Korean Job Discussion Forums

[D-Man]

I did the whole ESL thing back in Korea from 1998-2000.I had a good run ,but I couldn't help but feeling like a "hired clown" on the best of days.

The kicker and eye opener for me was during one of thsoe "demo" lessons where,I,a 25 year old college graduate, was seen giving flashcards to a funky,smelly stuffed animal sitting in a cheap plastic chair, while asking 5 year old kids to do the same.

Meanwhile,in the back of the room,four surly but young Korean "teachers and directors" were holding clipboards and whispering amongst themsleves about my performance.

Who else feels like a hired clown?

[it's full of stars]

So what are you doing now?

[aarontendo]

Bitching it would seem.

[spliff]

Speak for your self, meatball.

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

Some hagwons can push the clown act at times... very few places actually want you to always be straight-faced and serious. But there's a difference between being high-spirited and open and being a clown. If you manage to create a good classroom atmosphere and show some degree of interest in or commitment to what you're doing, you'll still be relatively respected.

If you just walk in there with no ideas and no spirit and then humiliate yourself in exchange for the kids doing their work, or just to get them to shut up or stay interested, that's being a clown. But if you go in with structure and the right activities and deliver them with a good amount of energy, that's fine. It doesn't have to be all about the discipline in order to be real teaching.

It's possible to keep things fun and light and still be a leader in the classroom. The kids will still insult you (but they tend to go easier on women, unless they're just nasty-- I suppose because mom tends to be all about steady care while dad is usually about either discipline, fun time, or a mix of both), but that's just kids being kids... and if they like you and think they've crossed the line, they'll stop... or apologize. The key is to not lose your temper and empathize, not blow up at them unless it's really serious. And always be forgiving. You can do this without being a total doormat.

On the other hand, talking to a stuffed animal definitely sounds like a business experiment gone horribly wrong... sometimes they just think about pulling people in and making things fun and don't realize how demeaning it is for everyone involved.

[DRAMA OVERKILL]

I miss the good 'ol circus days. The ESL scene here now is more of a freakshow.

[Lekker]

[NilesQ]

The fact remains that in all subjects, in all countries, teaching young learners has some element of "clowning" in it. Young learners are stimulated by that, not by a lecture. Good teachers are able to convince young kids that, in fact, they aren't studying, but having a good time. The key in this, as a teacher, is to make sure you "clown" yourself all the way to the bank. Teaching ESL to kindergarten and elementary kids comes nowhere close to providing all of the rewards on Maslow's hierarchy. You are not going to get respect of others and the feeling of belonging and contributing to a group(in most cases of foriegners in Korea, not all kindy teachers). So get paid. The people on Sesame Street clown themselves all the way to the bank. Wont be many Oscars or dramatic awards in it for those actors, but it pays the bills.

One more point that I want to address is the refrain of the newly graduated ESL teacher: "I'm a college graduate...blah....blah....blah" If being a college graduate really meant anything, most of us wouldn't be here in the first place. The fact is a University/College undergraduate degree is, today, what a high school diploma ws 30 years ago. The bare minimum, the starting off point to entry level jobs. You would have to be brain dead/functionally retarded not to be admitted to an undergrad program in Canada/USA/the western world if you really wanted to attend. So the notion that we are somehow above this is so arrogant it makes me cringe everytime I hear those words pass the lips of a fellow clown. University is not a trade school. Outside of professional programs it has little to no bearing on the job you do when you finish school. I think university is great for someone who wants to study a certain subject, and in general I think a graduate has shown a certain level of comittment and ability to have finished, but in and of itself the fact that someone has a degree is not as important as the effort and comittment to their job on a day in day out basis.

Be a good clown, just don't be a Bozo!

ps.as you can tell from this post, I am a university graduate who cant spell or form very good sentences, but I can mention theories that I think make me sound like I know what I am talking about. a true college grad;i cant do anything but i can talk about doing a lot!

[ytuque]

At what point does a student in Korea transition from game playing/clowning to a serious lecture as a means of learning English? How is this done if at all? How do you handle a class that is mixed between students who want a clown and others who want a lecture?

Where can I get big clown shoes? Koreans have little feet.

[nautilus]

[Pyongshin Sangja]

I thought this thread was about hiring clowns.

I'd love to hire a clown for a while!

Who's with me?

[globalgirlk]

Clowns scare me.

[skdragon]

[ytuque]

[bobranger]

Clowns are scary
http://scienceblogs.com/omnibrain/2008/01/clowns_in_uproar_over_new_stud.php