Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rapier]

Ok Guys and gals, tell me about your worst ever lesson in Korea! This is intended as a funny thread to laugh at how ridiculous some lessons can become. I know some of you like me probably have one or two terrible lessons each week... but one must stand out..!

WORST LESSON EVER: 12yr old class from hell... about a year back. 3 girl bullies started running in and out the classroom screaming and pushing the other kids...after having intimidated them into silence weeks before. I started shouting and wrestling with them to get them to stay in the classroom. They got so out of control I ended up slapping all 3 of them. That was over a year ago.

WORST LESSON TODAY: Silly, noisy middle school girls who basically prefer to ignore me and talk all lesson- because they can, and there is nothing to make them do any work. One was doing homework, so I grabbed her book and refused to give it back...degenerated into a book wrestling match, with the books all twisted out of shape by the end..Kinda funny, because she was the one getting all wound up, not me...heheh...

[just because]

WORST EVER:
About 2 years ago i was teaching a class of middle school 2nd. year(14 y.o.) and the whole class was girls and it was their first English lesson ever.

None of them could speak a word of English and there was one girl who basically had the voice of a loudspeaker and she never shut up. She kept talking the whole class and basically I lost it at her and told her to get out.

It doesn't sound so bad I know but that was probably my worst.

[rapier]

Mind you they rank alongside what I remember as the "Fatboy incident". He was the most irritating, rebellious, disruptive degenerate I ever faced. School would not support my disciplinary efforts, instead comforted and took his side. In the end i tore his book to bits and threw all his stuff all over class, and refused to ever teach him again. That job was then assigned to the Korean teachers.

Or possibly the "kwak" episode.. this smartass specialised in doing everything opposite to what I asked... one time he attempted to jump out the window.. kwak got a solid smack round the head. He went on a mysterious break from lessons for months after that...and only returned after telling wonjangnim. Who sympathised more with me, but asked not to do it again...

[Homer]

Why would you engage in a book wrestling match with one of your students mate?

Worst Lesson ever: march 1998, Kidergarten (beginners). Two of my students were in diapers and I had to hold one in my arms because if I didn't she would wail. I had to teach the lesson with a sleeping kid in my arms while the other diapered student peed himself and one of the other young students ate her crayons....lovely.

[rapier]

[Mr. Pink]

Hmm it's funny how I have forgotten so much of the crap I endured in my hawgwon days.

I think one of my worst lessons was my first month in Korea. They gave me a "special" class with 5 middle school girls. They weren't THAT good at English and well they wouldn't STFU.

So I was asking questions and one of the smarter girls said something off the wall. My reply was "stop acting stupid"...well the girl misunderstands and starts turning on the water works saying "I am not stupid, how can you call me stupid" etc.

Worst lesson a newbie can I have ... so bad I will probably never forget that.

My worst lesson in high school ... well happens every week when no matter WHAT I do to get a class to talk, they just won't say a word. I call it class chemistry...sometimes you got it, other times...well I have one class that is as dry as can be...

[captain kirk]

WORST LESSON IN RECENT MEMORY. Haha, I love this thread. What happens when there are FOUR kids with attitude in a class of ten kids? Well, let me tell you. So I was leaving to get the basketball hoop and ball for the last five minutes of class and 'answer and you get a shot' when three students slip out and want to play 'catch me if you can' around the school. Imagine my joy! All but one back in, who is 'hiding' (so CUTE!) in the next, empty class room playing peekaboo (so darling!) behind a pillar. Well, it's at such times that I just LOVE kids, really! The boss rescheduled this class of little darlings to the other foreign teacher. I wish him luck!

[Homer]

No I don't just let them do it.

I make sure they don't do it in the first place...hence no book wrestling.

[Derrek]

My first day (and first hour) at this high school job, I had no idea what to expect. All I was told was "don't expect much" from the girls in this Junior-level class.

I spent the entire first hour talking, because the girls had never had a male foreign teacher before, and many were massively shy. A great deal of them could barely say, "Hello, what's your name."

There was no book yet (were on order) and the simple lesson I had prepared (which many of my former kindy kids could have handled) was just too much for this shy group of 2nd year girls.

I kept thinking, "Oh my gosh... these poor kids.... they have to endure this boring lesson from a guy they can't even understand."

Things are going good now, though.

[rapier]

[rapier]

The replies are tame so far... where are those tales of rage, farce, and comedy? I can't believe I'm the only teacher in korea who has gotten a bit tasty from time to time....Tell the truth, I relish my worst classes in a way, enjoy the challenge, even if the odds are stacked hugely in their favor.
By a strange twist of fate, I have lost my worst class of recent times.. now they all come up to me saying they miss me... strange, like they enjoyed the whole battle/ roman circus act...

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Gord]

[rapier]

[Mr. Pink]