Korean Job Discussion Forums

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

For some INSANE reason our school is heavily reliant on inflicting what is a text for adults upon upper elementary and midddle school students. This wouldn't usually bother me but since I'm teaching with it, IT DOES!, haha. These books have pages headed with a new grammer technique to use in drill. So away we go using the new form of English, it's SUCH FUN!(being facetious). Side by Side 1,2,3 the format is the same. And the students on #3 have gone through, along with their teacher, the gruesome tediousness of #1 and #2. I just wonder if anyone has suggestions re; how to sauce and tart up these texts which are so much like TEN INCH NAILS to the cranium!

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

convince your boss they are crap and go out and get a better book. thats what i did. Still have to go through the existing book unfortunately.

it seems are no books designed for middle school students. There are a lot of books for elementary, but none for middle school. They are expected to do the same books that adults do.

dutchman · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: My backyard

I use Side by Side 1 and 2 for 4th, 5th and 6th grade students. I love the books. The key (for me) is to have an incentive game for the last 10-15 minutes of class. It makes for a very productive 45 minutes when the students know that if they screw around they won't be playing a game. At about 40 minutes into the class I take out my sand clock. Whatever the repetition conversation is they have to go around the class and have all the conversations before the sand runs out. First student is number one A second B, then the second student is number 2 A and the third student is B...

If they dont finish in time, they have to do it again and again until they finish in time. And then they get the game (Uno).

I also give each student 45 points at the beginning of class (written on the board). Excellent homework gives them another 15 points. Very good is 10 points, etc down to minus 15 points if they didnt do homework. Speaking Korean in class, not listening, head on the desk... is minus 5 points. Then when we play Uno the points in their hand at the end of the game are subtracted from their total points. If they go down to zero they don't get candy. The highest points gets the first choice of candy (many flavors). The kids love it and get very competitive.

Sounds silly but it works great for me. I have virtually no discipline problems in class (BUT I only have 3 to 5 studens in each class).

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Wow, Dutchman, you sound very organized and happening in the classroom, Dude (if I may call you Dude). I took some drastic measures and photocopied the whole of Side By Side 1 since the bosses ignore how much copying goes on by anyone; I could copy my brains out and copy anything and they don't notice! They only notice when someone reminds them it's out of ink; is that logical? NO!, haha. Then went to the all night department store for some scrapbooks. I'll glue a page or two in the scrapbook then leave two or three pages empty. In which I'll write or glue ideas for handouts to photocopy or games or spinoff activities or whatever I can squeeze out of my constipated noggin'. These priceless teacher-saavy scrapbooks will remain with me, wherever I go, for posterity as I roam, lightening the load of those CURSED by Side by Side! This hagwon will erect a STATUE of me in front of city hall!

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Side by Side absolutely bites.

Captain, you've seized on a good plan with the scrapbook thing.

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

While the bosses are on the phone reassuring the mothers about the calibre of the institute. And while the Korean teachers are on the phone reassuring the mothers about the behaviour and progress of their sons and daughters yours truly is in a tiny cabin with one window and eight chairs where the rocking and moaning of suffering souls knows no equal. All because of Side by Side, which surely covering all the bases has no human interest value whatsoever. It's grim content transforms ordinarily happy, fun loving children into the living dead, ghouls who have long forgotten pleasure. It is no longer in their itinerary, drilled out of them by the senseless repetitions created by the evil manufacturers of Side by Side. Those who brought us the novel 'In the Mouth of Madness'! It is my sworn duty to combat these forces of EVIL!

tomato · Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2004 2:35 pm Post subject:

I have a set of Side by Side books which I use to punish students who misbehave.
Usually, all I have to do is threaten once and they behave.

riverboy · Joined: 03 Jun 2003 Location: Incheon

I use side by side and while I do admit it is difficult, I think it is a good bookl it has both repitition of grammar and reading comprehension. I think the best way to teach it is to make each kid read the excerxises.
The kids may not like it but I think it is a very comprehensive book which makes it difficult.
I suggest you take it really slow and try to get the kids to pick out what line is pasy tense and future tense and to identify the speaker. What I find difficult about teaching it is I have to go back in my head and try to figure out how to explain the grammar and English concepts to the Kids. I am still going through that learning curve as I have just started with the book. Give it time buddy and I think it will work out.