Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Trevor]

I am teaching a course called Introduction to the History and Culture of the United States starting next week. I have never taught it before. I am using a text book called American ways:

http://www.longman.ch/1471/9780131500860/default.aspx

I am expecting the usual: two kids in the front row who lived in Canada for three years, are perfectly fluent and confident in their English skills, and then 23 students behind them who will have varying degrees of difficulty participating in class. The class is an elective, so I may get a slightly higher percentage of high-performing students, and it is going to be a large class - it's full, 25 students (what can I say, I'm a popular guy around campus). I've made a very general syllabus that indicates that I will include other material as appropriate. I can do anything I want: show movies, etc.

If anyone has ever taught a similar course, please let me know how it went and any suggestions for keeping the class lively.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Interesting challenge.

Did you include parts of your syllabi in Korean to assist the lower level students?

How much reading will you require and will you take time each lesson to review the reading and make sure everyone understood the texts?

[Trevor]

The text I am using has lots of level-appropriate readings on different topics, such as diversity, religion, business, education, etc. There are pre-reading questions as well as post-reading discussion topics. Some of the discussions are pair work. I will have some in class reading as well as some assigned reading.

The syllabi is all in English. The majority of my students have little difficulty reading English.

[Senior]

I did a class on the founding fathers for a class of 3rd grade MS girls. They didn't know who Benjamin Franklin was before the class, and they still don't.

[Trevor]

Well, now who's to blame for that?

[Senior]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Thanks for the response Trevor.

As for multi-media it can be a nice add-on to your lessons as long as it does not just replace teaching of said lessons....

Senior...

Squarely in your lap on the B. Franklin issue buddy.

What lever are these students of yours Senior?

[seonsengnimble]

I've taught a little bit of American history, but not as the main topic. I taught it in relation to historical fiction.

I taught younger kids, so I gave pretty broad generalizations and compared it to Korean history to give them a bit of perspective.

There was one kid, though who was amazing. He was in fourth grade and hadn't studied abroad, but he loved history and geography. He knew all of the tall tales, the stories about Washington and the cherry tree, Lincoln and the rain soaked book, and as much as me about Greek mythology.

Anyways, what age are you teaching?

[Trevor]

[.38 Special]

[andrewchon]

Yesterday, I talked to a teacher who taught American History to his MS students. His students sounded like they were high level, reading-wise at least.

[bluelake]

When I first returned to Korea two decades ago, I taught some American culture/history as part of an English class for university sophomores. I used the book, The USA: Customs and Institutions by Ethel and Martin Tiersky (there is a 4th edition of the book available now).

[Trevor]

My text is similar. What issues did you run into?

[bluelake]

[Trevor]

How did class discussions go? That's really what I am trying to get out of this thread. What is the best strategy to get them to say something so that I am not lecturing the whole time or making them do bookwork: filling in blanks and reading passages.