Korean Job Discussion Forums

warmachinenkorea · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

My co-teacher/manager is not here today. No one told the kids in her morning supplemental class so they are in the lab. Normally the class is split in half but today it's a full class because of the lack of teachers. I am about to make copies and I look at the kids and ask, "Are you first grade?" (Sometimes the supplemental class is different.) Normally I would ask, "You're first grade right?" As I'm about 95% sure they are. The kids start looking at each other wondering what I'm asking. I thought they were playing until no one spoke up. Usually someone can recognize the words, "first-grade", and understand. 2 mins. and nothing.

I just realized how bad and meaningless I am at this job.

hockeyguy109 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Daegu

You're probably not a bad teacher - but you are meaningless. Don't worry, we are all meaningless. If the pay wasn't so good, we'd probably be off doing things that matter. The sooner you accept that its meaningless, the sooner you can relax. Just get through the day, try to make the classes as entertaining as possible, then go home and think about meaningful things.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

You are not useless. You have to understand that in this country very little importance in placed on spoken English. This is why many Korean teachers lack motivation in properly preparing you or supporting you in class. Things like classroom management and developing an arsanal of good activities in something you will develope over time. Hang in there you will get better. For now just try surfing the net and looking for something good

warmachinenkorea · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

I am just kinda poking fun at my situation at this particular school. I'm pretty much used as the tape recorder here. From time to time I get to do my lessons. I have 2 other schools that I can kinda do my own thing and it makes my week worth while. I have come to terms that our job here is meaningless and I am getting all the perks and getting student loans paid off so it's cool. I put a little effort into planning.

I try to persure other interests like lifting weights, learning how to repair and build guitars, and loving my wife. I even got the ok to volunteer with the Daegu American School's basketball team (I was and will be a coach when I return to America. Darn Student loans!) I just gotta buy a car.

Thanks for all the encouraging words though.

Kaypea · Joined: 09 Oct 2008

It isn't that we're "bad teachers", but that the kids really aren't used to hearing English casually spoken. There's "English time" (45 minutes a week) and normal time, and rarely shall the twain meet...

I think I may be a bad teacher. Sometimes I really model bad English.

"Are you in first grade?"
(silence)
"You? You?" (finger point around the room) "Gradeh-one? First-eh gradee?"

yoja · Joined: 30 May 2008

Don't worry about it too much. For starters, you have plenty of company...lots of bad teachers. And more importantly, people get fired for lots of reasons but rarely for being a bad teacher.

Don't stress.

Triban · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station

fermentation · Joined: 22 Jun 2009

RufusW · Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Location: Busan

They're first grade, they're struggling with their own language!

But you should see at least a little improvement with the older grades.

I get through it by knowing this is making me a better ESL teacher, one of the reasons I actually came here.

winterfall · Joined: 21 May 2009

gillod · Joined: 02 Sep 2009

Dude, you're fine. Sounds like run of the mill stuff. Do your best! Eveyrthing will be fine.

matthews_world · Joined: 15 Feb 2003

Flick the students on the head if they spurt out any useless mumblings.

Thanks to K-Pop, they are repeating English so I guess they are learning something, even though it is senseless jibberish.

Just learn to ignore it.

Work on your rapport with students and try to be positive. Principles and staff know that we are merely 'stop gap' instructors. Get to know your students & co-workers. Show some passion for your jobs. Don't hide in your classrooms.

Take the initiative with suggesting ideas and planning lessons. This help you more with a good review than actual teaching skill. Just with any job we learn as we go. Realize that we're not experts from Day 1.

calicoe · Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Location: South Korea

Don't worry, you'll be fine. Everyone has days like that, even experienced, "great" teachers. On some days, I'm a "great" teacher, and others, not so good. Even the same lesson can vary from class to class, because, on some days it's the class!

I just had one of those classes, with the third grad, middle school (the devil's spawn, these days). I can go from nice and sweet to mean and scary in minutes if I have to. I just pulled out the mean and scary with this problem class (passive/agressive, do-nothings).

I tried something new today: I called out their class president, who was - to no surprise - one of the passive/agressive, do-nothings. I talked to her after class and told her that I will not tolerate their attitude, and if the class fails to learn English or participate, I'm holding her responsible, among other things. She looked sheepish and uncomfortable; we'll see if it works.

DrugstoreCowgirl · Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:56 pm Post subject:

I feel that way too sometimes, but then I realized that I'm not really the problem-you can't teach kids who don't want to learn. I'm not even sure if it's that they don't want to learn, they just don't want to pay attention. English is basically the one class that they don't have huge exams in so I feel like they use the English time to goof off and relax. We actually made one class go back to their homeroom teacher because they would not pay attention at all today.

English Matt · Joined: 12 Oct 2008