Monday was the first day of teaching practice in Dongshin Grils high school. The subject that I am going to teach is English and my home teacher who will take charge of me for 4 weeks is also in charge of English. This morning, the principal of this school gave training teachers the kind of lecture and request that do not make student relax but try to make them study more with us. The only thing that he mainly pointed was about learning and test score of students. Most of the training teacher graduated from this high school but it seemed that we were out of his mind and, honestly, all of us a bit disappointed because of his negative attitude towards us. Then, I thought that the real situation is quite different from what I have learned. I mean what training teachers learn from the lecture in university is to arouse student interesting and make them practice lots of English speaking. However, I could realize that I also did like this when I was in high school and even if teacher wants do something different it is really hard to do that. Fortunately or unfortunately I was the first person who went to the real classroom situation without the home teacher, because she was seriously sick. So I went to two first year/s classes and supervised their self-study. Student and I haven’t met before but they welcome me warmly. However, as time went by they tried to make noise and I attempted to make them be quiet and keep studying. Honestly, before I was in front of students, I was nervous because I haven’t got this kind of experience. The thing I learn from this is that it is very hard to control students kindly but firmly with the patience and every teacher grows with experience.
Mi-ae~ This is Jihye Kong who made a trip to US with you! I knew that you are also experiencing teacher training in high school. I'm very sorry to hear that some students are kind of messy. Why don't you communicate with them online? Cyworld would be the best one, I think. If you were in co-ed school, you might be more excited. You can do it, Mi-ae!
Miae! How's going? We've decided the job position of each of us. We are about to be really busy from this week. Anyway, I can not believe that Korean students still have to study only for test scores. I want to cry! I though the education system had changed, but not. It is miserable, isn't it? I think I was a victim of the Korean cramming education. How about trying changing the idea of the principle, who is now trampling on the studets'future? Anyhow, have guts, be more active on your work and have fun! I'll see you later. Good Bye~
I want to say the title of this week is “getting to know each other.” Before I was put myself into the field of school, I thought the most difficult thing I face on would be teaching itself but I could realize, later on, it is not. Personally, the thing I should overcome is to make close relationship with students. Honestly, the training teachers are neither students nor teachers so we really don’t know how we should take action. I mean that we cannot treat student like what the real teacher does and we cannot make too close relationship with students because they already know we are not a real teacher. This is not we want but that’s what I and the other teachers realize as time goes by. It’s kind of sad story of my school days and it made me and the other teachers feel uncomfortable with teachers and students. However, even though I feel like this, I could really enjoy spending my daily life with students in school. This week, every our school members went on a picnic except 3rd year students. 1st year students who I take charge of had a plan to go Moodeung Mt. and all training teacher could follow them. It was the great chance to talk with our class students. Actually, they are going to take a mid-term exam next week so I got no enough chances to get to know my fellow students. I think every student is precious and I want to respect their life. During climbing the mountain, I could talk with several students who are in my class and that made me think like this. For them, the most serious problem they have is the study. Some students don’t even know what they are interested in and why they have to study, and the only reason they study is to enter the university. I felt sorry when I heard this kind of story from student because even I did like this, sometimes, I feel pity for them. On the other hand, the thing that made me surprised was that each of them already has long-term goal. Of course, their goal was too far to achieve but I want to give them a big hand because I could see that they’ve made great effort to take step forward. Time flies. A week already passed. I didn’t want to spend time just like this and I decided to conduct a survey from the students. Then, I made survey question included writing name, nick name, best friend, email address, mobile number and anything they want to say to me. Through this survey I could know what they think of me and they wrote that they also want to make close relationship with me. At that night, I send email to my fellow students with photograph that we took at Moodeung Mt. Next day, some of them send me email back and talked about my email in class. I was really thankful and I realized that I could get their responses as much as I try.
