Korean Job Discussion Forums

[VanIslander]

As a philosophy grad I could go all high-fallutin' here, but I'll concentrate on my more concrete post-university policies and practices, the nitty gritty workings of a philosophy in use.

I was a journalist for several years, so I entered teaching with a clear sense of scope of responsibility and division of powers (I was a newspaper editor working with a publisher: I did news, he did advertising and office expenses. There were separate jobs to be done and few overlapping ones).

So, the following adapted rule has been quite useful:

"I rule the classroom, me alone. I'm king, the director is God of the hagwon." - that means the director can choose the books that should be taught but I decide on any given day what goes on in the classroom, the director sets the hours and pay but I set discipline and incentives in the classroom (no corporal punishment, but I have my ways; candy food and gifts as I see fit), the director says when reports cards are to be issued, but I decide what goes on them, and so on and so on. The distinction of responsibilities is quite clear to me, and I am a good and faithful employee, though stubborn and independent in the classroom. The director has been very pleased and very exasperated with me, in both cases I've tempered his feelings by stating exactly the nature of relationship I operate under: as a good teacher first, good employee second, and babysitter not at all. I have a take it or leave it attitude, though I never present it so confrontationally. But the message is clear: I do it my way or else get a new teacher. I try hard to be a good teacher and I hope it's good enough for them (which in this industry, with labour shortage, it seems to be. I'm in my third year at the same hagwon and I'm gonna have to dodge several attempts to get me to sign on for a fourth year it seems.)

My students are well aware of the following rules:

"No free rides in my classroom." - I don't care what happens elsewhere in the hagwon or other places, every student will participate in my class or is gone, it's that simple. My way or the highway. Of course, I often take side trips off of the main highway and even find myself being taken for a ride sometimes (as a benevolent dictator) but let there be no mistake, no student is going to coast through a lesson and do nothing. If they are too upset or too tired to at least do the minimum, then get out and explain it to the director. Every student learns every day, even if a little and even if not always fun (though I almost always have games for the last five to ten minutes, longer if they earn it).

"No looking." - Students may help other students often by voicing answers but no one is to look on anyone else's paper. A lot of spelling and sentence construction can be assisted this way, as it builds listening skills at least, and reinforces lessons even more for the quick students to help the slower ones. (rule doesn't apply to listening exercises, of course, and the like)

"Work fast, play more." - Some classes play games for twenty minutes a day because they all finish the lesson and prove they know it upon review (I put extra effort in designing educational review games involving lexus or grammar somehow, and lots of movement or shouting or time pressure, they love that); other classes barely get five minutes for games, and aren't happy about it, and know why: there are two or three slow students, constantly under peer pressure and peer assistance to finish more quickly to play more games. The director once asked me to play more games with a class that'd complained, they having seen or heard about my playing a lot with another class. I told the director that my rule is: they work fast, they play more. That's it. Simple and they know it. (There are more and less lazy classes and the rewards go accordingly.)

"Speak English please" - My classroom is an English-only zone, with few exceptions (for new vocab explanation by the smarter students to the slower ones). I have been known to also say: "My class is Canada, not Korea. Outside is Korea, here is Canada." (That means no Konglish, no 'e' sound at the end of "orange", etc).

My general objectives are to have the students master pronunciation (100%), develop spelling through self-directed methods (I don't tell them, but they can guess and help each other, and I'll agree when they guess a letter or word correctly), practice sentence construction on paper and verbally every class, even if just one sentence on their own, use conversational skills every class (question-answer, commentary, description, jokes), demonstrate they have learned something new each and every class.

Language learning is an active process in my classroom, where students are to use words to do things, and my job is to facilitate, coach and assist them in doing what they have to do. Learning is fun at times, hard work at times, but hopefully both at the same time, most of the time. I guess it's a work and play hard philosophy, as I have 50 minutes with each class and don't want to waste a minute. I make myself available for small talk five minutes before each class because it helps provide another authentic, somewhat natural context in which students can practice using the language.

It took me three months to establish a reputation with the students in the hagwon, six months to get the director into line, takes me only a week to whip a new class into shape to do what is to be done, and I'm reluctant thus to go to a new institute where the process would have to be repeated. (I'm scared senseless at the prospects of public school bureaucracy, rules, procedures, curriculum requirements, paperwork, etc etc, though the openness of university teaching appeals, though most partying Korean undergrads don't present an attraction).

