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RMNC
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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 Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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| I would have killed for 0 kids to show up. Less work for you. |
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JBomb
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I find out of the big batch I get signing up only 10-20% of them will show up come camp time. Younger ones being closer to 20, older grades closer to 10. Last year out of the 30 or so grade 6s I had sign up only three students showed up. Out went the lesson plans and in came the card games and monopoly. |
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RedKristin
Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| crisdean wrote: |
Also given that the camp is going to be a cooking class, I'm doubting (and hoping) that very few boys will be interested. Middle school boys + fire and knives can't possibly end well.
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I had a food themed camp and had boys come because boys, in general, are always hungry. They were not good at plating but definitely were active participants.
My winter camp only has 5 students as of right now because the Korean teacher wants to start charging for attendance where camps used to be free. My students are kind of poor so really anyone but her could've seen it coming. |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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| RedKristin wrote: |
| crisdean wrote: |
Also given that the camp is going to be a cooking class, I'm doubting (and hoping) that very few boys will be interested. Middle school boys + fire and knives can't possibly end well.
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I had a food themed camp and had boys come because boys, in general, are always hungry. They were not good at plating but definitely were active participants.
My winter camp only has 5 students as of right now because the Korean teacher wants to start charging for attendance where camps used to be free. My students are kind of poor so really anyone but her could've seen it coming. |
that's pretty unethical of your co-teacher and school; the school is given money by the government to pay for the foreign teacher. they shouldn't be trying to turn a public school program into a business.
i think a lot of public schools do this though - i know my first school did. |
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wiganer
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| Could be that if you are a March hire and they aren't going to re-sign you then you are being rubbed out slowly - that also happens. |
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balzor
Joined: 14 Feb 2009
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| Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 10:49 pm Post subject: Re: No one signed up for my winter camp. Bad sign? |
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| hypnotoad777 wrote: |
| So, this is my first year, and while I don't think I've been doing a perfect job, I think most of the kids enjoy my class. In preparation for my winter camp, I've been asking my head coteacher for advice... What direction he was looking for for the camp, what previous treachers had done. Finally he presented me with a book of lesson plans the previous year's teacher had completed. I've been flipping through it all week, getting ideas. So anyhow at the end of the week, students started signing up for classes (I assumed for the next term). Once they finished, I was informed that no one had signed up for my camp based on the description. First of all, I have no idea what that description was, since I hadn't completed my lesson plans yet. Second of all, I had no idea that students had the option to sign up for the camp. I'm a little paranoid that this somehow reflects poorly on me. I don't understand how not 1 student out of 800 signed up for my class. I feel like I am missing something here. I have asked numerous times for feedback on this and my head coteacher has said not to worry about it but kept it vague. Evidently I will be tutoring one or two teachers at my school just to have something to do. But I can't help but feel paranoid that this reflects poorly on me. Anyone with any insights into this? |
I don't how many, if any will sign up for mine either. Kids did not sign up for after school classes this past semester and my principal took it as a personal afront to him. Needless to say, he doesn't want me back next year. Just have your activities prepared and ready to go and if no one shows up, you can have the consolation that you had your shit together. It is such a farce in this country to believe that kids actually want to do this stuff. When they don't, they are told they have to do something and if they don't want to be in the English teachers class, the teacher looks like a scrub. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Every year they always force the kids to sign up for english camps at my public school, usually from their own homerooms. I've had no issues, I'm just glad my co-teachers know that mosts students don't really like english. |
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Morticae
Joined: 06 May 2010
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| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:47 am Post subject: |
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At my middle school, it is optional if they want to take the class.
The class is limited to grades 1/2, and only 20 students in total may sign up.
I don't know what he "demand" for my class was, but I do know that 2 teachers interviewed the students to see who would get in. As one of those teachers is a close friend of mine, he said he was 'weeding out the bad students' for me. |
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matthews_world
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 11:41 am Post subject: |
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We had more than 2 or 3 more than the limit sign up for our winter camp and each camp our school gives a level test.
Also, we have a policy that if they attended the previous seasonal camp then they forego the current session and must wait until next year so that other students get the opportunity to join in.
Could be what is happening to the OP. Also there are budget restrictions.
Camps should open to all. I told my co-teacher that I'm happy to teach all levels in one class and pay for any extra materials. Just stagger the language used for each topic - easy, medium, difficult. I take the advanced kids and co-teachers help with the lower levels. I mix up the teams so that every one has an equal shot of winning games - scavenger hunts, quiz show, etc. |
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Kaypea
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad-ish wrote: |
| RedKristin wrote: |
| crisdean wrote: |
Also given that the camp is going to be a cooking class, I'm doubting (and hoping) that very few boys will be interested. Middle school boys + fire and knives can't possibly end well.
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I had a food themed camp and had boys come because boys, in general, are always hungry. They were not good at plating but definitely were active participants.
