Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jrwhite82]

[ddeubel]

jrwhite,

I appreciate your comments and yes, I should have more directly addressed the OPs and others idea of "less planning". Though I must say, I view this is less formal planning and more informal planning, on the part of the teacher.

Your views that more planning = better teaching (and I know I'm generalizing) are imho not true. Teachers need to get out of the way and it can be as simple as setting up the environment (which takes planning in most cases, classes not being ready for this style of learning) and setting an objective/end. Then letting the students, "have a go".

Students can do a lot, if we just let them take more responsibility for their own education/learning. If we don't help teach them to be self directed, autonomous learners, we are really missing a big opportunity to help students. We need more sandbox learning. Why can't students themselves design and produce the tests, the worksheets?

I'm not convinced that self directed learning =s more planning (though all the things you mention do go into good teaching - but also for teacher centered classrooms) I believe it =s different planning.

DD
http://eflclassroom.com

[Zackback]

For medium to high level students an effective way to teach them is to do minimal class preparation. Go into class with just a few ideas and/or worksheet/s.

Thats is what I wrote in my OP. A few ideas and/or a few worksheets is more than plenty for a medium to high level students.
Students need to think more creatively rather than me having to fill in the blanks all the time.
I don't know how many times I have heard from students (high level) that they just want free talking (no books, no materials) but then when class begins they just sit there and stare at me. I throw out a few ideas but man it all leads to a dead end real quick. Now I just wait until they talk. I don't care how long it takes. If I give a few conversation starters and not one student goes with it then they need to think of something. This is a "conversation" and a conversation, unlike a lecture, is a two way (not a one way) street.

[edwardcatflap]

[ddeubel]

[Juregen]

There is management and then there is micro management.

There is planning, and then there is micro planning.

Micro management makes people feel less responsible for the results they achieve ergo sum, they do not take control of their learning processes.


Management lessons can easily be applied to the classroom, cause economics is ultimately about incentives.

[bobbybigfoot]

[legrande]

[Fat_Elvis]

There's a few things going on in this thread, and I'd like to give my 2 cents worth on each separately.

With regard to students learning how to initiate conversations, I think just dropping them in the deep end and expecting them to know how to do this is perhaps unrealistic. They probably lack the skills to initiate conversations, how to take and maintain the floor, possibly turn-taking etc You'll need to introduce this language along with popular topics in conversation in English to them as they probably lack the competence in discourse to this themselves.

With regard to students producing their own worksheets, I think it's certainly doable at higher levels and even on occasion at lower levels. Students can make their own 'Find Someone Who' activities, mingle questions, comprehension questions for reading and other things and it results in materials which are far more relevant to the students than mass-produced TEFL fodder.

And now finally regarding planning, I think you could possibly get away with a dogme style lesson but only occasionally. You'll need to be a pretty good teacher with a few years experience in order to improvise activities that address gaps in the student's language and you'll need to have motivated students which could be a problem if you're teaching at a uni. I think most students like clear lesson objectives and a syllabus to give them a sense of progress. There is no reason (apart from institutional constraints) why that couldn't be negotiated with the students though.

[ddeubel]

[withnail]

Ah, learner autonomy! The Holy Grail of EFL teaching! When this is advocated by teachers, it sounds a lot like Turkeys voting for an early Christmas!

Seriously though, the wonderful ideas and proposals in this thread have only occasionally touched upon what is really important - how to do it and not get censured or fired!!


So many TEFL idealists out there, I can only think are freelancers, because the majority of us have Korean employers who just won't accept it. You get the Korean equivalent of "Let's have none of that nonsense, sonny" The students too, it seems.

Last semester I set myself the target of shutting up more, getting off the platform as it were, getting students to do things and discuss things in small groups so that I could concentrate on feedback and assisting. Tried to get students to take ownership of some of the tasks. Even had an element of personal reading on the course where you had to read some simple storybooks of your own choice at whichever level you were comfortable with. The students seemed to really enjoy it. I did too until I read their evaluations ...

Comments included "He earns his salary very easily" and "It felt like we were studying by ourselves"

This is what happens in Korea when as the teacher you make the departure from being the font of all knowledge!

I was punished by being ruled out of doing my usual module on the graduate programme because of this negative feedback whilst my gameplaying, song-singing edutainer type colleagues continue to be regarded as the cat's pajamas.

I don't think anything short of a massive national debate on the matter is going to fix things any time soon...I'm sure kids will take it from Korean Teachers with job security but from the NETs, they want a cross between a stand-up comedian and an amusing after-dinner raconteur...

It's hard to fight against thousands of years of Confucianism, folks!

Having said that, I've heard so many times "the school lets me do what I want" so if that's true for you, then have at it!!

[pyeongtaekcody2]

Interesting thread. Here's my current situation.

I've been at my first hagwon for two weeks now. The director has brought to my attention that before myself, the foreign teacher was strictly following the curriculum in the textbook. Just like the Korean Teachers. Basically, he was another robot in front of the class, doing the same thing each day.

My director told me a story about how a couple students and their parents ran into the former foreign teacher around town, and even though the students recognized the teacher and called him by name, they would not communicate in English to them. Consequently, the parents ended up pulling them from the hagwon. I suppose this goes to show that students perhaps only do what is expected of them in class and for grades, but when it comes to actual use of the language in real world setting...well thats up for debate.

He's now put the burden on me to get the kids talking, to open up to actually using the language. (I'm certain theres a financial aspect of this too) He's telling me to throw all forms of formal teaching out the window, and come up with different games and activities to get the ball rolling. To push dialogue more than anything. I think this is good. It may involve some extensive planning, but hey, I can do without 3 hours of desk warming a day. I'm on the internet way too much as it is. Plus, this may make the time go faster.

Has anyone else been in this or a similar situation? Thoughts on this way of teaching. I might be talking out of my ass and all this is common. If not, feel free to pm me suggestions.

[edwardcatflap]

[pyeongtaekcody2]

[calicoe]