Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TheUrbanMyth]

[bassexpander]

[ajgeddes]

[Old Gil]

[Konglishman]

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

I know another big problem, and this isn't to say I'm not guilty of it either:

Instead of discussing things like lesson planning (you can't just expect people to automatically KNOW, or to hear some bare bones description of it and then become a great teacher), how to be a better teacher, how to make a good impression and why we should be taking ourselves seriously and acting like professionals... a lot of ESLers are too busy looking for racism in the media, putting each other down, avoiding each other, keeping their distance, or wondering what bar they're going to go to tonight, or what have you. Not that life in Korea shouldn't be fun, just that it shouldn't be only fun.

If someone here really knows what they're doing, they usually just use that to make the other people feel unprofessional-- it's always a big ego boost to know that you're the golden child. And the younger people are often actively trying to come up with reasons why this job shouldn't be taken seriously-- not because the job itself shouldn't be taken seriously or that it's too easy, but because if they can bring themselves to believe that it shouldn't be, then they can be free to not really work, because it doesn't matter anyway, and they'd rather get drunk and party all the time.

On the other hand, there is also a fair share of people (most of them young, the old people usually just think they know better than everyone) who really are willing to try and do well, but too often they're not given any idea of how to do anything, not helped, not supported, and just basically ignored and treated as an annoyance or something unimportant.

The worst part is that if the school board could just give out a sample lesson format and tell the ESL teachers to repeat it weekly until they get the hang of it, a lot of their problems would be solved. This is what they did at NOVA in Japan-- they had a standard book with very clear very simple instructions. I'm not saying it was such an amazing way to teach, but it sure beats the Korean system.

I don't have any training at all, and I often don't plan, but I read up on the Internet frequently, ask other people who are willing to tell me, and I've bought my own supplies-- which makes me an amazing teacher in their eyes, apparently. Well, not amazing... but still.

My 'plans' don't have any real strategy to them and there's no need to write them down-- basically, I repeat the structure/expression over and over and over and over... first in a serious way, then with writing, then with substitutions, maybe with spelling, then in a fun way... usually just adapting some game to the language.

That's about all you need to do to be considered a good teacher here, so it's kind of amazing that some people don't do it. Week after week, review, encourage, teach, review, address any problems, teach, repeat... maybe shake it up with a really well-planned, really thought out activity every now and then. The kids will actually do better if you repeat a lot and then do something exciting maybe every few lessons so they don't get bored-- it's actually often more exciting to look forward to something than it is to be doing it all the time.

[I'm no Picasso]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[nautilus]

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

[gakduki]

Last year, I worked at a school, where I came in 5 minutes before my first class, never prepared, taught English Time and other garbage like that, was never observed, never made a test, etc. In other words, the children barely learned a thing and students who have been in there for years can barely speak as decent as the kindergarteners in my new school.

The new school has serious professionals observe the class for a full hour once a month, with a meeting afterwards. We prepare for all our classes, make the schedules, make the tests, add things to the cirriculum, prepare at least 2 hours a day etc.

The children have learned more in 8 months than they would in 3 years at my old school. A quality program and hard working instructors make a tremendous difference. I think its a problem is with management more than the teachers. As long as they are getting you to work, and frequently watching you and quickly tackling issues, you should be a fine teacher. Really just passion, attitude and work make a good teacher. A good management ensures their employees are up to the standards.

There are common things in every lesson. Input, interaction, independant work and review that are a must. Also teach with differnent methods of media and senses and they will be interested. The problem is many teachers haven't been trained properly and are allowed to get lazy. This applies to both Hakwons and public schools.

I am no expert teacher, I never took training, but I am really glad to work for a company that has good ethic. Learning to do a job properly is a valuable lesson and the lessons I have learned can apply to every job. Sure some days we just feel like giving them a wordsearch and sitting on ours butts, but those days should be few and far between.

[rgv]

I can understand the Korean dude's frustration in all seriousness, but in no way is it a problem regulated only to the foreign teachers. I teach public school at three different small town schools in the sticks. I've had 4 co-teachers at my main school and at my two smaller ones I teach with the homeroom teachers.

I've taught with terrible teachers who don't prepare anything, teachers who teacher line for line from the book (almost as bad...), teachers who want me to teach everything, teachers who want me to be the parrot, and teachers who do a really friggin amazing job and whose kids can rattle off the stuff they know like nobodies business.

The bottom line is that the overwhelming majority of the teachers here (foreigner and korean) don't get any training in teaching English and so the student's results are going to reflect that.

[steroidmaximus]

Rails wrote:

[PatrickGHBusan]

Steroids I agree.

Korea should pay foreign teachers more and offer more professional development opportunities. However this could only come about if they also raised standards of selection and put these teachers into the same roles as Korean Teachers (same type of work load). The pay would still differ however because you have to factor in the housing as a pay benefit. Say housing is worth 400 000 won a month. Then the foreign teacher makes 2.0 and the Korean Teacher makes 2.4 (comparing two new grads here). Both would need to be certified.

You can factor in airfare as a benefit as well.

Just saying...you can't ask for only what you like on the menu...

[Old Gil]