Korean Job Discussion Forums

[JacktheCat]

What's the strangest mixed level class you all have had here in Korea?

One of the little quirks about teaching in a Korean Hakwon are the c ock-eyed mixed level class that the directors dream up. I've seen some odd mixed level classes in my day, but this particular one I got handed this week takes the cake.

Into my class of talkative and hard-working high school girls, my boss has seen fit to throw a high school English teacher.

Oh well, at least it is only for the summer or until my school goes bankrupt; which at the moment looks like it will be the latter.

[phaedrus]

Anything for a Buck

The story of hagwons.

I remember teaching Korean age seven. My boss threw a whiny baby (4) in for a week because the mother needed a babysitter. The circus owner runs the circus however they see fit.

[Zyzyfer]

I had a class for a time that consisted of two kids who had lived most of their lives in the U.S. teamed up with regular hakwon students. That class was worthless.

[ryleeys]

This would have to be for two weeks in between the school hiring a new Korean teacher to replace the one they fired.


I had to teach a class of 12 students that was at four different levels. And each student uses three books in a week. So for that one class, I taught 12 books in one week.

[ajuma]

I didn't have to teach it, thank goodness, but the strangest class was one with 2 elementary school girls, several university students and 2 ajumas!! Whew! What the heck would appeal to them all????

[hippie]

Not in Korea, but...

In Laredo, TX, I had ESL science, social studies, and even math classes containing 6th-8th graders. Some of the 6th graders were 11 years old, while several of the 8th graders were 16. Hormones, hormones, hormones. One 16-year-old boy would get 11-year-old girls to do his homework for him in exchange for the right to call him her boyfriend. If I had been a parent of one of those little girls, I would have been very concerned.

The position is still probably open if anyone wants to earn 36,000 a year in a South Texas border town.

[Miryum]

I often have a mix of ajumnas, business people uni students & maybe high school students - sometimes I like this cause people have quite different opinions & it makes discussing topics more interesting.

But I've got a 11 year old elementary school student in one of my adult conversation classes, & it's very frustrating. Students really like discussing topics like relationships etc. but they are always aware of her presence. Very often students start to say something, but then with a side glance at the young girl they change their minds. I feel sorry for her because she looks embarassed or sulky most of the time. I try to include her in discussions, but I think my primary aim should be to have interesting material for the level that I have been hired to teach. I dunno I think it's pretty irresponsible of the institute to allow her attend - but they'll do anything for money!