Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cerriowen]

I'm looking for a new job right now and I keep turning down jobs teaching elementary and middle school students. I just can't click with them very well. Or I didn't click with the kids I taught before. Can you guys tell me if this is normal??? Most of the american kids I've seen act like this... so I assumed it was just a univesal thing...

They never did their homework. I'd assign it, give them pleanty of time to do it... and they'd just stare at me. They would either sleep through class or get up and walk around, never staying in their chairs.

Every day I had to photocopy extras out of the books because about half of the class wouldn't even bring their books to school.

With one class of elementary schoool kids, every damn day we had to spend the first 10 minutes of class reviewing what the instructions meant. "Point", "Listen", "Repeat", "Write". Blank looks. I even had someone come in and explain each word in Korean. They all nodded eagerly like they understood, then went back to playing dumb when she left. In 3 months of having class every single afternoon, they still couldn't say the alphabet, and identify all of the characters.

I asked for help learning how to teach them and the response I got was just to suffer through it. I spent all day disciplining them... which I hated. I want learning to be an enjoyable experience, and instead one class of kids started calling me some type of name in Japanese that means something like "invaider who kills and tortures Koreans".

Another kid kept called me "American Pig" (I yelled at them and told him that it was very rude behavior, so he stopped.)

Another class every day would remind me "You are very worst teacher."

The older kids would glare at me outside of class. One of them threw a book at me. They'd call me a liar and talk about how they hated my country.

I just couldn't get through to them. ONE student I actually got through to, kind of... She was a sweet kid, and I liked her a lot. We did one on one lessons. But even with her, she never did her homework, what ever I had planned for lessons... something that should have taken 20 minutes would take 2 hours. Since she was the only kid that I didn't absolutely despise, I decided to just let it go. I didn't want ALL my students to hate me.

The kindergarten kids were sweet. The elementary kids were stupid, and lazy, and the middle school kids were mean little bastards.

Everything they did was pretty typical of what I've seen most teachers in the USA have to put up with, with elementary and middle school students. I didn't want to deal with it again. Even with small class sizes (2-10 students) I couldn't control them.

[Dan The Chainsawman]

I can click with Elementary kids, but when it comes to middle schoolers I just can't seem to breech that icy wall of silence.

Nothing is wrong with you in any shape or form. You just work better with some kids, and not others.

[Qinella]

Eeehhhhh..... I've had some ripe classes, man... my very first class teaching in Korea consisted of me trying to get the first-graders to stop throwing their shoes at me and using their Tae Kwon Do belts as whips on me. Ew.

It's possible this is your problem. 100% failure with students? Three months and they don't know the alphabet? Throwing books at you and telling you you're the worst teacher??

Some generic pieces of advice, which may or may not apply:

- Don't act frustrated when the little ones can't understand or remember something. A child won't learn anything if the environment is wrong.

- Praise them and constantly say how great and smart they are when they get something right.

- Smile a lot

- Make your lessons fun. Make games to teach things. A really good way to get the young ones involved is to make them compete. They loooove competition. If you have a list of new vocabulary words, for example, time them and see who can read them off the fastest. To keep the others interested when it's not their turn, tell them to count the person's mistakes.

- For the kids who don't bring their books, make them share with someone. I never photocopy. You don't bring your book, you share with the person next to you.

- About homework? Screw it. You have bigger battles right now. If your director/principal isn't supporting you on the homework issue, you will not win that battle.

The one thing I'm still struggling with is the Icy Wall of Silence from middle school kids. I've got one class like that, and it's like pulling teeth. I'll ask what's the answer to number 3, I look at their papers and every kid has the answer, but they all just stare at the desk instead of saying the answer. So I call on one student by name, and her eyes get all big and she starts looking around all nervous like "why is he talking to me????"

So, my latest tactic with them has been to take turns speaking. Each student will have to speak for a designated time about something. Next student will have to summarize what the first person said, then say their piece. This gets them warmed up a bit. But man... it's so painful. I'll take screaming kids any day.

Q.

[Sody]

Cerriowen, I want to be 100% clear when I say this - there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, it is "normal," that you may not necessarily click with elementary school students. I've known teachers who can shine when teaching adults but get no where with kids and the exact opposite may also apply.

