Korean Job Discussion Forums

[inthewild]

I am new to teaching, I am finding that planning for classes is taking longer than some might expect. The classes are going fine, but some are surprised at how long it takes me to prepare.

Please tell me or link me about how to fill up class time without filling up prep time.

And the expected and unhelpful flames will be chuckled at and ignored.

Thanks for any help.

[OiGirl]

Spend your time developing a class framework. Something like first a song, then a page from the book, then review the homework, then some spelling practice, then a game, whatever.

After you have your frame work, you can just plug things into it, from your tape of kiddie songs, big book of wordfinds, student workbook, whatever.

[turtlepi1]

Yep great advice...it makes planning classes a lot easier.

Another tip is that just because classes are different levels doesn't mean that you can't use the same lesson. Don't re-invent the wheel. Just tweak it for higher/lower levels.

Also keep your old plans...sometimes when I get busy I don't keep old lessons, then I end up having to come up with a lesson for a new class because I didn't keep an old one.

Also if it isn't in your nature to be organized try to be at least with your lesson stash...it makes life a lot easier.

And if a lesson doesn't work out that well decide whether the lesson just sucks or whether it could be tweaked and reused in a different situation.

[ThePoet]

I template everything. The first thing I did once i learned my schedule at the hagwan I was working at, and after learning approximately how long it was going to take me to do each component, I made a master copy of a weekly schedule for each class that I can just plug the page numbers, workbook page numbers and story book page numbers into at the beginning of each week. Then I took each of the six elementary level books i use, and I worked out a master sheet of which workbook page corresponds to which student book page (this took about 30 minutes for each level on my own time on one Sunday when I first started working there). So now, I go in on Monday afternoon, about an hour before classes, I look at last weeks numbers, check the new weeks master sheet for each level, plug the page numbers into the schedule and viola! it takes me about 25 minutes. The middle school classes i teach take a little longer because I like using current events for conversation, so i do a bit of research on Monday first. Over all...Monday, about 1 hour of prep -- tuesday to friday 0.00 hours, unless there happens to be a teachable moment.

Poet

[inthewild]

Thanks to you OiGirl, turtlepi1, and ThePoet for these excellent replies. And so fast, too!

[manlyboy]

An attitude of thinking you're so damn good that you only ever need do minimal prep is delusional... and unfortunately quite prevalent. Nobody, no matter how good they are, can get away with winging it all the time. You can never do "too much" prep. There's always extra things you can implement into your lesson plan to make it better.
For an entirely brand new lesson, I think at least a 2:1 teaching time/planning time ratio is acceptable. Though ideally, I would prefer at least 1:1.
I'd argue that 99.9% of all failed lessons in the history of academic education are directly attributable to insufficient prep.

[osangrl]

Ya i find, keeping a routine works best.

Also, at the end of each class, i assign a question to answer in the last 5/10 minutes of class.... like tell me about your family... (not a question.. but whatever) or if you could eat lunch with anyone who would it be or why? or what do you do in your free time? Something like that closes the last 10 minutes...
And then at the beginning of the next class we go around the class and everyone reads their answers... takes 10 minutes.

Good idea, i think, and the kids seem to like it too.

[saharzie]

A 1:1 teaching/prep ratio is a bit much to expect from someone working in a hagwon. Even 1:2 is too much. Unless you are thinking about making teaching a career, or are working in a university or high paying job, why bother?

[manlyboy]

[inthewild]

So I guess the thing is I can not entertain like a circus monkey.

I have one brand new to English class, theyre about 8 and bounce all over the place. The 9 year olds are worse, theyre supposedly more advanced but can't even read Jack be nimble. And they are out of control pretty much, they put their backpacks on with like 15 minutes left in class. I only have one class where the kids can answer normal questions.

It's like I am trying to teach a baby to speak, except there is no context... all they can do is say apple but can't spell apple. I havent found any links around here for what to do in this situation. And it takes one of my more advanced classes like 5 minutes working in a group of 3 to make a sentence that has a word in it that starts with F.

My Korean coteachers think the kids are alot more advanced than they really are. When they think the student should be able to tell me what time it is or what they like to do, they can't even spell dog or cat.

What can I do with a bunch of kids that can barely do phonics? To hold their attention? Haha. I don't mind any of these problems cuz I am trying and their ADD is outta control, but wow. Maybe I just suck at teaching. With experience...

[ajuma]

The longer you teach, the shorter your prep time, simply because for many of the lessons, you've "been there, done that".

It DOES sound like you need to work some "classroom discipline" into your prep time! If students are putting their backpacks on 15 minutes before the end of the class, all backpacks should be put in the front (or back, or side) of the classroom until YOU say that they can put them on.

I assume (hope, pray!) that you have some kind of book. Be sure to do some review every day. Although even a week of review is a good thing! Keep your lessons simple and structured. If they've never had phonics, add 5-10 minutes a day of phonics. Give a spelling test every week...Friday can be "spelling test and game day".

[Daechidong Waygookin]

Save all your plans and handouts. You can reuse them, reuse parts of them, etc. The more you have saved, the less time you will actually need later on, as Ajuma said.

[Bunnymonster]

Templating is definitely the key for me. I know for each class I have x book pages to do. I'll then open up with a quick review of what we did last time (more as a warm-up/ "yes it really is english time" thing) which, will hopefully, link into todays lesson ( though some of my syllabi ) which will fill the first 10-15 minutes, usually the book pages will take about 15 mins leaving 10-15 minutes at the end for some more practice/review or a game if I'm feeling generous. The benefit of this method for me at least is that the studens know what is coming and so are prepared for it. It also means when I want to do something different it really is a special occasion \o/. Having this structure really helps me sort out my lesson plans as I know I need to be able to teach/review for 10 minutes, so I'll think of things to fill that much time, same with the review/game. I know what I'm aiming for not just clutching at 'good ideas' and trying to fit them into a 40 minute block. Meh I CAN prp my 6 clases in about 15 minutes but I generally turn up about 30-40 minutes before to keep the boss sweet and take my time.....

[inthewild]

Where do you get your ideas and plans from?

I'm teaching basically 4 different levels.

I can start with a review, then some book work... then a game. But there needs to be something else to keep it interesting.

Maybe just one of the thousands of teachers out there has decided to spend his/her free time on posting their templates and lesson plans and videos of them teaching.

Yes, part of me is being lazy. But another part of me had it as an understanding that I wouldn't be working this many hours. And I also want to give the kids a decent education. But all they want to do is play games...

[FUBAR]

Have them put their backpacks in the corner of the class. Or make a rule. If they put the backpacks on before class ends, then you will keep them late after class.