Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fromtheuk]

Classes at our public elementary school are 40 minutes long.

When I teach with my co-teacher we consistently overrun the 40 minutes.

She never seems to have any concern about time-keeping and she just keeps on teaching a few minutes after the lesson was meant to end.

Today I mentioned to her this issue, I said it wasn't good. She is currently pregnant and wasn't well enough to respond properly.

There is nothing in my contract about the length of a class, so do I have to work past the end of class, or does my responsibility to teach end when the bell sounds for the next class?!!!

Lastly, my throat is getting sore because of the number of times we have to keep asking the students to listen. I will tell my co-teacher if necessary, from now on I will ask the students to listen at least once during the lesson, but if they continue to mess around I will not raise my voice, because they are not retarded and understand the instruction the first time and I am not employed to shout and get a sore throat.

I think I'll say to my co-teacher if the students keep talking in future, I will just stop speaking until they stop, because for my own health I cannot shout continually in class.

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Are you sure they understand the language of instruction?

Go over it again,language acquistion needs repetition

Keep at it,but bear in mind you need to relate it to something concrete,not the abstract world of 'good manners'It could be something simple like having them repeat "Listen to the teacher","Look at the teacher".I've seen a KT have them repeat "Ip man(?)"

As an experiment shout "challiot!!"which means "Attention".See their reaction.Some will bolt upright.

Second experiment,get the class rep-if you have one in elementary school-and get him to tell the class "Insa",meaning bow or address.

I really find it a point of conflict having classes that respond one way to the KTs and another to the FTs.It's a Korean classroom,keep it formalised within that and then do your thing in between.School is still a socialising influence.

She may be going over it again at the end of the lesson herself.Know what she is doing and make sure you are included in the process.I found I quickly disappeared from the students' "worldview" at middle and high school.

Sit down with her and 'nut out' some solutions and keep that process
going.

Just my 2 cents,let us know how it goes.

[fromtheuk]

I don't mean to sound like an abrupt twit, but with respect, they know our 'listen phrase' inside out, in fact they repeat it when we say it, out of habit, but they say it because they know they are expected to say it.

They repeat the phrase in a way which suggests 'I can't be bothered to do anything but I'l go through the motions, if you're lucky'.

It's basically an issue of apathy on behalf of the students.

And the idea of getting a representative to do something to get the students attention wouldn't work, because our designated English reader in each class is sometimes one of the main troublemakers!

I know it's not politically correct to say so, but it's clear the absence of physical discipline, makes the students not care about anything, because they know standing in the corner of the room is not really all that bad a punishment.

The kids understand us, but want to mess around and they are also often bored by everything. Because there is no physical punishment, they know they can do almost anything and get away with it.

[KYC]

Be creative with the punishment then. Dont know what to say in regards to your classes running over. My "coteachers" dont teach with me..I lead and end the class on my own so 40 minutes sometimes seem like an eternity.

Awhile back I got really upset and frustrated with children when they were being unruly and loud. I used to scream and yell at the top of my lungs. They would only cease for a minute and continue. Now I just stop and sit at my desk until they calm down. You'd be surprised that most of them will be quiet and tell the other children to be quiet. Some classes, however, have no self control and continue with their noises. I then write "1" on the board and then 2, etc...for each minute they are disruptive I make them stay back and give them spelling tests. They usually comply because if they dont I will tell their homeroom teacher

[KarenWest1984]

most of us have 50 minute classes. I think we'd be happy having yours!

Anyway, if you have 30+ students per class, split them into groups - say 4. Write their team names on the board & give each team 10 points (in a tally arrangement.) When a student in a group is noisy, difficult, etc, take one point away from that group. At the end of the class, the group with the lowest score cleans the classroom up. It works well with big groups & the students within the group manage each other...after a few weeks, you'll have them in shape. & also, reward the other 3 groups that were good.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Try connecting with them in some way. Find out what their interests are, what their typical day is like, ask them about their other teachers and what they think of them, what they have for breakfast, what kind of music they like...anything to show them that you are a person too, and not just an English tool.

Once you know a bit more about your students as *people* and not just "warm bodies," you can begin to plan lessons in which they will want to learn the language and not just go through the motions, because the goal then would be to communicate to you about their lives and their world. They're just kids, and most kids anywhere aren't interested in learning a foreign language (I know I wasn't) but they may open up if you can relate to them, on whatever level you can.

If you can move away from teaching a subject and move towards teaching students, you'll be in a much better place.

[Dome Vans]

I have a mixed bag when it comes to my elementary classes. One of them has 4 students in 3rd grade. 10 Ss in 4th grade. 10 Ss in 5th grade and then 6 Ss in 6th grade. Being noisy isn't a problem, probably my best kids and they live in a village with about 100 people. Tiny.

Then I have my big school. My 4th grade co-teacher is very good that if the students are too noisy she'll shout "attention" and all the kids will stop and say "attention" and then clap their hands and then it's quiet. This is the same with the 5th graders. Very good and nicely behaved.

Then I have the unruly class of 30, 6th graders with no co-teacher. Steps have been taken, chairs moved, star charts involved and they are slowly coming back to proper behaviour and now they've go stars, they are becoming more self policed which is interesting to see. BUT if they are too noisy, apart from me being quiet at the front, they then get a deafening finger whistle, which makes them all jump and then it's quiet. Job done. My co-teacher at my middle school stands at the front weakly saying "quiet" to them this can go on for 2 minutes. The whistle is a short loud "quiet" to them. They complain it's too loud but that's not my fault. Funny thing is they can't do it.

This I all find interesting, there's different politics with each class, different levels, different ways of engaging students to learn, discipline issues (I've not had to send anyone out yet), thinking on your feet. It's never a dull day if you're up for it.