Korean Job Discussion Forums

[daddy daycare]

I am in the process of changing jobs...

I have taught Elementary school positions, but now I am looking for a change.

Middle school or high school??

Which level is better to teach?

Anyone with any information regarding what they are studying (conversation, grammar etc), how the discipline differs from the two levels, which is better to teach etc. Please let me know anything that might be usefull.

Kind Regards

[andrewchon]

stick to daycare daddy-o

[daddy daycare]

What other answer can we expect from a K like andrew chon

Anone else, please give a more meaningful answer

[mmstyle]

I haven't taught high school, so I can't give an even comparison. It really depends on what you are looking for. I have taught elementary and middle school. Discipline is much easier in elementary, because it is much easier to put the fear of YOU into them. Well, not fear, really, but you know what I mean. Once you get to middle school, it is much more difficult to get the poorly behaved students to take you seriously. And I say this even though I am treated with respect at my school. But when you get 30 kids together, they act differently than 1 on 1.

Bear in mind that once you hit middle school level, the disparity between skill levels becomes much more apparent, and (I assume you mean PS) there is next to nothing you can do about it, unless you have a very very cooperative CT. Even my best CT gives me no input for my lessons, though he keeps the kids in line.

What I have heard, and maybe a high school teacher can confirm, is that high school students here are at the point where they know that they have to take their education very seriously. Middle school students don't.

Also take into account that many (most?) elementary schools have a curriculum you must follow and work with your CT on. Once you hit middle school, you are pretty much on your own. Many teachers love this, others find it difficult. I would be interested to know what it is like in HS for NETs here.

[winterfall]

[son of coco]

[Chalmers]

i teach at high school and love it...

[greasypeanut]

i teach at a non-vocational hs and the kids still dont pay attention.

and they have a lot of tests, which can be a good or bad thing. good in that u have a lot of extra free time, but bad that....well u gotta sit at a desk for 8 hours and u have to adjust ur lesson plans accordingly

[Hank the Iconoclast]

I have taught both middle school and high school students. They both have their pros and cons but I think that I prefer middle school over high school. Some complain that middle school students have given up on English already, well you really see that in high school with some students. At times, they have to be constantly moderated to ensure they are not distracting the students who actually want to learn something.

High school students are constantly taking exams or preparing for exams. They sit at school until 9:00 at night studying or passively listening to their teachers. They are not used to interacting in English and a lot of them are only interested in how to pass the exam. That's understandable though seeing how much hinges upon their university entrance exam.

The worst thing about high school is the exam culture. It's depressing that students are almost like drones and they get absolutely no joy out of their studies. That being said, I have met many great high school students and with a little push for many of them they can be fantastic learners in the classroom.

Now middle school students are just starting to be exposed to the exam culture but many of them are still enthusiastic about English. They are at a stage where they can be molded more easily.

The work environment is also better at middle schools. The teachers clock out at 5 at middle schools while many teachers stay late at high schools. That means more after-school activities and socializing with your co-teachers. That of course can be good or bad. High school teachers have basically no time to do any socializing and you will often be left to your own devices in the classroom. In my experience, I have had more assistance from my co-teachers in middle school rather than high school.

Naturally, all this varies from school to school.

[maingman]

not K orea