Korean Job Discussion Forums

[josesiem]

What's the deal with public high school? How does it compare with teaching elementary or middle? It also seems there are fewer jobs.

I'm considering what to do right now -- it seems that with high school you can avoid the normal discipline problems that comes with elementary and middle.

If you could provide any info or experience or direct me to a previous thread that covers this topic, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

The only things I could find on Dave's were about 3years old and a lot has changed in the public school world since then.

[formerflautist]

It really depends on the age you like. I've taught all ages in Korea and I've found high schoolers most to my liking. They like attention but they're not babies.

I don't really understand what you mean by discipline problems with elementary and middle school kids. It's going to depend on your school and your students as to how they behave. If you go to an academic high school then chances are that students will be better behaved. Vocational high school students are harder to control because most are just not interested in learning English. You learn to adjust. You also have to decide what you will and won't accept in class and let the students know on day one.

[Mark7]

For those same reasons I requested a high school and I got a high school gig.

Like the previous poster, the high schools differ. I lucked out and I am at a reputable high school in Incheon, so the kids are more intelligent and the school is known for their strong English program. However, I teach freshmen students, so some of the kids are not the brightest of the bunch and are still stuck in the middle school phase of life.

The discipline is okay, and for the most part the kids do a good job of keeping quiet, but at a boys' high school it can get quite hairy if they're out of sorts.

However, I enjoy it because you can do some harder activities with them and speak more liberally and faster than other schools would, because some are at a higher level.

[riley]

Another important factor is yourself. What age group do you like teaching? Do you have enough experience to recognize the differences between what age group you like to teach?

Also, just because they are different than Elementary students, doesn't mean there aren't any discipline issues. There are just definite differences.