Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CustomX]

i told this one recruiter kindergarten, but now im having 2nd thought. they seem like they'd be out of control. high schoolers would seem to be a little more disciplined, but i rarely see jobs offering to teach older students. so what has your experience been with each age group?

[just because]

I like late elementary school.
They have a lot of energy, some funny ideas but you can still get them to work well and they will be active in the classroom.

Some kindergarden are golden but some you need to have your coffee to keep up with them(quick burn-out)

Middle and high school are not to bad most of the time, thats if they are not falling asleep however or just being completely ignorant in general.

[mindmetoo]

It's always nice to get young children who have never had a whitey. They look at you like you're a space alien who farts chocolate bars. It's a mixture of fear, disgust, awe, and joy. It's pretty funny.

I don't think any age range is best. It's a real crap shoot and there are so many weird dynamics nothing is ever predictable. It makes a three body problem as easy to figure out as x+1 = 2. In general small classes are better. 4 is good. When you hit 8 or above, it can start to be chaos. Sometimes teaching single sex classes is better. All boys or all girls.

It also depends on their language level too. A group of 14 year olds who are all returnees is heaven. A group of 14 year olds who can't say more than "TEACHER PLAY GAME!" is hell.

[sadsac]

I like late elemenatry school, they at least have a personality. Younger kids are too hit and miss.

[justagirl]

I really like teaching the 10-14 year olds (Korean age). If they are any younger than that, and they are still learning to write Korean (let alone English). In addition, they sit still longer, but are still young and cute with lots of energy and affection.

It pretty much sealed me into deciding which age group in which I'll get my teaching degree, which is one reason I'm working at a hakwon to begin with.

Kiddies 8 and under--no thanks....maybe in the States, where they can understand directions better, but for ESL, a little older is better.

[VanIslander]

As another poster put it more eloquently on a past thread:

From the youngest age they have learned to sit in their seats until the end of elementary school.

The younger they are the faster they learn, soaking everything up like a sponge. Full of energy but easily directed into exercises and learning/guessing "games" of spelling, pronunciation and comprehension.

That said, my favourite classes are those in the fourth or fifth grade: lots of energy still and with basic English spelling and pronunciation skills but not yet a teenager with the self-conscious attempts to act like a man or woman is expected to.

[crazylemongirl]

Call me crazy but I love middle schoolers. They still have a lot of the aspects of kids, energy etc. but as soon as the hormones hit forget it.

[tomato]

For those of you who prefer upper elementary:

Right now, that is my LEAST favorite age group.
I'm leaving my present job because my upper elementary classroom turned into a battlefield.
I'm afraid it will happen again.
Any advice?

[Badmojo]

For me, I don't have the energy necessary for students aged 9 and under. I don't have the patience either. I haven't done it, but I know kindergarten would kill me. It's their level, too, I think. It bores me sometimes. I'm bored doing Let's Go 1 and English Time 1.

Now we progress to 10 and over, and it's great. What a difference between my 3 class (aged 9) and my 4 class (aged 10) at my hagwon. Fantastic. Roll out the yellow Interchange and let's start working. Behaviour wasn't much of a problem and they sunk their teeth into most anything I did. I had great classes with the 10-13 year olds.

I think I could do well with middle schoolers too, but not at 9 at night after they've been in school all day. They were burned out from the day, and now it's time to speak English? I don't think so.

[just because]

[chronicpride]

The most fun that I usually have is teaching kindy to upper elementary. Middle and high school, you have to get a cattle prod to keep them awake or interested. Personally, I think teaching adults is over-rated. Anybody that doesn't like teaching and just wants to free-talk can do it. At most hogwans, anyway. Teaching adults in a company, as I'm doing now, is pretty demanding, though. I miss the energy and the innocence of the young kids, everyday. I'm thinking of picking up a small P/T evening gig near me at a GnB, just to keep some of that exposure.

[ajuma]

There are advantages to every group. Elementary are great...learn quickly, are fun...but they keep you on your toes! Middle and High schoolers can be great if you have the energy for them, and have a good classroom "presence". (They can be a nightmare if you don't!) Uni students are good because you get to see them outside of class. Adults are good because you get an adult perspective on Korea.

If you're new to Korea, the best thing to do is to find a hakwon that offers you a variety.

[prosodic]

[Wisco Kid]

In some ways I think the students' level is more important than their age. I definitely enjoy the older age groups (middle and high school).
I taught kindergarten for a year and tended to get bored with the students' ability with writing limited to 3-letter words.

[Derrek]