Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Airborne9]

At my school (middle school), they say that they have a surplus of 4 million won in the English budget and are asking me what I want to use the money for.
What exactly I can get with the money for is unclear. I was only told that I cannot use it to buy new computers for the room or for my desk in the teachers room and I assume give me and the other teachers a bonus this month is not allowed.
I�ll probably use some of the money for better prizes for an English speaking contest we are having and get stuff for summer camp classes. I don�t think trips are out of the question but I don�t know where in Korea to bring students that would be �English� related.

Just wondering if anyone else had to plan stuff like this and could give me some ideas.

Thanks

[edwardcatflap]

Have you got any graded readers? If not invest in a load of them, pitched at slightly below the level of what your students should be. Start a lending library. Get students to choose their own books and prepare tasks they can do in class, having read different books.

[YTMND]

[edwardcatflap]

[YTMND]

[YTMND]

[some waygug-in]

If you do get the graded readers, try to be sure that you keep some control over them.

What I mean is it's better if they stay in the English room (if you have one).
If you have no designated English classroom, then you won't have much choice but to have them placed with the general library books.

[amnsg2]

Lucky!

Books are a brilliant idea- as long as the kids respect them they'll last for years. Art supplies are also good, although they won't last long. Maybe big sheets of card for displays and sugar paper?

You could also buy individual whiteboards and markers as an alternative to choosing one student to answer a question. They all hold up their boards with the answer.

Board games? My kids liked scrabble and they were surprisingly good at it even from about 5th grade upwards. Half an hour in a toy shop or English book shop could give you some ideas.

If you can track down a source for educational games and books nearby, you and your co teachers could go one day. DVD's with subtitles in Korean? There are also tons of EFL tv shows aired, and a couple of them are actually good. If you could get DVD's of them you could show them during movie days/ speaking tests.

I still think a varied collection of shiny books are the way to go, though. I'd blow the budget on that alone.

[different]

Maybe your school could hold lots of English contests this year and give nice 100,000 won prizes to the winners. But some of the contests should be restricted to the low-level students. Some of the low-level students might study English hard for the first time ever, and might get over a hump. Who knows? There could be basic vocabulary and reading comprehension contests for the lowest 15% of the students, which of course you or your co-teachers should provide study materials for. Maybe you could photocopy some picture dictionaries and easy reading articles. The kids should be motivated to study something, not just show up for the contest. It could be a way to motivate students who otherwise aren't getting much except a feeling of hopelessness out of the public school curriculum. Don't be afraid to give EASY study materials. In Korea there is such a trend to give stuff that is over the students' heads, which results in inefficient learning.

Books for the library seem attractive because they can be used over and over, but I wonder how many students will really read them over the years. I'd definitely get some, but only get ones you think are interesting.

[atwood]

A very nice weekend retreat for the English department. Wanna bet that's the winning suggestion?

No computer, but does the room have a beam projector, etc.?

[yfb]

Buy a scanner (to digitize exemplary student work) and a document projector (to show the class your answers)