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jpe
Joined: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Seoul, SK
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 Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
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In all seriousness, this may actually be the source of the problem. One of the things I look for when observing/evaluating teachers is how well they "read" the class...if you thought the class was fine, but students are complaining and quitting right away...then I would say that your class was not fine at all. Without having observed you, I can not hazard a guess as to what was off, but misreading student responses, or worse, not noticing student responses, is at the bottom of some of the worst lessons and classes I have observed. You have to be able to know when they are with you, and know when you have lost them, and respond to their body language....
I'm sorry that you were not given useful feedback to help you improve your teaching -- if you care to videotape a class/lesson (with the camera focused on the students rather than on you and the whiteboard), I'd take a look and see if I could offer something up, but since you have no clue what might be wrong, if anything, and since there are so many things that could be wrong, as well as nothing, I can't offer more than you have already heard. |
Agreed. What's more likely? You taught a perfect lesson and they complained about you in a fit of mean spiritedness or just because they didn't like your appearance? Or you have a way of teaching that people don't take to, which you are unaware of? |
Yeah, good points. I didn't assume the class was perfect, just that it seemed fine from my perspective. |
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jpe
Joined: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Seoul, SK
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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| andrewchon wrote: |
OP, you are close to OVERCOME-ing.
Question: what were you wearing in that class? A suit and a tie? Good leather shoes? Clean shaven? Fingernails neatly trimmed? Were you just casually dressed? |
I was wearing ripped biker shorts and a t-shirt which says "Korean chicks dig weigooks"
Just kidding...yes, all of those things, but maybe I need a haircut. |
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Fat_Elvis
Joined: 17 Aug 2006
Location: In the ghetto
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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I think if you covered everything edwardcatflap suggested earlier you'd be OK. Maybe some other things to consider are ..
... doing a short teacher getting to know you activity. Koreans are quite teacher-focussed and they are curious about you. You could put some statements about yourself on the board and students decide if they are true or not. You could then follow that with a quick q&a session with students (which fulfills the pointless sitting around listening to the teacher thing that Korean students like). If they ask you questions you consider inappropriate (eg How old are you) smile and just explain they are inappropriate. Not so easy with beginner classes.
... when they are doing pairwork and you are monitoring go around and have a quick chat with each pair. This means they can't complain about not 'interacting with the teacher'.
... keep active in class, don't let activities drag on too long, move around the class a lot. Koreans like kind and active/enthusiastic teachers.
... don't spend too long on getting to know you activities. Many students skip the first class because they consider them a waste of time. Do short getting to know you activities in each class for the first few classes.
Hope this helps |
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Oreovictim
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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There are other things to consider:
Maybe they don't like your accent. I don't know where you're from, but my students prefer Canadian and American accents. A lot of them say that everything else is just too difficult for them.
It's also possible that only one or two students complained, and your boss didn't want you to say, "Okay, who was it? Which student complained?"
Again, maybe they just don't like your looks. A lot of Koreans can be weird like that. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe they don't like your accent. I don't know where you're from, but my students prefer Canadian and American accents. A lot of them say that everything else is just too difficult for them.
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If their listening skills are good enough to distinguish between accents they should be ready to start listening to different types of English. Tell them not to be so lazy and anyway in real life they'll most likely be listening to an Indian or Chinese. |
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kingplaya4
Joined: 14 May 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
A few things I've learned about Korean adult students here.
1) They don't give teachers second chances. If they don't like your first lesson they will complain.
2) They like to do a lot of sitting around listening to the teacher. This is usually pedagogically unsound but you need to give them at least a bit of it to keep them satisfied. Part of this will involve them being entertained and made to laugh.
3) They like being corrected, although they don't like being corrected in front of the rest of the class. So monitor what they talk about in pairs, like you do, then do corrections on the board afterwards.
4) They like teachers who are 'kind'. Smile a lot, learn their names ASAP and give out lots of praise.
5) Avoid discussing or making jokes about anything to do with sex, drugs, etc...or Korean current affairs. Play it safe
6) Talk a lot about all the things you like about Korea
7) They love hand outs/photo copies. Give them out at every lesson
 They like reviewing at the start of every lesson. This is one of the few useful things they approve of.
9) They like getting homework, even though they seldom do it.
10 ) Talk slowly loudly and clearly at all times and make all instructions as clear as possible. This is probably what the beginners' class complained about. It usually is.
Hope this helps |
In other words, don't teach adults. Sounds like a nightmare, but after living here six years, I believe most if not all of this is correct, particularly liking to listen to the teacher and be lectured in an enternaining way. I find the edutainer persona annoying to put on when I'm teaching anyone post elementary school, but college kids definitely go for it, and perhaps even older students do as well. |
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alwaysgood
Joined: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Changwon
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: Entertaining Adult Students |
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| jpe wrote: |
| (incidentally I'm a male, and the latter class consisted of 10 women) |
This has never been an issue with myself or other male teachers I've known. Just agree with almost anything they say and smile.
"Wow, your children sound very smart."
"Yes, your husband should help with the dishes."
"You are right. Your mother in law should respect you more."
"No, of course you don't look old."
etc. etc.
Other than that, make the class fun and interactive like you should for any class. Adults like games sometimes too. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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| In other words, don't teach adults |
I'm just saying this is generally what Korean adult students like, I'm not saying they will complain if you don't do everything on the list. I've taught classes when I haven't done anything on the list and didn't get any complaints. I'm just saying if you do get a complaint, it'll probably be about one of these things. Also it's only in the first few crucial lessons when you have to be attentive to these things. Once you've got a class on your side you can relax a bit. |
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Hotpants
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:58 am Post subject: |
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| I once had one class of (largely) female students which rallied with ongoing complaints behind my back. The bottom line for them was that they were sour about having their teacher switched mid-course, since they'd gotten so used to his teaching style (and he happened to be really good-looking). However, I didn't get given one of those reasons from my director of studies when she approached me and removed that class from my schedule. The bottom line for me was that I knew in my heart that I had gone into every one of their classes with the best lesson that I could offer, and that there wasn't really a lot more I could do about how those particular students apparently felt about me or my class. The bottom line for us all: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. |
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Dave Chance
Joined: 30 May 2011
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:50 am Post subject: |
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^^Yeah, sometimes there are factors out of your control, such is life.
You often see teachers who try too hard in such situations, which is definitely a turn-off.
Last edited by Dave Chance on Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
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jpe
Joined: 15 Aug 2011
Location: Seoul, SK
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| Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:58 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the replies. I'm Canadian, so I wouldn't think my accent is a problem.
The "teacher get to know you" thing might have been key in that situation...at the end of the class rather than wanting to review they wanted to ask me questions - which I entertained but couldn't for very long since there was only a few minutes left.
I've been, um, "compensated" for my lost class with 8-hour Saturdays this month. Go hagwons! Fighting! |
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