Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jrwhite82]

[winterfall]

[Ribena]

I've taught in public schools in the UK and the reality is that many people have differing opinions on the best way to teach, I don't think any are automatically correct just because those ideas belong to you. Different cultures have different ideas on how children learn too, I don't see why people find this so unusual.

If you were training to be a qualified teacher in the UK you would have to go through months and months of people criticising your lesson plans and teaching, yes some are nice and constructive but some can be very critical but I think its woth giving their opinion some consideration and not automatically dismissing it because it doesn't fit in your view of how things should be done.

I didn't like some of my uni tutors eudcation theories but I wanted to pass so I taught the class the way he wanted.

[winterfall]

[schwa]

I've worked with dozens of Korean co-teachers over the years, some of them for several years. By & large, I have a lot of respect for them.

They've helped me, I've helped them. You get a good collaboration going & you can share a lot of insights into students, methods, how to do better, etc.

I've observed a fair number of hotshot young NETs who figured they had it all over their partner teachers when in fact they were leaving most of their students in a clueless fog. I've observed a fair number of older NETs with teaching qualifications who bored their students silly but wouldnt take a word of advice from their co-teachers.

Sure, you might get stuck with a truly incompetent co-teacher, but in my experience most of them are capable, well-meaning, & worth heeding.

[Slowmotion]

It really all depends on your school. All my co teachers are cool and very supportive. They never demand I do anything.

[Fishead soup]

[alistaircandlin]

In my opinion, and in my experience working at a public school is an entirely different ball game to working at a Hagwon.

At a public school, the whole atmosphere is more professional, and concerned with education. At Hagwons it's all about pleasing the parents, keeping the students on roll, and making money.

The big difficulty at a public school is classroom and behavioural management. As a previous poster pointed out, you are expected to be able to do this. I think this is a very big ask for an inexperienced teacher, and this is where some people might have problems - they are unsure about how to manage big classes, and things just go downhill from there.

This is not a criticism at all - I don't think there's any way one would know how to manage large classes, without some sort of training. I guess I'm just saying that in my opinion, researching classroom management, and using some strategies to manage behaviour, would improve at lot of foreign teachers' experience of working in public schools. It's not an easy thing, and there is no magic bullet, but I feel that this is the main source of frustration with teaching - the kids don't behave, the teacher becomes stressed and dissillusioned, and stops making effort.

[Fishead soup]

[loubird]

Or you can do what I do; teach at a public school with no co-teacher. Just make sure you're good at classroom control and taking attendance in Korean.

[Fishead soup]

[Zackback]

Isn't it illegal to teach in a public school without a Korean co-teacher?
Not sure...just what I thought??

[jrwhite82]

It is absolutely not illegal. There are guidelines made by GEPIK and or the ministry of ed that says we should not, unless necessary. After school classes will almost always be alone. During the day, you will usually have a CT, but things come up.

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

If you work in a hagwon, you have to try to please the parents.
If you work in a public school, you have to please your co-teachers.

This can be good or bad either way, but parents tend to suck more than co-teachers.

[oldtrafford]

love it!!

Why play Hangman, Bingo Jeopardy when you know the students can do the majority of the dialogues from Interchange. We're contracted to teach conversational English. Not English day care.

Foreigners (twenty something young bucks and the majority unqualified and wouldn't be allowed to step foot into a classroom in most countries) going to the POE to complain about a qualified Korean teacher.


The best thing I've read all day. You have know understanding of Korean culture, I'll tell ya: there's a totem pole and you are at the very very bottom!! Know your place Johnny foreigner!!!