Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tor@]

I have another question about high schools in Korea. I've been contacted about a job at a girls' "Information High School" in Suwon, and I'm not sure what that is. The three divisions I was aware of are Academic, Business, and Technical, and I don't know where "Information" fits. Can anyone explain?

If anyone knows a good place to find information about Korean high schools, the various types, and what they're like to teach at, I'd love to know about it (then I wouldn't have to bother you all with questions as they come up!).

Thanks again to those who answered my question about technical high schools.

[afsjesse]

I teach at an Information High School. If they're all the same like mine. They are for students who don't plan on going to college. Instead they learn life skills and basic things like cooking, sewing etc.... oh and very low level English classes.

Good LUck.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I believe that information HSs are a type of technical HS. Imagine coming to a class of 30 chattering airheads who are intrested in mirrors, sleeping, pillows and blankets, handphones, MP3s, iPODs, writing notes, comic books, novels, makeup, fingernails, nail clippers, eyelash curlers, lose ends, hair accessories, preening themselves to look exactly the same as they did before, hitting and play-fighting, throwing things at each other, playing rock-paper-scissors, hand cream, strange body massage devices, dry snacks, messy snacks, music videos, aerobic dance moves, crowding and pushing around the classroom computer, screaming for no particular reason, little children's toys, doodling, art and home-ec. projects, finishing homework from teachers who might hit them, and absolutely everything except learning English.

You can make it survivable in most cases by making it an English 'activities' lesson rather than a real English lesson but expect to have to be a real Nazi to get any real learning done. What you're able to do will also greatly depend on your co-teacher's limitations, if you have one who shows up.

[curlygirl]

Helloooo were you sitting in on my classes in 2007? That's a pretty good summation.

Actually if you can make the activities interesting enough you might get the majority of the students to enjoy your lessons, but they sure won't learn any English as the chances are that you'll see them once every one or two weeks. I had an okay year in my technical/vocational/information (same meaning different words) high school as I taught stuff like pop songs and did lots of games that recycled the vocab that they already knew. I threw out any ideas I'd had of actually teaching them anything after the first two weeks. I simply focused on getting them to enjoy English classes in the hope that they might one day think back to their school days and remember my class as one of the few (or only) that they liked. Perhaps some of them might eventually be inspired to become adult Englishee students. Probably not but you never know.

Anyway, Yu Bum is right on the money. Only take an information high school job if you can handle sleeping and uninterested students.

[Otherside]

Sounds like my dream job.

Pop on an episode of Friends and the class practicially teaches itself

[Tor@]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I really appreciate the help. At this rate, I may wind up at another hagwon. Still, that's better than being grossly under-employed in the good ol' US of A. (A friend of mine is on the board of CATESOL, and at the board meeting this Saturday, she said the news was just dismal. Schools at all levels are slashing budgets, and ESL is one of the first things to go.)

Thanks again for the informative answers. I hope I find something decent soon, and don't have to bug you all with any more questions.