Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bcoral99]

Does anybody have 3rd grade students who have finished their mid-terms and now don't listen anymore? Mine just finished yesterday and now don't even show up with the textbook or even a pencil. I've been told we will not use the textbook as much and that I have to make up my own stuff to entertain them now cause they wont care whats in the textbook or what will be on the final exam anymore.

I didn't know that their final exams will not count towards their admission to high school. I was wondering if any of your students have started to tune you out now.

[Xuanzang]

[ekul]

I had one class come in yesterday and just shout at me free time, I was up for giving it to them because I knew they wouldn't listen. In the end their teacher said no free time so I gave them a piss easy lesson designed for first graders and they wouldn't even do that. Do we blame ourselves, our co-teachers, the students or the system? It's most likely to do with everything which makes it such a pain in the arse to fix.

[jvalmer]

Wait until December. The middle school 3rd graders finish their finals sometime in mid-November. Most Korean teachers in my school essential stop teaching material and show them movies or whatever, and often just spend the time doing paper work in the teacher's office. Depends on how experienced you are, I find this time the most entertaining time, especially with girls, they'll ask you the most wild questions and the ones that were afraid to talk to you before often start talking when their grades aren't dependent on it.

[calicoe]

My kids already started getting wild the week or so before exams. The third graders have been the worse, but the 2nd graders have not been angels either. It's been hell. Thanks for giving me the heads up. No one around here ever mentions anything.

[nobbyken]

They should really cut back to 2 examination schedules a year, such was my schooldays in the UK.
4 times a year is crazy and our HS has just finished mid-terms, but will start the important finals in 4 weeks or so. The ones going to college or uni get accepted on their mid-term marks so the finals don't matter really. Strange situation. I remember only having a week or so after final exams for goofing around and fun classes, Korean Ss essentially have from the October mid-terms to Christmas time.

[cruisemonkey]

[bcoral99]

Yes, the kids have a free pass after mid-terms now. They do have to take an admissions exam I believe in December so they have to do well on that. It apparently covers every subject.

the kids are worse than ever. My classes have become pointless.

[JJJ]

My 3rd graders have their final the 1st week in November. After that, classes are basically cancelled, maybe play a few games, watch movies, or let them sit, chat, spit, fight, chew gum, text, phone, listen to tunes, read or sleep. That's fine by me. I didn't make up the strange system.

So, don't worry, relax and have fun.

[Faunaki]

Teaching MS students at this time of year sucks but then there's Halloween and Xmas which are fun to teach so you've got a lot of room there. I usually do Xmas lessons for a month. Students love Mr. Bean Xmas and Simpson's Treehouse of Horror 13 (as do I). Also your co-teachers will not except much from you so there'll be no guilt trips about showing movies or playing games the whole time.

[calicoe]

Great, but I have a demo class in mid-November with the third grade - WTF?

[Fishead soup]

Some of you people really need to take charge. If you think things are bad now they will only get worse after the final exams. Fun and Games are good sometimes but I wouldn't base an entire curiculum around them.

[ekul]

[cruisemonkey]

I only have grades 1&2 now... so 'fun & games' i.e. 'movie time' doesn't start until after final exams in Dec. A 90-minute movie will take most classes until winter vacation starts... then, for the week of �school� between winter vacation and spring break, a short Movie Cloze exercise and some games are in the works. Last year, I tried to actually teach lessons that week when all the K teachers were letting them watch TV/movies - that was a HUGE mistake!

[Pwillig]

So THAT'S why! My 3rd graders had midterms about 2 weeks ago, then some aptitude test this week. I tried showing them a short-film instead of making them work since they've been tested for the past month, but they were just being loud bastards. I've never raised my voice before b/c I let my CT handle that, but he wasn't there.

I pray their Finals are in Mid-November, but I was told mid-December

Just countin' down the days till February 1st.