Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hockeyguy109]

delete

[Ilsanman]

Keep doing what you're doing and ignore your principal. He clearly forgot his days of being a regular teacher.

[hockeyguy109]

delete

[Sector7G]

That seems really strange that they want you to go that fast. There is no way that they can be retaining any thing you teach. In my brief encounter with an after school program of kids the same age, my co-teacher actually slowed me down. She wanted me to make 2 pages last for 40 minutes, and it was sometimes tough to do.

[CentralCali]

[D.D.]

Problem in that situation is people with no idea are dictating how to teach. You can be whipped or do your own thing. I always tell them to leave me alone and let me teach. Good luck with teaching a system that doesn't work. The difference being you know it doesn't work and they think it does so it will be painful for you

[buymybook]

You will learn how to teach the material better and in different ways while your students should learn more about what to do(become more familiar with you and the material) after a couple more weeks. Try to get in somewhat of a routine but don't worry too much about your boss, just do your best.

"10 minutes to sign their homework and take attendance," just initial the homework, I'd guess you have no more than 15 students per class, how many do you have? Are you trying to read their Korean names, do they have English names? You should get quicker at taking attendance. If you it comes down to it, write the answers on the board and have them copy the answers and write them in the book.

[Straphanger]

[bogey666]

Op I have a suggestion that may help you.

I teach at a public hs and initially I was told I would have a co-teacher for my after school classes.. which were supposed to be kept small.

now I have a class of 15 (initially had 20, max size, but 5 kids left because of the teacher who teaches after me.. a korean teacher who teaches a "listening" class)

even though these are supposed to be the top english students, at my vocational high school this means they'll be able to say "I'm fine, thank you and you".. instead of.. "teach-uh..... englishee --- no".

(not quite that bad, but almost)

anyways - turns out that now I have the class myself .. I was NOT happy because I experienced the same issue - I couldn't even explain the most basic stuff

the partial solution" was a little unique to my situation - there's a kid in my school who follows me around like a puppy dog and always wants to talk english to me - he really has a passsion for it... a "Christian" kid (I tease him about this sometimes) anyways - this guy is a senior, so by status he can also help discipline the class which is mostly 1st graders but his English is good enough where he CAN grasp the most basic concepts and explain this in Korean to the other students.

see if there is a such a kid in your school - this could at least partially help.

on the other hand, I don't have a book - I have NOTHING - I am supposed to come up with the "curriculum"


4x a week.

which is BS, frankly, but I'll figure it out - some of these kids do have at least a certain interest and enthusiasm for english, so I will try to nurture that as much as I can.

p.s. also try teaching a class on basic English instructions.

sit down.. shut up. open your book to page X
etc

[ardis]

^ I've had pretty much the same experience as you. I used to have smaller classes with students that were basically on the same mid-intermediate level. Last semester, my school shoved twenty kids in the class, not bothering to check their levels, and gave me two books to do with the students. They were both way too advanced for all the kids except maybe two or three. At the end of the session, I told them I wouldn't be teaching that many kids again with so many various levels. At first, they seemed a little dubious, as if I were making these crazy demands, but after they explained it, they were cringing with what looked like guilt. They assured me that I wouldn't have mixed levels and the class size would be halved. I haven't had a problem this semester.

[Fishead soup]

Most of these books come with a CD rom. If you can use the CD with a laptop computer you can probrubly go through the lesson quicker and provide suplimental activities and games

[Goku]

Put into a class with no co-teacher. A boss giving you pressure to go faster while the kids are not comprehending anything you say (or pretending not to, sometimes it's hard to tell). It's frustrating as you are doing your best, but receiving no support especially from the kids lol. it's the first time you've had to deal with this sort of problem. And now he's asking you to go slower and faster at the same time.

I've been there and I can share how I dealt with these problems.

Well the first thing is to eliminate your buffer times. Ie. Attendance, talking abotu what page to be on, quieting down the class. Sounds like it roughly takes about 20 minutes of your class. (which is really too much)

I teach about 35 students in afterschool conversation class.
I start class early. About 5 minutes before the offical time. Kids complain, don't care.

The first issue is getting attendance out of the way... first 2 days, god what a chore. I understand what you meant when you said 10 minutes. So I elected an offical attendance taker instead. (I can't read their names so it's easier anyways). This will make it faster for you. Cut off those 10 minutes. And you get started right away WHILE he/she is taking attendance. My student is very advanced level so I'm making the best use of her. Honestly, she doesn't learn much from my classes (too easy for her) so she gets to feel useful taking attendance. Then while attendance is being taken I tell all the kids to pull out their worksheets or pay attention, whatever we have to do.

Then after a brief explanation and explanations we work on sheets. (I don't have a book)

Because the levels are so dispargingly different I tell the kids to work quietly on their own many times, and then I come around and explain it to the kids who are struggling. This actually helps them immensely because I can help them on a personal basis. And the kids will learn a lot more this way. This also helps you get throuh material faster. Your advance kids can blast through it and you can work on the kids struggling.

Also, if kids are misbehaving and not doing the work... EXTEND the class. Let them know if they aren't going fast enough the class will be extended. remember kids are D-Bags (hate to say it but it's true) so they are probably doing the minimal work possible and drag it. Ensure that if they don't finish the material (and remember to check it) that the class will continue. Remember it's either your ass or their ass. And their tiny little asses can take a lot more punishment than with your job on the line.

Pace it and set realistic goals for the day. Maybe we have to finish these 4 pages today. Make it clear to them in the beginning. If we don't finish we have extended class. And if we do finish, then hooray you can leave early.

I have more suggestions but I have to type up some lessons plans, request on this thread if you need more suggestions ^^

[CentralCali]