Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hypnotoad777]

So, this is my first year, and while I don't think I've been doing a perfect job, I think most of the kids enjoy my class. In preparation for my winter camp, I've been asking my head coteacher for advice... What direction he was looking for for the camp, what previous treachers had done. Finally he presented me with a book of lesson plans the previous year's teacher had completed. I've been flipping through it all week, getting ideas. So anyhow at the end of the week, students started signing up for classes (I assumed for the next term). Once they finished, I was informed that no one had signed up for my camp based on the description. First of all, I have no idea what that description was, since I hadn't completed my lesson plans yet. Second of all, I had no idea that students had the option to sign up for the camp. I'm a little paranoid that this somehow reflects poorly on me. I don't understand how not 1 student out of 600 signed up for my class. I feel like I am missing something here. I have asked numerous times for feedback on this and my head coteacher has said not to worry about it but kept it vague. Evidently I will be tutoring one or two teachers at my school just to have something to do. But I can't help but feel paranoid that this reflects poorly on me. Anyone with any insights into this?

[Poker]

Wow, 0 out of 800 does sound a bit bad. But I only have 16 signed up out of +- 950, nothing to shout about either.

[TheUrbanMyth]

I wouldn't say it's a bad sign...kids would rather have free time then sign up for a class. Given the chance to opt out, they are going to.

[lowpo]

[bbud656]

At my school there is a lottery to get into our winter camp. More than 200 kids didn't make the cut last year.

[ssmith]

Also, it depends on what classes are offered during your time slot. For instance at my school English grammar, Math, and Science, are offered at the sametime as my class. I teach at a high school so most students will sign up for the other classes as they help with their grades and prep for SAT.

[crisdean]

The camp attendence thing seems to vary considerably from school to school.

I came to my (middle) school as a replacement teacher middle of January and had to do a short winter camp, it had about 8 students for 4 hour daily class (out of what I believe to be about 950 total in the school.) I did a summer camp and got about 12 7th grade students. I don't think registration has opened for my winter camp class. It's going to be capped at 24, though I doubt I'll actually get that many. None of the 9th grade kids will sign-up, and since none of the 8th grade kids know me (I don't teach them only 7th and 9th) I doubt any of them will sign up either, so it basically just the 7th graders.

Also given that the camp is going to be a cooking class, I'm doubting (and hoping) that very few boys will be interested. Middle school boys + fire and knives can't possibly end well.

But I remember at my previous (elementary) school I had two 2 hour classes both summer and winter with about 30 students each for a school of about 550 students.

It's hard to specifically say how this reflects on you, there are many possible explanations, could be your coteacher just submitted a basic uninteresting course description for your class, or a million other things.

As one other poster commented the other teachers in the school sign their students up for their own classes, and if a student is already in another class then they can't take yours.

If I were you I'd try talking to some of your favorite students and try to convince them to sign-up for your camp, it'd be proactive and if you could get enough students that way it'd reflect positively on you with the higher ups. And depending on your school you might be asked to deskwarm through the winter vacation, which personally would drive me insane, I'd rather teach than sit there like a prisoner for 4-8 hours a day.

[sublunari]

Do you have any idea how much the school is charging the students to attend? My camp this year is free for some reason, which means that we were beyond capacity from the moment my co-teacher told the parents about it (and she won't be attending the camp, which is probably why she decided to set me up with so many students). Anyway, I don't think my popularity here has anything to do with the popularity of the camp; as there is basically nothing to do in Korea (particularly in the winter) I think most of the parents screamed with joy when they heard they could get rid of their kids for a few hours, for free, without having to plan any sort of activities themselves. So that might be one reason...

[Skippy]

Also your dealing with what I call the "Korean Condition" which one aspect is the inability to plan. Yes right now almost a month before your classes would start you have nobody signed up. Give it a day before or heck two days after the start date before surprise, surprise you find students who wanted to be part of a camp and can they join.

[jrwhite82]

They're not voting you to be prom queen! So don't take it as a popularity contest or a reflection on your work.

Some schools just don't get into the English culture. I am at a school of over 2000 elementary students. I was told to plan FREE English reading classes for 3/4 and 5/6 on Wed and Thursday. Not one student has shown up from 5/6. (I'm still within my 22 hours. Dang it!)

The reason: The ones that like to learn and read in English already go to hagwon. The ones that hate it would never come to begin with. The ones that fall in the middle are busy playing soccer outside or are in the computer club.

I was worried about that too, but I asked some students and I had my coteacher asked and we got the same answers. They were too busy, they already go to hagwon, they don't like English (not me...well maybe a few of them don't like me, but it's hard to win over all 2000 of them!) or they didn't even tell their parents about it, so their moms won't make them go.

Apparently our school/area has a reputation for being some what apathetic about English.

I'm trying to change it and I hope my winter camps are a big draw. If you build it, they will come. (I hope)

[Fishead soup]

When push comes to shove they will end up forcing students to attend.
If in the end no one comes consider yourself lucky. You will be replaced by a robot next year so enjoy the job while you have it.

[jrwhite82]

[lowpo]

[Epik_Teacher]

We had about 7 or 8 sign up for winter camp. I think a lot of it depends on the school. There's much less demand for winter camp in rural schools.

[nomad-ish]

also, if your school is in a well-off area, chances are the parents are intending to spend a ton of money on sending their kids to intensives at hagwons.

i do think it's strange that no one signed up, but there are many factors that could've played into this situation. i wouldn't worry about it - your school will find some way to keep you occupied!