So I worked out why I still don't like my new job.

[beccatoria]

Basically, it's the whole part where I have to teach ONE PAGE for 40 minutes. If I'm lucky, that page will have two lines of dialogue on it for the beginners and maybe six for the slightly better students.

That's the bit I hate. It's not enough material, and there's only so many times I can hand out paper and get them to draw or play bingo or tic-tac-toe. I've been doing okay this week because my free lessons mean I can make word jumbles or cross-words that they promptly fail to understand. And there are some wonderful websites on the net to do that, but I don't have a printer and I tried, once, to print something out at the school. NEVER AGAIN. For serious. All photocopying and printing has to go through my korean co-teacher and while they're never funny about whether it needs doing or something, it is...erratic and not something I want to rely on for lessons.

So...yeah. It's not the kids. I quite like the kids, even when they're yelling and won't listen to me. That's not really the bit that's stressing me out. Neither is it the being thousands of miles away from everything and nearly no one speaking the same language as me.

It's that moment, that currently happens about five times a day and starting Monday will happen about eight - that moment where I've taught every fucking thing on that page, I've gotten them to recite, repeat and spell it backwards. I've had them draw things. I've had them play things. AND THERE ARE STILL FIFTEEN FUCKING MINUTES LEFT. And they all just...stare at me.

I mean, sometimes it's okay. Some games take longer. If I have an excuse to get them to cut-and-paste that usually eats up extra time. But I can't play the same game with them every day or get them to cut and paste all the time because then they'll get bored and the staring will be WORSE.

I mean, seriously. It's not just me, right? One page for forty minutes is...not really forty minutes worth of educational material. And I can't just start teaching them more pages because then I get in trouble with my co-teacher for going too fast. Because we can't have the kids finishing their course early. THEN THEY WOULDN'T PAY THE SCHOOL.

The choice to do a half-assed job ought to be MINE, dammit, and they've taken it away from me. >:(

IN OTHER NEWS: Have fun all you people going to VVC. Having recently decided I'm a vidder rather than a fan who once or twice made some vids, I feel rather jealous. I hope you all have a marvelous time! Write con reports!

Comments

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

This post should probably be flocked.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, but my name isn't attached to this, neither is the name of the school; I'm hacked off and I know that there are some people who read this to keep up with my life who don't have LJs, and while I would omit the swearing, if they wanted to talk to me about this, it's a talk I'd be willing to have. I've heard one of my fellow teachers complaining about the shortage of material already.

Unless I've misinterpreted why you think it should be flocked?

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

You interpreted my comment correctly. I just wanted to make sure you'd thought about the possible implications and hadn't merely forgotten to flock cos you were distracted. :-)

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Thank you for looking out for me. :)

[asta77.livejournal.com]

Would you get into trouble for reading to them for fifteen minutes? It's a) a good time killer b) might hold their attention and c) they may pick up some more English.

I may have been thinking of sending a couple of things to you that you don't have access to ;) and I could search the bargain book store for some kids books for you.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you! Please don't spend a lot of money one me, but if you see something for like a dollar, at this point I'll try anything. I don't think I'd get in trouble, no, as long as I'm teaching them the stuff I have been assigned, and as I said above that's really not a problem!

Also I'm hopeful that we'll have the actual proper internet back in the next two weeks or so! *excitment!*

[greycoupon.livejournal.com]

I can see how that is frustrating I like asta's reading idea. Or playing a DVD/movie if you have access to equipment and that would be kosher.

Try and get the kids to write skits/poems/stories and read out loud/act them out? I don't know how advanced they are but I would think they could do fill in the blanks with basic vocab.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

I don't have access to DVD type equipment, no, sadly. I do already try to get them to act out the dialogues on the pages (when I'm lucky enough to get dialogues), or to get them to interact with each other in little skits, but...it's actually very hard to do. I think about 70% of the reason is they actually don't understand me. 30% is that it's not part of the teaching culture there and they're resistant. The younger kids are less resistant but also less able to understand.

I like teaching the younger kids much better, actually, even though they don't understand much of what I say, because they're friendly and enthusiastic, and much easier to entertain because they haven't been jaded by education yet. If I could teach Kindergarten all day, I think I'd be much happier.

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

Hello! I found you through pellucid (who, I assume, knows you through BSG vids...), and it looks like we have similar stresses right now. I too am at a hogwan (in Busan) and have been thrown into a room of small children and no support.

Simon Says is a big hit. And they got a kick out of Telephone once I made them understand it. Really though, I have been doing a lot of smiling and nodding.

I am going to friend you and you can friend me back, if you like. At least we'll have someone relatively local to celebrate BSG with when it comes back. :)

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

YAY! Friended back and replied at your journal!