Korean Job Discussion Forums

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

Which grade of the public elementary school English textbook is the worst?

LateBloomer · Joined: 06 May 2006

Answering your question is like being asked whether you'd rather be thrown in a pot of boiling water or directly on the fire. I teach grades 3-6 and all the elementary school texts are awful.

There is no logic and no continuity to any of them. I can't see how anyone who is serious about teaching can happily teach from any of those books...even with supplementary activities thrown in.

Last year my co-teachers followed the texts because their lack of confidence (and ability) in English made them want to hold on to the books as a crutch. This year, two of my three co-teachers never even open them. We teach the aims of the lessons and go beyond that to make sure the lessons are logical.

The kids enjoy the lessons much more and I am happier, as well. I'm lucky that my co-teachers listened to my point of view about the books and were willing to try another way. However, I realize that many elementary teachers are stuck with the books because their co-teachers think they're the easiest option or regard them as The Bible.

chachee99 · Joined: 20 Oct 2004 Location: Seoul Korea

they are all garbage. However, I don't mind the computer cd's. The kids love the songs, and cd rom lets you how teach the kids the each song line by line.

SeoulShakin · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

Haha I'm gonna say 4th grade cause some of the voices on that cd-rom...damn!

Did 4th grade lesson 6 role play last week. That magic scuba man who finds the bat..... holy pervy!

Atavistic · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:11 am Post subject:

nobbyken · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Location: Yongin ^^

Sometimes the lessons are too slow paced for some kids, although they still can't get enough speaking practice (it seems?).

I do like some of the powerpoints the co-teacher gets. Anybody know the website address?

Horangi Munshin · Joined: 06 Apr 2003 Location: Busan

My co-teacher's use indischool. One of them lets me use his ID.

Or try esnips.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

Awesome feedback, guys. Thanks! Got to get my hands on that 4th grade book and CD...

TexasPete · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: Koreatown

TexasPete · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: Koreatown

Also, what's with the racist BS black characters in the books? I'm embarrassed to even watch that crap.

And Tony? Poor kid. I can imagine the producers saying lets make the fat American kid the butt of all the jokes. Oh look, there's Tony's hand in the cookie jar. Oh look, what a flattering horizontally striped shirt Tony!

Binch Lover · Joined: 25 Jul 2005

Grade 4 is pretty terrible alright. I particularly like the "Who is she?" chapter, where the pervy old man asks the kid about his sister.

Like another poster, I have never actually used the book in class. I sometimes use the CD-Roms animations to introduce the material, but the lessons I pretty much do my own stuff. With 3rd and 4th grade especially, I expand on the material a lot, and try to link the various chapters as much as I can. With 5th and 6th, I don't really have time to do that.

normalcyispasse · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 3:49 pm Post subject:

HA. I don't use the public school curriculum, but when I have to "observe" or "audit" other teachers at other schools this is invariably what they use and it is HILARIOUS.

"Your cap is cute!" "Oh, wow, thank you!"

mike123_ca · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:07 pm Post subject:

I teach 3 public schools out in the country. No English hagwons for many miles. All the kids were at the same level. I asked if we could buy English Time workbooks and student books. They agreed and the 3 schools are using it. Most of the students are able to use these books.

I don't know what books they were using last year, none of the teachers have suggested that I use the old books. Seeing all these complaint's, I think I will ask my co-teacher if I could look at the previous textbook.

vox · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Location: Jeollabukdo

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I think gr 3 and 4 are equally bad, but the role play sections in book 4 are totally awful.

One problem is that there is not enough material to fill a 40 minute class, especially the first lesson of each unit. So I am using kr.kids.yahoo to bring in extra songs and things to fill out the class.

What really sucks for me is that the school is too cheap to buy any of the supplimentary materials. I just have the book and CD for each grade. In grade 3, they gave me an old used textbook to use with all the cards missing. I don't have a clue what some of the games are supposed to be and even if I did, it's next to hopeless because without the cards I can't explain it to the class. Rolling Eyes

I don't know what they were thinking, but it's almost as bad as a crapwon.

Almost.