Korean Job Discussion Forums

ldh2222 · Joined: 12 Oct 2007

At a Public Elementary school... after-school classes. Parents viewing for a day, luckily for me, it's the day of my weaker ability classes. Ugh anyway, any ideas for great classes, mother-approved and all??

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

As far as I'm concerned you should teach every class as if it is an open class. A mother should be able to sit in any of your classes at any time and be happy. In fact, just yesterday a mother did just that in one of my after school classes.

I don't think anyone should be doing anything special for an open class. Otherwise it's just a show and not a true picture of what you teach every day.

ldh2222 · Joined: 12 Oct 2007

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

You're right that they don't act the same. But they aren't going to suddenly act different with their parents around just because you're putting on a dog and pony show. In fact, they'll probably be confused because it's not a normal lesson.

The Korean teachers think they have to put on something special because that's what they're told to do. Everything is for show in Korea. Nothing is about quality to them.

I just have a personal problem with open classes and think you should do your best at all times instead of just putting on a show when someone is watching.

If you think that's laughable then do your dog and pony show. Ask your co-teacher for ideas.

icnelly · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Location: Bucheon

Joe666 · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Location: Jesus it's hot down here!

Big Mac wrote: As far as I'm concerned you should teach every class as if it is an open class. A mother should be able to sit in any of your classes at any time and be happy. In fact, just yesterday a mother did just that in one of my after school classes.

I don't think anyone should be doing anything special for an open class. Otherwise it's just a show and not a true picture of what you teach every day.

Big Mac is 100% correct. Do you want to feed into the style over substance stereotype. Do it western style and invert the stereotype.

trish91198 · Joined: 21 Dec 2008 Location: Jukjeon

my korean supervisors are totally freaking out about our open class week! they've been observing our classes like crazy trying to give us "tips" on what and what not to do the day of open class. i've taught in the states for almost 10 years and have been oberved a million and one times...it's just another observation to me.
i think the parents just want to make sure their kids are actually learning from you. my plan is to make sure the kids speak as much english as they can...which is part of my daily plan anyway.
good luck!

bish · Joined: 09 Jun 2007

ecdarling · Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Location: Bucheon

I love how only one person really answered your question (our question, if you will ;) Thanks icnelly ~ and sorry for stealing from your post :/

Chambertin · Joined: 07 Jun 2009 Location: Gunsan

I hear a lot of it is my personal mission to change Korea and all it stands for in those statements.
I could be wrong here but, it seemed to be a simple question:
I'm facing something new, what do I do?

My advice is do things that they are familiar with. Show the kids off to the parents but most importantly show them off to themselves. Stage fright is a beast, but it is also a useful tool.
Think New York, if they can do it there they can do it anywhere.

Don�t make it monkey simple but very obvious to those who paid attention in the past month. Review out of order kinds of things. Just enough pause to get the parents excited as the kids think, just familiar enough so that once the first two kids speak up everyone catches on.

My advice is to make it one grand review session with lots of familiar stuff in an order or a method that is new to the kids.

Good luck to ya.

[EDIT]: I would also focus on the fact that there is an order and a sequence to answering, raising hand, saying a phrase, etc. Don�t let the smart ones run with it as they try to impress the parents.
This makes you and them look bad, you have no control, they have no respect kinda thing.

A tip is to use my Hangman rules. Anyone can say a letter, no one can yell (but they do just ignore them), but to win they have to raise their hand and say I know, then they may say the word and get credit the win. When the smart kids get trumped by those who follow directions it puts them back in order.
It is too funny for the quick one to scream the right word 5 times then the not so fast one says I Know, repeats the same word and gets the point. In my opinoin they both learned something.

It is tough, and there is no right answer, but that�s the great thing about teaching, there is no right way but a hundred wrong ways, wheee.

[EDIT]2:
To go along with that hangman part, a good way to change up the game is to make it a real game rather than a guess the word by number of letters.
When we play they have one point for guessing the word and two points for talking about the word in English. I bet that�s a good go to if something seems off in the demonstration.

The kids get to relax as the game starts and the parents get to see that the kids can really talk in English when they go for the bonus points. Also as a teacher you display a rapport with the students. They have fun, but it isn�t just a simple time waste game.

Hope this bag of hot air (what�s the appropriate term for typing?) helps.

yeremy · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 4:11 pm Post subject: Re: Open Classes & Co-teaching

Just give them what they want. It's their country. We only have to do Open Classes at the most 2 to 3 times a year. So what's the big deal? I don't like Open Classes but being observed is a standard practice in education.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:31 pm Post subject: Re: Open Classes & Co-teaching

maingman · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Location: left Korea

1 http://www.schoolhousetech.com/vocabulary/?gclid=CJf0moOEh5QCFQcnbwod20wwWw

quietpatches · Joined: 12 Feb 2009

This is probably out of what you were asking, but since I have to do the open class in about 1 week and a half, I have a question about somthing else. Sorry about asking it here when others haven't really answered either. But since you and I are in teh same thing, I am just wondering how you guys did your review in English?

I know that there is a review in Korean, but I was asked by my co-teacher if I can find or make a review in English for people to write. So what I am wondering is how you guys did your review? Did you make your own reviews? Or did you use a review from somewhere else?

son of coco · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

Turn in one hell of a monkey dance with both theatrical and musical aspects. Brief the kids beforehand so they're better behaved than they ever have been in any other classand know the answers to every single question.

Actually, just make sure the lesson is good and you have a PowerPoint presentation to keep the parents happy.

Couldn't help having a quiet laugh when I saw the parents at my open lesson with evaluation sheets for content etc. What the hell would they know about the content of my English lesson? None of them could speak the language!

It's all a part of the giant charade called 'English Education'. Don't worry too much and just have fun with the kids.

And as someone else said, make things pretty. I've seen a lot of cardboard with the objectives presented on them to go over with the kids before the lesson. My favourite so far was one that had 'Education Tools' as a point. Couldn't help thinking 'There are a lot of Education tools in this classroom at the moment. One of them is teaching' Laughing