Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rteacher]

Having had the experience of two "successful" open demo classes at my Gyeongi-do tech high school last year, I was not very apprehensive at the thought of doing a couple more this year. For these special events I usually make a detailed lesson plan and prepare a lot of visual aids. In my first class, the Korean English teacher, a very mild-mannered, humble type, played a mimimal role as I dominated the presentation. For my second demo class it was decided that the head of the English dept. would be my co-teacher. He was nervous, obviously feeling pressured by higher authorities, and he deemed it necessary to re-write my lesson plan and play a bigger role than he customarily does in my classes. Unfortunately, he stumbled over the few English lines that he wrote for himself, but I was in good form, and everyone congratulated me on doing a "great job".

This year I am scheduled to do the presentation thing with a different Korean co-teacher, a woman who speaks English better than the other Korean teachers here, but certainly not up to par with a native English speaker. I've had a few bad classes with her with one class in particular where students were inattentive and rude, and I wasn't able to make the necessary adjustments to generate any real interest or cooperative spirit. Anyway, she's been very nervous about the demo class that's scheduled in a couple weeks, and she's told me that this one will really be a lot more serious than the previous ones.

I tried to reassure her that I've always responded well to this type of challenge and welcomed the chance to prepare for it and upgrade my teaching materials. She seemed temporarily assuaged, but after attending a presentation at another school she flatly said that they there is a lot of pressure to make the Korean teacher conduct the class - entirely in English - and the native English teacher would just be a helper. I responded typically by saying that it seemed like a stupid idea, that it was probably motivated by anti-foreigner sentiment and politics, and that I might decide to just give my notice...

I later backed down from that (after discussing it briefly with the head of the English dept. who felt extremely pressured on all sides and recently was diagnosed with an ulcer...) and said that although I felt that I would do much better if I were in charge of the class it might be advantageous (in terms of preparing the students...) for her to make the plan if it has to be the Korean administrator-prefered totally scripted presentation. She looked totally stressed out and white as a ghost and replied "Are you sure that it's OK with you?" (Admittedly, I might have freaked her out a little when I earlier stated that I was "gonna strongly express" in the after-demo class inquisition meeting how stupid I think their whole co-teaching concept is, and that undue pressure on teachers and students is the "main reason why Korea leads the world in suicides...")

Any comments, questions, suggestions? (Should I start packing for China now?...)

[I_Am_Wrong]

I only skimmed your thread but....

they're looking for a certain amount of cooperation between yourself and the K-teacher. They want to see that two teachers are being utilized in the classroom.

[rothkowitz]

I saw a middle school presentation yesterday in Kyounggi do and the native speaker was relegated to the role of human tape recorder.

My Korean co-worker I went with told me that Korean teachers get "points" towards promotion for things such as this.

End result was the students were merely repeating mistakes from the korean teacher and also the mistakes or incongruities from the text book.

[crazylemongirl]

Perhaps you should both prepare a segment of the class... it's not perfect but you can both be equally miserable.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I was recently asked by a school district representative to prepare a report on teaching in our district. It included the following when it came to replying to her concerns about how to find and retain suitable teachers:

"It�s also important for the school district to understand how quickly information about work and working conditions gets around these days. For instance, ___________ at the English Camp, ___________at ________ Boys High School, and I all knew each other before we arrived because we met on the Internet. Word travels very quickly around Internet community of foreign English teachers in Korea, and educational institutions can develop a good or bad reputation very quickly. Gyeonggi-do Educational District, for instance, is developing a very bad reputation by cutting back holiday time and making teachers do frequent, rehearsed �demonstration classes�, which many foreign teachers find a waste of time and insulting."

[Rteacher]

When I asked the Korean teacher how her preparations are going for the presentation class ("you haven't written the lesson plan yet?"...) she told me that I could still lead the class if I really wanted to. I replied that I didn't mind if she wanted to do it - much less pressure and work for me. She didn't immediately reply to my suggestion that we take turns and each conduct half the lesson...

(If I let her take charge, and the class is predictably very scripted, rehearsed, and well-regarded by the Korean authorities, I can easily see myself raining on their parade somewhat by highlighting the shortcomings of such a dubious teaching method in the after-class meeting...)

[Demophobe]

Prep your lesson as though you were going to do it with a helper and be ready to jump in if/when things go south for her. Saving the day may well look even better for you in many people's eyes, particularly if it seems you are jumping into the frey unprepared, yet have great success.

Look over her plan before hand and make any changes you think will benefit you....I think that she is in this only to shine her own reputation, and this will indeed happen even at your expense.

Don't let the whole lesson be centered around her. you seem to be able to do well in these situations and honestly, I think the K teacher is misguided in her belief that the big wigs want to see her shine. What they want to see is a good, solid class with students actively participating and really learning to use English...all wrapped up in "fun".

Prep your own lesson and be ready.