Korean Job Discussion Forums

[orangepostit]

The first year I spent in Korea, it was teaching at an all girl's vocational high school. While I enjoyed it, I couldn't rely on the girls being able to read. It was challenging finding things that were age appropriate while being a very low level. And I hated when my friends who lived/taught in sons and daughters of lawyers and doctors central, felt that they knew all the answers.

I moved to an elementary thinking "well, the level can't possibly be any lower AND I've done a year of vocational high, so hopefully I'll get at least an average school?"

The board of education shipped me off to the poorest area of the city. One of my vocational high school coteachers got peeved for me, about this move. She called up the board of education and argued with them. Unfortunately everything in Korea is so last minute, that it was already set in stone.

Some of my students are motivated, but in many cases I can't say simple instructions and be understood. And no, in some cases it's not about speaking slower or more simply because they simply don't know even the simplest of words . Plus you'll have to deal with additional challenges like many students who cannot read or write.

In your poorer (or in many cases, rural) neighbourhoods, most kids are only getting 2 hours of English class a week. If they have little motivation to study on their own time, and are living in a Korean environment, good luck with them retaining things. Also, in poorer schools the Korean teachers and principal often focus on the curriculum. The students need to get decent test scores after all!

Unfortunately the curriculum lacks a lot of critical vocabulary/phrases for teaching English in English. I don�t teach English in English (I mean most of what I say is translated), but this is still a huge communicative barrier when talking to the students, and often makes me feel useless in the classroom. When students are only getting 2 hours of English a week, in large classroom settings, and don�t study much on their own time, most students need to hear a word a lot (and attach meaning to it) in order to retain it.

Even in poorer schools, there are students who will be more motivated, but even then often the top 5% of students in the poorest schools will only be average (or in many cases below average) in the wealthiest schools.

At the moment, I'm teaching a camp at one of these wealthier schools, and am seeing it firsthand. Most of the grade 3 students at my camp�s school are significantly better speakers and readers of English than my 6th graders. It's just...insane how money speaks in the Korean education system.

I liked my school enough to stay another year. I love my students (well most of them anyways) they are innocent and spirited, and unlike a lot of wealthy kids very few of them are spoiled, self-entitled or cocky. I do have motivated students as well, and students who are full of love. I live for them and hope that I make their lives at least a little brighter or more interesting.

But I can't do this forever.

I frequently I feel like my creativity is hampered. I'm underutilized and often have my ideas shot down and have a coteacher who feels that things are "too difficult". I�m also really limited in what I can do, given that I always have the level of my students emphasized by my coteacher.

I get really frustrated. Of course it is a challenge finding the right balance between making English fun, having realistic expectations and challenging them. It's especially frustrating to try something that is even slightly challenging/to put a lot of work into something and then see the students get discouraged. Sometimes I feel like they are too babied, but other times I realize that they don't have the means or resources to progress in ways I know they are capable of. And I hate it.

Sometimes I feel like I�m burning out, but perhaps that is too strong of a word. I don�t think I can do this for another year though. As much as I like the students, I need a change. I don't find it easy, and I find that there is a lot more work that goes in to making materials for these students (a lot of internet materials just don't cut it).

So what do you think about teaching in poorer (city or rural) public schools vs. rich ones? (how do you find it? do you feel you are making big changes in your the lives of your students? is it draining? do you like it? do you think it'd be easier to teach in a different school?)

[Tbizz]

I know exactly what you mean. It drains the hell out of you. I teach at a rural school and my students are VERY low level. they don't understand basic instructions. How can you "teach" when the students don't understand anything you say? Sometimes I feel like, there's no point? Why am I even there? Why am i talking? Theyre not listening, theyre not understanding or TRYING to understand. I know that's pretty bad because my job is to teach them but where do i start?? do i start at the ABC's?? theyre in middle & high school. Should i just be a clown and entertain them with candy and jokes all day?

Until recently i didn't even realize i had it so bad. Then i hit seoul and a kinder boy came up to me all smiles and asked me a bunch of just..basic questions. "hi, whats your name. where are you going?" and then i realized, this little boy might know more english than my students.

ive only taught in rural so i cannot compare but its mentally and physically draining!

[earthquakez]

There are many public and private primary/secondary schools that have students who are terrible at English and can't say the most basic phrases after a few years of learning English. It's not simply a class as in social class issue though it may seem like it.

I've taught in schools that have the reputation of being 'good' as in academically above many others. Same basic problem in the city/suburbs/semi rural/rural areas. The exceptions seem to be the genuinely upper class schools in Seoul and Busan but even then, if you are not teaching students based on level you will always have the frustrations you outline.

It's the Korean habit of lumping in all level students that is the problem. Special needs students mixed in with students who don't give a damn about learning anything if a foreigner is teaching it whether they can speak or read English or not.

It's galling when you work at a school where your 'co teacher' is there for the first class and then nicks off for the rest of the year because of course 'Korean teachers are too busy'. I maintain the issue is largely one of time organisation and despite all the 'No time, we Koreans so busy', put them in a real company outside Korea like some of us have worked in and the Korean teachers will find they have no option but to be good time managers and will have to multi-task. And won't have the luxury of taking a nap at work.

But we are in Korea where many Korean English teachers refuse to take responsibility for assisting the foreign English teacher - and then laughably call the NET the 'Assistant English Teacher'. This means often there will have been no organisation of students into levels for your classes so you are expected to have them speaking English despite the mixed levels from incapable to shocking to mediocre to some idea to passable to good to very good.

If it's honestly a very difficult thing for you to teach mixed classes, talk to the Korean English teacher in charge about organising the students into levels for your classes. However, the chance of their listening to you and doing that are minimal.

[oldfatfarang]

OP. I hear your pain. I've taught both elite students (hagwon & PS), average students (PS), and poor 'vocational' students (who were city school rejects bused out to a rural school).

My experience is that with smart/elite students, the sky is the limit. You can be really creative in your lessons. They keep you on your toes. You thrive on their abilities, and this increases your passion for teaching.

In contrast, working with low level students, especially in poor areas, is completely the opposite. It's draining, de-motivating - and your passion for teaching just quietly disappears. I can even see this in the teachers' room - very few K teachers are happy teaching in rural locations.

If I were you, I'd be asking why you were initially put in a vocational school, and then in another 2nd tier poor neighborhood school. This seems to me that you do not fit the Korean system's idea of an 'English teacher' (young, usa, blond, blue eyed, handsome, accent). Perhaps I'm wrong, but I don't fit this description either, and I've been placed in: a) one of the poorest SMOE schools b) a rural school c) and now way out in the boonies. Seems no matter how well qualified I am, how good my education is, if I stay in Korea's PS system I will be condemned to 2nd rate schools. This, despite good-excellent evaluations.

Good luck.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Illysook]

The kids who want more, will eventually get it. The best that you can do is to prepare them for it. Typical reading readiness tasks that are disguised as games should do the trick, and when it comes to challenging yourself as a teacher, well...you are probably very challenged when it comes to classroom management. Do your best and then use your spare time to plan for the future.