Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kentucker4]

How in the heck do you give good homework assignemnts when the kids don't speak Emglish? Especially to the kindergardners? So far, I have just said pg. 19 practice naming the picturtes. They have no idea what I am talking about, though.

[Atavistic]

Kindy you give them alphabet worksheets, circle the number assignment, match the picture to the place it goes (a bed goes in a bedroom), etc. You give them, in other words, kindy and preschool worksheets just like you would back home.

[ulmaeri]

I guess the next question for homework would be, does anyone actually have students that do it?
I have done homework several times, but normally only the students that are my overachievers are doing it. If anyone else has it done, normally they have copied it just before class.

[soju pizza]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Korean ESL.

If you want support being a teacher, consider going to some of the upcoming workshops sponsored by publishers. Check out the homepages for Oxford University Press in Korea, Cambridge University Press, and Longman/Pearson. Just Google them. They offer good support for children's teachers.

If you want to get any good at your job, you're going to have to do some research online (asking here is a good first step, but you'll need to hunker down with some websites on teaching too).

The best option to you is ask other teachers (when you finally do meet another foreigner). Usually teachers will share a few tricks if you ask.

The publishers I mention above also have places advertising seminars in Busan. It's a good way to meet people.

Also, there's the upcoming KOTESOL conference in Seoul. It'd be a good chance to see some of Seoul, and it only happens once a year. October 27-28 this year. find KOTESOL online.

There's another website for Busan called Pusanweb.com. Check them out; they have a messageboard too.

Something you can start practicing tomorrow: Read the teacher's guide to the books you're teaching with. They're good resources usually.

Use your tape recorder when the book tells you to. It gives you a chance to recover too.

Make sure that you learn a few fundamental commands such as "sit down" (an-ju-seyo) "repeat"(ta-la-hey) "stop talking"(shhhhh) "do you understand?"(ah-ra-sey-o?) and the best one: "look at me" (bo-sey-o).

Children love to sing and dance. They don't care how bad at it you are. Get them singing and dancing and you'll be fine.

Make a lesson plan that details what you want to do before you go in and do it. If you want to be getting them to listen for 5 minutes, then listen and repeat for 5 minutes, then practice together for 10, then read and write for 10, then sing or whatever, make sure you have a piece of paper in front of you that has how much time you want to spend on each section.

You can be new and still learning your job, but if you're organized, it matters a whole lot less that you're a rookie.

Being organized and on-time is really important when you're teaching. Whatever happens, don't get too mad at the kids if you feel frustrated. They're probably more confused than you are.

Good luck, noob.

[oneofthesarahs]

One way to get kids to do homework is to offer incentives for doing it. Usually I have a homework chart that I give students a sticker on every time that they turn in their homework on time. At the end of the month, tally up the stickers and the person with the most gets some sort of small prize. It doesn't have to even be a great prize. A full sized candy bar or something you pick up at the stationary store for 1-2000 won works fine. This will motivate 80% of your students to do their homework on a semi-regular basis. The other 20% probably won't do it no matter what you try.

[jay-shi]

[soju pizza]

Yeah, I speak that way when I'm talking to a group of students. I really couldn't give a hoot if I'm being too polite when addressing a group of people. I learned this from listening to Korean co-teachers. I figure if that's the way they were doing it, then I would too. Let's not start up a big discussion on this. He just wants help and I was giving him something to start with.

[jay-shi]

[ulmaeri]

I agree that the korean coteachers are a valuable tool. I have two at my school that do take my classes seriously. They make sure the students do their homework. Contrast that with the ones that don't care.
Thank goodness for those few great classes.