Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nbwoodyal]

I was hoping to get some advice from everyone about wanting to resign.

Basically, I think I am a bad teacher. Sometimes I am okay, but most of the time I feel like I am not reaching the students at all. I've been out of college for some time, and I have never had a job I was not good at, so this feeling is rather debilitating.

Also, I do not see it getting any better. I am the only native speaker at my school and it is hard to get tips or help from other teachers. Also, I've found that the help I get from my numerous American-teacher-friends simply can not apply here in Korea. And although I know it WILL get better to some degree, I don't know if even that would be satisfactory.

I was not prepared for the discipline issues here. Maybe I am unique, but when I was in school, we did not talk while the teacher was talking and run around the classroom. I feel like all I do in most of my classes is say "be quiet," "turn around," "get back in your seat," "stop talking," "shhhhh," and so on.

There are very few disciplinary routes I can take. I did get strict with my worst class, but was reprimanded as there were complaints.

So, I just feel like maybe teaching isn't for me. I'm feeling like I shouldn't be here and that the students and school deserve someone better.

I had a GREAT recruitment/arrival experience and the school director has been great to me personally.

I'm not in culture shock (I don't think)... I'm just in job-shock. I keep thinking what I would do if I were in America.

Thanks in advance for any comments you might have.

[blackjack]

If you think you should resign maybe you should. Before you do tho try a few things.

First discipline. It is hard to get back control of a class but it can be done.

I used a rather common and easy system that works for me.

-divide the class in two, those on the left and those on the right from now on they can't move seats.
-make up team names and write them on the white board.
-if you want silence, attention what ever don't say a thing raise your hand and extend your fingers one by one, if you get to five then who ever is noisy their team gets a minus point repeat till you get what you want.
-every time a student is good/answers a question/whatever they get a plus point (try to keep the scores close if they complain about the scoring they get a minus point)

at the end of the lesson count up the plus and minus (and here is the important part) do not give prizes/candy/food/stickers, otherwise they will expect it every time. Which ever team is highest they get to leave while the losing team has to stay in their seats till the winning team has won. You would be amazed

Once you have taken back the classroom, think about your lessons. Do you lesson plan? If you are using bad text books you need good lesson plans (even if you have good text books). Talk to your co-teachers if you can, ask for advice. Make a fun activity for ten minutes at the end of each class based on what they did in class, be it a word search, Simon says, crosswords, 20 questions, etc

forgive me if this is wrong don't drink during the week, your tolerance goes completely down hill if you are even slightly hungover

[hang10]

[marlow]

All you need is a bachelor's degree to teach here, so obviously the salary is taking into account that you are going to learn on the job. Take advantage of the chance to learn about yourself.

[oldtactics]

I'm not going to tell you whether you should or shouldn't quit, but rest assured that you're not the only one going through this. The Korean public school system isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and teaching a non-testing class is hard work for just about everyone. Might be worthwhile to try a new lesson tactic for a while to see if that changes anything/makes you feel better - work directly from handouts or do a movie analysis.

Good luck!

[xingyiman]

[andrewchon]

Do you, in your heart, want to help your students learn?
If so, you are not a bad teacher. Inexperienced, maybe.

Are you, trying to recreate your best experience when you were in school?
If so, you're trying to teach the way YOU taught yourself.
You have to remember that you are a Uni-grad. You have above average intelligence. You're teaching students of wide range. Not so brights learn in different ways from you.

Have you done TESOL/CELTA certificate? That will tell you a bit about education theories and how they apply in classrooms.

How long have you been at your school? You could be expecting too much, too soon. Sometimes it takes awhile to get your students' trust in you.

Dividing class in teams and putting them in competition does work. These kids live to please their parents. They want to say "I'm #1 in my class", or least, "I'm smarter than so-and-so." Give them chances to take home a paper with 100% on it, or a merit certificate. Once the majority is taken in by the competition (meaningless or not) discipline issue largely solves itself.

You have undoubtedly have become aware of few of the 'teacher's tricks'. Now think back: were you aware of these when you were a student in school? I bet: no. I bet you were only thinking about feeling good, or getting praises or winning little games. I had no idea what my teacher was doing to me. Classrooms in your student days were quiet and studious. Did you know how your teacher made it so? It didn't happen by chance.

Better than to quit, see if you can see out the contract. During that time, try to get that "TEACHING SATISFACTION". This maybe the only chance in your life to experience that feeling. If you try hard enough, one day it will come. It is such a GOOD feeling. So much so that you want to keep teaching. Slap yourself hard several times when that happens.

[lookingforworkinasia]

I sympathize with you OP. At best, I think I am a satisfactory teacher. I teach in elementary, middle, and high schools and they each offer different challenges.

If you plan fun classes, the best disciplinary measure is to simply stop the class until the students control themselves. This works really well for all my elementary classes. Just stop what you are doing and stare at them.

Middle School and High School students are a little bit different. I would suggest fostering a good relationship with your co-teachers, as the class tends to worry more about how their behavior will be interpreted by other Koreans rather than you. I had serious disciplinary problems in my classes, but I expect them as they're not being graded and have no confidence in their English. Try and keep it light, but if their discipline is as bad as you say then try some different activities and see how they respond. Mix it up and see what works.