How are you doing Miae? It's Songeun. I read your journal and I heard that you are having hard time to make close relationship with students. Also I read that you made survey of the students to know more about them. I am very proud of you that you are investing time and energy to get close to students. I agree with you that it's very hard to get along with people who met first, and also you are restricting by many things. I really enjoyed reading your journal and I realized that you are not just having great time with students. Our class did lot of works and we are having busy time to build our company. Anyway, always try to be positive and enthusiastic! I know you can do it! Rock'n roll!!
The high school which I am working at had mid-term exam from Monday to Wednesday and training teachers got the hardest time ever since we worked at this school. To be honest, we thought we would have much private and spare time because school usually finishes early during the exam period. Our supervisor teacher said that the teacher likes the exam period since it is very hard to find that school finishes early. At the early in the morning on Monday, we got a timetable which showed the schedule of training teachers. The principal said that the exam system of school is quite strict so two teachers are needed to control and supervise a class per hour but the number of teacher is limited so they can not keep this rule usually. For this reason, he decided to put training teacher into the class as one of the supervisor. So we were sub-supervisor for 3 days. However, the dream that we had before came to pieces. To watch the students who took the test was much harder than we expected. We couldn’t read newspaper or something. That is, we couldn’t do anything. As teacher gave us the tip, it was really boring to watch the silent class an hour. To make it worse, the training teacher had 3~4times a day and it means that we had to go into the class which took the test and did nothing for 3~4hours, all day long when we were in school. Furthermore, if the main supervisor didn’t say to us that we could take a sit, we should stand up. We, all training teachers, thought that it needed patience and a cost instead of going home early. However, it was a good opportunity to meet many teachers in this school. Training teachers usually follow the home teacher every time and every day so we cannot meet and know many teachers here. Next day, I had really hard day in the morning self study time. Students were almost out of control because they graded examination papers and asked the score each other. Almost 10munites they screamed and run in the class so a teacher who is charge of the next class came to our class and shouted ‘be quiet, girls!!’ At that time, I stood in front of the class and I didn’t know how I should do. The reason was that student just escaped from examination so I wanted to give them some free time to do what they want to do. However, my decision was wrong and students gave much noisy to next class. It made me to put myself to shame and I thought that the leader of a team or a class have a lot of time to make a decision. To make a good decision is one of the duties for leader and he/she have to make good decision for his/her members.
Wow! Are you ever getting a dose of reality. So many of my friends and former students go through the culture shock that you are going through. There is delight to finally get to do something you have commited to as a career, but also disappointment as you find out that teahing to the test is prefered by the education institution over best teaching practices and a focus on the learner.
I found poignancy in your statement: "Honestly, the training teachers are neither students nor teachers so we really don’t know how we should take action. I mean that we cannot treat student like what the real teacher does and we cannot make too close relationship with students because they already know we are not a real teacher." The situation is normal, but do you have a peer group to talk about this with? Do you feel supported by your peers and mentors as you go through this? It's a necessary transition, but it is uncomfortable. My door is always open if you need to vent, whine, or advice (you know how much I love to talk!).
I'm a little confused about your chat with students on your Moodeung trip. In one sentence you state that the students don't know what they want to do in uni, but in another you state you were surprised that they have long term goals. Could you explain this a little more to me? Thanks so much.
OMG! Standing around for 3 hours doing nothing! How excruciatingly painful! And you are so mature to look at the positive side that you got to meet more of the other teachers at the school. Truly you have a great heart; I would be much more frustrated and judgemental.
And letting your students run wild after the exam. A teacher has to be the disciplining parent sometimes, even when you really sympathize with them. It's all about setting boundaries appropriate to our context and goals. No worries - you already see the big picture and how so many pieces affect the others.
So one more week and then you join us again? Last week the students did awesome in their presentation of their business plan. This week we are working on a market research project. Next week we will do some "role playing;" I will set up some real life scenarios and then let the company work through them to get to a solution. In two weeks the company will revise the business plan. Our final exam will be to give group/individual presentations about BP revisions and report on the 3 weeks of "work."
