Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

I'm training at Youngdo (YES) now, I feel a little overwhelmed...

It seems like their is a ton of stuff to absorb in two days of training.

What are some words of wisdom on what I really need to concentrate on until I can come to grips with all their system?

[rumdiary]

Consider yourself lucky that you got two days of training. Most people are just thrown in a classroom. It will take awhile to get the hang of it and I'm sure they won't expect you to pick up everything in two days.

[Pak Yu Man]

Training? WTF is that? Been here 8 years. I've had 5 main jobs and never a second of training.

[semphoon]

I never got training. Just deal with it. You can only do whats possible. In Korea they like to throw you in the deep end and it may feel uncomfortable, but you will eventually swim.

Good luck.

[seoulsista]

Relax. This is what I did. I can't say it would work for every school or every teacher but it could work for you.

Basic 4,5,6 (90 minute class - double for 180 minute class)

5 minutes - Take attendance and check to see if homework is completed but don't correct it. Then put your sheet out the door.

15 minutes - Correct workbook homework. Have each student answer and repeat answer and correct pronunciation.

30 minutes - Read and branch out. This includes reading, branching out, comprehension questions etc. I know this is the only thing they covered in my training so I won't go into too much detail here. Break time bell will ring in this time.

5-10 minutes - correct grammar homework

10 minutes - Introduce new grammar concept. Give as many examples as you can. Try and have the kids make sentences of their own using the concept. Try and complete at least the first 2 or 3 questions in each excercise because that books is terrible and really difficult for the kids to know how they are supposed to answer.

If you follow these steps you shouldn't have too much trouble. If you want a run down for Junior, Senior and Intermediate let me know.

[matthews_world]

Sounds like an easy enuff hagwon gig to me.

Are they a franchise around Korea?

[Mashimaro]

[soviet_man]

You should feel overwhelmed.

YES Youngdo is "CDI Lite" = all the same crap without the higher pay, including:

Cameras in each classroom, monthly reports, open classes for parents, weekly meetings, counsellors, weekly workshops, winter and summer intensives, infantile supervisors and an avalanche of other junk is about to come your way.

6 to 9 months is the average tenure at YES Youngdo. Turnover is high. Some don't even make it that far.

The pay also maxes out at 2.4 and if you've been here since 2003 you could of done better. By far.

[chaz47]

[seoulsista]

No problem.

I had never taught Basic 1,2,3 so I have no idea about the books for the cirriculum for those classes.

I will write it up the 90 minute classes and you can just double it for 180 minute classes. You don't necessarily have to go in this order. In fact some managers say you should switch it up. IMHO the kids like consistancy. They are confused enough. Oh, and I forgot to say something important in my last post. You have to give them their reading quiz after they finish reading.

Junior 1,2,3 (Nearly the same as Basic 4,5,6)

5 minutes - Take attendance and check to see if homework is completed but don't correct it. Then put your sheet out the door.

15 minutes - Correct workbook homework. Have each student answer and repeat answer and correct pronunciation. In these grades you want to focus on vocab. If it's a difficult word ask the kids if they can make a sentence. Or you could make one for them and repeat.

30 minutes - Read and branch out. This includes reading, branching out, comprehension questions etc. I know this is the only thing they covered in my training so I won't go into too much detail here. Break time bell will ring in this time. Quiz included in this time. It shouldn't take them more than 7 minutes to complete the quiz and three minutes to correct it together as a class. If you give them more time they will sit there and stare at it.

5-10 minutes - correct other homework

10 minutes - I'm sorry but we changed the book for this level right as my contract was ending and I don't remember what the book was. But explain the concept and do a couple examples with them.
Relax. This is what I did. I can't say it would work for every school or every teacher but it could work for you.

Junior 4,5,6 (Order changes from lower level classes)

15 minutes - Take attendance and check to see if homework is completed but don't correct it. While you are doing that give the kids their reading comprehension quizes. Correct them as a class. Unless your manager tells you otherwise don't give more than two quizzes for a 90 minute class and three for a 180 minute class. Mark the grades on your sheet. Then put your sheet out the door.

15 minutes - Correct workbook homework. Have each student answer and repeat answer and correct pronunciation.

30 minutes - Read and branch out. This includes reading, branching out, comprehension questions etc. I know this is the only thing they covered in my training so I won't go into too much detail here. Break time bell will ring in this time.

5-10 minutes - correct grammar homework

10 minutes - Introduce new grammar concept. Give as many examples as you can. Try and have the kids make sentences of their own using the concept. With this grammar book it is easy and the kids shouldn't have too much trouble. If they do they are not trying hard enough. Breifly explain all the concepts, try to complete at least 1/2 of a speaking excercise for every concept (for every red box) and assign the easy (complete the sentence) excercises as homework.

Junior 4,5,6 (Order changes from lower level classes)

15 minutes - Take attendance and check to see if homework is completed but don't correct it. While you are doing that give the kids their reading comprehension quizes. Correct them as a class. Unless your manager tells you otherwise don't give more than two quizzes for a 90 minute class and three for a 180 minute class. Mark the grades on your sheet. Then put your sheet out the door.

15 minutes - Correct workbook homework. Have each student answer and repeat answer and correct pronunciation.

30 minutes - Read and branch out. This includes reading, branching out, comprehension questions etc. I know this is the only thing they covered in my training so I won't go into too much detail here. Break time bell will ring in this time.

