Korean Job Discussion Forums

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

Any ideas for a class of 1st to 4th graders?

No books, no budget. I must entertain them and educate them. Please advise, apparently what I was doing was not good enough.

Also any ideas for a group of 5th and 6th graders? At least their levels are roughly similar...

Confused

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

My usually snide, cynical self wants to write 'there but for the grace of God...' but I feel so much pity for you that I'll suggest you do a search for 'Tomato' and read every post he's ever written.

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

The big problem is the class of 1st to 4th graders. I have some students that don't even now English numbers or how to write the alphabet on up to some 4th graders that are better than my 6th graders.

How do you teach a class of such differing abilities?

Gwangjuboy · Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Location: England

soviet_man · Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Location: Seoul

No budget and no books shouldn't be a major problem.

Some quick ideas:

- Photocopy an english newspaper article. Write some easy comprehension questions underneath.

- Print 5 or 6 big interesting pictures from Flickr or TrekEarth (relevant to whatever topic you are teaching). Pin them to the board. Get them to talk about them.

- Find a simple article on Wikipedia. Print. Hand out. Discuss.

- Get them to write a daily Diary (what did you do today, on the weekend, whatever). With help - even 1st graders can manage to cobble together a few lines.

- If you are **really** desperate, go to Puzzlemaker and print a word search: http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/

ddeubel · Joined: 20 Jul 2005

you could try some of the powerpoints on my site (like Essential English), to help you in all aspects. Teach one part of the powerpoint, using it as a refrence for the material you do in class (drawings, games etc...).

You might get ambitious and use a lot more songs in the classroom. I have outlined on my site, how to use karaoke in the classroom. Really motivating.

I would also use a lot of picture cards, to elicit language and play games (fish / snap / concentration). Also see the bingo cards on my site. Students play bingo by using the card and asking a partner the appropriate question (do you like...? or Did you ...? ) if yes, they write an 0 on the pic , 5 in a row wins. If no , they mark an X , 5 in a row wins..

Also see the battleship games and you can also design your own as well as the stands , which the kids can use to play. Kids love the competition and also the repetitive language really gives them confidence and helps them learn....

Good luck.

DD

jellobean · Joined: 14 Mar 2006

If you can get someone back home to sent you one or two copies, Monopoly is great. The kids get to use vocabulary like "How much does it cost" and such. If you do teams the weaker students can learn from the stronger ones.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

Think about how the "old tyme" teachers used to teach in a one-room school house! Teach the low-level kids for 5 minutes and set them a task. Teach the mid-level ones next, then the higher level. High level get some review and low-levels might pick up a few things.

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

No books? Hmm. can you use them if you get them? If so, I'd buy some and make some photcopies. Of course kids love games. They will want to play them all the time, but they easily get bored of anything. Plus you can't really do anything together with beginners at grade one and more advanced at grade four at the same time. You can buy Monopoly in Korea by the way.

You'll be teaching two classes in one there. Hopefully the students won't mess around too much and can do some work independently. You could let them play some games, but if you have one group playing the other group won't stand for study, unless maybe you can strike a deal, saying today you guys play, the next time you study. I don't know your situation on what you're allowed to do or not do, but it sounds tough, and not the best situation to expect much progress.

What kind of place is it that is putting you in this situation? It sounds hard, yet I bet they expect you to do well, and blame you if kids (parents) aren't happy.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

I would also help to know how many students you have...plus how many of each age/level.

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

You could ask the stronger students questions and have the weaker students ape their answers. Eventiually they might figure out what stuff means.

Teach them poker.

Put the class into teams and make them compete. They'll be more likely to teach each other if they get some kind of prize.

Just three fairly weak suggestions.

tomato · Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:29 am Post subject:

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

Develop your own style. Have confidence in your style, even when it is failing. {You were the one brought 12,000 miles out here. It was for a reason.} Figure out what works. Do more of it. When you screw up (and you will), dwell on it a bit, make changes, but don't throw out the playbook.

Don't expect them to learn the first, second, third times. Don't expect them to remember two months from now. Reinforce, reinforce, reinforce.

They don't understand much of what you are saying. It's like the teacher in Peanuts. use pictures, body language, physica comedy.

If they answer questions enough times, witn you force-feeding the answers, eventually they can regurgitate it on their own. If, by this point, they know what your question means, then concrats, you just taught a pattern. Work another question into the pattern.

Make them speak, even if you have to swing sticks.

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

Thanks for the encouragement ChopChae.

Check out this awesome version of "Batman Smells" I found. I doubt that I'll use it for class though.

http://www.links2love.com/music/jglbllsbtmn.mp3