Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Easter Clark]

I teach 12 different classes, and 11 of them are great. In fact, most of them are fantastic, which is surprising given that this is a vocational high school. One class, however, will not respond to me no matter what approach I take. I've tried being the hard-ass (which admittedly did whip a few of them into shape), the approachable foreigner, and a nice guy. But enough is enough.

How hard is it to remember to bring a notebook to class every week? I've had these students for over a year now, but this semester they were all put into one class together (classes are grouped according to their standardized tests), so essentially you've got the class from hell. Today half the class forgot their notebook and pen, so I split the class in two, taught the half that remembered them and made the forgetful troublemakers write the class rules 100 times. Some of them thought it was funny. These are kids who even after a year with me are still unable to respond to "How are you?" I doubt that some of them even know the roman alphabet.

I have to give some more information so you can get the full picture though. These kids are so bad, they are always in trouble with their other teachers, so they are always assigned afterschool detention. They didn't like the treatment they received in detention, so they called the news program from KBS 7--the Korean version of "60 Minutes."

The negative exposure our school received forced the principal to change out the staff in the discipline department. So now these kids think they can get away with murder, and teachers are afraid to punish them. Again, all of the offenders are in the same "remedial" class.

So I'm to the point now where I want to just hand out worksheets every week because if they can't be bothered to learn, then I shouldn't waste my time and theirs by trying to teach. These kids thought that pop songs and movies during dead week were "boring," even though every single class besides theirs had a great time.

Oh, and the class leader was complaining about having to write today. I told her if she didn't like it she could call the TV station. But first she had to finish her work.

Can anyone offer some inspiration or commiseration? I guess I'll go ahead and prepare myself for the "shitty teacher" comments as well...

[Fishead soup]

Some students are a lost cause. Then again some teachers are too.
Why not put them all together and make reality TV.

The Steve Shirtzer Show.

[Easter Clark]

[yingwenlaoshi]

You can't shine poop.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I've never had entire classes that are that bad, but the fact of the matter is that around 10-20% of students in their mid- to late teens just aren't cut out for classroom learning. Yet in Korea, 97% "graduate". And I suspect you have a lot of that 7% in that class.

If it's as bad as you say I'd just give them an extremely simple dialogue that focuses upon beginnner phonics, then give them puzzles and then go around checking each student's ability to do the words in the dialogue as everyone esle works on puzzles.

[moosehead]

[jdog2050]

[moosehead]

it's a lost cause to put a NT in an elementary school where only about 10--15% of the kids even go to E hakwon (for financial reasons) and then when all the students move on the middle school there's not even a NT there - ?? I mean WTF?? (yes, the majority of students had very low E levels or non-existent)

when I found this out after my year at SMOE it's like what was the point ??

[I_Am_The_Kiwi]

It has a lot to do with delivery of your teaching etc....but that aside.

I agree some classes or mainly some kids just dont give a fuk...

but really can you blame them!?

Being forced to use a language they dont want to learn
Being taught by a teacher who they dont understand what hes saying
Having the ability in class to say whatever you want without your teacher understanding you
Knowing that if you dont finish your work in class its not really gonna matter for your final grade anyways

I was a hell slacker at school, and i totally understand the reasoning for kids being lazy ass bastards.......its cos theyre kids and dont give a shite...
Youll find it very hard to change that.


Best of luck to ya...sorry no advice.

[thegadfly]

There is no student that is a lost cause -- there are students that one cannot reach, but that does not mean those students are unreachable, it just means I/you/he/she is not the teacher that can do it.

A whole class of "trouble-makers?" Yeah, I've been there -- in the states I've had several kids with tethers in the same classroom, and half a dozen in the same room as a condition of their parole...hell, I've TAUGHT in a jail...on the trouble-maker scale, I would rate the worst class I've seen in Korea somewhere around a 1.3 from 1 to 10...what you describe might be a 2 or even a 3 if you toss in an occasional assault.

Maybe you can't do it -- doesn't mean it can't be done. No real shame in not being up to the task, but don't pretend it is the kids' fault -- if you actually care to be a teacher as a career, you need to figure out how to get the class to work -- there is no WAY a whole class should be beyond reach...too many variables, you ought to be able to get through to SOME of them. Sure, you'll never reach EVERY kid, but like I said, that doesn't mean the KID is unreachable, it means I/you/he/she is not up to the task.

Sometimes I don't have the patience or the energy to get through to some of the tougher ones...but it can be done. No kid is a lost cause.

[D.D.]

Teach to the ones that care and remove the ones that get in the way of you doing this.

I just send the kids out of class if the disrupt the class.

These kids are attention seekers as they are ignored by their parents.

We do not have time to give them all the attention that they crave.

Their acting up in a disruptive way is just a way to gain attention.

[Easter Clark]

I guess I kinda exaggerated-- not *every single kid* in the class is bad, but out of 35, I'd say 15 are "teachable." I tried Yu-Bum_suk's advice and it worked for a handful of kids. However, most of them took a look at the puzzle, decided it was "too difficult" and put it away. I also noticed that some girls were so determined not to learn, that while we were teaching, they simply looked at the ceiling the whole time. These kids hate school itself, not only my class.

They're honestly like zombies--you punish them and they take it without batting an eye. You ask them the simplest question and they give you a blank stare. I noticed one of the girls last week had a bruise on her upper arm in the shape of a hand, where someone was obviously frustrated with her and grabbed her too hard.

I really don't know how to make things any easier. It sucks because they have to be tested on the same material as every other class, yet their ability is miles below everyone else. I recall someone once told me "You teach who you can."

At any rate, it feels good just to vent my frustrations here, and I would appreciate any advice from experienced teachers who have had to deal with such classes in the past. In seven years I have never encountered such a challenge.


thegadfly--Instead of placing the blame on me, how about giving some advice? I obviously know it's my responsibility to rise to the challenge or I wouldn't have come here asking for help.

D.D. and Yu_Bum_suk, thanks.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[jvalmer]

물치 is some kind of fish.
not sure what 뮬치 is though...

If it's some kind of Korean slang, than I have no idea.

[Faunaki]

Don't take these kids' attitude so personally. Anyone working in the public school system has to deal with shitty classes. I've one class that makes me feel like 1) running away and crying like a baby 2) becoming a psychotic teacher and beating them all.

But I don't do anything. I just keep on trying. I don't get mad. I get even.

And most NTs have gotta know that the way kids treat you is mainly due to the co-teacher you have. That has been 95% for me. 5% of the classes are just shit no matter what.