Korean Job Discussion Forums

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Has anyone ever heard of this? Having to go to a school you've never stepped foot in and do a demonstration lesson with a random class? A teacher in my district recently had to do this and I can't believe she didn't refuse. I would have refused outright - if you want to see me teach come to my school any time.

R. S. Refugee · Joined: 29 Sep 2004 Location: Shangra La, ROK

No, I've never heard of it, but I've only been at ps for less than a year. My 1st demo class is coming up and I got to pick the day and the class.

Summer Wine · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: Next to a River

Never heard of it before.

I did watch a Korean teachers english demo lesson where the vice principal watched it and marked it. Pity the VP doesn't speak, read or understand english. Shocked

Just tell them that unless they are super ____, the koreans aren't that interested anyway and are just doing it to keep the education office happy.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

Fail to see what the consternation is all about...she's a "teacher", right?

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

I remember those demo lessons, what crap they were. They are planned months in advance and are done to please people, not to actually teach. And the sessions afterwards were even more useless, listening to some old guy with sense of self higher than Taipei 101 with no discussion.

poet13 · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:36 pm Post subject:

I see both positives and negatives.
In the negative side, the guest teacher doesn't know the level of the students, so he or she can't tailor the class to fit.
On the other hand, at last it's not going to a rehearsed class. Those are a waste of everybodies time.

I do a demonstration class each year. I don't rehearse, I don't plan anything special. I let them know one class before that we 'might' have extra people next class. After my last class we had an almost 3 hour de-brief, q&a, and discussion. THAT was tiring. The classes are a breeze.

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

You mean she didn't have to prepare a "book" full of teaching methodologies; student/class profile, school history; photos of the native teacher and Korean teacher in action; detailed lesson plan down to the second; a detailed analysis of the lesson plan and why you chose that particular plan; teacher and student dialogues and listening scripts; and a table of contents for it all?

If that's the case then I have no sympathy! Very Happy

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Toju · Joined: 06 Mar 2008

My colleague did it last week in a local middle school and got paid 90k for an hour and a half.

Works for me.

DJTwoTone · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:49 pm Post subject:

I have done them several times... I will do it again. My co workers always cringe when i accept those open classes, but I love them.

Tests your true teaching meddle. The few that I've done have been great. If you are a true teacher you should be able to step up and do it at any time.

I wanted to go in cold... but I relented and let the co teachers go and meet the class before we went, with the stipulation that there would be no teaching of the lesson to the kids before the class. Yeah they did some preview... but it was obvious that they hadn't already taught the lesson.

The few I've done have gone extremely well... Even better that it shows up all the lazy teachers who won't accept a challenge.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

poet13 · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:05 pm Post subject:

TBS, you make very good points here,

"And this was at a different school from where you work? I have no problem with putting on a demo lesson at my own school any time a higher-up requests. But if you want to send me off somewhere else where I don't know what resources are available, what the students' level is at, how accustomed they are to English as the language of instruction, whether there are any special needs students in the classroom, and what sort of attitude the Korean staff has created towards FTs, you can forget about it.

I would like to think that a demo lesson is not only an example of what and how I teach, but also an indication of what I have accomplised with my students over the past 2 1/2 years. I believe that my last demo lesson really showed that."

but with this,

"Would you accept a job at any old school, before you had even checked it out? I sure wouldn't. So why would I accept doing a demo lesson at any old school?",

I would argue that there's quite a bit of difference between accepting a year long position, and agreeing to a single class.

I wouldn't take a year long position sight unseen either, but a single class? Absolutely! I think it would be a kick to meet new students like that.
PLUS! I can reuse some of my best jokes!

DJTwoTone · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:08 pm Post subject:

I have done both many many times; in my school and in other schools.

When you do a demo lesson in your school, it's a show. There is no way to get around that... I've always refused to do anything more or less than my regular lessons. I always do my best, and I always welcome people to observe my lessons. As long the they are quiet and respect the fact that it is a class and not a show. I have actually kicked teachers out of my classroom in the middle of a demo lesson, did it to a parent once too.

The demo lessons in other schools are a different animal. Think of them like a conference demonstration. I see the purpose of them as being a way to inspire other teachers to do there best.

Now, you are right about need some information about the class and school before you go in, but really any lesson worth anything should be able to be modified on the spot to the students needs and any person who calls himself/herself a teacher should be able to handle any situation and use the resources at hand to make it the best lesson possible. (That is a hell of a run on sentence isn't it. Laughing

)

I'm always willing to help out in any way i can... My students are important but all students are important, and If I can inspire their teachers and make a better environment for learning... Then I can go home happy at the end of the day and sleep well that night.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

DJTwoTone · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:00 pm Post subject:

That isn't a very good attitude... Nothing is impossible... I think we all need some positive pills... And need to stop playing their games... And make up our own games... I don't like the rules, so i change them...

Every open class that I've done, there has been at lest 2 or 3 people who hated it, because it was different...

I like to help in anyway that I can... And most of the time it is in ways that they don't like... So what?!?!? for those 2 or 3 people their are 10 to 20 more who see a different ways to do things go back to their schools and try new methods... In that way I am able to reach and help more students.

Being concerned about your students is great... It's very admirable... but what about the 100's of 1000's of other students who don't have you for a teacher... Wouldn't it be nice to help them too???