Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

I think I'm probably somewhere in the middle.

I'd never come in drunk or anything, I help the kids when they need it, I try to motivate the ones who are quiet, I reward the ones who are good, I hardly ever sit down in class, and I also have certain standards(ie, I think up a new activity or put some kind of new variation on the old stuff every week).

But on the other hand I actually have a second grade after school-kind of class where there are no materials no book and no direction. I used to take in flashcards but I couldn't control the kids at all, and the whole thing fell apart. There's no co-teacher either-- there was one woman who came into the class once and might have been one, but I haven't seen her since.

Anyway, one day they were all going wild and actually managed to do some serious damage to the room. It was disruptive for the class beside me, so since that day I've started taking them outside and supervising them while they play on the playground equipment and help me learn Korean, then I let them go over ten minutes early.

I have continued to do this for over a month and nobody has said anything about it. I don't feel unprofessional because I know it's just a money grab and the rest of my classes are exciting for the kids and usually go really smoothly.

I also think it's funny.

[KYC]

you work at a hogwan then?

I work at a public elementary school. My coteachers aren't really active in my classes so I have complete control. I make a lot of materials for my classes (textbook and non text book). I always supplement the text with ppt, flashcards, and games, activities, and worksheets that I create from scratch. I try to make my class as interesting as possible because I've seen how the Korean teachers teach English (holy crap is it boring!).

Unfortunately, no one says peep to me. The only praise I've gotten is from my wrangler. Everyone knows I make my own materials but never make any comments about it. Sometimes even the kids are not appreciative. The games I create are very fun and interesting yet only a handful of students really enjoy it.

I get really frustrated because the Korean teachers think my job is soooo easy as I only teach 22 classes a week and probably spend the rest of the time surfing the net. They make rude comments when they see me take books home so I can work on ppt/worksheets/etc. I've only been here 3 1/2 months and finally getting the hang of teaching but it's all so thankless. Sometimes I feel really tired and it affects me in the classroom.

[bbonthec]

I'm professional, but in a relaxed sort of way. I'd never even come into class hungover, and I work as hard as I need to do job as best I can. I teach at a kids' hagwon, so I don't need to wear a suit or anything. I usually wear a collared shirt of some kind and jeans. I'll sit during class when I'm not busy helping kids at their desks or writing on the board. However, I write a LOT on the board (I go through a board marker every couple days), and frequently walk around the class to make sure nobody is having any trouble.

I always make sure we finish the day's schedule every class, but I allow a lot of time for free talking as well. Almost every class, we'll just go off and talk about random subjects. I like my students to be relaxed when they're learning English. It's not a concentration camp, and the kids learn better when they're having fun.

[The Hammer]

I think I am very professional because I always wear a suit and tie,

but people say my hair stinks very badly.

[Carlyles Ghost]

Very professional. I dress appropriately, I am never hung over, my lessons are always meticulously planned. And when a 3rd grade MS student glances through the new dictionary I placed on the desks, points at his friend and says "Teacher! He! M@sturbation!" it somehow makes it all worth while.

[khyber]

Very professional teacher; hardworking, focussed and "on top of it" in Canada.
Lackadaizical, ambivalent, overworked , under supported ESL teacher in Korea

[aarontendo]

I call my students michin babo a lot heh, they seem to like it though.

[jlb]

Very professional. I work at a university so you kind of have to be. Higher expectations I guess.

[SHANE02]

[The Hammer]

[JamesFord]

[kimchi_pizza]

[boyne11]

[Hanson]

[tomato]

Hello, ESL Milk!

Here is what you should do if the whole class misbehaves:

Promise the class that they will do something fun but educational, like a bingo game or a go fish game, for the second half of the hour if the class behaves.
If they don't behave, spend the whole hour using the textbook.

Here is what you should do if only certain individuals misbehave:

Keep a list of students who misbehave during the hour.
Those who don't misbehave will get to leave five minutes early.

If you can come up with a few songs, picture books, bingo games, and card games, you will be in a good position for bribing and threatening.

That's just my opinion, but there are other good opinions.
There are a lot of good discipline threads on this forum, but most of them are defunct.
Try the search function.
I am glad that you are asking the right questions.