Korean Job Discussion Forums

[TroySantos]

HIYA!

It's pretty much all there in the subject line. I could add that I have 6 classes, kids from 7 to 17. Many are rowdy, inattentive, extraordinarily quiet. In addition, it's exceedingly hard for me to explain games and activities.

I want games and activities that are easy to understand, and that will draw in the interest of the uninterested. A big order, I know. And of course my own enthusiasm is crucial. I've got really neat and creative ideas but am not usually able to explain what to do.

I do show love, sincerity, and honesty in the classroom towards all the students. There are times for sure when I'm not fair, but for the most part, I think I am good with the kids. Just not having enough fun with them.

If it weren't for this one big thorn, my experience in Korea would be smoother than a baby's bottom!

Any help at all would be appreciated. I also will talk with my boss about this. The Korean teachers aren't any help.

Troy.

[Son Deureo!]

It sounds like you're off to a good start. Don't worry about it too much, remember, these kids have a pretty full plate, they may not always be in the mood to have fun. Sometimes you won't, either.

When I taught kids, I was often surprised by the things the kids would find fun. I'm equally surprised by the things adult students find fun sometimes. I think that if you make an activity competitive, they'll almost always find it fun. Especially if you throw in a prize to make it interesting.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I largely agree with the previous poster.

I think the key is to find a series of 'template' activities that you can play over and over again with different subject matter, so that the rules stay the same, but the students are getting enjoyable practice in different grammar points.

That still leaves you with the problem of explaining the rules. For that, it's easiest to bring in a K teacher for just a few minutes to explain the rules the first time. Maybe you can arrange that with your co-teachers.

There are quite a few good ideas on the Ideas Cookbook site here, but they are not organized and take hours to go through to sift out what you can use.

[tomato]

Hello, Troy Santos!

You can make both a phonics lesson and a musical activity out of any simple word. With the word CAT, you can make a stanza for the C, a stanza for the A, and a stanza for the T.

You could sing the first stanza to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell":

The C says /k/, the C says /k/,
Ev'ry letter has its sound, the C says /k/.

to the tune of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm":

Old MacDonald had a word, E-I-E-I-O,
And in that word he had a C, E-I-E-I-O,
With a /k/ /k/ here and a /k/ /k/ there,
Here a /k/, there a /k/, ev'rywhere a /k/ /k/,
Old MacDonald had a word, E-I-E-I-O.

or to the tune of "Oh, Susannah!":

O the C says /k/, the C says /k/, the C says /k/ /k/ /k/,
O the C says /k/, the C says /k/, the C says /k/ /k/ /k/.

Whatever the subject matter, you can play several games by making a set of matching cards.

To play concentration, lay the cards face down at random. Each player takes a turn trying to find a match.

Bango is the same thing as bingo, except that the students are given cards instead of boards and markers. When the teacher holds up a card matching the card dealt to a student, the student hands in that card.

Old maid is listed as 도둑 잡기 in the dictionary, but I've never heard the kids call it that. You may have to teach it to them.

Go fish doesn't seem to have disseminated into Korea.
The rules of go fish can be explained in a flow chart more easily than in prose.
Here are the directions in English:


and in Korean: