Korean Job Discussion Forums

[I_Am_Wrong]

I'm leaving my elementary school after a year and a half and I've been offered a couple of public middle school jobs. I'd like to pick your brains.

-What was your interview like?
-Do you teach all your classes with a co-teacher?
-Do you teach gov't curriculum?
-How is the attitude of the students in general?

I can't think of anymore right now but any info is much obliged.

[laogaiguk]

[I_Am_Wrong]

yes I know but the contracts these middle schools are offering are looking better than what the elementary schools are.

[mack the knife]

[I_Am_Wrong]

mack, have you taught at a middle school? Everyone has different opinions, but I know lots of teachers that despise both elementary school and are in desbelief when I tell them my students are a privelage to teach. I also know lots of teachers that despise both elementary and middle school students.

I've met lots of middle school students and have taught some in an afterschool program and I enjoyed them very much. I think you have to count the fact that korean students are better behaved than North American students (or the schools are stricter anyways) and that they have to be respectful and polite in Korean schools.

Anybody worked at both an elementary school and a middle school?

[denverdeath]

[I_Am_Wrong]

I figure they'll let me know more at the interview, but at the elementary school I'm paired with a Korean teacher and we teach every class together. Is it more typical to teach with several co-teachers at a middle school?

[denverdeath]

Mine's not a huge school, but for most of the year I was teaching only grade eight and nine and worked with three different teachers. This month, my schedule changed somewhat and I'm teaching the grade seven classes, too, while my early morning "free-talking" classes were cancelled. Therefore, four teachers this month. The way our school is set up is this: I do each class once a week while the Korean teacher sits in on it and helps if necessary. They also do the same class for another period on their own once a week. I do the chapter intro, listening, and conversation while they do the reading and grammar portions of the text. Again, I think it'll depend on the school. This week, however is music(carol) week and next week is game day and then I'm finished except for a one-week winter camp.

[SPINOZA]

[crazylemongirl]

1. My interview was 'here sign a contract'

2. In theory co-teachers are always supposed to be there but sometimes they aren't. Depending on the size of the school you could be teaching with 1 or more. I teach with 6. Standard rules of korean courtship apply. Bring in some food after your arrive at your new position, continue on a regular basis and you're in.

3. My first year my school just threw me in a class and I went from there. This year I teach the dialogue section of the book and supplementary lessons related to that. This is good because my lessons are relevant to the kids (ie. testable), I get 6/30 of the test questions and adminster the speaking tests which go towards their final grades. Because of this I'm viewed more as a real teacher and my classes are taken a lot more seriously because of it. If your lessons aren't relevant, the kids won't pay attention as much.

4. Each level is really different in middle school. 1st grades are just little babies, who want to be loved in big scary middle school. A total pleasure to teach. Think of your sixth graders, take away the 'king of the school' attuide and that's 1st grade. They can be a handfull sometimes.

3rd grades. Third graders own the school. My first year in my school the third graders were terrible, total sullen lumps who wouldn't do anything and teaching them was like pulling teeth. This year, because I knew the kids we get along really well. Total junior adults, but a pleasure to teach.

2nd graders... hormones are crazy. They aren't babies, but they aren't grown up. Total goof off year, so in class they are pain but outside they are fine. In class 90% of the time they drive me crazy, but the 10% of the time when they are amazing more than makes up for it.

In short middle school can be a lot more rewarding. . Also lots more test days and random days off, which is good. I really like teaching this age group. Never a dull moment.

[mack the knife]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I teach 1/3 middle school - the interview was with my high school and school district - the middle school was just an add-on. Dress smart, have a good attitude, and speak in a way Koreans with a low level of English can understand.

Sometimes I have a co-teacher and sometimes I don't. It usually goes better without one.

I teach whatever I want, though I usually use the dialogues from their textbooks and sometimes base my lessons on what they are doing that week.

Most of the students are wonderful, but it's a lot more work than high school. I'd never dare teach elementary again, but MS is a lot of fun most of the time.

Good luck!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I might add a few more points with regard to the others' remarks...

Teaching in a real middle school is completely different from teaching middle schoolers in a hogwan. At my old hogwan there was a class of 4 - that's right, four - grade two middle school girls that no one could control - not me, the teacher before me, the teacher who replaced me, the KT, or me and the KT together when I asked her to sit in on my lesson. Why? Because wongjongnim-babosaki was only interested in defrauding their parents of their money. Yesterday my MS co-teacher was upsayo again and I had two classes of 34 grade two middle school girls I could control just fine all by myself. Why? Because they think I'm a real teacher. By the time hogwan brats get to middle school (at least with most hogwans) they've long since figured out that they can get away with acting however they like in the stupid foreigner's class because he's not a real teacher. (That said, I also had some middle school hogwan classes where the students were delightful)

Re: the grade level, I find that grade 3 MS just rocks. Maybe it's just the class dynamic of the two grade 3 classes I teach. Grade 2 is fun but you have to be on top of things and nip disciplinary problems in the bud. Grade 1s are still children and sometimes annoy me, but then I get too easily annoyed by children and work way better with teenagers.

[ddeubel]

[mack the knife]