It will be hard to get a job teaching English if you are limiting your search to just Kindy, high school, university or adults

I've had many of the problems that you faced. Still though, I think NA kids can be worse. Hang in there! GL.

Sody

[jajdude]

I think it was just bad luck. Some kids, and some schools, just suck. If kids learn nothing in 3 months, yikes. There are always a few who will seem to learn nothing. Who knows what is going on with youngsters? They are like dogs, operating on instinct and wanting attention and fun. Whatever around them looks the most interesting, that's where their attention goes. I just cannot understand childhood mentality. Teenagers I can sort of understand.

[sheba]

Yea it can depend on all sorts of things. Not neccessarily Ive worked for 2 schools, same boss same town, same books and curriculum. One school has horrible evil kids that treated me like crap, and the other has terrific kids that absolutely love me no matter what I do in class!

[jmbran11]

I'm actually surprised that everyone thinks this is normal. I prefer teaching adults to children, but if you have no success at teaching any students in 3 months, I think you should reconsider your chosen profession.

I honestly don't want to be harsh (it's obvious this pains you), but you sound too overly-sensitive to be teaching hagwon children. It's not easy work to motivate children who spend all day in school, especially if you are not skilled/experienced at it. The fact that you call children "lazy" and "stupid" and "little bastards" makes me think you are not cut out for this. Frankly, how can you be an effective teacher if this is how you view your students? If even your best student doesn't respond to you, something is wrong with your approach.

You should definitely try for an adult institution. You won't have to worry about discipline, your students will be more motivated, and you will likely have more freedom to develop your own teaching style. Aside from the schedule, it might be perfect for you.

[Kimchieluver]

It sounds like you are having a rough time. I would start searching for another job (teaching adults) or saving money for a plane ticket home. If you haven't reached them in 3 months you should have no problem getting a letter of release. Don't be hard on yourself, teaching kids isn't for everyone.

[skconqueror]

This is not normal behaviour. You are being too easy on them and they are running over top of you. If you cant even control them and gain their respect how are you suppose to teach them??

[Demophobe]

[dreaming_saturn]

Well, I think it may be normal for some people, I've seen it happen before to a pretty nice guy.

My first experience with children of this age was daunting - I signed up for a 7 week summer intensive course in China and had plently of experience with adults but none with children. We had classes of 15 - 20 with virtually no English ability and a chinese teacher that was supposed to help manage but really only available to one of 7 teachers at a time (poor girl). Most of us got the hang of it. I for one really enjoyed it but despite studying education and my experience it was really challenging at first.

Canadian 40-something guy just couldn't do it. He had taught conversation to adults in Korea before coming over. His kids would just run everywhere and complain. The DOS went in and helped him with his classes the second week before he pulled a runner - literally handed the DOS a note and RAN out of the school, his burkenstocks flopping down the stairs, to the shock of the rest of us who had to cover all of his classes and were already teaching 36 academic hours for the 7 week camp.

Some things that work with elementary studets: Positive re-inforcement.
Set up a grid with all of the student's names. Whenever someone does something good, give them a little cut-out smiley face. Count them at the end of class. Just make reviewing thing like point, listen look, etc into a fun TPR game wnd give lots of smiley faces to the kid that does it first.

I for one made little slips for the parents, translated with the homework on it, but all I did was give students who had done it three smiley faces, so they were ahead. The student with the most got a little candy at the end of class, the student with the most at the end of term god a big prize.
Kids, like adults, need some sort of motivation and I'm not above bribing kids to do their work. Take away smiley faces if they are really bad.

[tomato]

Teaching adults is an entirely different skill from teaching kids.
I know because I'm good at teaching kids but not at teaching adults,
and there are many teachers who are exactly the opposite.
Before you take your plane ride home, you should try teaching adults.

It should not be difficult to find a job in a preferred age group.
There are plenty of ads for all different age groups.

[poof]

I agree with Tomato. If you like kindy, then that's where you should apply. There are kindy jobs going out there. I started out with kindy and worked my way up to adults. I'm now used to the full spectrum of age ranges. But it took a LONG time!

[alabamaman]

The older kids would glare at me outside of class. One of them threw a book at me. They'd call me a liar and talk about how they hated my country.

That's above and beyond. I'm wondering if the boss will even support the OP in disciplining his students. Bossman knows what's going on at the school when foreigners work there.

[SirFink]