Looking forward to your last installment!
You are doing great. Thanks for sharing. Prof Lisak
Hi Miae! How are you doing? I heard that you'll be back to class next Monday. As you told us in your journal, time flies like an arrow. Thanks to every classmate's collaboration including your outstanding record file, our business started to work form this week activity. We're doing collaborative market research now.
It's very hard to be a leader in the group like you said. Delegating everything didn't mean I was the leader of my class. It's same matter basically with the problem you had in your teaching experience. Fortunately, I think I met nice coworkers in this class. Our group activities and achievements are getting better and wr're making ceratin shape of our business. It will be the best after you jump in next Monday. Take care and I wish you finish your precious experience with unfogettable memories in your life.
Finally, I’ve completed my 4weeks project!! Time flies like an arrow and I’ve got unforgettable memory through my precious experience as a training teacher. Now, while I am writing my journal, everything I did in high school goes through my heart. I want to say the title of this week is “preparing separation” Last weekend, I made ‘teaching-learning process’ to get ready for my real teaching experience. I spend my whole weekend to do this. I worried about lots of things because I don’t have teaching experience before and I’d never observed the classes. I don’t know why but I didn’t have an opportunity to observe the class. Therefore, I had to teach with new students except my class students. From now, I will introduce what I teach. The teaching plan was divided by two parts, master plan and sub plan. Text that I used was ‘High School English by Lee, chan-seung et al. and the unit I taught was lesson 6. ‘Living Life to the Fullest’ It is about the life of the disabled and I want to make students understand the difficulty of the disabled in daily life by reading the text. I’ve never thought of myself as a real teacher but I should be a real teacher who has confidence because I don’t want to be remembered as a teacher who was lack of confidence and had poor ability to teach somebody. That’s why I prepared lots of things like searching Internet, finding many grammar books and reading the text till I think my pronunciation is good enough to listen to. In class, I said hello to students and introduce myself briefly before start lecture. And then, I showed a video file to arouse students interesting and that was about a physically challenged person named Lena maria who were born without arms and one leg, and she leads her life as a gospel singer. Students really concentrated on that video and we shared our feeling after watching it. Some students said that they felt sorry for her and it looked very hard to life like that so on. And I read the main text and explain the language structure and grammar in text like ‘would infinitive’ and ‘used to’, and introduce some vocabulary and idiom such as ‘live life to the fullest’, ‘get into trouble’ and so on. Before I finish the class, I asked the their opinion about this text and they answered that the girl who is main character in the text has a very positive attitude toward her life and she hopes people look at her and realize anything is possible. I did the same period to 4 different classes. Honestly, I was quiet nervous and I couldn’t remember what I did in the first class. Sometimes, I just care just few front rows. As I think now, I just said what I prepared and I couldn’t concern about the responses of students. These are all I’ve learned and I won’t do the same fault after. At the very last day, students gave me surprising part and I almost cried. They wrote down some sweet words like ‘good bye~ beautiful and cute teacher!’ and ‘see you someday later’. And I blew out the candles and I got 37 letters from my lovely students. They show their special skills to make me happy like singing, acting and dancing so we got a great great time. I couldn’t forget this precious experience with 37angels.
I will explain more about my chat with my students on Moodeung trip. They don’t know how they study to do what they want. This is, they just study what the school gives them. However, they have long-term goal. It means one of my students wants to be producer in broadcasting and some of them want to be teacher like that. Even though they are just 17 years old, each of them has dream to be. But they can not choose some subjects like America and they have to do all the things. I really don’t like our education system and I want to do something for students if I will be a teacher.