I would say my teaching skills are "satisfactory". Objectively, I will admit that 30-35% of my classes are not run well, and it is because of my poor class management skills. The important thing is to criticize what your doing, research solutions, and develop the tools and resources to implement those solutions in class.

[ThingsComeAround]

OP, Wow

I want to applaud you for taking a step back and reflecting on your own work, and saying it isn't what you want it to be.

Most here don't have the courage to do that.

I agree with other posters that you should try to finish the contract. Quitting leaves a blight on English Teachers that we are unprofessional.

Taught at a hagwon myself last year. I knew the kids weren't learning. Decided to change. Public school is a tad better. If you aren't learning anything about teaching, you aren't alone. Koreans are often dropped in the water w/o a raft also. They deal with it. Doesn't mean that you have to.

There are heaps of lesson-sharing websites available. I can't list them all here. You should branch out more and meet foreigners, rant with them, share stories, understand you aren't alone and the problems aren't all your fault.

Start small, if you want to teach them something. Like about your hometown, or your favorite food. Something that has 'nothing' to do with English, but will help your students want to talk to you. Make them build curiosity so they will want to study English and speak with you. You can do it!!

Cheer up

[buildbyflying]

On a logistical level, finding a replacement job would be difficult. Realize there are starving teachers who need a job, you can't just throw a good job away;) I don't know where you're from but I can assume there aren't many jobs there. Stick it out for a year, it'll build character.

[lostintranslation100]

OP - How long have you been in Korea?

Maybe you are just having bad luck with the class materials. Are you on a tight curriculum or are you able to make up your own lessons? I understand how difficult it is when you just can't reach students. Just by posting this message, I would say that you're not a bad teacher - you just have to give it some time.

Most of my classes run really smoothly and the kids get a lot out of it, but there are a few that just outright suck. Students know it and I know it. The problem? My boss doesn't know it. The books I'm required to teach are at about a high school level (this is for a 5-6th grade elementary class). It's a grammar class and the material takes forever to get through so we can't really do anything else. Kids started dropping out of the class like flies and my boss finally said, "Okay, stop following my syllabus, do whatever you want."

After I calmed down on the syllabus, started spending more time explaining certain grammar points to them, the class got a lot better and both the students and I are now enjoying it.

So if it's the material you have to teach, don't be shy about discussing this with your boss (in a polite way).

Good luck to you and I cannot blame anyone for wanting to resign in this country.

[kiknkorea]

[nbwoodyal]

Thank you all very much. This is a lot of good advice... and a lot to add to the deliberations.

I will definitely try some of the new classroom management techniques mentioned here.

The pieces mentioned on class materials definitely rings true. Most of them are too easy for the students so they get bored. So, I end up scouring the various ESL sites finding suitable worksheets and what not.

I did deviate from the texts once and the class used it against me (they didn't like that I was being strict with them, so the parents complained I wasn't using the text). I've tried being creative and fun with them, but it never seems to work -- they either don't like, don't get it, or don't care.

I'm always focused on improving myself, and this is no exception, but I'm feeling like my resources here are nonrenewable and running out fast.

Thanks again for all of your input, it has been very helpful.

[yeremy]

It appears to me that you're being a bit hard on yourself. You made a good point that you didn't find the advice from your American teaching friends very applicable to a Korean context. I agree.

I read your post twice to make sure I understood it. I think the basic thing that is throwing you off stride is the discipline issue. I work in a public school and I let my Korean co-teacher do the real disciplining. We're working in a Korean context, so we, to at least some extent, should adapt. I have had the same discipline issues you have had. I tried the shouting thing but it only wears your voice out. I try to focus and direct my students attention through activities and study rather than through force. If you're teaching young learners, try changing to another activity or study item after five to ten minutes. Young learners have short attention spans, so we have to plan for that.

As for where and how to get advice, you could try picking the brains of other (successful), even if they're new like you to teaching in Korea, of the teachers you know around you. KOTESOL is another resource which is available to you and it does not cost very much to join and to participate.

Another way to improve your teaching is to take a certificate class in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

If you have a Korean co-teacher, they are valuable resources of information and tips as to how to teach in Korea. I have also found that my co-teachers have been very helpful sources of how my students felt and thought about the classes I have taught. So, what may be going on is that your students and co-teachers have been communicating to you all along but you may not have understood what they were trying to tell you. Even those supposedly uncommunicative, monster students are communicating something to you.

A good book about teaching is Jeremy Harmer's, "How to Teach English." It's a good introductory book about teaching which has a lot of useful tips and information.

Finally, I would like to say that good and great teachers are made and forged rather than born. Think about that point. You're not going to hit a home run in every class you teach but if you have a respectable batting average, you are probably doing fine.

So, be kind to yourself. Work on the issues and things you can change. Get help with those you cannot change. And do your best and let the chips fall where they fall with those things you canot change, but if your co-teachers and the decision makers around you feel and think you are trying your best, don't be surprised if you don't get some help from out of the blue.