Korean Job Discussion Forums

[buymybook]

That is what one teacher at my school said. In fact she said that another teacher feels the same way and that's probably the reason he now skips my classes? Of course he told me the reason was because I would feel more comfortable. Ha! He doesn't skip my classes for me, he does it for himself. Does he think I'm an idiot?

The female teacher is a masters student, I think I'll suggest to her to write a paper in university explaining how/why. Where did co-teaching begin, I'm sure it wasn't here in S. Korea? My other teachers work well with me.

[some waygug-in]

The problem with co-teaching is that there are so many ways it can go wrong, so many avenues for mis-communication between you and your Korean counterpart.

None of my co-teachers seem to follow the guidelines that we were told about last year and they all seem to have their own ideas about what co-teaching should mean. Then there is the fact that the co-teachers change every year, so each year a new co-teacher comes and starts from scratch. Some can be pretty good, but others have no clue.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Whatever morons at the M of Ed. came up with various 'guidelines' I've seen have demonstrated a complete inability to differentiate between what might work for elementary beginners and advanced high schoolers. When EPIK sents out the same 'guideline' book to elementary and high school teachers you know you're best completely disregarding whatever they say.

[I'm no Picasso]

My coteachers stand at the back of the room and stay quiet. If the boys give me *that* look when I say, "Do you understand?", they will translate what I just said. Otherwise, it's my show. I like it that way.

[EricaSmile84]

My co-teachers don't co-teach because they don't speak English. If there is ever a time where any one of them say something in English, the students laugh at them.

[nomad-ish]

co-teaching is a joke. i'm beginning to believe that the only reason they still pretend we will be co-teaching when we start here is so they don't have to pay us more.

[some waygug-in]

I think it has something to do with placating the teachers' union (as in guaranteing Korean teachers have jobs), but I'm not sure on that one.

Another thing to consider are the legal ramifications. If a child gets hurt when only a foreign teacher is in the room, who is responsible?

I hate co-teaching and I think my co-teachers dislike it as well. It's both a waste of talent and in many cases a waste of time, but I'd rather deal with the problems of co-teaching than the horrors of hagwans.

[louiloui]

I don't have a coteacher. I have a handler.

I go to each homeroom and teach "with" the homeroom teacher. Most teachers only stay about half the time if they stay at all. I like it that way, because I do whatever I want and there is no pressure.

[Ramen]

I have a co-teacher for every single class. They all bow to me when I walk in then have the students do the same. I just sit back and watch them teach. I critic the co-teachers during the last 5 minutes of lesson.......



















not!

[EzeWong]

I hear ya.
I think to some degree a co-teacher is a wonderful partner. Ideally, you want to be prancing in fields of camomile flowers hands embraced and singing the hills are alive with the sound of music.

But in reality, it's a forced relationship that takes up their free periods were they watch you teach a class. I find if I don't have meaningufl involvement with a co-teacher, they get uncomfortable, slightly irrate, and sometimes even a tad resentful.

Imagine if we had to co-teach a class and never say a word. It's actually quite boring. You can't do anything besides stare into space. I can't blame the teacher for wanting to ditch and go do some "work".

However, in your case I think it's a Co-Teachers responsibility to at least ask your permission. If they respect you as a teacher they would and SHOULD.



Alhtough, for those of us who "own" or classes co-teaching is meaningless.

I could manage all my classes (and have) without a co-teacher. They are really just security blankets for when you can't control their students. But, I do admit it's good for those students who act up then say "I don't understand Englishee"... A co-teacher will set them straight.

[Xuanzang]

I`m grateful for my coteacher then because there`s no way I coulod control these little monsters or keep some kind of order without her. Her English is fairly decent and she`s a kind, gentle person/partner. That`s what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

[poet13]

I disagree that's it's taking up their free period. If you weren't there, then they would be teaching, non?

At the schools I am at now, I am having some success with some of the co-teachers in actual co-teaching. My last school? pfft.
I have 6 co-teachers now, and with four of them, we actually get stuff done. When we're doing activities, group or what not, we can monitor and help different groups. We use each other as a resource rather than a discipline threat.

For the most part though, I think co-teaching in Korea (what I've seen and heard) is a joke.

[SeoulMan6]

I believe in co-teaching. When it works, the students pay attention more and learn faster. You're cutting the student:teacher ratio in half! Synergy baby!!!

If you and your co-teacher don't work well together, split the class and work separately!

There are many different ways to co-teach.

http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/specconn/main.php?cat=collaboration&section=main&subsection=coteaching/types

FROM THE WEBSITE:
1. lead and support
2. station teaching - take half to another room!
3. parallel teaching - some things work better in small groups
4. alternative (or complementary) teaching - I start, you finish
5. team teaching - 50/50

and also:
6. Differentiated split-class teaching - One teacher pull aside high or low-level students for different work than the rest of the class. Excellent on the final day of the lesson if high-level students need to be challenged or low-levels need remedial work.


Even if you and your co-teacher hate each other, you can still work effectively together. Don't give up!

[MikeGrey]

That's pretty much how it is with my school. Instead of a look my students all tell me "yes" when I ask them if they understand. When they all say yes is the clue that no one understands a damn thing and now it's for some co-teacher help. Otherwise class is me bumbling around drawing pictures on a board so they can understand words. I might as well be drunk.

[Ramen]