13 comments:
Monday was the first day of teaching practice in Dongshin Grils high school. The subject that I am going to teach is English and my home teacher who will take charge of me for 4 weeks is also in charge of English. This morning, the principal of this school gave training teachers the kind of lecture and request that do not make student relax but try to make them study more with us. The only thing that he mainly pointed was about learning and test score of students. Most of the training teacher graduated from this high school but it seemed that we were out of his mind and, honestly, all of us a bit disappointed because of his negative attitude towards us. Then, I thought that the real situation is quite different from what I have learned. I mean what training teachers learn from the lecture in university is to arouse student interesting and make them practice lots of English speaking. However, I could realize that I also did like this when I was in high school and even if teacher wants do something different it is really hard to do that.
Fortunately or unfortunately I was the first person who went to the real classroom situation without the home teacher, because she was seriously sick. So I went to two first year/s classes and supervised their self-study. Student and I haven’t met before but they welcome me warmly. However, as time went by they tried to make noise and I attempted to make them be quiet and keep studying. Honestly, before I was in front of students, I was nervous because I haven’t got this kind of experience. The thing I learn from this is that it is very hard to control students kindly but firmly with the patience and every teacher grows with experience.
You have been through hard time..
But keep at it!!
Students are always noisy and prankish.
Apparently they are innocent though!
Anyway, Have fun!!!!
Mi-ae~ This is Jihye Kong who made a trip to US with you! I knew that you are also experiencing teacher training in high school. I'm very sorry to hear that some students are kind of messy. Why don't you communicate with them online? Cyworld would be the best one, I think. If you were in co-ed school, you might be more excited. You can do it, Mi-ae!
Miae!
How's going? We've decided the job position of each of us. We are about to be really busy from this week. Anyway, I can not believe that Korean students still have to study only for test scores. I want to cry! I though the education system had changed, but not. It is miserable, isn't it? I think I was a victim of the Korean cramming education. How about trying changing the idea of the principle, who is now trampling on the studets'future? Anyhow, have guts, be more active on your work and have fun! I'll see you later. Good Bye~
Oh my gosh! I did write my feedback here on Wednesday afternoon. Where has it gone? ㅠㅠ
I want to say the title of this week is “getting to know each other.” Before I was put myself into the field of school, I thought the most difficult thing I face on would be teaching itself but I could realize, later on, it is not. Personally, the thing I should overcome is to make close relationship with students. Honestly, the training teachers are neither students nor teachers so we really don’t know how we should take action. I mean that we cannot treat student like what the real teacher does and we cannot make too close relationship with students because they already know we are not a real teacher. This is not we want but that’s what I and the other teachers realize as time goes by. It’s kind of sad story of my school days and it made me and the other teachers feel uncomfortable with teachers and students.
However, even though I feel like this, I could really enjoy spending my daily life with students in school.
This week, every our school members went on a picnic except 3rd year students. 1st year students who I take charge of had a plan to go Moodeung Mt. and all training teacher could follow them. It was the great chance to talk with our class students. Actually, they are going to take a mid-term exam next week so I got no enough chances to get to know my fellow students. I think every student is precious and I want to respect their life. During climbing the mountain, I could talk with several students who are in my class and that made me think like this. For them, the most serious problem they have is the study. Some students don’t even know what they are interested in and why they have to study, and the only reason they study is to enter the university. I felt sorry when I heard this kind of story from student because even I did like this, sometimes, I feel pity for them.
On the other hand, the thing that made me surprised was that each of them already has long-term goal. Of course, their goal was too far to achieve but I want to give them a big hand because I could see that they’ve made great effort to take step forward.
Time flies. A week already passed. I didn’t want to spend time just like this and I decided to conduct a survey from the students. Then, I made survey question included writing name, nick name, best friend, email address, mobile number and anything they want to say to me. Through this survey I could know what they think of me and they wrote that they also want to make close relationship with me. At that night, I send email to my fellow students with photograph that we took at Moodeung Mt. Next day, some of them send me email back and talked about my email in class. I was really thankful and I realized that I could get their responses as much as I try.
How are you doing Miae? It's Songeun. I read your journal and I heard that you are having hard time to make close relationship with students. Also I read that you made survey of the students to know more about them. I am very proud of you that you are investing time and energy to get close to students. I agree with you that it's very hard to get along with people who met first, and also you are restricting by many things. I really enjoyed reading your journal and I realized that you are not just having great time with students.
