Korean Job Discussion Forums

Viaje · Joined: 03 Feb 2009 Location: Indebted, USA

I'm in touch with someone who has been in Korea five years, just with emails. He says my first two years I will mostly just be an assistant to the Korean teacher, except for special clases once or twice a week which requires me to teach alone. Does this sound typical or is this just in his own experience? He says public school is just 22 forty minute classes a week, with overtime being $16 an hour US.

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

agoodmouse · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Location: Anyang

BrianInSuwon · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Location: Korea

When I taught at an elementary school, I had one co.teacher and she wanted to be involved in the class so she taught for 20 minutes per class. When I taught at a high school, I had 4 co.teachers, I did 100% of the class. Now I'm at an elementary school with 4 co.teachers and I'm handling 100% of the class.

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

i think there is a line, i am not sure if it is about 50/50, but it seems either the FT does everything with some support of the KT (some KTs help a ton, otherwise fall asleep in the back, others dont show up) and on the other side is the KT views the FT as an idiot or doesnt know how to use the FT and the FT is only a talking dictionary (repeat... constipation... Class says "constipation.")

xCustomx · Joined: 06 Jan 2006

I teach 90-95% of the class myself and usually rely on the Korean "co-teacher" to translate

missty · Joined: 19 Feb 2008

An assitant?! Wow, clearly I am in the wrong public school. I teach and plan 100% of the lessons. The korean teacher translates and/or sleeps at the back of the class.

Kurtz · Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Location: ples bilong me

As you can see, it's a lottery, maybe you'll have to do basically nothing and just be a tape recorder, or you'll have to do everything, even discipline, which is real fun in elementary, in a ratbag school, in a ratbag area with kids from broken homes.

I believe you should only assist when you first arrive, I mean, without a degree in education and maybe not TEFL, how the hell do you know how to teach? It's not easy, watch other teachers, and then maybe you'll be allowed to take over and lead the class, and maybe, just maybe, the Korean teacher will help you which can make for a fun time, if not, it can be hell if the K teacher does nothing.

mnhnhyouh · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom

100% here too, in an Academic high school. This is by choice. I think that if they are paying me I should be doing something the Korean teachers cant do.

Academies are the same, and you will be by yourself in class.

h

Viaje · Joined: 03 Feb 2009 Location: Indebted, USA

I just wonder how I am expected to teach if, as Kurtz said, I never have and don't have a certificate or training. So the teacher I know told me I would only assist the first year, but obviously others have a varied experience. Maybe his recruiter finds a certain type of job for me, or maybe he just doesn't know the whole story and is just basing it on his school.

mnhnhyouh · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom

Viaje, your recruiter probably has no idea about your school. He has probably only spent a short time there, if any.

He doesnt care about you, only wants your warm body to sign on the dotted line so he can collect his 1,000,000 won. He knows that it is likely you will not be here for a second year, so wont get your repeat custom.

He does care about the hagwon, and wants them to stay afloat as long as they supply him with jobs.

h

Perceptioncheck · Joined: 13 Oct 2008

Well take it from me, you DO NOT want to be a human tape-recorder assistant. I just spent two hours listening to my co-teacher rant at the kids in Korean (I "assist" by standing behind her and trying desperately not to yawn) and I'm afraid that, after a year of this, my sanity is slowly slipping away.

Discipline can be a problem but it's pretty easy to make your own lessons. Of course, you'll have to work harder at it at first but after a few months - or even weeks - it'll become second nature. The internet is a great resource, and if you're nervous about teaching, I suggest having a read of it before you come over.

xCustomx · Joined: 06 Jan 2006

Check out Boggles World, ESL Galaxy, http://eflclassroom.ning.com , http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/enseign/anglais/Henry/default.htm and http://www.mes-english.com/

These are just a few sites that I've used to make my lesson plans from. The best way to learn to teach is through experience. Don't let your teacher use you as a recorder. Maybe you could try a small 20 minute lesson for a month or two, until you get the hang of things. Powerpoint is your friend. I use it for EVERY class and try to keep my talking to a minimum. Try to explain things as simple as you can, speak slowly and be animated.

You may want to ask your teacher if it would be OK to go observe a class taught by another foreign teacher at a middle or high school, just to get some ideas. Good luck

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:24 pm Post subject:

hell no, i wish i was just an assistant. i'm not allowed to use the school textbooks like the korean english teachers, so i have to plan all my own lessons for 4 different levels in my middle school (i've got an advanced 3rd grade level). my co-teachers range from being assistants to being not present.