Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jajdude]

It bugs me when they don't try. Yes the class is in English. And some of them have at least a year's experience. And yet the teacher can write total gibberish on the board and they will all copy it down. They don't care. They're 10 or 11 years old. But I have had smart 10 year olds before. Now I got a bunch of burned out kids who won't think. Ah, they can't even read well enough. I get frustrated because we can't do anything even slightly intellectual. They're just too dumb, most of them. OK it is English and they know very little. But I bang my head against the wall. Five classes is not enough to learn the months of the year? A month is too short a time to expect them to spell the days of the week? I like to review a lot and they whine, "Teacher we already did this." (which they can't say in English, but I get the Korean a bit).. but then they still don't learn it. It does not sink in. It's a lot of babysitting. I don't want to babysit 11 year olds. Just got a bunch of kids who cannot think. It kills me sometimes. A few clever ones drowned out by the majority. OK. Just a rant or whatever.

[mike in brasil]

Either you get used to it or you get a job teaching adults.

Try drinking some stiff alcohol before you go to work. That�ll make it easier to take.

[humanuspneumos]

the stats are on heavy drinking are these days in Korea- I haven't seen anything new or fresh. Perhaps heavy drinking ending up in the home is still quite high. Anyway, I often wonder how many Westerners would be able to concentrate for long if Dad was partying it up- came home and almost caused a brawl-and then gave the doting speech the next day on studying harder. Here we go loop-de-loo. Here we go loop-de-la..... Talking about breaking a harbor in half. Some of these kids might not have anyplace of refuge (other than the "Dok-so-shill"- where they could more easily be consumed with trouble at home) Anyway, it goes for any group of people famous for drinking lots. I don't know- am I wrong on this one? I'm sure there's always an acception to the rule.

Me thinx the learning curve is similar in Taiwan and Thailand. Also, in Japan the percentages of people actually getting an impressive grasp on it all isn't that great.

I try to comfort myself by just realizing that after my puny time is done they have another 65 years to get it right. If someone is putting pressure on you for test results- then it can be a hair-pulling experience.

[rapier]

what is needed is support!! If you have a positive, committed Korean assistant in class you can achieve wonders. One who drums up enthusiasm with the kids, is always there to translate, make sure everyones doing what they should...
awithout this, a lot of lessons will just go awry, the kids will start mucking around, its just chaos, and nothing is achieved. But a lot of hogwons don't care...
You can have all the commitment in the world to doing your job, but a lot of bosses don't realise that they could boost their performance by offering some Korean support to their native teacher.

[jajdude]

Rapier,

Sounds good but I have never heard of assistants in the classroom in Korea. Your case must be rare. In Taiwan it is normal, especially for the kindies. I was there for a year and it did help. The kids respect their own more than foreigners, maybe in any country. Obviously speaking the same language and having clout with their parents helps. Actually I am OK with kids except the younger ones, like under 8 years old. I figure Korean hagwons are seeking maximum profit, not maximum education. So they're not so concerned about quality. And having a Korean in the classroom with the native speaker must cost them a bit more. However, in the long run, it may prove to be the best option for everyone. Oh well not the most genuine of business fields we're in, eh, the hagwon industry?

[SweetBear]

Go easy on them and go easy on yourself. English is a tough language to learn. These kids spend way ,way too much time studying, not just English, piano, chinese, math etc.
My advice for what it's worth: If you hate it, they'll hate it. Try to make it fun and interesting and focus on the fact that you only spend a little time with them ( assuming you do) , that always keeps me fresh and less jaded.
Relaaaxxx

[jajdude]

Good advice Sweetbear. Usually I'm cool with all you said. Only sometimes I get peeved. Normal at this racket methinks.

[captain kirk]

i usually pull at the end of my chain fiercely keeping the kids in line, but the one's that can't/won't think get to me. we've got a couple of classes of such specimens. yes, unbelievably, been at the hagwon for a year. are they burnt out? dunno. the boss says that their english ability is ordinary, or they are talented BUT impulsive. one class, yesterday, one of the students began serial belching. scooping up air like a waterbomber skimming a lake and expelling it in variously tuned belches. seeing as this is one of the motley classes, inlined to be either frantic or zombies in turn, i was fascinated. and made the mistake of wondering how long he could maintain this inhalation and explosive exhalation via his digestive system without hurting himself. being young, a long time. these kids are just waiting to take on the clown/devil-may-care abandon, and then try to catch them and herd them back. he goes right, you go left. he goes left, you go right.
the boss puts them in with his wife or himself for extra tutoring, at the school. this works. because just this week a kid who for three months sluffed in twenty minutes late and did diddly, opened right up. he was racking up points like a shark. so he knew it all along. he just didn't feel like 'being there'. looks like he won't be defiantly riding his motorcycle into middle school classes after all (he's 11 now).

[jajdude]

Captain Kirk,

Aussie or Kiwi?

[humanuspneumos]

That's a funny, funny story about belching. I've had students do pretty-much the same and it is quite entertaining for everybody. I don't know that I would want to teach again if I didn't have some naughty students who really were funny. The teens- when they try to be funny- don't quite cut it as well as the 7-11 group.

[William Beckerson]

Man, if they dont want to learn, you cant force them. Just try to soldier on with the kids who are interested and lie on the evaluations for the uninterested ones. That's all mommy cares about anyway.

[tomato]

[rapier]

I've found even the dumbest kids take sudden enthusiasm if you start trying to speak korean with them. it becomes like a language exchange and lightens the atmosphere a lot. For example last friday I learned a lot of irrelevant korean words, and i think the process of the kids trying to teach them to me actually picked up a dead lesson. I don't think they'll forget the English equivalents either now..