Korean Job Discussion Forums

[NCdan]

I have 4 preschool classes a day, 20 minutes for each one. I have to finish about 2 pages a day in their regular books, plus one workbook page every day. The only way I've been able to get the kids to pay attention and work fast enough to finish everything is to go through stickers like Rosie O'Donnell goes through Snickers bars. Is there any other way to keep the kids' attention? Besides screaming at them?

[BigLarry]

Bribery is usually the only method that works with the tiny critters.

Eg. Sweets for those that get everything right and an extra one for whoever finishes first. Or, a game of dibby dibby dip with prizes - more sweets - if they all finish on time etc.

The other things you need to look at is workload that is being placed on the kids and classroom management. Is the amount of work too much and too high for their level and are the groups they have placed themselves the most suitable ones?

[BigLarry]

[doubled posted]

[lifeinkorea]

I never give out stickers. I don't like the whole reward punishment conditioning aspect of school. If you work with 10 or less students, you can divide the class up and go from group to group. As students finish near the end of class, you can let them go early. The other ones stay longer, and then you get the real slowpokes who have like a page to do. So, on the next day, you get them early and you have them finish it.

I have had a few students now turn around and become the first ones to finish.

[NCdan]

I think my smallest preschool class is about 15 kids. Giving out candy may or may not go over well with my supervisor who criticizes everything I do. I'm sure she'd criticize me for giving out stickers if she observed my classes again. What's really annoying is that the one or two Korean teachers that sit and jack off during my preschool classes will complain to my supervisor if the kids aren't absolutely enthralled the entire class, which makes things very hard for me to do when the smart kids finish their workbook in ten seconds and the dumb ones finish next to nothing by the time I need to leave.

[Xuanzang]

[some waygug-in]

Are you in the same classroom all the time?

Perhaps a big wall chart with their names on, and you could mark stars or use stickers.

One thing I used to do, (but this was with older kids) was make fake money. They would only get it if they finished their work and extra good kids would get an extra bill.

You can photocopy monopoly money or even real K money if you want. I just drew my own with goofy pictures in the middle, and changed pictures periodically. The kids were all anticipating the new pictures.

The hagwan had a "gift sale" at the end of the year and the kids could buy stuff with the money they earned.

You'd have to get your entire hagwan on side though for this to work.

[NCdan]

[Kikomom]

Stamps, instead of stickers.

[cielle]

[Countrygirl]

Magic Marker works for me. If the students are being bad I say, "Oh, oh, Magic Marker"....and I start to slowly write down the name of the student. If they start to behave while I'm writing their name I stop. If I manage to finish their name then I take a sticker.

It's caught on so well that if one student is being bad, the other students yell out 'Magic Marker!' I also have 3 boys whose name starts with "J" so they all start paying attention once I start writing because they don't know if I am writing down their name or their friend's name.

[nomad-ish]

[bassexpander]

Some notes from one of my MA classes might make for interesting reading on this subject:

[ChaBaa]

One idea for mixed ability classes is "Team Teaching", where the students help each other. Mix them up into groups that have a range of abilities in each. I did this in Thailand and it worked a treat. We had week-long "competitions" (I saw them everyday) where they were rewarded points for eg. the whole group finishing first, neatest handwriting, first group to clear away all their desks and sit up straight. I could also deduct points from this for eg. not listening to me, acting up in class, shouting. Every Friday we would have a short game session, where the winning team got to choose the game. Since I gave them the options of the games this was easy to manipulate into a little revision excercise. Or sometimes I'd give the winning team candy, or let them "be the teacher" for a while...thus they could make their friends do whatever they liked!! It worked out that over a few months, each of the 6 teams eventually were the winners It really helped them to work together, and they were very into it.

For you, practically speaking, maybe you could have a 4 class cycle, with the winners eg. not having to do any tidying when they win, or the "losers" have to sing a song in front of the class. You could keep a piece of A4/A3 for each group (maybe laminate to re-use?) with the team names on, and at the end of each class tot up the points you've been marking down on the board, and add them to the Point-Chart....
Good Luck!!

[NCdan]

Most of these ideas could and already are working well for my 1st+ grade classes. But the five-year-olds I see for twenty minutes twice a week will not comprehend any of the more complicated team systems and what not. I'm just some guy incoherently babbling for 20 minutes that may or may not keep them entertained. Even when I drag the bad ones outside and scream in their faces they misunderstand me 90% of the time. I think they understand the words "good" and "bad," and that's about it. Stickers and pressure points seem to be the only things that get them to pay attention. Although, the stamps are a decent idea; I'll see if the dollar store by me has any.