Korean Job Discussion Forums

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Does this really piss you off sometimes? You walk into class around the time the bell rings, or even a little early to set up the computer or whatever, and kids from your class and others on that floor are still running all over the place, while all the other teachers scheduled to teach that block are still down in the staff room a minute or two or three after the bell's gone. It's not so bad at my HS for whatever reason, but this year for my grade 2 & 3 MS classes it seems to happen all the time. Not only do I find myself yelling at my own students to sit down and get ready, but I'm chasing kids from other classes away from my class and the corridor outside and into their classrooms. Not to mention some of my own students who are looking at me like I'm some kind of jackass for actually wanting to start on time. I'm thinking instead of being the only teacher who tries to start right on time for those grades of starting a 60-second rule instead: once the bell goes, you have 60 seconds to be in your desk with your textbook or you spend the first ten minutes of class kneeling at the back or something like that. Has anyone tried something like that?

mnhnhyouh · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom

High school here. Mine vary a lot. Some classes are on time, sitting down and the co teacher is there. One today walked into my staffroom, across the corridor from my class, 30 seconds after the bell to see where I was (I am usually a tad early).

Other classes turn up late as does the teacher.

I run conversation classes with no textbook. I have a number of lessons where the students are required to do a bit of writing for conversation. My battle at the moment is to get them all to bring a notebook!!!

Good luck.

h

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

gangpae · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Location: Busan

When teaching middle school students the last place you want to be is in the class with the students. I hope that helps.

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

jim_we · Joined: 06 May 2004 Location: Korea

I teach in public school, classes start w/in a few minutes of the bell. What scalds me is the after school program. We only have 45 minutes, but half the students come in 15-20 minutes late from other after school classes.

Scouse Mouse · Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Location: Cloud #9

My teachers are always at least 5 minutes late. One teacher has a habit of arriving 10-15 minutes late, but I think I put a stop to that last week. She arrived 15 minutes late to a class that was reduced to 35 minutes for some reason or other, only to find I was waiting outside to "ask her advice on how to start the lesson". She has been punctual ever since, or should I say, she has been punctual for those classes where she (and the students) bother to show up - but that's another complaint all together!

waynehead · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Location: Jongno

Same same here. I teach middle school boys and I've had to lower my expectations about punctuality quite a bit since I've been in this job (on the students and teachers' parts, that is).

I've been tempted many a time to adopt the whole "when in Rome" attitude, but I just can't help myself...there's something within my constitution that makes me have to be in the classroom when the bell rings. So I usually stand up at the front for a minute or two before each class like an idiot repeating over and over "sit down, be quiet, put on your nametags, open your books...sit down, be quiet, put on your nametags..." yadda yadda.