Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jadepea]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions, even the two that suggested I quit. Teaching is the only thing I have consistently wanted to try since I was a little girl, and I am fond of my director and coworkers, so quitting isn't going to happen, at least not yet.

Today went so, so, so much better. Whatever my director said to them yesterday had some sort of an effect. Additionally, during the first ten minutes or so of my lesson today, one of the Korean teachers sat in the back, monitoring their behavior. So of course they behaved. I hope I'm able to find some sort of balance between actual teaching of the language, yet still being understanding of their short attention spans and natural inclination to act as rambunctious children.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your many excellent suggestions, and for helping me to feel less alone.

[archaeologist5]

[knee-highs]

[What the Book]

[quote="jadepea"]Hey all. So, I finished my third day of teaching English in Korea today. I teach kindergartners in the mornings, and elementary and middle schoolers in the afternoons. I'm really enjoying the elementary and middle school classes, but...


Lots of folks got here before me and posted some good advice. However I wouldn't say quit just yet as you only just got here.

Everyone has rough patches here at first. In fact, if I could go back, I would want to personally apologize to just about every single class I taught in my first year in Korea. I had never taught before and was making it all up as I went along.

Kids, especially these younger ones, will always see how much they can get away with when they have a new teacher. Kindy's not my speed, but as time went on I did pick up some experience with how to deal with all that raw energy; for instance, I noticed what worked best with them and did it more often.

You have a mixture of ages too. It doesn't make it any easier to come in that door in the morning, but at least it gets the hardest part of the day out of the way first. I'm very glad to see how understanding and supportive your director is. That helps a lot.

My best to you!

[DaeguNL]

[archaeologist5]

[banjois]

Show them your scary side. I did three years of kindy, and must have got lucky, because I never saw this kind of misbehaviour. That being said, somewhere in the first week or two of each class, I had a (very controlled) spaz on them when things were getting slightly out of hand. It never took more than one to show them that there might be dire consequences (in the mind of a five year old) if they acted up....

[CentralCali]

[Old fat expat]

OP:
http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Like-Champion-Techniques-Students/dp/0470550473/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389919040&sr=8-1&keywords=teach+like+a+champion

Some very good techniques to help you be a great teacher.

[thegadfly]

Jadepea,

I have been a teacher for 22 years. My first teaching job was in Houston, Texas, when I was 22. I am a guy. I came home and cried at least a half-dozen times in my first year.

I never cried in class, but twice I did sit down with my face in my hands, shaking, just a hair's breadth short of crying.

If teaching is what you really want to do, stick with it. It gets better, as long as you get better at it....

[watergirl]

Hey..so I don't think all Korean kids are bad.. One suggestion I can think of…start the class with a song (supersimplesongs on youtube have great songs and they're good for learning).
Then I've done a review guessing game. Kids have to raise their hand (stick to this) and you call on someone and they get a check or a happy face beside their name. (this will be a sticker). I used to just put the letter of a previously learned word and they have to guess it. You could also use flashcards. OR, you can face some flashcards away from them and take one and then quickly slide it around and then a child has to guess where the 'hidden' card is. They like this for some reason.

I do try and ask every kid. This takes about 10 minutes but it gets the kids all quiet, looking at you, and raising their hand to speak.
If a child is bad, warn them twice, and then give them an x. ! x erases the check.
This has worked pretty well for me for behaviour even bad classes.
At the end of the class, they get stickers which they put on a sticker sheet which is numbered 1-100 I have glued inside their books.

You'll find things that work for you. Just try stuff others have used and change it around for you.
A lot of people find the kindergardeners difficult. I actually like them, though not for hours.

[EZE]

Don't quit. Nobody had it all figured out by day three. Not all of us have cried, but I'm sure most of us have had the occasional f.m.l. moment, especially in the first few days and weeks of teaching kids.

The fact that you cried shows that you take a lot of pride in your work and want to do things right. It takes time to find your groove and to discover what does and doesn't work for you, especially since it varies from class to class and from student to student, and even from teacher to teacher.

[young_clinton]

I'm sorry that your experience shook you that much. Welcome to teaching in Asia. It goes downhill if you go someplace else say Thailand then bottoms out in Saudi Arabia. The disheartening thing about Saudi Arabia is you teach adults. In Thailand k-12 students are hideous to teach although the Thai adults are usually fine. The bottom line is you need to find a way to adjust to your bad situation because I don't know where else you can go.

[archaeologist5]

[EZE]