Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Have you seen any demonstration lessons like this? Yesterday I got to see the second such lesson I've observed. In both cases it was a rookie KET with a rookie FT considerably older than them. Both KETs looked about as happy to be working with them as a cat taking a bath. In one case you could tell it was the KET who had done 100% of the work and in the other obviously the FT had. Both lessons got really terrible evaluations. In both cases it was the teacher who had planned the lesson who really got ripped apart, of course, making me wonder why, if you can't stand working with someone, you wouldn't just let them plan everything and take the fall (or maybe the other two who didn't plan the lesson were smart enough to figure that out).

I guess that both of the FTs I've seen in that position knew nothing about the culture of Korean demonstration lessons, but couldn't they and the KETs just for one day pretend to like each other and get along? I've had to work with a couple of useless newbies I'd gladly trade, but for a demo lesson at least I'd make it look like all was going well. Have you seen any other lessons where you could cut the tension between the two teachers with a knife?

[Xuanzang]

I`Ve seen a lesson where the foreign teacher wouldnt even call the KT by their name or give direct eyecontact. It may have been creative differences or some sort of feud. I just know their evaluation and presentation was piss poor. Just play along and try to get along for the sake of appearances. Like a good divorcing couple.

[fromtheuk]

My co-teacher is ignoring me. To make fun, I said a couple of friendly things to her because I knew she would ignore me. It's quite funny.

[shantaram]

In my open lessons I made sure we had eye contact. In fact it was one of the things I said to my handler- that we should have eye contact and pass control back and forth like a ball when we were presenting stuff. No matter how shit the lesson really was. It worked.

[nate2008]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[fromtheuk]

It's okay for you, you haven't got Norman Bates as your Korean co-teacher! How 'adult' of you!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/picture.php?albumid=37&pictureid=274

[fromtheuk]

You're not a terrorist are you?!! Yikes.

[Easter Clark]

This reminds me of a demo I saw last year, between a female FT and a male KT. No dialog to warm up the classroom. The FT was all-business. She started in with the grammar points while the KT was on the sidelines staring into space. The FT rambled on long enough for the KT to have a seat behind the desk with the computer. Several students wouldn't shut up and no one was doing anything to quiet them down. The FT had the students listen and repeat while barking orders at the KT: "Next slide." "We're doing the listening now." "Where is my video? The video doesn't work? What did you do?"

Those were the highlights, anyway.

[mnhnhyouh]

I am pretty lucky with my co-teachers, and I have a bunch of them. I am older than all of them, and one is in her first year. However she has the best English, asked me what I wanted her to do, and I gently explained that for her this can be a rest lesson, as I do most things.

She corrects students grammar, and makes very few mistakes.

I have one who doesnt talk to me much, but I think that is because she doesnt think her English is very good.

I have only seen two demo lessons, both were good, the second being really good.

However, I think the whole demo lesson thing sucks. The best thing would be to have teachers do more usual lessons, not these huge set pieces. This would achieve two things.

1) Less effort wasted on a one off lesson
2) The lesson plans would be useful, the provincial education office could collect them up, put them in a big fat folder and hand them out to teachers, providing a useful resourse.

As it is, I find preparing them to be a waste of time, but fun to go and see as I get some time off, see another school, and meet other teachers.

h