Korean Job Discussion Forums

wowser · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Location: Kyonggi do

I am at a public school. Do my co-teachers have to be in the classroom/ do they have a legal 'obligation' to be in the classroom? I was under the impression that the 'foreigner' was there to assist the Korean teachers...could be totally off-base. I am left alone to teach all 22 classes a week by myself....

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

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

It varies wildly from school to school. In general Koreans prefer to provide co-teachers where they're an unnecessary distraction and not provide them where they're absolutely essential.

kiwiliz · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Location: New Zealand

My public elementary schools all team teach, well almost. The co-teachers are int he room with me all the time and in 3 out of the 4 schools I am in charge and they help with discipline and translation - a bit too much help with translation at times I think but I am trying to stop that. Usually I find it very good as I seem to get on well with the co-teachers, they all have some english. Very Happy

In one school my co-teacher is a male and he runs the lessons and I click the mouse on command, sometimes I can take more control but as he sticks religiously to the text book anyway it doesn't really matter....and one good point, I do not have to lesson plan!

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

wowser · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Location: Kyonggi do

Does the 'law' say they have to just be physically present- or actually teach? Why do they have to be there? Should I take it as a sign my co-teachers are lazy, they're trying it on, or they have extra confidence in me?!? (The glass is half full?......)

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

What 'law' is that? I've heard that from a number of sources but know of jobs where a foreigner has been hired to teach solo - I interviewed for one where two school district officials were present.

I believe that such a 'law' is merely a myth.

wowser · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Location: Kyonggi do

Mmm- I would really like to know for sure!?!

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

No co-teacher I don't get out of my seat.

I can't just skive off,why do they think they can?

mswiftansan · Joined: 01 Sep 2005

I have a co-teacher full time. We share a classroom with two desks at either end and our own computers. We don't follow the text book in our english class, but we use it as a guideline. I plan the skeleton lesson and then she goes over it and fixes some problems, to make it a better lesson for the level and the number. The same teacher is with me for all grades and helps during my special classes. During the lesson I do a lot of the talking, but she translates and explains directions to our sometimes complicated games.
I feel really lucky in my situation. My co-teacher is awsome and we are the true definition of co-teaching. I think the children learn better this way and it makes my job a lot easier. Now if she would only come back Sad

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

tiger fancini · Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Location: Testicles for Eyes

I'd like some clarification on this too, as I've heard different things about co-teachers 'obligations'. I work with a total of 5 Korean co-teachers, who all have different approaches. Number one does the class 50-50 with me. She gives me advance notice of what we'll be doing, and asks me to prepare whatever I need to. Numer 2 gives me no notice, but we kind of wing/improvise our lessons, although I usually have something prepared as my classes with her are repeats of classes held earlier in the week. Co-teacher 3 comes to the classes, and just tells me to play games, make it fun, foreget about the books etc. Number 4 attends, sits in the corner and keeps the kids quiet, and offers the occassional translation, but does nothing else. And number 5 has only attended and worked with me 3 times in 8 weeks.

I have to say that my favourite classes are probably with number 1 and 4. I dread the classes I am supposed to teach with number 5 as I never know if she is coming or not, and as soon as the students realise she isn't coming (they figure this out quicker and quicker each week) they go crazy!

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

I really don't want a co-teacher and thankfully, I don't have one. I have done classes where the teacher comes into my room with the kids, but honestly, it makes the kids act unnaturally.

I have made it clear that they don't need to be there by absolutely ignoring them (well, not 'using' them at all) and ensuring that the kids need never turn to them for anything. They usually get the point and seem quite happy to do something else for the time.

One perk may be that they do some of the lesson plans, but that isn't really a tradeoff I want to make. I like coming up with new classes and find it quite easy to be creative. Where I could use more support is in the materials-gathering/making stage of the plan. I go into work way early to get this done myself.

Co-teachers seem just another die to throw in the Korean public school gamble. Another "maybe". Maybe good, maybe bad.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Classes of 38 (average) make a CT fluent in Korean essential IMO. That said, whilst they're there, they must actually make themselves useful, as opposed to read the newspaper, totally not pay attention to what's being taught, be no use discipline-wise, basically be as much use as an inflatable dartboard. I'm a foreign teacher, I'm relatively young and inexperienced, and a CT - a good CT - is essential to good, worthwhile English lessons.

And yes, it's the law for a Korean teacher to be present at all times, but it's ignored a lot. I've done countless classes solo. For the younger students I don't mind, but for the older middle schoolers, only my favorite classes would I be prepared to teach solo.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004