Korean Job Discussion Forums

[animalbirdfish]

First, this is not a complaint, but rather a survey of your personal opinions.

Just wondering how many classes you can teach in a day before you feel like your voice just doesn't hold up over the long run. Been over here for about three years and I teach six straight classes per day (not bad, considering some friends teach up to nine or ten per day) and while I'm not a shouter/screamer/yeller, I am feeling the effects on my vocal chords. They give out on me much more quickly than before Korea or even since my first year here.

Obviously, I want the students to talk as much as possible, but there's no getting around talking, especially with the younger ones. I drink at least a cup of water between every class, which probably prevents matters getting worse but let's face it, teaching the chilluns is just not a quiet pursuit and our trusty larynxes take a heck of a beating.

Personally, for kids I think 4-5 classes per day is fine. Beyond that is like overdoing it in the gym and my body - i.e. the voice - let's me know it. For adults and the older youth, I find I can do more because I simply don't have to amplify as much.

So, what's your own personal limit? How do you save your voice over the long haul?

[Alex Buffa]

an average of 2 hours is good.

4 can be tiring..

6 is somewhat too difficult to teach for a long time properly.

but it really depends on your. what do you consider acceptable?

[Butterfly]

I'm buggered if I try to do more than seven teaching hours.

[Juggertha]

5-7 hours are fine, so long as there are breaks. Straight? i'd have to say 6 and i'm feelin' it.

[shawner88]

I used to 6 and it sucked. I do 4 now. Perfect.

[chi-chi]

Most professional teachers in the States teach about 4 classes a day.
8-10 classes a day is not a school, but a mass baby-sitting operation.
Teaching quality will usually suffer from 6 classes and up.

[waterbaby]

I'd rather think of it in terms of time... I usually teach 16 classes per days... but the longest is 30 mins, most are 15 mins and some are only 20 mins... all up, I usually teach just over 5 hours per day & that's not a problem for me.

[ratslash]

they say that a teacher has approximately over a thousand 'encounters/conversations' per working day. sometimes my voice breaks, too. i know what you mean. but with this amount of 'encounters' it is no wonder!

[FUBAR]

At my school one of the teachers husband became very sick, so I took on her classes for a short while.

I taught during every block at the school. That would be 8 classes (30-32 students each) with 10 minute breaks between each class and a 45 minute lunch break. It wasn't too fun. But compared to what she was going thru it was nothing.

At the hogwon before, 8 classes wasn't too bad. When it would get around 9-10 it became tougher, but the OT was nice.

[rapier]

If your voice starts giving out... roll up a textbook and use it as a megaphone trick...

[weatherman]

I can handle about 5 hours of taeching a day before I feel it.... Thankfully I don't teach 5 hours a day very often.

[Saxiif]

I've got seven a day now and I'm OK with it for now but want six next year. Had eight for a while and that was too much, felt too brain dead to do much after I got back from work which just made the next day that much worse.

[osangrl]

Over 5 a day.....and i go ballistic.

[buddy bradley]

I've been working a lot lately because money totally rules my ass. I do, however, teach small classes so I never have to raise my voice. Teaching kindergarten, however, will kill you.

[saint_moi]

teaching shy, low level conversation classes WILL kill you!