Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jodemas2]

I have just completed a gig teaching in the English dept. in a middle school here in Mexico. I wasn't exactly teaching English but rather arts, literature and ethics in English at a bilingual school.

While I have had experience teaching children and adolescents before in commercial schools, as well as teaching in a university, I found this to be quite a challenge. Granted, this was a school for upper middle class brats, their behavior was, for the most part, atrocious. I mean, I had many classes when the kids were NEVER quiet, not even for a moment. If I stood and waited 10-15 minutes for them to quiet down, they just would not. I thought only in the US were kids so badly behaved and certainly in my day (decades ago) we never behaved as such.

My question is, how is the behavior of middle schoolers in Korea, and is it much different from the hogwans to the public schools?

[Ya-ta Boy]

Age of students is the key factor. Nationality plays little part in the behavior of kids.

[jmbran11]

Uh, I'm not being helpful to your question, but I noticed your screen name. You're in Mexico, right? So, is this Spanish, like "jode mas!" or is there some other way to read it that I'm not getting (I learned Spanish in the DR, so maybe it has another meaning in Mexico?).

[Yu_Bum_suk]

At most hogwans you're pretty restricted in what you can do, but classes are much smaller and a few kick out trouble-makers. At public school you can do pretty much whatever you want, but classes are larger and every class will have some kids who aren't the least interested in learning English. Basically if you're not afraid to take control and do whatever it takes, controlling a public school class is usually no problem at all. If you are not a natural at controlling kids, hogwans with small classes might be the way to go. I don't know what Mexico's like, but in Korea at most public schools and some hogwans, there's no question whatsoever who has the upper hand.

[OiGirl]

Very curious as to where you were teaching...a PM or a state will suffice.

[OiGirl]

7th graders are evil no matter the country. Darn, I used to think that except that I've been teaching a 90% awesome group of 7th graders for two weeks...

[jodemas2]

[jodemas2]