Korean Job Discussion Forums

gotokorea · Joined: 18 Oct 2005

Okay, I begin teaching kindergarden and elementry students at the beginning of the month. This is my first ESL job. I am freaking out inside. I have never taught .... I am confident that after I get the hang of things, I will do great.... but what am I to do my first day getting thrown in a class with no idea of whats going on... did anyone else feel overwhelmed right before their frst big day???? Someone please help me to feel at ease and give me any advice you may have for a new teacher... THANKS.!!!

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

The first day is the toughest.

Have a get to know you question period. Tell them a little about yourself...where you are from...your family...what you like. Ask them some of the same questions too.

Be confident in your own English speaking abilities....remember you are an English speaking expert so you really dont have to worry about mastering the material....so relax and take it easy.

So basically what Chronic said. Relax and you'll do fine.

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

They'll be very excited and happy to see a new foreigner. Don't mistake this for genuine enthusiasm, attentiveness, or respect. Whatever you do, don't take negative feedback personally - chances are good that the person giving it to you has no idea what he / she's talking about, in any event.

Good luck!

cruisemonkey · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 4:14 pm Post subject:

I had less than ten minutes notice before 'teaching' my first class (the boss lead me to believe we were going to Immigration to get my ARC). I was given a book (piece of crap) and told I would "do a good job". The first day is all a blur... can't remember anything except that I didn't use the book.

You'll be OK... just have fun with the kids and 'introductions' to find out how much they know. Your learning curve will be steep! Wink

joe_doufu · Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere

It would be nice if they'll let you arrive a few days early and watch the old teacher with his class. Of course you can't really be an innocuous observer as all the kids will be fascinated with you... but at least you won't have to be the leader. This was my sole method of "training" in Taiwan, but in Korea I didn't even get this much.

Prince Frog · Joined: 03 Oct 2005

I'm still new at this gig after two months but I will give you what little advice I can.

You will probably be so tired and overwhelmed from the long journey that you couldn't care less about your performance. This is what happened to me. After 24 hours of travel and little sleep after two days, they put me in front of the kids. I don't hardly remember any of it. It's all a blur. Just smile, dress appropriately (which is what many of the Koreans will be looking at), strike a cool and collective demeanor. Don't show the kids you are aftraid, otherwise they will eat you alive.

After a few days you will recover from the jet lag and find your groove. Good luck!!

tomato · Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 6:01 pm Post subject:

cdn_guy7610 · Joined: 30 Mar 2005 Location: Suwon

I had 2 days of watching the teacher who was leaving before i started my first contract, but it no where near prepared me for starting. My first day alone was pure hell. I thought i made a huge mistake. After a month, which most people say is the adjustment period i felt better, but since I was the only foreigner and given no instruction, I never felt truly confident abotu what I was doing. Now that I just finished my second contract today, I know stay away from the hell of teaching kids. I absolutely loved teaching adlutls this past year and look foward to teaching nother 3 months before I go home.

The stress of one kid class = the stress of a week of teaching adult classes and i taught and got paid for 44 hours a week the las few months teaching adults.

My biggest advice is not to look to far into the future, take it one day at a time at the start until you get the hang of things. Korea can be a lot of fun, so enjoy, teaching is just a small part of your true experience.

Bee Positive · Joined: 27 Oct 2005

My first job here made me physically and mentally ill.

Five years later, and about as many jobs later, I'm doing fine.

That may sound like cold comfort. Find a moment, if you will though, when you're all alone, to take a deep breath, relax, calm down, destress, and consider the big picture.

Take a long, long hot shower, drain away all those cares, and then just look at yourself in the mirror for a bit, as you wipe the condensation away.

You've come so far already, in so many ways.

And this job, this apartment, this city, this town, this country--none of it is likely your final destination. Or if by some chance Korea IS your final destination, then it definitely WILL NOT be in a job you hate. There are great jobs to be found here, hard as it may be to believe.

You'll get through it. A year from now, five years from now, ten years from now, you may or may not be in Korea. You may or may not be teaching. But I can GUARANTEE you that there will be many, many moments of looking back on what you're going through now and thinking something like, "Ha ha ha!"

Just take my word for it.

You'll be fine.

I don't mean to sound patronizing. As it happens, I went up the ladder a few rungs, careerwise, before coming back down it a year or so ago. Once again, for reasons which I won't elaborate upon, I was back in a room full of screaming, snot-nosed little kids. Once again, I thought that I couldn't take it, couldn't hold on, thought that my life had ended.

In fact, I didn't make it. Had to drop that last job. Went back "home" to Mom and Dad in the States, tail between my legs at the ripe old age of, well, over 30. But now I'm back in Korea, capitalizing on prior experience, in what I can only call a GREAT job. I've never been happier. Life is so, so sweet.

All this can happen to you too. So step back, consider the big picture, and CHEER UP!

BEE POSITIVE

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

My way of preparing was doing open mic stand up comedy in Seattle. If you can get up in front of a drunk and semi hostile crowd and make them laugh, you'll survive in front of unmotivated Korean kids.

Shooter McGavin · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Location: ROK

My first day was a joke. I was told to come in at 1 to check out the school. OK, a tour, intros, etc I thought. I had to sit through a 45 min staff meeting that was conducted entirely in Korean (in fact, I got shushed for talking to one of the K-teachers in English, when I wanted to know what was going on). Then I was given a class schedule at 2:25, with my first class at 2:30. So I had 5 mins to find the books and classes.
Naturally, after 2 weeks, I got a note informing me of "problems" with my teaching. I wasn't reading the books at the proper speed apparently (I was "too fast," then again the books suck). What a day that was...

Shooter McGavin · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Location: ROK

My first day was a joke. I was told to come in at 1 to check out the school. OK, a tour, intros, etc I thought. I had to sit through a 45 min staff meeting that was conducted entirely in Korean (in fact, I got shushed for talking to one of the K-teachers in English, when I wanted to know what was going on). Then I was given a class schedule at 2:25, with my first class at 2:30. So I had 5 mins to find the books and classes.
Naturally, after 2 weeks, I got a note informing me of "problems" with my teaching. I wasn't reading the books at the proper speed apparently (I was "too fast," then again the books suck). What a day that was...

Shooter McGavin · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Location: ROK

My first day was a joke. I was told to come in at 1 to check out the school. OK, a tour, intros, etc I thought. I had to sit through a 45 min staff meeting that was conducted entirely in Korean (in fact, I got shushed for talking to one of the K-teachers in English, when I wanted to know what was going on). Then I was given a class schedule at 2:25, with my first class at 2:30. So I had 5 mins to find the books and classes.
Naturally, after 2 weeks, I got a note informing me of "problems" with my teaching. I wasn't reading the books at the proper speed apparently (I was "too fast," then again the books suck). What a day that was...