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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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 Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't mean to harp on certified teachers, only those who brag about it. ESL is what it is. Anyone who denies that needs to find a new career. Teaching adults might be different. For kids, lots of pictures or power point is ok. For example, if you talk about thanksgiving, show a picture of some pilgrims and ask who they are. Tolerate some funny answers from the students. Say a few funny answers of your own. Then tell them briefly who they are. Then show a cooked Turkey. Ask them what it is. (Trust me; students love food and pictures of it. Ha ha) Maybe act out eating or being full. Ask if there are any questions? (I suppose in an unobserved class, I would prob allow for some translation to answer the culture questions. In an observed class, I would prob try to minimize the translation aspect.) Then go on to your activities. Wikipedia and Google searches are great places to get pictures. I get pretty high marks on my teaching. Not bad for having only a Bachelors and no TESOL, huh? |
There�s a bit more to teaching EFL than showing a couple of pictures and handing out some worksheets. You are unaware of this because you�ve never had any proper training, probably never read a book on the subject, been to a conference, observed any teachers who know what they�re doing or been observed by teachers who know what they�re doing. Those things plus experience enable you to develop.
Getting high marks for an observed lesson is meaningless unless the assessment was based on internationally recognised criteria and carried out by an experienced teacher trainer. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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| jrwhite82 wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Don't mean to harp on certified teachers, only those who brag about it. ESL is what it is. Anyone who denies that needs to find a new career. Teaching adults might be different. For kids, lots of pictures or power point is ok. For example, if you talk about thanksgiving, show a picture of some pilgrims and ask who they are. Tolerate some funny answers from the students. Say a few funny answers of your own. Then tell them briefly who they are. Then show a cooked Turkey. Ask them what it is. (Trust me; students love food and pictures of it. Ha ha) Maybe act out eating or being full. Ask if there are any questions? (I suppose in an unobserved class, I would prob allow for some translation to answer the culture questions. In an observed class, I would prob try to minimize the translation aspect.) Then go on to your activities. Wikipedia and Google searches are great places to get pictures. I get pretty high marks on my teaching. Not bad for having only a Bachelors and no TESOL, huh? |
This would be a great lesson for a class of students who are all the same level. It includes visual stimulus (pictures and other media) and a motivating topic (food). However what do you in a class with students who have no idea what you're saying and can't even read, and then on the other end, students who are going to find this boring and way too easy? So yes, your lesson would be great for 80% of your class. But why shoot for only 80%? Because 80% is a "pretty high mark" right?
I think if you observed an experienced teacher who is still trying to educate ALL students, you will learn a lot about effective teaching strategies that will work with that other 20%.
Furthermore, I find that a large problem with the Korean education system is this teach to the middle philosophy. There are no special ed teachers. GT students get their fill from hagwons, which is some what of a solution I guess.
Your right in that a certification doesn't replace experience. Similarly, I agree that it is just a piece of paper. However, to get that paper you have to expose yourself to a variety of teaching theories and professional development opportunities. If you don't apply anything you learned to your classes then your certification is worthless. But if you're doing it right, your classes will be much more effective then what you listed above as your typical lesson. |
The remaining 20% won't pass no matter what you do because they are simply not interested and won't try. It could be some mental disorder (I don't mean that in a bad way), a bad home life, areas of interest, etc. You can try some different techniques or ways to explain to them when others get it. My memory of western teachers when I was a student were of those trying to reach the middle ground.
Here, talking quickly gets the top hakwon students to practice listening and speaking. Speaking more slowly with pictures and re-explaining myself helps most in the middle. Giving some kind of handout and practice exercise can help those in the middle and at the bottom. But while the middle are working on it, you and hopefully the Korean teacher can help explain it to the lower students. But if people won't try no matter what you do, you can't help them. There is some need for personal responsibility. But first you try to help, in case you can get through to some of those lower rung.
I am saying that I've met certified teachers, some experienced and some not, who merely experienced frustration teaching here. Teaching and working culture are different. You're also dealing with people who primarily speak another language.
Not saying certified teachers are bad. I met one guy who was actually pretty good. But it had a lot to do with his personality. He was pretty outgoing, had a lot of energy, had a high creativity level, and was generally well liked by his students.