5-10 minutes - correct grammar homework

10 minutes - Introduce new grammar concept. Give as many examples as you can. Try and have the kids make sentences of their own using the concept. With this grammar book it is easy and the kids shouldn't have too much trouble. If they do they are not trying hard enough. Breifly explain all the concepts, try to complete at least 1/2 of a speaking excercise for every concept (for every red box) and assign the easy (complete the sentence) excercises as homework.

Senior 1,2. There are three books for this level. I can't remember the names of them so bear with me. I used to do each book one by one. Correct, read, intro, correct, read, intro. The third book I only did if we had time. You will figure out within a month which one I am talking about. It's pointless.

15 minutes - Take attendance and check to see if homework is completed but don't correct it. While you are doing that give the kids their vocabulary quizes. Correct them as a class. Unless your manager tells you otherwise don't give more than two quizzes for a 90 minute class and three for a 180 minute class. Mark the grades on your sheet. Then put your sheet out the door.

5 minutes - Correct workbook homework.

20 minutes - Read and branch out. This includes reading, branching out, comprehension questions etc. I know this is the only thing they covered in my training so I won't go into too much detail here. Break time bell will ring in this time. Flip to the next chapter. Take a look at the new vocab. Establish that everyone understands what the homework is.

5 minutes - Correct workbook homework.

20 minutes - Read and branch out. This includes reading, branching out, comprehension questions etc. I know this is the only thing they covered in my training so I won't go into too much detail here. Break time bell will ring in this time. Flip to the next chapter. Take a look at the new vocab. Establish that everyone understands what the homework is.

25 minutes - Essay!!! This is a hellish experience for you and the kids. Start off as simple as possible. Ask the kids to do a 7 sentence essay. Three sentence intro including 1.) eye - catcher 2.) main idea 3.) supporting idea 4.) re-state supportig idea 5.) supporting example one 6.) supporting example two 7.) concluding sentence. Write up a document on microsoft word explaining what each sentence in the essay should be and then write a mock essay for them to read.

Give them a head start in class. I had a detailed grading system. Minus 10 points for every missing sentence and minus one point for every grammar and spelling error. If you are not tough you will get nothing but crap.

Senior 3,4

15 minutes - Take attendance and check to see if homework is completed but don't correct it. While you are doing that give the kids their vocabulary quizes. Correct them as a class. Unless your manager tells you otherwise don't give more than two quizzes for a 90 minute class and three for a 180 minute class. Mark the grades on your sheet. Then put your sheet out the door.

15 minutes - Correct workbook homework. Be tough. Don't accept crappy, poorly written sentences or anything less than a full sentence. As you look over their homework. Give it a grade. It doesn't mean anything on your gradesheet but sadly it's the only thing that will motivate them to do a good job.

25 minutes - Read and branch out. This includes reading, branching out, comprehension questions etc. I know this is the only thing they covered in my training so I won't go into too much detail here. Break time bell will ring in this time. Flip to the next chapter. Take a look at the new vocab. Establish that everyone understands what the homework is.

10 minutes - Correct grammar homework.

20 minutes - Introduce new grammar concept. Give as many examples as you can. Try and have the kids make sentences of their own using the concept. With this level the grammar gets a little more difficult and the kids will have trouble with some of the concepts. Breifly explain all the concepts, try to complete at least 1/2 of a speaking excercise for every concept (for every red box) and assign the easy (complete the sentence) excercises as homework.

25 minutes - Once again follow the same thing as Senior. The new kids coming in January will not know how to do an essay. As the month progresses make it more and more challenging. Use topics that relate to the stories in the reading book.

Three sentence intro including 1.) eye - catcher 2.) main idea 3.) supporting idea 4.) re-state supportig idea 5.) supporting example one 6.) supporting example two 7.) concluding sentence. Write up a document on microsoft word explaining what each sentence in the essay should be and then write a mock essay for them to read.

Give them a head start in class. I had a detailed grading system. Minus 10 points for every missing sentence and minus one point for every grammar and spelling error. If you are not tough you will get nothing but crap.

Special notes on Grammar Tests - depending on your school and manager you will be told varying versions of what is supposed to be done for grammar tests. You don't actually want to test them to see if they understand. The purpose of the grammar testing is to appease the parents. Make them easy.

If your school has some use those. If your school doesn't then take some examples from the book change the words and hand it out as a test. Don't make it more than 30 examples. This will be difficult since there are so many concepts to cover. Give a test every two weeks that lasts no more than 20 minutes and everything you make yourself. Save it. Also, ask other teachers if they already have made one and use theirs if possible.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[Ilsanman]

I didn't know Yes Youngdop was so bad. I heard the testimony from 4 guys in the Bucheon location just last week.

Their advice: No Youngdo!! Don't work there.

[rowdie3]

I work at Youngdo right now.

RUN AWAY NOW!! BAIL OUT! REFUND YOUR AIRFARE.

I am not kidding at all.

We had two of our teachers written up today for ridiculous things. Also, I have 15 kids in a tiny ass room for 3 hours everyday.

This year we have had at least 6 teachers quit. One cracked and flew home three days later.

DON'T DO IT!!!

RUN RUN RUN!!!!!!

[EFLtrainer]

[seoulsista]

Branching out means that the kids read a page or a paragraph depending on the level and then you ask them comprehension questions and draw pictures or mimic vocabulary which they don't understand.

[confuzed]