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Questions from a newbiephyte regarding high schools.........

 
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Incognito



Joined: 20 Dec 2004
Location: Teacher centered hell!!!

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:39 am    Post subject: Questions from a newbiephyte regarding high schools......... Reply with quote

Hello everyone,

These questions are geared mainly toward those that have taught in Korean High Schools; however, anyone should feel free to respond.

Here is my situation: I have been hired, through GEPIK, to teach conversation at Osan Girl's High School beginning in March of 2005. I am an American teacher and believe I have a fairly good grasp of how to approach teaching situations in the states; however, I know that I will confront many unanticipated challenges while working in Korea. Hopefully you all can help me avoid a landmine or two by answering the following questions:

1) How supportive are the parents and administration?

2) Is there anything that is considered taboo in Korean High Schools that a teacher from the states would consider perfectly normal? (For example, I read that mentioning Japan in a good light is somewhat frowned upon by Koreans.)

3) What forms of technology do the classrooms contain��computers, overhead projector, computer overhead projector, etc? (Maybe a better question would be..what are they lacking?)

4) Do the discipline procedures differ significantly from those in the states? (I hope this doesn��t make me sound like an Ogre, but after 11 years of teaching I have learned that it is VERY important to apply the school��s discipline procedures from the start and continue to apply them consistently throughout the year.)

5) Is there a standard "dress code?"

6) I read somewhere (I think on Dave��s) that a teacher is only allowed to stay at any one public school for duration of two years��is this true?

7) Do you (did you) get opportunities for overtime?

Cool After getting the hang of teaching conversation, what teaching tactics did you rely on the most...teacher centered speaking, student centered speaking, games, cooperative learning, etc?

9) What level of English speaking ability will the high school students at Osan Girl��s High School possess? (I realize that chances are you won��t know first hand. A guess here will more than suffice.)

10) Do you (did you) spend most of your time teaching conversation or does (did) the school expect you do delve into other aspects of language arts��like writing, etc?

11) Feel free to add anything that you feel important.

Thanks in advance!!!

dgcook
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crazylemongirl



Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...

PostPosted: Sun Jan 30, 2005 9:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Questions from a newbiephyte regarding high schools..... Reply with quote

I teach at a middle school and not through GEPIK but I'll share with you my expereinces. Please remember that every school is different, even within the GEPIK problem.

dgcook wrote:

1) How supportive are the parents and administration?

My admin pretty much lets me do whatever I want. My parents seem to like me.

Quote:
2) Is there anything that is considered taboo in Korean High Schools that a teacher from the states would consider perfectly normal? (For example, I read that mentioning Japan in a good light is somewhat frowned upon by Koreans.)

Best advice that I got given before starting this job was thus 'welcome to the 1960s.' Basically your actions are going to be judged a lot more harshly than a korean. So you are going to have to dress nicer. Always be humble. etc. Public school teachers are a lot more traditional in attuide than hogwons.

Quote:
3) What forms of technology do the classrooms contain��computers, overhead projector, computer overhead projector, etc? (Maybe a better question would be..what are they lacking?)

My school has a chalk board in every class. Also a bigscreen TV that can be hooked up to a laptop. However I don't have a lap top. So I have a chalk board.

Most schools that I've been in seem to have the standard blackboard/big screen tv and that's it. I tend to make a lot of flash cards to make up for this.

Quote:
4) Do the discipline procedures differ significantly from those in the states? (I hope this doesn��t make me sound like an Ogre, but after 11 years of teaching I have learned that it is VERY important to apply the school��s discipline procedures from the start and continue to apply them consistently throughout the year.)

My school routinely has kids being phiscally punished. I would not do that if you want to keep your job. I suggest that you come up with your own set of guidelines and stick to those. Mine are actually really simple

1. Don't talk when someone else is talking.
2. Stay seated.
3. Don't be late. You need to be in your seat before I get to class.
4. Try. A bad answer is better than no answer.

The person most in charge of discpline is the homeroom teacher. Most of them don't speak english. Thus you have to work on your discpline techniques having a reaction on them by someone else if you are going to still be mean enough to get their respect (you have to be reasonably mean you are controlling class of over 40 who don't speak english).

Here are some discpline tools I use (I teach middle school boys) that might work for your age group is.