Many NETs, certified and uncertified alike, prob shouldn't be doing this. They need the personality mentioned above to succeed at this long term.
Some don't want to be here long term and have admitted they don't care about the job. Prob a good idea not to hire most people under 25. But we'll save that debate for another time.
Certified teachers can definately bring something to the table, but, from what I've seen, also need to be flexible in this teaching culture. Many things won't work because of language barriers, discipline approaches, etc. But contributing task based and practice based activities combined with creativity are things you may bring to the table.
But, ultimately, lessons here cannot, for the most part, be perceived to be boring. Some aspect of the "Edutainer" does have to come into play. You're up there blabbing jibberish as far as the kids are concerned. (Most of them cannot understand most of the words coming out of your mouth.) Also, half the time, you may have an inept co-teacher. Plan your classes as if they will give you minimal help. So, what do you do to focus the students attention in this case? Pictures, acting things out, funny facial expressions can reinforce what you're trying to teach them.
I also like to create my own practice dialogues with strange words or funny questions as another means of exciting them to practice what is otherwise boring repetition and practice. Anyways, too much typing here. Peace out..... |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
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The remaining 20% won't pass no matter what you do because they are simply not interested and won't try. . |
I believe there was a poster who wrote this advice:
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| "You're dealing with kids in a second language which they find very boring and are usually not interested in. You have to make it fun and exciting to keep their interest. Blabbing on in a monotone voice like you would back home won't cut it here." |
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jrwhite82
Joined: 22 May 2010
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| Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Gotta love "face". Good luck TUM. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
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The remaining 20% won't pass no matter what you do because they are simply not interested and won't try. . |
I believe there was a poster who wrote this advice:
| Quote: |
| "You're dealing with kids in a second language which they find very boring and are usually not interested in. You have to make it fun and exciting to keep their interest. Blabbing on in a monotone voice like you would back home won't cut it here." |
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learning is secondary. they're just interested in entertaining minsu and mina.
gotta put on a clown suit.  |
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jrwhite82
Joined: 22 May 2010
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| Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I also remember "teaching to the middle." Welcome to 20 or 30 years ago. You don't still use a Commodore 64 do you? 20 years ago "inclusion" was not popular and was very rare. Now it is the norm. Teaching to the middle will not work. The pendulum may swing back the other way and inclusion will be eliminated some time in the future, but I doubt it.
I still don't understand why "edutainers" get such a bad rap. Teaching in a way that is educational, fun and interesting?! How dare you?!
I definetely agree on your point about being flexible and outgoing. If you can't be flexible you won't stand a chance here. |
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definitely maybe
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Poker wrote: |
| Catfisher wrote: |
| asylum seeker wrote: |
| balzor wrote: |
Partly was my fault also. Make sure you have a good warm-up, I didn't. Make sure to have a lot of class interaction, including group AND individual activities. My class happened to be the lowest functioning class and my co-teacher is mute most of the time so I put the burden on myself and they didn't like that either. I talked about Thanksgiving and gave a little history of it and talked about foods and stuff. They thought I took too long to explain stuff. They said I should have given a reading material and let the class do a group discussion. This is not feasible in my class as they are mostly beginners and I would have to explain or read out everything anyways, but the evaluator insisted this was what I should have done.
I admit that I kinda rambled on a little and didn't give my co-teacher a chance to do much, but I treated it as a normal class and I should have not done so. |
From the sound of it I think I would have hated your class too. Sounds like you didn't make any effort to prepare and/or you don't understand student-centered learning. |
Wow, showing what a Mod Edit you are on yet another thread. Well Done!!
OP, it's the Korean way to only criticize and never praise. Coteachers will only tell you when you have done something wrong and not something well. The best way to keep the cogs running smoothly is to tell them you realize you could have done better and next time you will work harder. That's the kindof buttkiss talk they like to hear. Those open classes are all a dog and pony show anyway. The more "flash" you have the "better" your class will be (as perceived by the powers and the parents). |
lol, that is certainly not true. I think you may have experienced some bad moments teaching in Korea to think that way. In my experience, I get praised left, right and center. There is no Korean way, some people like to criticize, some don't. Don't make it sound like fact. Personal experience determines how you view them. |
Pay attention to the manner in which supervisors, etc., handle the Korean teachers. I guarantee they're not coddled the way you are. |
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