Korean Job Discussion Forums

[warmachinenkorea]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

[fermentation]

[RufusW]

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]

[gillod]

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