Korean Job Discussion Forums

nathanksimpson · Joined: 26 Feb 2008

My public school wants me to teach without a co-teacher for 2 weeks, my co-teacher is being reassigned temproarily. Is this legal?

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

Will the homeroom teachers be in the room with you? As far as legalities go, I think there needs to be a Korean teacher in the room with you, whether it's a co-teacher or homeroom teacher.

Sort of the same situation happened to another NSET at my school. Her co-teacher is out for 12 weeks because of pregnancy complications, so she has to teach with the homeroom teachers.

Return Jones · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:49 pm Post subject:

It's not legal, but common. I taught in Gyeonggi for two years without any co-teacher whatsoever. When I moved into Seoul and got a co-teacher I found that she was only present in class at most 50% of the time, anyway. She always had "work" to take care of. Work qualified as eating kimbab in the teachers' lounge, going around and showing everyone the picture of herself in one of those free subway newspapers, shuffling around papers that could be shuffled after regular class hours, etc. etc.

What I'm saying is, relax and you'll be fine. BTW, I'm really not bitter. Razz

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Many foreign teachers teach with no Korean teacher in the room with the full knowledge of school administrators and even school district officials. For two weeks it shouldn't be too much to handle, even if you have to dumb down some stuff and stick to simpler things.

MollyBloom · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Location: James Joyce's pants

It might be better...do you really want a co-teacher interefering with what you are teaching? I'd rather teach alone than with my witch of a co-teacher.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Usually what I do is plop in a movie. If there is no CT I just say F-it and show a useless movie. If the CT ain't there then the CT doesn't really care what you teach IMHO.

nathanksimpson · Joined: 26 Feb 2008

I'm already teaching 5 special classes on top of regular class, and this co-teacher is amazing. There are expectations of following the curriculum, and doing everything well. If I lost my co-teacher I would be very overburdened with work.

nathanksimpson · Joined: 26 Feb 2008

In addition it's really messing with my co-teacher's life, as she is actually busy, and does insane amounts of administration work on top of regular stuff.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

You'll have to plan more if you will be teaching solo. Focus on the conversation speaking parts of the textbook. You can bring some of your own material in to. If you have one class that's a bit too rowdy you can always just throw in video.

espoir · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Incheon, South Korea

At my public school I have 7 different co-teachers. I don't follow the curriculum as I was told not to and to create all my own amterial. Okay fine a little of a surprise but by 2 months later and its no problem and I dont mind as my material is far more interesting and engaging than the crap they do in the books.

But one of my co-teachers started to not come to my classes anymore and we even share the same office. So one day I waited for 10min and she was a no-show so I put in a movie as this class was far to rowdy to attempt to teach solo. Well she came in with 5min left in the 50min class and then complained to me that I just let the students watch a movie. Well today she didnt come in again, so I waited until the head tecaher came to our office and confronted my co-teacher about being absent for the entire or the majority of my classes in the past month. Yea dont think she'll be skipping my classes anymore, especially after the arguement the two of them started having.

sojourner1 · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 9:49 pm Post subject:

I personally prefer having a co-teacher in the room as it helps to bridge the gap between you and the Korean kids. he or she can clarify things in Korean which facilitates better understanding of and respect for the foreign teacher and fosters a conducive learning environment shoudl the foreign teacher actually want to little work in the of teaching.

I noticed when a homeroom teacher is not present, the kids automatically go nutz into party mode and won't listen and be quiet. It's Spongebob Squarepants or America's Funniest Home Vdeos lesson time or games if you have the room or small enough class.

elavndrc · Joined: 15 Oct 2008 Location: Korea

Sometimes having a co-teacher there doesn't really matter. I have a few co-teacher and some of them don't even pay attention to what I'm saying. So if they're in the room or not...I don't really care.

I have a few co-teachers that translate what I say and that really helps. But they all have their own way of teaching so I just adapt whenever I get another co-teacher.

nomad-ish · Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:04 pm Post subject:

call_the_shots · Joined: 10 Oct 2008

One of my co-teachers just sits in the back and stares out the window the whole time. I always wonder why she even bothers coming to the class.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Problem is that the Korean CTs aren't told how they should teach with us. It's just that one day they are told some native teacher is coming.

If they really wanted these programs to work they need to send every single english teacher on some seminar and tell them what they are expected to do. Even though most of the seminar will be filled with mostly useless theory, that is only good in the most idea situations, at least they'll have some idea of what we are and they are expected to do.

Also, we should be given the opportunity for feedback. In my 4 years here, I have yet been asked about my opinions by the guys at the education office that place us in schools.