My winter camp only has 5 students as of right now because the Korean teacher wants to start charging for attendance where camps used to be free. My students are kind of poor so really anyone but her could've seen it coming. |
that's pretty unethical of your co-teacher and school; the school is given money by the government to pay for the foreign teacher. they shouldn't be trying to turn a public school program into a business.
i think a lot of public schools do this though - i know my first school did. |
How do the schools get away with this? I asked my coteacher about this, and she said with all the bureaucracy in the school board, it's hard to fathom it being possible for a school to get away with charging for something that's supposed to be free. |
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Kaypea
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: No one signed up for my winter camp. Bad sign? |
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| balzor wrote: |
| hypnotoad777 wrote: |
| So, this is my first year, and while I don't think I've been doing a perfect job, I think most of the kids enjoy my class. In preparation for my winter camp, I've been asking my head coteacher for advice... What direction he was looking for for the camp, what previous treachers had done. Finally he presented me with a book of lesson plans the previous year's teacher had completed. I've been flipping through it all week, getting ideas. So anyhow at the end of the week, students started signing up for classes (I assumed for the next term). Once they finished, I was informed that no one had signed up for my camp based on the description. First of all, I have no idea what that description was, since I hadn't completed my lesson plans yet. Second of all, I had no idea that students had the option to sign up for the camp. I'm a little paranoid that this somehow reflects poorly on me. I don't understand how not 1 student out of 800 signed up for my class. I feel like I am missing something here. I have asked numerous times for feedback on this and my head coteacher has said not to worry about it but kept it vague. Evidently I will be tutoring one or two teachers at my school just to have something to do. But I can't help but feel paranoid that this reflects poorly on me. Anyone with any insights into this? |
I don't how many, if any will sign up for mine either. Kids did not sign up for after school classes this past semester and my principal took it as a personal afront to him. Needless to say, he doesn't want me back next year. Just have your activities prepared and ready to go and if no one shows up, you can have the consolation that you had your shit together. It is such a farce in this country to believe that kids actually want to do this stuff. When they don't, they are told they have to do something and if they don't want to be in the English teachers class, the teacher looks like a scrub. |
I know at my middle school, there was a small group of girls who are best friends who genuinely enjoyed coming to English camp, maybe because it's a free place to hang out, parent free. I suspect a bunch of the other kids, the first graders, were sent along to keep them out of their parents' hair.
I have trouble bugging the kids to come to camp. I sort of, sort of understand wanting to come to the winter camp if you're a kid who likes English, becuase it's too cold to go out anyways, and you can see all your friends and hang out with your cool young foreign ajuma (haha). I don't really understand wanting to come to the summer camp, because the weather's nice and it's much more fun, and healthy, to play outside.
I remember nobody was signing up for our summer camp. I was asking our star students why, and they were giving me answers like, "I don't want to" and I was like, "Cool, I understand." Then the head of the English department told me I was supposed to be pretty much forcing the kids to come... haha... So I started telling them, "Come on, it will be fun, it's only for 2 hours a day, I'll show pop music videos..." etc. Turned out we got a lot of students, but they were mostly hyper 1st grade boys whose moms probably jumped at the chance to send out of the house  |
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southernman
Joined: 15 Jan 2010
Location: On the mainland again
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| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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I agree its more to do with the schools attitude with English and also if they're charging money.
last year at a very small PS (150 students) I had over 40, 5th and 6th graders sign up for only 20 available places. We had to run English tests to see who got in.
At my current Elementary school with over 1600 students. I've only had 12, 5th graders and 15, 6th graders sign up. It's the exact same program (same book) as I ran last year.
English rates very low on the totem pole here. I said to one of my co-teachers that music seems more important at our school and she agreed with me. I wouldn't worry about it. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| southernman wrote: |
| English rates very low on the totem pole here. I said to one of my co-teachers that music seems more important at our school and she agreed with me. I wouldn't worry about it. |
Not sure about elementary, but in Middle and High School, english is a core subject. |
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southernman
Joined: 15 Jan 2010
Location: On the mainland again
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| Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| southernman wrote: |
| English rates very low on the totem pole here. I said to one of my co-teachers that music seems more important at our school and she agreed with me. I wouldn't worry about it. |
Not sure about elementary, but in Middle and High School, english is a core subject. |
Yes of course, English is a core subject in Elementary school.
But how it is actually perceived and how much emphasis is placed upon it relies very much on the wishes or directives of the Principal.
I haven't taught at many Elementary schools, but the 4 I have taught at would go under 3 categories. I've also discussed this with other PS teachers who tend to agree
1/ Actively encourage and promote English. For example, class competitions, individual competitions broadcast throughout the school. Emphasis on English tests and holiday programs as well as PS English competitions.
2/ Generally follow the party line, no real hindrance or help
3/ English has to be done. Afterschool classes are seen as a way of babysitting, not teaching. The students that attend afterschool classes are considered to be either to poor to attend Hagwons or from one family homes so need to be looked after before their parent/grandparent comes home from work. Students are required to attend class, maybe 25% to 30% of my 5th graders don't bring the textbook regularily to class. K-Teacher has tried to discuss this with the Homeroom teacher, nothing has been done. Any form of discipline doesn't work because Homeroom teacher doesn't back it up |
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machoman
Joined: 11 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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doesn't seem like a good sign that ZERO out of 2000 students signed up. do your students talk to you outside of class? do they say hello to you when you're in the hallways? could be that they don't think you're interesting or maybe they think your teaching style is boring.
i taught winter camp for my district last year but this year i'm doing it at my school. i had summer camp at my own school too. there were more students who signed up during summer and a lot less signed up for winter.
anyway, i don't know what to tell you, but i would feel a bit down too.... |
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