Korean Job Discussion Forums

winterfall · Joined: 21 May 2009

I'm a new teacher with SMOE with no prior teaching experience. And my school is very low tech and I don't have a budget to work with.

Until I can save enough money to buy the things I need. I was planning to do a moderate to a low difficulty introductory lesson next week where the students try to guess who I am. Depending on how they phrase their answers will give me a good clue on where they're at.

The problem is one of my co-teachers who teaches most of the 2nd grade, keeps coming to me with changes to the lesson plan. He's pushing hard for me to make a vocabulary game in addition to plan I've already made. But that vocabulary is very situation specific. Like evacuate.

And to demonstrate the point, he brought me his best students. And the kids could only give me one word answers and didn't know how to either ask questions or structure them correctly.

I keep telling my co-teacher that the kids can't do what he expects of them. But, he keeps coming up with excuses like I can translate for you. And I told him if you translate everything then its just gonna be boring.

He's a nice guy but, his expectations are too high. And I know if I don't incorporate what he wants. He WILL undermine me in the classroom. On the flip side, if I do incorporate it and the students can't do it. Then he will hit them when I'm not around.

My department head is awol so I've got no one to mediate. Does anybody have any suggestions for an activity where the students can practice vocabulary? Without needing to form sentences?

Even though its my job to work with him. I will do whats in the best interests of my students not his expectations.

*** Edit ***

I have 5 Co-teachers. 5 different personalities to deal with. I teach about half my classes with this guy. But, he's not my boss. Then I teach about a quarter a half with my department head. And the rest with 3 other teachers.

He's the only teacher I'm having problems with and so far I'm on very good terms with the rest.

If it helps. I'm the school's first foreign teacher. Don't have an English zone and classrooms don't have projectors. The school told me I can teach whatever I want and the Korean teachers are my assistants.

asmith · Joined: 18 Jun 2009

pusky · Joined: 03 Jun 2009

If its your first week of teaching you have no other play than to do the vocabulary game. You don't really have a leg to stand on if you pull the I need to do whats best for the kids argument before you've actually taught them. If you try it and it doesn't work out then you'll be in a strong position to decline to do it later.

Some people will say you have to put your foot down early etc, but this doesn't seem like a good time to make a stand.

Also, here are a lot of reasons that he could doing this.

One is that he wants to take control,

Or it may be a way to tell you your lesson plan sucks and will bomb, but doesn't want to insult you.

Or he is just genuinely trying to be nice and introducing a successful activity to someone who has not taught before.

Or he's trying to inject some of the vocabulary from his class into yours so there is some continuity for the students....

saw6436 · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon, ROK

Assistant teachers is what we be. I have 2 co-teachers. One speaks very good English and was trained as an English teacher. She develops all the lesson plans and materials. I run the classes while she plays back-up. We get along great. My second co-teacher speaks almost zero English and actually hates teaching English. He runs the class (only follow the book) and I am a human cassette player. We get along great.

Do what your co-teacher wants. If the lesson works, great. If it fails, step back and let him/her pick-up the pieces.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

Op. You are an assistant. Please listen to the guy who is going to decide your working hours, your breaks, your vacations, your desk-warming, your overtime payments - your after school classes (paid or not) - your accommodation - - - - YOUR EVERYTHING.

It comes as a great shock to many new GET's, NET's etc - that you are not realy there to improve the students Englisheee - (how is that possible anyway, in a class of 30-40 kids who only see you once a week).

Your job is to be put on a 'show' - and as an entertainer - you'd better learn quick smart who the ringmaster is (and do what he wants). Or you're going to have a very tough year.

We've all been through this. I did a year in a SMOE hellhole, planned every lesson around sound TEFL methodology, taught my guts out - and at the end of the year a SMOE official told me: "We're not interested in that, we only want you for your voice."

Good luck.

winterfall · Joined: 21 May 2009

andrewchon · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:58 pm Post subject:

winterfall:
You can't say you don't have teaching experience and then argue how to to teach against an experienced teacher. I think you are making a basic mistake of a beginner: want to teach the way you were taught. Let the teacher help you, stand back and learn how to teach in a vocational school.

D.D. · Joined: 29 May 2008

Koreans like to bully and they back down if you bully back. I would rather do what is best for the students than listen to some teacher from the stone ages tell me what tod. With a tough co-teacher that won't back down ask to do 1/2 your way and 1/2 his way. ie( 20 minutes each). If you take over and know what you are doing they will let you have your way. If you don't know what you are doing they will use your class to teach their stuff.

Your class is not a grammar class and has been made for conversation. If your co-teacher doesn't get that you need to challenge him/her.

halfmanhalfbiscuit · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Location: Seoul

Let him lead-they'll be plenty of other situations where KTs don't turn up or can't be arsed

poeticjustice · Joined: 28 Feb 2009

Its your first week, OP, so you might as well do what he says. Rock the boat when you have more rocking power.

Elvis Gratton · Joined: 12 Jul 2009

winterfall · Joined: 21 May 2009

fromtheuk · Joined: 31 Mar 2007

At my last school, my co-teacher let me do whatever I wanted to do. I preferred that.

My current co-teacher tells me what to do and it is clear there is little room for me to object to it.

Welcome to the public school system. I have found another job abroad, better than my job in Korea.

Look at my '2 reasons not to work in Korea' thread. I am leaving Korea because I find it intolerable to work with a micro-managing co-teacher. Laughing

Yes, we are assistants, but assistants who can speak English properly. I dislike being ordered around by Korean teachers who can't speak English properly.

I know it's pedantic of me, but Prinicipal is not spelt Principle. If you can improve your spelling that would be good for your students.

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

It varies from school to school. I think generally foreign teachers in high schools are given more freedom than in elementary or middle schools.

In elementary it is very common to be an english monkey standing in the corner while the Korean teacher teaches mostly in Korean. (not always though)

I suggest you do what you can to accomodate your co-teacher. Unless you have a lot of experience to back up your ideas, you are better off just doing as he/she wishes.

Even if you have a lot of experience, you really don't want to start a war with your co-teacher this early in the game. Try to work it out by talking after classes and trying to see what he/she expects.

We are not going to change the world here, just do the best you can in the situation you are in.

Good luck.

Epicurus · Joined: 18 Jun 2009