By the way, my rules above don't fully apply to my two evening adult classes, since, on my outlook: I'm working for them not their hard-working parents (I guess I sort of see the paying parents like as a reporter I saw the readers: I provide them with what they want, and with what they should want). I encourage adult students to do things, but the rules are neither hard nor fast. It's their show if they care to call it (which some do and some don't, some more than others direct what kind of content and process we use).

I have two kindergarten classes now, as a new addition to my workload, and I have yet to establish many rules with them. they are a whole other ball of wax.

But I was hired primarily to teach elementary school age children, that's where I've had the greatest success, and that's how I basically see myself: as an elementary school teacher of English as a foreign language.

[ajuma]

I agree with Van Islander...especially for the hagwon setting. For uni students, it depends on the place. Most of my students have never talked to a foreigner...never been to a hagwon...have VERY limited English...in short, they're aren't the brightest kids on the block (with a few exceptions!)

My goal is to make them COMFORTABLE speaking English to a native speaker. They should be able to know what to say if someone says "What's up?" or "How ya doin'?". They should be able to understand and answer basic questions about what they like, where they're going, where they're from....

Because I teach in a second (or third, depending on who you ask!) rate uni, my students AREN'T geniuses...but they CAN learn...and CAN become enthusiastic about English...and NOT just "listen, repeat".

My teaching philosophy in a nutshell: YOU CAN DO IT!

[VanIslander]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[VanIslander]

[The evil penguin]

[quote="VanIslander"]"Speak English please" - My classroom is an English-only zone, with few exceptions (for new vocab explanation by the smarter students to the slower ones). I have been known to also say: "My class is Canada, not Korea. Outside is Korea, here is Canada." (That means no Konglish, no 'e' sound at the end of "orange", etc).[quote]

Basically agree with you except for that nationalistic part.... I don't teach Australian. I teach ENGLISH. American and International. I'll answer questions about my home country and during conversation classes we might discuss our individual back grounds and cultures...
But I don't bring patriotism into the classroom...

[Wrench]

Don:t take your self to seriously is good advice.

I just don:t care, I do my best but I don:t force any of my students to learn. Some will learn and some will not. You know we do need burger flippers in this world.

[guangho]

My philosophy is that I am useless. I cannot learn English for you. I can only teach it to you. I can guide you, inspire you, help you, support you, but at the end of the day the responsibility is yours. This goes over like a lead balloon at most places.

[livinginkorea]

[fusionbarnone]

Philosophy of Education for a uni assignment could constitute 5/6/7 pages of what you consider to be the most pertinent approaches to teaching, and why.

In the Curriculum Vitae context the same information would be condensed into a one-paragraph overview of your professional approach to teaching.
Imagine a non-bulleted list of all your killer-teaching-methodologies summarized into one paragraph.

If you are writing an Ed. CV, you are entitled to list every training course(which can be extensive from some of the clients I've worked with), achievements,qualifications, and other relevant contributing experience.

So, if your CV goes beyond 1 page don't worry(provided the content isn't fluffed up), a career teaching professional's CV can be as many as four or more pages. In the US(considered executive level applications) of two to three pages possibly four, and in the UK, etc, of between three to as many as seven pages, is/are not considered unusual.

[SuperHero]

[dbee]

[Rteacher]

I think most inexperienced teachers learn, mostly by trial and error, what works for them after several weeks - or months - of playing the role of classroom teacher. I worked at my first hogwan for twenty months and then decided to take a TEFL training course not only to qualify myself for other teaching jobs, but also to brush up on popular methodologies and teaching philosophies. A lot of stress is given to lesson planning with clear aims and objectives geared to students needs.
As already noted, a couple key concepts are "student centered" learning, that actively engages them in the learning process (rather than just passively hearing explainations) and "flexibility" on the part of the teacher to quickly adapt to circumstances (based on feedback from students and all concerned parties) Public school officials particularly like to hear that you will work in cooperation with the Korean English teachers and will use examples from both Korean and western pop culture to gain students' interest...( Of course, I could tell you more, but then...I'd have to kill you...)

[VanIslander]

[Homer]

Ah..Van...Canada is not an English only zone...

You forgot two things:

1- The official languages law

2- Quebec