies, while they guys are all about competing for and sitting next to the kimchi queen.
I was teaching the "past tense " today:Me: so, what did you do last year? Student: Uh, I went to school...
Ok, how about last week?
uhh, i studied...
Alright, what did you do last night?
TEACHER, STUDY!!!
i guess I do feel sorry for them.....

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

Middle school is the worst. I gave up long ago on getting them to speak. Do what I do, pass out word search puzzles, and other time consuming worksheets, then write in your journal while they are busy or photocopy some articles to read, or sneak the newspaper into a folder. Don't feel bad.

Works every time.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

I, in general haven't had any problems with Middle school kids. I go easy on them. I ask them questions in Korean to make them relax. I talk about things that interest them and always make what ever I am teaching go in that direction. You have to build a relationship of trust with them. They know I want them to learn, but I also realize that they are burnt out, and sometimes want to play in under the apperance of the ground rules of learning. Bringing them some goodies to eat also helps. I find they are much more of adults then kids, so treating them more grown up also helps, while not forgetting that they want all the safty of childhood.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Give me kiddies or give me adults. I NEVER want to teach the 'in-betweeners' again.

Zed · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Shakedown Street

I've noticed that when I have one or two middle school students mixed into a majority elementary grade 6 or 6/5 class they're fine. The other way around is a nightmare. It's especially torturous to teach these classes when I'm tired. If ever I wanted to completely give up on a class it's at this time.

Zed · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Shakedown Street

Sorry, I guess I really didn't address the actual issue. I've found that using some exercises where they have to replace part of a dialogue with another (given) word or phrase is something they will actually do. (They don't have to do any of their own thinking this way but they're speaking something in English.) Side By Side and Expressways are books of this nature. Free talking has never worked for me in middle school classes.

kimcheeking · Guest

set up whatever activity you want to do and then don't talk. the silence will get uncomfortable, but don't talk. The silence will get even more uncomfortable, but don't talk. when the silence is excruciatingly uncomfortable one of the students will say something and then the class will roll along nicely.

It is important to note that if students start sleeping, drawing, or whatever that you have to stop it immediatly - without talking.

Zed · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Shakedown Street

kimcheeking · Guest

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

I am so lucky with my middle school classes right now. They are not sullen, lifeless or any of the other negative thing. They are energetic, and fun. Each class i have with them we have some fun. One are two are a little relunctant to speak but i can get them out of their shells with some light pressure. The middle school classes i have now are the complete opposite of the last middle school class i had at my old school.
They were awful only wanted to sleep. Never to talk, or try. Grrr.

The first middle school class i ever had in korea were alright. They were fairly good english speakers and serious students. They had it in their minds they already wanted to learn english. The classes were ok, a bit dull at times though.
One thing i do with my middle school classes (we're doing side by side 1) is that i get the kids to get up to the front of the class and act out the pictures. and get them to do competitive games. Helps that my classes are mostly boys that go to all boys schools so they don't feel to silly in front of each other. If there were more girls in my class i don't think i would be as successful.

Howard Roark · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Canada

Wow, I must have been really lucky or something. I taught middle school kids for a year in my old hagwan. I began the day with 8 year olds and the students got older as the day went on. I was always so happy to get to the middle schoolers so I could actually teach something and have them understand me. They were very diligent and polite, for the most part.
The girls were especially receptive to me. I had a few classes with just 3 or 4 girls. They were so smart and were always so eager to gab with me. Sometimes we would keep talking long after the class ended.
The boys were mostly smart too, and if they weren't interested the worst thing they did was not listen or maybe talk a little. I joked around with them a lot, most of them liked me.
I am a girl, by the way, and pretty young. I think that has something to do with it, especially with middle school girls. They'll definitely respond to a young female rather than a male teacher.
I'm sorry I can't give you any magical advice. I always found if I kept smiling and joking and being friendly, even the worst ones came around to some degree. If you can make people laugh, they fall in love with you!