Korean Job Discussion Forums

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

I have a 2 week regular winter camp, and 1 week "bonus" camp.

I have a choice: parents or "depressed" students (this apparently means low level who can't speak at all)

Who knows how many parents would sign up, but they are predicting 3-4 "depressed" students, who I'd see for 3 hours a day.

I'm leaning towards the parents class, but that could be disastrous. What poison would you pick?

cruisemonkey · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 10:58 pm Post subject:

I'd take the depressed students and heavily medicate. Wink

Old Gil · Joined: 26 Sep 2009 Location: Got out! olleh!

adults want to be there, kids don't. take the parents.

I'm no Picasso · Joined: 28 Oct 2008

I did a camp for both this past summer, in addition to my regular camps.

The parents were great and the kids were great too. The trouble with both these groups is that they're hard to warm up, so you have to push pretty hard to make them comfortable in the beginning. Once you get past the initial awkwardness with both (when the adults become comfortable with each other and when the students realize you're not going to skin them alive for not speaking English), then it should be alright.

You can do more with the parents, because they will be higher level, but it can be more stressful because you may have to meet some vastly different levels at once.

With the kids, it may be hard work to find enough activities that they are reasonably able to do that won't get too repetitive and boring. If you speak a bit of Korean, this is a good time to bust it out. Even if it's completely unrelated to class, the kids will look 100% relieved once you can say something -- anything -- that they can understand. And they will relax a lot.

Perceptioncheck · Joined: 13 Oct 2008

"Depressed" students; I love it! Sounds like my entire school on Monday mornings.

I'd take the kids any day. The parents are more likely to have different levels of competency, which is a pain in the *** to plan for. I find parents a pain in the *** generally speaking, actually.

Kids are easy. At a camp, you can just play games and do crafts with them, regardless of how depressed they are. I don't really see parents getting into making a volcano or playing market or whatever else you do with the littluns'.

Anyway, good luck. Hope you make the right choice for you! Razz

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

i just fear being stuck with 3 mute kids for 3 hours. a class full of gum smacking parents at least i could make into some kind of gong show.

ChilgokBlackHole · Joined: 21 Nov 2009

I'd take the parents any day, and bill it as teaching the same program as I'm teaching the kids. It gives the parents the basics, and a common frame of reference when talking to their kids about homework, etc. I think it would give them a little insight. Kinda like the open houses we used to have back home, only longer.

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 5:19 pm Post subject:

easy, the parents are more likely to bring you food Wink

usually i'd choose the students, but only 3 or 4 low level and probably unmotivated students, i don't think so. take the parents. they probably want more survival english or conversation type lessons anyways, you won't have to worry about a ton of games.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject:

ippy · Joined: 25 Aug 2009

The subject of food brings up a much more valuable thing: networks. You may hate everyone there, but they may know someone who knows someone who does something you LOVE to do Smile

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 8:09 pm Post subject:

br_owen · Joined: 10 Jun 2008

take the kids. with the parents you're gonna have to graft pretty hard and actually preppare some stuff so it looks like you can teach. With the kids you can just wing it and show movies - it's not your fault they're low level. It will be more akin to desk warming. Of course it depends what you feel like - if you're willing to graft, then the parents class could be rewarding/fun.

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

I asked what the school would prefer, since both situations sound pretty terrible. They said they want me to teach the low level kids, and might give me a coteacher for it. Fine by me.

Now I just have to hammer out that "book" in two weeks. Since camps aren't paid extra, and I have to make a book while my regular classes are still going on, guess how hard I'll be trying.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

Ok, copy a bunch of pages from some kids book...then forget about it. Then do some fun stuff with your kids. Take them outside and see how many different trees they can find. How many blue cars do they see? How many people wearing red jackets. How many times can they kick a ball and hit an object.

Whatever you do, DON'T teach English! Teach fun stuff. How do you make a peanut butter sandwich? How many different computer games do you play? What are their names (get them to figure out the English name). As with most language learners, they understand more than they can speak, so work on that. Instead of writing a diary, have them create a comic book. Do some science stuff....baking soda a vinegar makes some cool stuff. Pre-teach a few vocab words and you're set to go!

Of course the first thing you have to do is get them comfortable with each other and with you. Play a "who can pop the balloon first with their butt" kind of ice breaker, and you play too!

I do think you'll have more fun with the kids than with the parents!