Korean Job Discussion Forums

bde2 · Joined: 19 Feb 2010

Hey all,

Anyone else in a GEPIK (or other public school) position and have to teach the kids by yourself?

Classes at my school are split by ability level (A and B) and the co-teacher and I take different halves (in different rooms) for any given class period. In other words, I teach the B class while she teaches A, and vice versa.

Without a co-teacher, kids talk and play, are outright disrespectful/hostile, and generally run amok. This is NOT my first teaching job, so I do know that some of this behavior is to be expected... and I know how to be strict/scary....but it's really out of hand here. A number of them refuse to do anything I say, and only laugh if I get mad or try to explain it in Korean.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated... I'm at my wit's end, and on the verge of resigning... just 3 weeks into the contract.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

You are not a licenced Korean teacher. By law, you are not able to teach solo in a Korean public school. You should have a Korean teacher with you at all times in your classes.

The co-teaching public school system is designed to ensure that you don't have these classroom management problems - your job is to motivate the kids and deliver and interesting and engaging lesson. Your co-teacher is an integral part of your team teaching - and classroom management is their job.

You need to explain this to your school - be firm. They must provide a Korean co-teacher in your classes.

Sure, there will be exceptions:. emergencies, sickness, important meetings - where you co-teacher can't come to class. But these are exceptions - not everyday.

Be firm. Good luck.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

With changes in the policy (and dividing of the class you may not get an official co-teacher IN CLASS.

If it is out of hand, drag one of them off to the VPs office - by the scruff if need be. Make him stand there in the office - just leave him/her there and go back to class.

Your problems will QUICKLY disappear and a discipline teacher may very well appear at the back of your class in the near future.

.

Countrygirl · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Location: in the classroom

My co-teacher once told the homeroom teacher that the students had been bad. I never saw more scared students. You could do that as a last resort.

My favorite, though, is kicking kids out of the classroom. Normally it's only for a little bit of time but longer if needed. If they don't want to study English, they don't have to be there. I have enough to deal with. The kids now know the routine and I haven't had to say 'Na ga!' in a long time.

There's lots of other things I do which work and most ideas I got from Dave's.

Good luck!

Senior · Joined: 31 Jan 2010

I usually get the second or third most annoying student to go to the discipline teacher or vice principal or their home room teacher and explain why he is there. That is usually enough for that class, if not all the other classes (word gets around), to get them in line.

Manuel_the_Bandito · Joined: 12 Sep 2009

bde2 · Joined: 19 Feb 2010

I'm in my fourth year of teaching, and I've had some rough groups before... being able to "handle" a class is not the problem.

It's a middle school, in a rural area, and it's one of those schools for "less exceptional" students. So basically, in any given class, approximately 1/3 of the students just DO NOT CARE. Not being a Korean teacher, or even able to speak Korean very well, I have no leverage over them... Sure, I could go blue in the face shouting at them, but that doesn't work for very long. Hitting them is out of the question (though a few of them are really asking for it). Basically, the only option available to me is to say "I'm telling the Korean teacher/homeroom teacher" but that hasn't worked very well so far, and besides which, any punishment loses a significant part of its efficacy if there is no immediacy to it.

Kicking the kids out of class, hauling them to the VP... I think I might try those... after I have a serious talk with my co-teacher about the legality of our little set-up. Thanks for the advice so far... and you're welcome to come down, take the helm, and show me how to "control" these kids Manuel, any old time...

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

I feel for you op. I think I've got the situation figured. The school has 'streamed' the students: the Korean teacher gets the good ones - and the GET gets the rest. Let us know if I'm wrong on this, or do you alternate the good and bad classes?

In any event, by law, you must have a Korean teacher (with a teachers' licence) in your class. It's called team teaching, and that's what the govt. wants.

Another point. I taught private school last year, and I asked a co-teacher why the school's high school students were 'streamed' for ability (academic and vocational) but the middle school students weren't streamed. He said that it is illegal to stream middle school students in Korea. Who knows? That could be worth looking into.

Manuel_the_Bandito · Joined: 12 Sep 2009

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

8 years down · Joined: 16 Dec 2009

Bloopity Bloop · Joined: 26 Apr 2009 Location: Seoul yo

I'm teaching SMOE and have taught about 8 hours a week (afternoon classes) by myself without a co-teacher. According to one of the posters above, should I be co-teaching? I'd prefer to be co-teaching than plan all these lessons by myself because it's the same 2 groups of students every week. That means I have to plan 8 extra lesson plans.

It always surprises me how fragmented SMOE is. There is never any sort of uniformity.

bde2 · Joined: 19 Feb 2010

Well, had that aforementioned serious talk with the co-teacher, who was really great, and very sympathetic. Taking the kids to the VP, apparently, is not an option... she told me they don't fear the principal/vice principal at all. Did I mention that this is a "special" school? It's not quite special in the "short bus" sense, but it's maybe only a half a rung above that. The kids are "minimally exceptional". Just my luck.

The split classes, apparently, are totally legit... This is the first semester they're trying it, and apparently it's not going to get changed back, at least not this semester.

So, the good news is, they were hiring a part-timer (Korean male) anyway, so I get to offload the worst of the bunch--the ones who are never going to come around, no matter what kind of sticks or carrots I might use--into his class. God, I feel sorry for this poor ajosshi... But maybe he'll have an easier time of it. I hope he brings a big stick.

Oh, and in reference to a previous post, the co-teacher and I do share the levels--half of my classes are A, half are B. "A" classes are generally alright, but, as I said, this is a "special" school.

So that's where it stands now. I'm going to give it the college try... And if it doesn't work out, I'm splitsville. Sacrifice my health and sanity to teach the ABC's to the future farmers of Korea? Life's too short, by a country mile.

My co-teacher, as she was commiserating with me, told me that she wanted to quit every day her first year... But of course she couldn't. They're on 3-year minimum contracts. I asked her if she would have, given the chance... and she didn't even blink. "Yes".

salgichawa · Joined: 18 Mar 2010