Korean Job Discussion Forums

SweetBear · Joined: 18 May 2003

What do you do when you are playing a game and some of the students lose interest ? I only do it in the last five or so minutes of the class, so often,I figure, they've done their work, they can relax. Do you ever insist that they participate? Doesn't that defeat the purpose? What are your thoughts?

ryleeys · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Columbia, MD

I played games the last 10 minutes of class usually 3 times a week the first five months I was here. Then I wised up and realized I was becoming a joke of a teacher (yeah, I'm a little slow). The kids don't respect me and are getting spoiled. So the last 2 weeks, they don't get any games. And they won't get any until they stop pissin' me off. I've even gone Kindergarden Cop on their little Korean a**es and have a whistle now. At the end of class, I now force them to line up and march with me down the hall without talking. I now dismiss them from the hagwon and not the classroom, because I'm tired of seeing them running around the hallways.

Today was the first day I did this and a few tried to break ranks... fortunately, I'm bigger than they are and they are easily enough picked up and tossed back into line. They'll learn.

I always viewed a teacher back in America as someone that taught you a subject and taught you about life. I realized here that this is the last thing they want a foreigner doing, teaching life lessons. Well, if they want me as a teacher, my students will be taught to behave properly no matter who the teacher is. From this point on, English is of secondary concern to discipline.

I'm also highly annoyed that my director has fired two Korean English teachers... they're English wasn't great, but wasn't bad either. The most recent hire started today and she speaks virtually no English (can't distingquish between "is" and "are") and has no experience with children. She doesn't have children of her own and has never taught before. What really sucks is I recently met a girl that speaks flawless English and has 5 years teaching experience and wanted the open job... so much for that.

Sorry to hijack the thread...

[/rant]

SweetBear · Joined: 18 May 2003

Hey, no problem. I feel your pain. In fact last week was just like that for me. So now I'm playing nice cop again and the brats STILL ignore me. Evil or Very Mad

I will persist. I will persist. I will.... Rolling Eyes

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Nothing much works with Korean brats.The system here is DEEPLY FLAWED. Just accept it, and pick up your paycheque every month.

VanIslander · Posted: Tue May 18, 2004 6:56 am Post subject:

I insist every child participate in every activity or game. They have no choice. If others waiver too, then I simply change the activity or game.

One of my favourites is the Perfect Question Game, where I ask a question and if I hear a perfect answer they get a point, registered on the white board, and tallied at the end of class to determine the winner, who gets a chocolate or candy first, and gets to leave the room first, second goes second, etc. The best part of the game is I start it as the beginning of class and intermittenly go to it during the class. The kids love it, because it's competitive and challenging, and if one student comes close but doesn't quite say the right answer then the other students clamour to get it right.

The greatest challenge I have as a teacher is keeping up with the students' interest in order to avoid boredom. They really are interested in learning if it's challenging and fun.

Eazy_E · Joined: 30 Oct 2003 Location: British Columbia, Canada

I've come to view games and activities as a necessity to teaching English to children.

As a foreign teacher, it's my responsibility to get the children communicating in English. The problem is, unlike adults who plunked down their money for a course and really want to learn, the students are extremely reluctant. They'll do almost anything to avoid uttering an English phrase in class, except for the keenest brown-nosers.

I integrate the language targets into the games I play, and I find that it's a way to get even the most self-conscious students talking.

There are some classes where control is almost impossible, except if they are immersed in a game or activity. I've never been a fan of military-style discipline, since I've found that the "bad kids" are martyrized by sending them outside of class or in the corner. They actually enjoy it.

It's important for the games to be a tool for learning, and not a distraction from the real goal of learning English. It's also important not to "spoil" them with games. To do this, use just a handful of games and rotate them. Changing the English used in the games should keep them from getting bored.