Korean Job Discussion Forums

Diana X2 · Joined: 06 Jan 2008

what would you do with 30 3-year olds? the "kindergarten" (it seems much more like pre-school to me) tells me they are 5 but from what i know about the korean system of calculating age, plus what i can see from their physical appearance, they are much more like 3-4 years old. basically squirmy worms who can barely sit in a chair for more than 2 minutes, and there's 30 of them.

i have them for 30 mins 2x/week.

we have a book and it's good but they can't focus on it for long.
.
there is a korean teacher, very nice, but she speaks no english and tends to come and go during the class...

i've tried many things so far but find they just aren't retaining stuff and that it's very hard to keep their attention too. one bad apple get started with his antics (and there's more than one in this bunch) and suddenly hair ribbons are flying, chairs are being knocked over and someone's screaming.... i think they'd swarm me and devour me alive if they could....

any recommendations for educational activities for this type of scenario?

tyvm.

sheba · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Here there and everywhere!

Im sorry I cant help, but just wanted to let you know I sympathize with you! I have just started teaching kindy (as young as yours as well), and its a tough job! Thank goodness I dont have so many students!

Good luck!

Whistleblower · Joined: 03 Feb 2007

You have too many students in the class. Very young learners need individual attention and it is best to have 5 kids in a class at that age. What does it say in your employment contract? Do they say specific ages of learners? Try to drop the class as it won't improve.

I love the Korean (just add water or foreigner in this case) approach to education whereby students should be able to gain knowledge, understanding and able to speak English by being in the shadow of foreigner. Much like photosythesis (sp.?) with flowers.

oskinny1 · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Location: Right behind you!

If there is a way...

Get rid of the furniture, push it off to the side. Get them up and running. Teach them basic verbs. Walk, run, jump, swim. Verb combos like walk-swim, run-fly. Have them run around doing the verbs. You have to keep the lesson moving fast, not one thing for more than a few minutes (5 maximum). Teach them feeling verbs...cold, hot, sleepy. etc. Have them act them out. Maybe have a song in the middle (alphabet song, row row row your boat). Do the alphabet slowly. Maybe 2 letters for 2 weeks. Use coloring sheets for the letters. Connect the dot ABC so they learn the order.

Sorry it is all jumbled up, I am just brainstorming.

Good luck!

Enigma · Joined: 20 Mar 2008

I taught a class of about 25 3 and 4 year olds in Japan and it was probably my favourite class to teach. I only taught them twice a month rather than twice a week, though.
I looked at it with the perspective that I wanted to get the kids comfortable around and having fun with a foreigner, and looking forward to English every time so that they were more open to learning it as they got older.
I did a lot of the same things that oskinny1 mentioned above.
For example, I taught them things like, "How are you?" - "I'm hot/cold/hungry/thirsty etc."
Actions: Walk, jump, hop (on one foot), clap, turn around, run, etc. After they got those down, I would teach them don't______, so "Run, run, run, don't run." Although it probably doesn't sound that interesting, the kids loved it. Once they've got that, you could expand by teaching them "What are you doing? - I'm running."
I would often finish the class with the game Duck, duck, goose but would use numbers instead. The kids had a blast.
Picture books are great, too. You can ask them what colour the animals are. If you've taught them "swim, fly, etc." you can ask them, "Can a pig swim? Can an elephant fly?" Any ridiculous questions you can think of they'll love.
And keep changing things up. I would rarely have the kids sitting down for more than 3 or 4 minutes at a time, because they would just get restless and distracted.
The important thing to remember is to keep it fun, for you and for them. If you're having a good time, chances are most of them are having a good time.

PGF · Joined: 27 Nov 2006

Holy s hit. You've just described what would be my personal Hell in Korea. I had a 2nd grade elementary class my first year and all I did was show popeye videos because of the non-attention span. pre-kindy/ kindy? 30!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY mother of god- you have it bad..... ouch.

Imagine dog sitting 30 dogs. that's what baby sitting 30 3 year old foreigners is going to be like minus the pleasant dog smell.

run away!!!!!!!!

blackjack · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: anyang

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

No activities for longer than a few minutes at a time (5-7). The more often you change it up, the easier it will be for them to pay attention. Get them to do as much movement as possible. Even (and especially) taking them outside when the weather is appropriate).

Also, make sure you follow the same basic framework for every class (ie...song, dance, act, colour, song, game). It'll reduce transition times if the kids know what they'll be doing next.

30 is a lot and I would have difficulty doing that by myself (not counting the K teacher...as though it matterred).

I'm teaching a class in Canada right now and when I've had subs come in for my TA, every one of them have said, "This class sucks". Eventually, that starts to wear you down.

So yeah, your class is tough and you have my sympathy. But what it comes down to is your ability to get the job done. And I'm positive that if you put in the right effort, you can do it!

PGF · Joined: 27 Nov 2006

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

caniff · Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map

"30 3-year-olds"

(shudder)

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Sorry that was cruel. You did, however, did a good job of describing what I'd reckon to be the seventh circle of hell.

poet13 · Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject:

101....check that.....102 uses for duct tape.

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

I used to teach 15 3 year olds.

I would print of three colouring ins.

Put a chair against the door.

Put the kiddies songs on

And hope that they would be alive in 45 minutes.

I had one girl Linda who used to just hang on my leg for the whole lesson. Another girl who was part spanish who used to (at the best opportunity) walk out of the room and go visit other classes.

I hated it. Nice kids pretty funny but not for me.

majolica · Joined: 03 Apr 2008

the good thing with this age level is that they pick up things like sponges... no really... they're really excited to learn anything you want to throw at them. and, everyone else is right, you need a new activity every 5-7 minutes, but you can do a rotation of same games and activities over and over again, something you can't do with older students. people have had lots of success teaching sign language as a learning tool for english (kids pick up language fast when it's tied to visual or physical cues.

start the class off with some really energetic games and songs (even just have them run off some steam in circles)... then gradually bring things down with a concentration game (simon says), then introduce the "english" lesson (abcs, counting, colours) with a little writing/colouring activity, throw in another song, play another game and say goodbye.

you could easily fill in a whole 10 minutes on either side of the lesson with a "routine" of games and activites that you do every class. kids that age would even benefit from a little "quiet" time... lying on the floor, eyes closed, with quiet music playing.

anyway, to summarize, kids that age like routine, a variety of activites, lots of different stimulation (ask yourself if each class involves body, eyes, ears, mouth and brain)... plus, they LOVE you whether or not you want them to. unlike older students. who hate english, and will make you earn their love.