If I have a noisy class they start getting crosses on the board. 5 crosses means that everyone puts their arms in the air for 10 seconds and they have to be quiet for 10 seconds.

Individual offenders are sent to the back of the class. Then from there they go outside. If they are outside then they have to stand in the teachers room with their hands up for the break time they have between classes. If they are in the teachers room chances are that the homeroom teacher will see them and then they are in trouble, however this is still effective because even if the homeroom teacher doesn't seem them the threat is just as bad.

I've kept whole classes in during break time. This tactic is especially good if it's before lunch/gym class or is last period. At lunch they are hungry, the gym teachers are usually the meanest in teh school, and if it's last period then they are keeping the home room teacher waitign (again action/reaction stuff).

Other posters have suggested opening windows in winter. My boys seem to keep the windows open anyway so not really much of an issue.

Quote:
5) Is there a standard "dress code?"

First up you'll probably need a set of slippers or indoor shoes that are used just for school. You'll change in and out of those out school.

As for the next bit people can feel free to disagree with me but here is my advice. Remember that in someways you are going back to 1960s america where people of color had to be better to get the same respect. So don't look to the korean teachers for dress code because you're going to have to be better than them.

Also because you are teaching girls they are going to judge you a lot on apperance.

If you're a guy shirt and tie are a must.

If you're a woman then make up is a must. Also because this korea they, love girly stuff. So some pretty skirts (no shorter than knee length) will go down well. Otherwise dress pants are ok. I wouldn't wear jeans utnil you are well established. Even then I would only wear them once a week and make sure that you are wearing something really dressy on top.

Also make sure that your clothes aren't to revealing even in the swealtering heat of summer. So sleeveless shirts are out, and also anything remotely low cut. Bare legs are a bit of no-no, wear socks or hose. Again this might be because I teach boys, so they tend to want women to dress a bit more convservatively.

Obviously during the vacation classes you can get a way with a bit more.

Quote:
6) I read somewhere (I think on Dave��s) that a teacher is only allowed to stay at any one public school for duration of two years��is this true?

K teachers in Gyeonngi do have to move on every few years. Not sure about foreign teachers nor the rules of GEPIK.

Quote:
7) Do you (did you) get opportunities for overtime?

Yep after school classes. I got paid 50k an hour for them! See your GEPIK contract though.

Quote:
Cool After getting the hang of teaching conversation, what teaching tactics did you rely on the most...teacher centered speaking, student centered speaking, games, cooperative learning, etc?

Chances are that if you are teaching high school, you are going to be teacher only one or possibly a few lessons all week. Ask about whether you will be teaching from the student books. If you are, then you're pretty much set.

If not then I recommend that you get a copy of their book and try and branch out from there. I tend to dovetail out of their book. Because I (and probably you) only see each class once a week I tend to reinforce whatever it is in their book they are doing. For example my third year students were studying about explorers so i did a listening exercise for them on famous explorers. They then had a basic reading comprehension exercise.

Quote:
9) What level of English speaking ability will the high school students at Osan Girl��s High School possess? (I realize that chances are you won��t know first hand. A guess here will more than suffice.)

The level in any given class will probably vary from highly advanced to barely being able to read.

Quote:
10) Do you (did you) spend most of your time teaching conversation or does (did) the school expect you do delve into other aspects of language arts��like writing, etc?

Not much during term time. But during vacation classes you can branch out. I also coached my schools drama team.

Quote:
11) Feel free to add anything that you feel important.

The key to surviving korean schools is relationships. You can be the best teacher in the world, but if the co-teachers don't like you then you're in for a tough time.

I would bring some small trinkets from the states to give to your english co-teachers the first week of school.

Be really humble, smile a lot, and friendly. Hopefully things should go right from there. Remember that respect isn't going to be given, it's got to be earned.

Also remember that there are going to be miscommunications often. Occassionally you might arrive at a class/school to find no students and no reason why. Later you find that it's because someone forgot to tell you about some field trip or schedule change. Don't take it personally, k teachers are busy and sometimes things slip through the safety net.

Have fun!
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Derrek



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 12:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The foreigners at my school don't dress in a tie much. I do more than the others. The Korean guys usually do, but not always. They sometimes wear a dress shirt and sweater with slacks. NEVER jeans. I try to wear a nice button-down shirt on most days.

You are definately judged by how you dress here.
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