Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fromtheuk]

Previously, I taught one teachers class for 40 mins. Yesterday, I was told I will have to teach two 2 hour classes for teachers twice a week.

It's mandatory for all GEPIK native teachers, allegedly, for this semester.

My co-teacher said most teachers are busy and many probably won't have time to attend.

I used to have a parents class which was cancelled due to poor attendance. That was for 1hr 40 mins.

My co-teacher regularly advises me my classes should be interesting. I said I would do my best, as usual!

To be honest, 2 hr classes, twice a week, sounds a pain in the a#$. Thinking sensibly, if I don't want to do it, and if all of teachers also don't really want to attend, because they are busy, then why bother doing this anyway?!!!

Apparently, it's a GEPIK directive, which makes it compulsory for native teachers in Gyeonggi this semester.

I will do whatever I can come up with, but I intend to try to not stress myself about this, I will prepare something and show up because I have to.

The less teachers turn up the better. I must confess as a CELTA-less teacher, with no prior teaching experience to this job, when I was told by my co-teacher, potentially 20 teachers could attend, I felt a bit perturbed by that.

In my regular teacher's class, only 3 or 4 show up, so for them to attend a 2 hr lesson while they are busy with their own teaching duties, suggests this will be a waste of almost everybody's time.

[luvnpeas]

[icnelly]

Got the same talk yesterday. I was already doing one 40 min class for the teachers who wanted to learn English, BUT now I'll have 2 classes a week until the end of the semester that are supposedly mandatory for the teachers who sign up for it: I guess GEPIK is going to issue some certificate for the K-Ts who finish the course.

not directly related, but still, shows the method behind the madness:

What gets me is that my CT/handler had a EFL lecture put on by a Sukmyung professor last semester (supposedly it was in English), and this semester there is another training for team teaching with a native English speaker, yet none of them are available for us: I can only imagine teaching about teaming teaching without any of the counterparts there...

My plans for the teachers class:

1. What do you think? .ppts with interesting pictures
2. General English conversation questions .ppt
3. Songs
4. Breakingnewsenglish.com --> great stuff, and will be the basis for my daily LP with the teachers. All activities and ideas are pre-planned, just cut and mold to your situation.

[xCustomx]

[Bigs]

These "classes" are the bane of my existance.
I've got no idea what's in it for the K-teachers... but the number of times only one person rocks up...

Yet I'm told I've got an "obligation" to do them. If that's the case, why don't they have the obligation to show up?

[xCustomx]

Only a few teachers signed up for the class this semester, so the vice principal has been busy telling students to ask their parents to join the class. As my students would say: 헐!

[HapKi]

For those of you who say you'd wish the least amount of students show up for your class, you sound like you're unprepared, unmotivated, trying to get by doing the least as possible, and maybe not cut out to be a teacher.

If you have interesting, well prepared and thought out lesson, you're normally going to want as many students show up as possible.

[OiGirl]

Why don't you do something you'd want to do anyway, maybe have a cup of tea and watch your favorite season of Friends, and see who shows up?

[alphalfa]

Those of you in public schools being asked to teach fellow co-workers be alert to what just happened at my school. This 'required' class was initiated during the last month of the previous semester and was to continue this semester. Those in attendance included my four Korean English co-workers and three teachers from another school. All of my Korean English co-workers decided they were 'too busy' to attend a teachers' class on Friday afternoon. That left one teacher in attendance from another school [in the office ] to 'discuss' having an English lesson with me-one on one. The other two teachers were not available. I politely told her NO to having a class because (1) she does not work at my school and (2)having an English class with her , in effect , was a free private lesson and that if she wanted an English lesson then she had to pay me a fee. Please do not take advantage of me in this way. This was said in ear-shot of the other teachers and their public reaction was silence. I anticipate what's going to happen next is this: others teachers in my school will be 'coerced' into attending the class thus eliminating the appearance of a 'private lesson'.

Just be weary of teachers from outside your school attending an English class in your school . You open yourself up to being taking advantage of- as it stands, I receive no fee for doing these classes. The fact that my fellow Korean English teachers 'bowed out' from attending irks me still.

T.I.C.K.E. D [Teaching In Corrupt Korea Every Day]

[Doogie]

I've been here 2 years and each year I've had to do a teacher's course. The Korean mentality of being "deathly" afraid of looking bad makes these courses tough to teach. Honestly, most teachers simply will not open up in front of the others. I've seen others mention this book, but "Jazz English" worked wonders for me. It's a very user friendly book which they can use to interview each other on day to day topics of interest. I would break my teachers up into groups of 2 or 3 and get them to interview each other on the topic of the week. I would move from group to group and correct their grammar as well as help them with their pronounciation. They enjoyed the format and, most of all, felt comfortable to open up. Anyway, this worked for me. The sad reality is that most of them don't want to be there and they certainly will not speak out in front of the others out of fear of looking bad.

[pkang0202]

I think the OP's school told him wrong.

Its a 1 hour class, 2 times a week. Which equates to 2 hours per week.

Maybe in the translation/explanation to the OP, he misunderstood it to be two 2 hour classes.

[fromtheuk]

I found out it is 2 classes together as one lesson, two 40 min lessons, twice a week.

I have been told probably only 4 or 5 teachers will turn up. There will be an opening ceremony for this too, I'll start these classes in late Sep.

As regards the comment I don't sound motivated. Please live in the real world. Some people actually think of a job as simply that, just a job, and not a calling in life where I am paid to sweat blood, exchange rice cakes and pretend to be integrated into Korea.

I do my job and if they think I am good or bad that's their decision. I do what I can and live with it.

[cj1976]

I'm in the same situation at my new school. Four 40 min classes per week. I've decided to get a decent textbook and have the occasional song or poetry session. Anybody know of a suitable book to use?

[The_Conservative]

In my school my official schedule (I presume for GEPIK) includes a 40 min teachers' class once a week.

In reality my actual schedule has only elementary classes. When I asked my co-worker about this, he said that the teachers were all too busy...which in fairness they do appear to be. I know for a fact that some stay at the school during exam time past 7:00 PM. Most almost always stay past 5 throughout the year.

[koala5]

As a teacher in a Public school it appalls me that Korea actually employs teachers like you to come to Korea. Every school in the Public school is different. I believe in the pay it forward mentality. If I do a good deed I expect others to do the same. Most Korean teachers work their tails off a lot more than the foreign teachers that come here. Yet their pay is normally a hell of a lot less than ours. They do extra classes and business trips or whatever the principal wants them to do.

This would be the same in our country. The Principal says jump and we say how high? You chose to sign the contract knowing all the stories out there about how most Korean schools work. You chose to come here? Why don't you integrate with them?

As you said you lead your life with whatever existence. If you are happy that is great. If you are not happy get out.