Korean Job Discussion Forums

[blaseblasphemener]

I'm sick of teaching students. I find the children that annoy me are the ones that I'm focusing on. I'm in a huge teaching rut. But, I'm not about to quit my job, not this year anyway.

Any suggestions as to how you get out of this rut? How to turn my classroom mindset around? thanks.

[Ryst Helmut]

I would suggest that you take a look at the slew of sites that cater to the same issue...just type in "teacher burnout" on google, and see what advice you think would help you.

Me? Prayer, daily heavy-bag beatings, and well....beer (not necessarily always in equal amounts < > .

!shoosh,

Ryst

[The Bobster]

[Dan The Chainsawman]

vacation.

[VirginIslander]

First, when you walk into the class, write the three rules--EVERYDAY.

Dont Speak Korean

Be Quiet

Be Nice

If a student breaks the rules three times, he or she is out. The no Korean rule is a little tough but it usually cuts out the kids who talk too much anyways.

Second, makes the lessons more interesting and boring. Sometimes teachers ask me to help them out with a trouble student while the teachers in playing hangman with a class of very advanced students or teaching a lesson that is far too easy for them.

Come on. Challenge them to work. If the textbooks sucks, you'll have to spend extra time preparing for your classes. Dont expect the students to yeild like they do for your Korean counterparts. But make it fun.

Third, join a gym. When I feel weak and sluggish, its pretty easy for kids to walk over me. But, when I do a couple hundred push ups throughout day and hit up the gym, I've got the energy to handle 1200 students. We have push up bars at work so that we can do 20-50 push ups between classes. It sounds a little crazy but get that blood flowing.

Fourth, how is your drinking. If your hangover, nobody can help you in the classroom. I no longer drink during the week and has made a big difference.

Fifth, how is your diet. I worked a a lot harder in the Caribbean but I was much healthier there. I put on too much fat here. So now every week Im trying to cut something out. Three weeks ago it was beer. Last week it was fried chicken. Soon it will be all fast food and cola.

By altering you lifestyle, setting some rules and do some more prep work, you should be able to handle it.

Afterwards, take some of your savings and sit you but on a beach in Thailand.

[nobbyken]

I had some wise dudes and dudesses that were always saying stupid things or saying things in a stupid English voice. They were obviously a bit smarter and probably doing hagwon time as well as the sometimes very easy Public school curriculim.

IGNORE THEM. They are just looking for your attention.
If they get your eye, they have succeded.

Instead, focus your attention on the quieter more dilligent students, and try to get the quieter ones out of there shell a bit.
Whe walking round the class helping students in a task or activity, give attention to others near the problem student while merely acknowledging the said students efforts.

When at the front of the class, ONLY MAKE EYE CONTACT WTH STUDENTS WHOSE ACTIONS YOU WANT TO ENCOURAGE.

This solved the problem for me last month, as the kids were getting more uncontrolable (and getting to know the foreign teachers character more) as the semester drew to a close.

Give it a try, there are probably more experienced teachers with better or alternative methods. Remember, the kids are not in charge. Sometimes they are in charge in a home with no discipline, but you have to stop that in the class.

With no KT to shout at my kids at summer camp, I just send my noisy kids to the wee room between the outside and the classroom to ponder their actions. No air con in this room, so I call it the JimJilBang which makes the others laugh.

Also, I have atarted shouting in an angry voice when required and catching crazy kids by throat or shouders while breathing murderous threats in their faces. This also gets the class back in line very sharpish, after which they know they have a different teacher, and they treat you differently.
The JimJilBang, is sufficient punishment after this as they get excluded from any fun the class has in their absence.

[nobbyken]

I hated doing what I said in my last post at first, (I always try to show a loving and caring character)
but now the class is manageable and sometimes even a pleasure to teach.

(Think back to class in your school-days, and how they used to push some teachers, or not as the case may be.)

[dmbfan]

O.P.

I have three words for you...........................Koh Chang, Thailand.


Best of luck.

dmbfan

[Vicissitude]