Korean Job Discussion Forums

[is so delicious]

What's the etiquette here? I'm paid to teach kids for X amount of hours a day, but this does not include twenty or thirty minutes before class and during my five minute breaks between classes. The first class comes in twenty or thirty minutes early, as does any class following a free period during which the classroom is empty (except for me).

I know I should just try to chill and accept it and shrug it off, but... let's just say I'm not one of those happy-go-lucky, child-wanting teachers whose heart is warmed by his students' presence.

I'm either planning lessons or doing my own thing during this free time. The kids come in and scream and blab and fight and are just a general pain in the a ss, as children are by definition. I not only feel compelled to look after them and stop them from fighting and possibly hurting themselves, but even when they're being remotely civil to each other, it's like... I have enough of Korean high pitched talking/screaming throughout the day, and it's really distracting and annoying. I feel I shouldn't have to suffer it outside of classtime.

Anyone else have this issue or can offer any advice?

[jonbowman88]

if theyre coming 20-30 mins early, lock the door and go somewhere else or just tell them to leave and come back when class starts

[is so delicious]

If I lock the door they just hang out outside and bang on the door until I give in. They remind me of zombies hanging out outside the mall in Dawn Of The Dead.

I don't want to go anywhere else... this is my classroom and my office. I basically don't have anywhere else to go.

Most of the kids' English is too poor to understand that they can't come to class until class begins. That or they just don't care.

[Cerulean]

Just tell them to leave as nicely as you can. If anyone says anything to you tell them you are preparing your lessons during that time.

My students come to class as soon as the last bell has rung. So they hang out for 10 minutes before my class with them starts. If they're loud, I kick them out.

No, my students never come in 20-30 minutes early and use my class to hang.

[cdninkorea]

I used to have this problem too. If they knew I was there, they'd never stop kicking the door, so I kept the lights off, didn't make any noise, and stayed away from the door. After they pounded on the door for a few minutes, they figured I wasn't there and left. If you can't do this, do what I did as a final solution: stop teaching kids.

[Steve_Rogers2008]

a spray bottle of water with a little bleach does wonders too.... it's not just for dogs and cats anymore!

[ChilgokBlackHole]

[is so delicious]

[AsiaESLbound]

I take it you are in a large public school with an English Zone? I too have this problem with kids coming 10 minutes early where when one class is leaving, the next is waiting to rush in on me. There is almost always 2 way traffic except when the incoming class is going to be late which does happen about 1 out of 5 times. It's how the job is going to be from start to finish, because homeroom teachers are sending you their students early in hopes of maxing contact time with you or to get a longer break from having them. I believe the principal would want this too in the idea that more contact=higher English final exam scores which in turn=more money next year. Remember, it's not about us so they don't care if you have a work related problem. The problem is there, because they create it and want it that way.

The screaming for attention is wearing me out. 600 individual loud, "Hello!," and all the direct attention is starting to anger me after 3 months straight. I thought they'd mello out, but they won't, because it's a big school where they are fiercely competing for my attention and for recognition. It's really demanding to say, "Hello," give individual recognition, and talk to 600 kids a day outside of my 5 to 7 hours of teaching a day. When I sit down, they will sneak up on me and scream, "Hello!," and then try to ask me all these questions in Korean.

The other issue you will have teaching in a highly competitive environment a big school puts on is high decibel yelling during class where my #1 classroom rule has become, "No yelling, no shouting." I know they are only trying to get attention and vent frustrations of being over pushed to perform such as with listen and repeat exercises in the curriculum. Despite having voiced myself many times, these behaviors never stop, because the school supports them and wants me to be around the kids during all of my non-teaching time to max English contact time. My co-teachers clearly see and understand what is going on and how I feel about it, but never help to correct the problem. The students do not act like this to Korean teachers. When I told an adult Korean friend about this issue, he said it is indeed very rude and inconsiderate on both the students and schools part. Needless to say, my lesson planning is derailed more times than not. I now always feel behind in my work, burned out, and physically exhausted. This very issue is what's making me unhappy and my co-teachers know it, but don't help to correct it, because the school wants it this way due to seeing it as best for the students.

[lifeinkorea]

I would find another room. Let them have it, or leave the school during lunch. I found these to be the best solutions. Not only will you get kids, but parents or other people will come and annoy you. For me it wasn't worth it.

[southernman]

Just get out of the classroom... anywhere, you are only paid to teach for the allocated hours, treat your own time as precious. Not only for your sanity but for the benefit of the students as well.

Anyone who thinks you should be available for the whole time you're at your Hogwan/school is extremley naive and probably not experienced in how the real world works. Do you see western teachers back home talking to little Jonny and Lisa all day, god no... they'd go crazy, or burn out... That's why they have teachers rooms and staffrooms.

In every job you need some downtime to recharge the batteries and refresh the mind, thats why there are labour laws in every western country which make morning, lunch and afternoon breaks mandatory.

I've actually worked with some people (in other countries and back home) who'd work through breaks. Some skited about it, some put on an air of importance. NONE of them was the most productive or valuable person at the workplace. They were all anal in some respect though

[ChilgokBlackHole]

[toniyellow]

I too have this problem. Pushy homeroom teachers, large english zone.
The school has no teachers lounge or english staffroom so I have no other room to retreat to. We don't even have a cafeteria - I sense some tension from the homeroom teachers as the school is very poorly equipped but some serious money was put into the English zone.

I like the kids actually and sometimes we have great conversations between class. I show them pictures of places I went on the weekend or talk to them through Google translate when their English vocabulary doesn't hold up. I talked to 4th grade girls about their girl scout camp today and it was awesome to interact beyond What's the time? This is Minsu!

But if its been a long day I feel the need for a rest in a white padded cell by the end of it.

3rd - 5th grade, if I am not in the mood for talking, I play a 10 minute animated Mr Bean episode. They will all fall silent and sit like the slack jawed tv addicts they are until class time.

6th grade I play Mr Bean and the good kids watch. The rest wrestle. I moved the desks so the free space is all on the far right and my desk is on the far left. If they don't kill each other and they're not too loud, I don't care. They know enough to stop when the bell rings and class starts. I did have the couch taken out of the room because too many WWE moves were being done off it and and a couch did nothing for teaching, just advertised that someone misused money they had to spend on English.

I do turn off the lights after 3.30 when I have no more classes. Too many kids come and talk to me instead of going off to hagwon or whatever.

[aweitzm1]

I am not in Korea yet but when I have taught in the States and the kids came to class early I would let them in but remind them that I am busy and they can sit down quietly doing their own work (i.e. reading a book, working on an assisgnment, or listening to music). This worked well with the students and it also gave me a chance to get to know them a little better.

[FredDaSked]