Korean Job Discussion Forums

bcoral99 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008

I just wanted some opinion. I am bored and I am at a middle public school. I was just wondering if anyone really cares if the kids learn English. I mean the kids who yell and scream in class, the ones who sleep and don't listen to you at all.

Do you guys really care? I try my best to make it somewhat interesting. I have to go through the textbook material cause it is gonna be on the exam but yet even when i give them a game or whatever they seem to not care.

I want the kids to learn but it just seems that most kids just do not want to. Any thoughts?

I'm just bored right now thats why i am writing this.

D.D. · Joined: 29 May 2008

This job would be easy if you didn't care as you would fit in. My problem is I care and that is not something that is easy to do in a middle school. It's also your fault according to them if they kids don't care. So teachers tend not to care and students don't and it the FT's fault. Not caring is like losing your soul in my books so I keep on caring.

asmith · Joined: 18 Jun 2009

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

At the end of the day, you can't *make* anybody do anything. Make your classes as interesting as possible. Don't get into a screaming match with a room full of ten year olds (you will lose). At that point, if they still don't want to learn... Sorry.

If the whole class is tuning you out, you need to rethink your strategy. That's your duty as a professional. If it's one or two kids, especially if it's the same ones every day, there's really nothing else you can do.

winterfall · Joined: 21 May 2009

When I was that age I had bigger things to worry about than school. You can't 'Force' someone to 'Grow up' and take things seriously but, you can't really blame them either. If your that bored. Then you might want to rethink the whole teaching thing and what it really means to you.

asmith · Joined: 18 Jun 2009

Look, man, here's the truth. You aren't a teacher. I'm not a teacher. The guys posting in this thread aren't really teachers. We are social expiriments. Paid social expiriments.

So put on your best smile, pick up your bingo sheets, and go get them, Tiger.

Goku · Joined: 10 Dec 2008

I'm at the end of my wits trying to force the kids to do anything. These kids don't respond to any stimuli, punishment, shame, yelling... They'll laugh at everything under the sun. Just the other day a kid dropped his bag and everyone thought that was hilarious.

I'm thought and experimented with every conceivable way to have them in line, and the only one that has worked was coming off as scary.

And that only happens on certain days when my mood is right. Somedays I just want to drink my tea and teach a lesson. I don't feel like walking up and down the aisles like the grim reaper everyday.

God...

In terms of lessons, I still teach out of the book and the same way I learned my middle school educaiton. Ocassionaly I'll throw in some edutaining for the sake of their sanity, but at the extent of it, I'll shut it down if they start to annoy me.

I don't think the kids TRULY learn much from us. Which makes it hard for me as I see their glossy faces everyday sayign the same "Hi nice to meet you" ignoring that I said it was only for first time meeting introductions.

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

asmith · Joined: 18 Jun 2009

E_athlete · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Location: Korea sparkling

Suwon4AGT · Joined: 26 Apr 2009

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

bcoral99 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008

i think im at the point where i do care for the kids who care but could care less for those who just dont want to. and thats fair cause who really wants to learn a second language when its forced on them. i didnt want to learn french or spanish when i was in school so i can empathize.

but i do take the positive when i can get at least one kid to learn something in my class. cause in reality you are not going to get 40 kids in a class to sit and listen and participate the whole time. and for those who say u do ur either lucky or full of crap. its frustrating but i guess you just have to take the positive of what you can.

bcoral99 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008

oh and whoever said i shouldnt be a teacher. im done after this year. should have realized it after last year but thought a different environment with different kids would be better but its not. and for those of you who just like to criticize without knowing the situation, please get a life.

katepult · Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:28 pm Post subject:

Sadly, I find that caring does not bring any benefits in the context of most teaching jobs that I've had in Korea. Usually, caring if the students are learning ends up bringing an excess of stress to the foreign teacher's life. I cared my first two and a half years here and since then have been making an effort not to care if they are learning. It doesn't come naturally.

The elementary school system of learning English is useless and it is not my place to change the system, just to follow the curriculum. For students to learn English in the public school, the change has to come from the inside, not from the foreign teacher. It would involve almost a complete overhaul of the Korean system of English education and I can't do that. I'm just hoping most of them learn to count to 20 and to answer "How are you?" with maybe "I'm happy" or "I'm okay" instead of "I'mfinethankyou."

If their parents want their kids to learn English, they send them to hagwon and hopefully the hagwon has a decent enough program that it doesn't matter if the foreign teachers are competent or not.

It's a crap attitude to have, but there it is.