Korean Job Discussion Forums

[zuburi]

I was wondering where everybody prefers to teach. Elementary school kids seem like they need the most discipline, but high school kids seem like they need the most serious discipline. I was trying to figure out what type of class I would most like to teach out of those three, and was imagining what I was like during those respective time periods of my life. I think I was actually the worst in middle school.

What do you guys prefer?

[Quack Addict]

Elementary hands down. The 1st through 3rd graders are no problem. The 4th to 6th get a little more cheeky. Into middle and high school....forget about it.

[Draz]

Discipline is your only worry?

[cdninkorea]

My experience with elementary is extensive, middle school none, and a little bit with high school.

I'm against elementary, but that's because I don't cope well with little kids; the constant fooling around and fidgeting, the crying over nothing, the childish jokes, etcetera.

At high school they're a little more mature. They still talk in class, but they don't shout in the middle of your lecture to someone sitting next to them, they cry over things that actually warrant tears, and in my experience you can joke around with them at a higher level. They're still children, but as becoming adults they're better.

All this being said, I prefer teaching adults.

[ttompatz]

If you're the chalk 'n talk type, uni or HS.

Middle school is a lost cause. Puberty and learning are not conducive to each other, even on a good day.

I love Elementary. I get to sing, dance, play games and have fun. ECE and elementary school teaching IS different from the older kids. Little kids are not just shorter versions of the tall ones.

Classroom management is less of a chore (usually) and the kids haven't really learned the bad habits that they have in middle school.

Grade 6 can sometimes be more than I like, but nothing a long stare can't fix.

.

[zuburi]

I think Uni is almost everybody's first choice - that's why I didn't put it on the list I also think that middle school would be the worst of the lot.

[IncognitoHFX]

High School is fine, depending on what kind of school you go to. I work at an academic high school and only have two "bad classes" (as opposed to the 5:1 bad class:good class ratio I had at my hagwon composed of mostly elementary students). I can't imagine teaching at an elementary school. You'd have to be chasing, yelling and scolding the entire... time... I thought six were bad, can't imagine forty five.

[Faunaki]

Working at a ms is frustrating as hell. Just skip it if possible.

[Jeaves]

[Quack Addict]

[RyanInKorea]

What's this? No kindergarten? The kids aged 4-7 are the best. They're cute, eager to see a foreigner, eager to repeat everything (say 'hello'... 'say hello!') and the material is easy-breasy (a-pp-le).

Ryan

Or is elementary the same as kinder?

[Stormy]

[maddog]

Middle school hands down for me. It has just the right balance of ability and workload.

With elementary, I feel like a baby-sister. High school, on the other hand requires a bit too much prep IME, not to mention the fact that their essays can be quite lengthy. With middle school, I actually feel like I'm teaching, but the workload is still pretty low.

[Draz]

[cruisemonkey]

I actually like middle school (but then, I can beat on my boys).