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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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 Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 6:02 am Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
No saying you wont be a great success & really enjoy your new gig but if your background is all in hagwon this will be a quite different challenge.
At the outset these girls will want to like you, but theyll scrutinize you carefully & discuss you bluntly among themselves. They want you to be kind & funny & easy but be careful of easy, they'll walk all over it. You'll need to be a big presence in the classroom at all times, commanding & directing reasonably well-planned activities. Your lesson plans should be clear & simple enough to engage the lowest achievers but open-ended enough to interest advanced students. Its a really tricky balance.
I strongly recommend organizing your classroom into small groups -- clusters of 6 or 7 desks -- as opposed to rows. Its simple to have them prearrange this for your classes & its a useful & easily managed set-up. Plan at least a portion of each class for them to do small group work & you can drift around & make individual contact.
You'll like some students more than others but be very delicate about playing favorites. It will come back to haunt you & them. & I'll repeat my earlier comment about being kind -- if they get a sense youre a cheerful caring teacher, you'll be a hit. If they get a hate on for you, it'll be one tough year.
I assume youre being hired as a supplementary 'conversation' teacher. Dont stress so much about teaching them new stuff as much as encouraging them to use what they already know in a fun environment. Good luck. |
The part about playing favorites is true. But it will happen. As much as I try not to, every year there is a student or two in each class I somehow get to know more than the rest of their classmates. I don't act favorite in class, but chances are I am kinder on marking their assignments than the kids who constantly give me a hard time.
I think it is good to treat everyone equally. I think it is impossible to please everyone though, so as I said before, you are in for a ride. |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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| matthews_world wrote: |
That kindy job you kept raving about worked out well, huh?
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Actually, it did, and we are both sorry I left the place. But they are facing competition, and have to change some things to stay on top. Unfortunately, the changes weren't very palatable for anyone.
The problem is that my 6 month E-2 mark was up, and since they are changing the English program they want me to rewrite my contract to work a new 9a to 6p shift in their new program before they would renew my visa. It was an attempted power-play that failed. Same pay. I would lose my breaks. I would have to serve food to the kids and be with the kids during lunchtime, etc.
I told them "no, I want to stick with the contract I signed with you." They said they couldn't do that, so they will release me. I am free to stay in this apartment through the end of February. Since immigration only gave me a 6 month E-2 last time, my school HAD to do something different with the contract in order to make me work the new hours. They waited until about 9 days before my E-2 was up to tell me all of the details. They really aren't "on the ball" about stuff, and often wait until the last minute and assume a lot.
They tried hard to place me in another branch, but it was too far from Central Seoul for me, and that school didn't seem as stable (they are planning to fire the Canadian guy they have), so I declined. I didn't want to be the guy to provide them a "safety net" so they can fire someone else in their 10th month. I didn't like that. They wouldn't let me speak to him, obviously, since they will fire him, and I have this rule about talking to a foriegn teacher before I accept a job anywhere. I asked why they were firing him, and I felt like their excuses were lame -- "he doesn't put things away after he uses them", etc. For all I know, the director was hell to work for (and she didn't speak English either, so hard to judge). The class sizes seemed large for that age group. The Korean staff had also turned over recently, too -- all of it made me nervous to work there.
They tried everything they could to keep to their own plan, yet keep me, saying "We really like you, and the parents love you, and we want you to stay." But I told them straight that if given a choice, I wanted to leave and find something else. That's when they started offering me other positions elsewhere, and tried to come up with a dual-PT thing at two different schools with an E-2 involved. The sticker was that they wanted me to work illegally, just getting an E-2 with this current school so they didn't have to switch paperwork until March. I said "not possible."
In the end, they agreed to release me from my contract (they weren't going to renew the E-2 anyway).
In March, they are switching everything around, and all of the teachers will have to change stuff. New books, new classes, new hours, and new rules. I overheard that only about 9 of the 30 or so Korean teachers are staying. Two of the three foreign teachers are leaving (myself and one other). The other guy is actively looking, and might jump at the right thing if it came.
I'm still friends with management there, and one of them wants to go out drinking with me next week. |
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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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| Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Derrek wrote: |
| matthews_world wrote: |
That kindy job you kept raving about worked out well, huh?
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Actually, it did, and we are both sorry I left the place. But they are facing competition, and have to change some things to stay on top. Unfortunately, the changes weren't very palatable for anyone.
The problem is that my 6 month E-2 mark was up, and since they are changing the English program they want me to rewrite my contract to work a new 9a to 6p shift in their new program before they would renew my visa. It was an attempted power-play that failed. Same pay. I would lose my breaks. I would have to serve food to the kids and be with the kids during lunchtime, etc.
I told them "no, I want to stick with the contract I signed with you." They said they couldn't do that, so they will release me. I am free to stay in this apartment through the end of February. Since immigration only gave me a 6 month E-2 last time, my school HAD to do something different with the contract in order to make me work the new hours. They waited until about 9 days before my E-2 was up to tell me all of the details. They really aren't "on the ball" about stuff, and often wait until the last minute and assume a lot.
They tried hard to place me in another branch, but it was too far from Central Seoul for me, and that school didn't seem as stable (they are planning to fire the Canadian guy they have), so I declined. I didn't want to be the guy to provide them a "safety net" so they can fire someone else in their 10th month. I didn't like that. They wouldn't let me speak to him, obviously, since they will fire him, and I have this rule about talking to a foriegn teacher before I accept a job anywhere. I asked why they were firing him, and I felt like their excuses were lame -- "he doesn't put things away after he uses them", etc. For all I know, the director was hell to work for (and she didn't speak English either, so hard to judge). The class sizes seemed large for that age group. The Korean staff had also turned over recently, too -- all of it made me nervous to work there.
