Korean Job Discussion Forums

hugekebab · Joined: 05 Jan 2008

Hi all,

Lately I have been getting pretty stressed with work. This is mainly because of the last minute style of 'management'. This usually involves being told the day before that we have a shit load of classes/a photograph (sigh, how fucking many is that this last 5 months; really getting sick of the photos) or even a TV commercial to film for the university (I refused flat out on this one and got the other teachers too aswell; was basically unpaid)

EVERYTHING is done last minute and in a flap and it's been getting to me lately. I know this is de rigueur in Korea, but it's pissing me off.

Another downer I've been having lately is a complete blank space in regards to teaching ideas. This is my first year teaching (did a CELTA) but I'm finding with the lack of department resources (we are in a UNI and have virtually no resources) that I have lost any imagination or drive to edutain. I guess I just don't have any experience to draw on; no bag of tricks.

I know that here a positive attitude is basically essential to survival. Lately, however, my attitude has been taking a dive.

Any of you lot have any mantras, stress techniques or mental attitudes that you have found works here?

I don't mind sarcastic/joke/piss take comments, but some serious suggestions would be good.

Cheers

SOOHWA101 · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:28 pm Post subject:

Wow, must be that time of the year. I am in the same boat with much of that, except the latter.

Make sure you do the common sense stuff like exercise and get enough sleep. Also, spending time with friends really helps (non-drinking activities). Better yet, intimate time spent with the opposite sex is a requirment.

Don't let the pressure build though. This is a mistake I often make, which usually, and unintentionally, spills over onto my students. Set some short term goals and focus on those things. An important factor for me is to be reminded that my "work" isn't who I am, and that I have bigger and better things going on.

RE:Materials

The internet is your friend. I consistently construct hours upon hours of lesson plans via ESL websites. There is more information out there than you can use, and once you get savvy with all the sites, it won't take but 30 minutes to put together 3 hours of course work.

Hang in there..it come sin waves!

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

Teach harder...go the extra mile. You'll find your Ss will appreciate you more.

hugekebab · Joined: 05 Jan 2008

TBirdMG · Joined: 09 Dec 2006 Location: SF, CA, USA

Yes, everybody goes through down periods. It's normal, especially with the lack of resources, support, and preparation at your UNI.

As for inspirational class lessons, I experimented with showing brief 3-5 minute clips from TV and movies highlighting realistic situational conundrums.
Then I posed the question "In this case, what would YOU do?"

Depending on the level of student, it can be a completely open discussion, or one including the introduction of new situational vocab. and grammar.

You can have fun with this, or be serious.

Some entertaining ones were crafted using Seinfeld clips, other more serious ones using the film Jaws (water safety), Wall Street (corruption), Bull Durham (ambition), and Gung Ho (labor and management relations).

The lessons were most successful in that they exposed students to cross cultural situations and posed individual, as well as moral and ethical dilemmas. And even though students who rarely speak can still appreciate the film and learn from it.

I could usually get away with stretching a 5 minute clip into a 30 minute presentation and discussion, and an additional 30 minutes if adding grammar/vocab.

But I think the previous poster's recommendation just to have sex should relieve the stress more pleasantly.

Good luck!

hugekebab · Joined: 05 Jan 2008

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Soju.

heyrube · Joined: 30 May 2008

whoever said exercise, it's totally key.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

hugekebab,

You are not one of the fruitcakes around. Stress and burn-out are part of the contract. Sad, but true. What can you do? Each has his own solution. One of them is a Friday afternoon trip to a mok-yoke-tang where you can strip off the stress with your clothes. Other people use exercise. Find your thing and go with it.

hugekebab · Joined: 05 Jan 2008