Korean Job Discussion Forums

[YTMND]

This is my first year teaching at a college. So, I am looking for any advice from the more experienced teachers out there. I am happy to see that the high school antics aren't happening (at least not yet, I know it's just the first week).

I have had a couple classes where they were quiet and worked like team players. I have also had a couple classes where students were talking in the beginning and I went ahead and just taught a few in the front who were willing to participate. Eventually, the rest got quiet and I felt relieved to see more interaction on their part.

Despite the good feeling, I also have some students that gave me the stare that they seemed completely dissatisfied with the class. One student who has a very good command of the language said I seemed too serious, but with other students I got a completely different feeling. They were laughing and we all were joking at times.

Some of these classes are newspaper classes. I don't know why they have a native English speaker teaching a newspaper class, because the textbook is almost all in Chinese. It has chapters and sections on abbreviations for words like "impro"/"improv" instead of "improvisation". There are articles in Chinese with translations in English. I don't know how to make these "fun" besides just taking it like medicine. Personally, I enjoy translating news articles, and to me it is fun, but to some of these students they could care less it seems.

They are also seniors (4th year students), so a lot of them are fairly good at listening. They understand when I give them answers to my questions. However, they cannot produce nearly as well.

Should I forget the book? Should I assign homework? Do colleges expect that sort of thing? I got my one pass teaching the way I wanted this week. We meet twice a week, so tomorrow and Friday I want to present a different style of class and let them choose what they want.

It's different than a conversation class because there is a ton of reading and vocabulary. If I have them read in class, it will go very slow and waste time. I am trying to find a way to make use of the book because I am assuming the school wants that. Their position is to "just give students tips on how to read a newspaper". The students on the other hand would prefer to listen and maybe they are in the passive mode expecting more of a presentation.

How much of your college classes are presentations with you lecturing? How much of it is interaction? I am trying to get them to talk and I have them break up into groups before speaking. I am quite comfortable doing this, and it seems to have positive effects. I am just not sure how it is being received by the students. Near the end of the classes, I have noticed that the students start talking more with background noise. Not English, but Chinese it seems like. When I taught at a high school, the same kind of thing happened, and I just tried to get one lesson completed before that time. Do you experience the same thing in college?

How do you discipline college students? Do you simply ignore disruptions whereas in high school you might kick them out of class?

[Ballerina2012]

Don't have any advice except to say congrats!! My dream job, teaching in a college..

[sigmundsmith]

I assume you are not the only teacher at your college and you have other foreign teachers in your office. I say this because your colleagues will be able to give you better advice as to the type of students you have at your college. I have worked at 3 different universities and it can be surprising how the dynamics of not only classes but universities differ from one to another as well.

So it is hard to give suggestions as what to do you can do in the class... sorry!

[Dodge7]

[edwardcatflap]

[PRagic]

It's your first semester so just relax and try to stick to advised targets of the class as best you can. As another poster suggested, feel out some of the other foreign teachers there.

Chalk up anything you learn to inexperience; learn from it and drive on. Sounds like you're doing a great job of it so far, and the fact that you're concerned means that you're cognizant of your responsibilities. Good on you.

[transmogrifier]

[cheezsteakwit]

There's a group on facebook called "foreign professors and university English teachers in korea". A guy named Tony Marshall is the admin.

Their purpose is to discuss teaching strategies, etc... at the Uni level. You'd probably find some good answers there.

Also, maybe ask these questions in the International Jobs Forum, or China Jobs forum on Daves, as well?

Good luck

[chrisblank]

Just some general questions you should be asking yourself:

Who are these students? Are you teaching in a major program (ie: English majors only) or is it a general education class?

What level are they? Freshmen? Seniors? Is the class mixed?

What is the goal of the course?

Is the course for credit? (if it is, that is one way to control the students, tie class participation and attitude to final scores)
Or is it just a non-credit hogwon style class? (I'm guessing from ur description it isn't)

So...
How are the students' final grades calculated?
Is there a final exam? Who makes it? What is on it?
What homework assignments do you have? Quizzes?

In a class aimed at reading I prepare comprehension questions and questions related to the reading that would be about the students (if you are reading an article about marriage in China, then questions about relationships, marriage age, etc)
I also look through the reading and find vocabulary and idiomatic expressions that I know the students will be unfamiliar with. I make a list and check understanding. Then later I base quizzes on the vocab.
I like to work on reading skills, so I do some lecture time on how to read, strategies, etc. In a 16 week course based on reading a good third is lecture based for me.

[YTMND]

[wishfullthinkng]

[kimchikowboy]

Did I misread something? Why are all of the books in Chinese? Why are all of the students speaking Chinese? Is the OP in Korea?

[PRagic]

OP, do NOT provide the class with instructional style alternatives. This is Korea, and a teacher-centered hierarchy in the classroom is the norm.

Look up some work by Hofstede on cultural differences if you need back up on this. Other posters will agree. I'm speaking from experience and a lot of it. This will confuse your class and diminish their opinion of you.

[transmogrifier]

[YTMND]