Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rickhorton44]

I took a job with a public high school, and I though all would be well. Now i'm 7 months in and I can't stand to go to the place. It's not my conditions (pay,benefits, etc.), it's not my co-teacers either....It's the darn students. I teach classes of 38. Most of them have around 10 students who either do nothing, sleep at every chance, or just basically disrupt the other students. I've tried everything I can think of, but nothing seems to work.

I'm just miserable because teaching is supposed to be a rewarding job (and up to know it has been (5 years now)), but teaching these kids is like hitting my head against the wall. I don't feel like they are learning anything, and that they don't want to learn anything. I mentioned somthing to some of my cool co-teachers if all high schools are this way, and they replied no, only this one.

This school is supposed to be college prep., but the students for the main part don't act like it. I'm almost to the point of getting a big stick (like all the koreans have) and beating the crap out of em like the koreans do. I'm just not big on corporal punishment (bad childhood memories).

Does anyone have any suggestions. I have tried seating arrangements, peer pressure, standing in the back, games, reward system (candy). I haven't tried peer groups yet, but i don't think that will help either, plus I don't see most of them enough.

I've even tried not giving a crap like the students do, but I have a passion for teaching and their willingness not to learn is driving me crazy. I now know why the school is only half way through it's second year of native speakers and i'm the 3rd teacher. If it doesn't get better soon they will be on their fourth soon.

Any advice???

[the_beaver]

Video tape the class and threaten to show parents.

[rickhorton44]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

What do you do for your lesson plans? Do the students have a chance to make up anything themselves? Do you utilise audio-video aids? Do the respond to you better when the co-teachers aren't there and might it be an idea to try teaching solo? Are you very involved in school life outside teaching your lessons? Do you have a good relationship and reputation with the homeroom teachers? Remember that listening to a lesson given in another language is very hard work and they need a lot of variety if their going to be paying attention.

There are so many variables at work. It's sad to hear that academic students would be so unmotivated. Don't you have at least some students in each class who like learning with you?

[ilovebdt]

I feel your pain. I teach high school too and some days the students are either awake or half the class it asleep on their desks. It used to irritate the hell out of me!!
They were even half asleep during fun activities, so it wasn't my lessons

When I teach I tend to walk around the classroom and if someone is sleeping I give them a poke. Now, that I do it the Korean teachers poke the sleeping students too. I tend to talk quite loudly in class and clap my hands to get people's attention, so that always wakes a few of them up.

Or you can get a water gun and spray the offenders.
Do you have a cellphone? You could take a picture of the offenders and then show them what they look like when they are asleep.
Do you have a reward system in place? Each team could lose points if a member of their team sleeps.
Before they sit down in class you could have them do a few stretches or take a walk round the classroom to wake them up a bit.

ilovebdt

[mindmetoo]

The only thing you can do it institute a zero tolerance policy. If you don't want to be in this class, then go stand out in the hall.

[dzeisons]

Are students aware that sleeping is not permitted in your class? K teachers often let students sleep in their class. First thing you should do is make it clear that students should be paying attention and active in class. One technique to make sure this happens is when one student talks/ looks out the window etc. is to ask the students a question (when setting up an activity). Ask the question slowly and as many times as possible to the student and wait as long as you have to for an answer. After doing this with students who aren't paying attention the class realises this and soon they'll all be paying attention. If you can't remember all the students' names get all the students to make big name tags so you can readily call out offenders name.

Assuming you are doing communicative activities students are probably unsure of exactly what you want them to do. A good way is not just to tell them what you want them to do but demonstrate. A period of 10 or 15 mins of drills before the activity focusses the students and helps/automatises their pronunciation for the activity. Drills should start off with one student saying the sentence/ question etc.- make sure their pronunciation is good (esp. wrt supresegmental pronunciation features) and get the class as a whole to repeat after the student. The student (or you) chooses somebody in the class to answer (with one of possible) answers and the class repeats. After doing this 10 mins the students will readily work by themselves on the task you have assigned them.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[marcus]

Do you give grades?

I hope you're not serious about the video camera. The kids are used to the teachers they don't like hitting them, forcing them to kneel on hard floors, throwing things at them, etc. If they don't like you, and you can't do anything to them, they'll do whatever they want to you. So if things have already become confrontational, try to diffuse the situation, otherwise you'll come out looking inept. Especially if you don't give grades.

Try to look at it from their perspective: They get no sleep, are under enormous pressure to compete for a limited number of college seats, have to endure a media that dotes over unrealistic images of super students (which they are not) running off to ivy league schools, put up with their parents sitting on their backs and they might not even see any benefit to jumping through all of the flaming hoops in their education system.

Don't take it personally, teachers are often just people that make students do things they perceive as pointless and unenjoyable.

Focus on the students that do want to learn and kick the disruptive students out of the room. Let them go to Bucheon Community College - it's a fun place!

[rickhorton44]

[quote]What do you do for your lesson plans?quote]

I've been using the american headway starter series as well as making my own activities and getting things off the web.

[rickhorton44]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[SirFink]

I have the same problem with my sixth graders. Frankly, I've given up on trying to get them to learn anything. I'm just happy if they stay seated and keep their mouths shut so that the rest of the kids who actually want to be there and actually want to learn can.

Doesn't your assistant teacher help at all? Mine can at least yell at them in Korean and get them to shut up.

[rickhorton44]

[Dan The Chainsawman]

Cater to the audience my man.


S club 7 all the way.. or whatever manner to schlock they listen to.