Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Qinella]

I discussed it with the other teachers and we've decided that we should start having our older students keep journals in order to practice their grammar, and to help them put together the otherwise-random vocabulary they learn. None of us have any experience with this, so I need some help. So far, we have these parameters:

1. Only middle school and above will be required to do it. (The younger kids will have different homework.)

2. The assignment will be three one-page entries per week.

3. The topics should be about their day, but it's their option to discuss anything at all that they'd like.



If anyone has some advice or criticism, I'd surely appreciate it.

[Ya-ta Boy]

3 pages a week sounds like a lot to me.

Anyway, how about starting with specific topics? Write about what you did on Tuesday. Write about your plans for Saturday afternoon. (It will force them to use different verb tenses.) Tell me about an episode of your favorite TV show.

Give bonus points for using recent vocabulary words.

Give bonus points for neatness.

[ajuma]

I agree with Ya-ta Boy. Have some focus to their essays. "My best friend", "My family", "If I had a million won to spend on anything I want".

Have some past, present and future things if you want to practice tense. Maybe 1 or 2 days a week could be "free" days when they can talk about anything they want, but the majority of the assignments should be guided.

[Qinella]

Okay those sound like good ideas. Two questions:

1. If 3 pages is too many, how much would be a good amount? Two?

2. What do you mean by giving more points? My hagwon doesn't give grades or anything like that. Would just the symbolic gesture of giving points be enough to motivate them toward certain directions?

Thanks!

[Qinella]

I'm shamelessly bumping this thread in hopes of getting some advice on my two additional questions above.


Thanks!

[Derrek]

You'll have a tough go at it if they are not graded in some way. They will just blow it off. You should have some sort of incentive, like chocolate, I guess. Or you can always threaten them that if they miss a certain amount, you will call their parents... then follow through with it.

[Kyrei]

[peppermint]

if you're not giving grades, maybe give stickers instead. Have some deal where they can trade the stickers for a small prize later in the year maybe.

[christinajou]

at my old work place, we required all the students to make 3 entries per week in a notebook. they have two notebooks, so they can alternate as one of the notebooks were gathered and checked. the teachers made comments and corrected their mistakes which the students then had to fix and turn it in the following week along with their new entries. i thought this system was pretty helpful to the students who really wished to imporve, while some some it was just a waste of time. there will be students who really write wonderful and meaningful entries while most of them will be tedious very repetitive.

just remember..if you have them do it, then there will need to be someone who will check and correct....and that will probably be you.

[Qinella]

Okay great, thanks for all the advice everyone. I used to be the main copy editor at a school newspaper, so editing is the diaries won't be a problem.

I'm going to give the topic of impetus and motivation some thought tonight, and maybe discuss it with the other teachers.

Thanks!