They tried everything they could to keep to their own plan, yet keep me, saying "We really like you, and the parents love you, and we want you to stay." But I told them straight that if given a choice, I wanted to leave and find something else. That's when they started offering me other positions elsewhere, and tried to come up with a dual-PT thing at two different schools with an E-2 involved. The sticker was that they wanted me to work illegally, just getting an E-2 with this current school so they didn't have to switch paperwork until March. I said "not possible."
In the end, they agreed to release me from my contract (they weren't going to renew the E-2 anyway).
In March, they are switching everything around, and all of the teachers will have to change stuff. New books, new classes, new hours, and new rules. I overheard that only about 9 of the 30 or so Korean teachers are staying. Two of the three foreign teachers are leaving (myself and one other). The other guy is actively looking, and might jump at the right thing if it came.
I'm still friends with management there, and one of them wants to go out drinking with me next week. |
So you should have totally messed around with a couple of those Korean teachers...if they are leaving too, make sure ya get phone #s!!! |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2004 4:25 am Post subject: |
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Was supposed to go out with the girl who cried -- for a 3rd date. But her grandmother died, and she had to whisk away to Busan.
Have other numbers if that one doesn't work out. 
Oh, and I will not have a co-teacher at my new school. The foreign teachers at the school said it's not needed -- the girls are quite well behaved compared to the Public School ones (it's a private school). |
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adventureman
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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..
Last edited by adventureman on Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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| adventureman wrote: |
Teaching huge classes of Korean kids...in one word....BLOWS.
Read a few of my postings since I arrived in Korea.... |
Heard that about teaching Kindy too, and enjoyed it quite a bit.
Every school is a different situation. |
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2CuteNCanadian
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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I agree....I finally did it...finally signed...very happy with my contract and everything that goes with it...Thanks to those who supported me...  |
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FUBAR
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: The Y.C.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
I strongly recommend organizing your classroom into small groups -- clusters of 6 or 7 desks -- as opposed to rows. Its simple to have them prearrange this for your classes & its a useful & easily managed set-up. Plan at least a portion of each class for them to do small group work & you can drift around & make individual contact.
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I found that putting them in groups of 6 or 7 was too much. Once they were in their groups it just became more difficult to keep their attention. For the main part of the lesson my class would be in rows with a partner. But when it game time to practice their conversation, they could then make groups of 4. It's worked out good for now. There have been the occasional problems, but that was from the 3rd grade students after they finished their exams. But after laying down the law with them (taking their cell phone away for a few days, making them sit in the cold hallway) they have settled down for the most part. |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| Derrek wrote: |
| Every school is a different situation. |
HAHAHAHA that's funny. I beg to differ. Pretty much everything that FUBAR and Mr. Pink and adventureman have mentioned in the past about their schools has rung true with me. While we all approach it differently, and some teachers have better schools, the core issues are still there. You'd do well to heed what people have said on this thread, and schwa's post is golden. I'll also quote a post I made elsewhere about public school jobs(I realize you're at a private school). The post was more geared towards people who were still looking for a school, but some info is still extremely pertinent to you.
Trust me...you better have your balls intact, because even the most ambitious teachers(myself...) can find the middle/high school kids to be an absolute nightmare. That being said, after doing middle school, I'd never go back to a hakwon without much necessity.
| Quote: |
Well, as far as middle schools go, I've learned what to ask about before I start the job, so that I don't fall into the same traps.
1. Definitely make sure that parents aren't funding your paychecks. If they are, every time you make a mistake, call in sick, or miss a class for whatever school function, there's a good chance you'll be expected to make up the class and/or be reprimanded because parents are paying for classes.
2. Make sure that you're not the only foreign teacher at the school. Never agree, for any reason, to be teaching more than one grade level/13 separate classes, unless you are confident about your teaching skills. I mean really confident. You're only setting yourself up for disappointment.
3. Enquire about the curriculum. What resources do they have available for you? What resources will you have to create for yourself? It's a lot easier if you have a book to use, or a personal syllabus in your head.
4. Get a specific statement of what the school expects you to do as a teacher. It took me three months to discover that I was supposed to be teaching speaking, and another 3 to finally start gearing my classes in that direction. Make sure that you know exactly what's expected of you.
5. Know a bit about creating jeong with the Korean teachers; they're much more traditional than their hakwon counterparts. Not creating jeong with a couple of teachers at my school made the whole year inevitably turn into hell. Because of this fact alone, it probably will be quite a few years before I try going back to a public school, simply because it's so Korean.
Public school jobs can be great, with some good benefits and vacation time that could rival Uni vacations, but you have to be very flexible and able to develop a natural affinity with Koreans that you meet. |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, ye of little faith....
I have taught Middle-school before -- class size got up to 22, so I think I can handle this.
A side note: according to the foreign teachers at my new school, they have more trouble keeping the students awake.
It's a private girls school, and the English Conversation classes are electives over-and-above the regular curriculum -- not forced on the students. They only take them if they want to, and they are not graded.
I'll take my chances, and thanks for your advice. I'm sure some questions will definately come up in time. |
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