Korean Job Discussion Forums

[husky]

I work in a kindergarten but I teach 4 elementary students that graduated from the kindy in March as part of an after school program.

I was basing my classes mostly on flash cards and teaching basic conversation ie How are you? Where will you go tomorrow? etc and basic grammar ie verbs, present, past, future simple tenses.

Although they know lots of vocabulary they have no fluency whatsoever. It was my plan to build it up so that by the end of the year they could talk confidently on a variety of subjects and not have to spend 5 minutes thinking of an answer.

Anyway, the moms have been complaining and don't like my style and say it is boring for their kids. The moms said they want me to choose a topic, teach them about the topic and then let the students talk about that topic at the end of the class. THe idea sounds great, but where they will find the conversation skills to suddenly to do that I have no idea.

They are also pushing for the use of a book. I started using a book last week, but one of the moms has complained because she didn't like that book.

The parents are breathing down my neck and causing me a lot of stress.

Does anyone know of a good conversation book that can be used for 1st grade elementary students? There are many conversations books, but most are aimed at adults or students with higher levels.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Rory_Calhoun27]

If you mean Dialogue books, the one my old hagwon used was "1,3,2" or something. usually the kids would start with the book, then move to something else, but they had fun.

it was just two kids talking back and forth usually, but I used it to express feelings along the way. "Do you like math?" "No i don't. I hate it!!!" went one exchange. I taught them to shake their fist in the air as if they were screaming at a deity. Too fun...

[DC in Suwon]

I'm sort of having the same troubles at my after school program. Parents complain a lot. Their complaint are all over the place. Seems like they all have different reasons or expectations for why they have their kids in the class. It's tough to truly know what my role is or should be, plus the fact that the parents are the one that are paying money sort of makes them the decision makers. I know that if I decide to stay another year, I'm going public school or maybe hakwon kindergarten. Back home, we don't get into teaching for the money and it sort of sucks being in this position where money controls everything.

[Gillian57]

Here is a totally free online conversation book that is really pretty neat. It can be adapted to almost any level, but it would be great to use with beginners ....
http://iteslj.org/t/tmm/

[lifeinkorea]

I suggest going the phonics route for the 1st and 2nd graders. If they already know the alphabet and can read vowel based words, then you can get them doing prepositions in "weird" examples (like, "The vase is on the van").

The more pictures the better. They would have to be going to a hagwon or working with their parents to be at a high level to actually read out sentences properly. If that is the case, you have to then deal with social maturity issues. Many times, the smarter ones act out cause they are bored while the other students are learning the material. It's not so much the teacher's fault as it is the school's placement of the students.

In the end, the teacher and the parents get the brunt of it cause they are the ones working with the children, not the school.

[Michelle]