Our class did lot of works and we are having busy time to build our company.
Anyway, always try to be positive and enthusiastic! I know you can do it! Rock'n roll!!
The high school which I am working at had mid-term exam from Monday to Wednesday and training teachers got the hardest time ever since we worked at this school. To be honest, we thought we would have much private and spare time because school usually finishes early during the exam period. Our supervisor teacher said that the teacher likes the exam period since it is very hard to find that school finishes early. At the early in the morning on Monday, we got a timetable which showed the schedule of training teachers. The principal said that the exam system of school is quite strict so two teachers are needed to control and supervise a class per hour but the number of teacher is limited so they can not keep this rule usually. For this reason, he decided to put training teacher into the class as one of the supervisor. So we were sub-supervisor for 3 days. However, the dream that we had before came to pieces. To watch the students who took the test was much harder than we expected. We couldn’t read newspaper or something. That is, we couldn’t do anything. As teacher gave us the tip, it was really boring to watch the silent class an hour. To make it worse, the training teacher had 3~4times a day and it means that we had to go into the class which took the test and did nothing for 3~4hours, all day long when we were in school. Furthermore, if the main supervisor didn’t say to us that we could take a sit, we should stand up. We, all training teachers, thought that it needed patience and a cost instead of going home early. However, it was a good opportunity to meet many teachers in this school. Training teachers usually follow the home teacher every time and every day so we cannot meet and know many teachers here.
Next day, I had really hard day in the morning self study time. Students were almost out of control because they graded examination papers and asked the score each other. Almost 10munites they screamed and run in the class so a teacher who is charge of the next class came to our class and shouted ‘be quiet, girls!!’ At that time, I stood in front of the class and I didn’t know how I should do. The reason was that student just escaped from examination so I wanted to give them some free time to do what they want to do. However, my decision was wrong and students gave much noisy to next class. It made me to put myself to shame and I thought that the leader of a team or a class have a lot of time to make a decision. To make a good decision is one of the duties for leader and he/she have to make good decision for his/her members.
MiAe:
Sorry I have been so slow to chime in.
Wow! Are you ever getting a dose of reality. So many of my friends and former students go through the culture shock that you are going through. There is delight to finally get to do something you have commited to as a career, but also disappointment as you find out that teahing to the test is prefered by the education institution over best teaching practices and a focus on the learner.
I found poignancy in your statement: "Honestly, the training teachers are neither students nor teachers so we really don’t know how we should take action. I mean that we cannot treat student like what the real teacher does and we cannot make too close relationship with students because they already know we are not a real teacher." The situation is normal, but do you have a peer group to talk about this with? Do you feel supported by your peers and mentors as you go through this? It's a necessary transition, but it is uncomfortable. My door is always open if you need to vent, whine, or advice (you know how much I love to talk!).
I'm a little confused about your chat with students on your Moodeung trip. In one sentence you state that the students don't know what they want to do in uni, but in another you state you were surprised that they have long term goals. Could you explain this a little more to me? Thanks so much.
OMG! Standing around for 3 hours doing nothing! How excruciatingly painful! And you are so mature to look at the positive side that you got to meet more of the other teachers at the school. Truly you have a great heart; I would be much more frustrated and judgemental.
And letting your students run wild after the exam. A teacher has to be the disciplining parent sometimes, even when you really sympathize with them. It's all about setting boundaries appropriate to our context and goals. No worries - you already see the big picture and how so many pieces affect the others.
So one more week and then you join us again? Last week the students did awesome in their presentation of their business plan. This week we are working on a market research project. Next week we will do some "role playing;" I will set up some real life scenarios and then let the company work through them to get to a solution. In two weeks the company will revise the business plan. Our final exam will be to give group/individual presentations about BP revisions and report on the 3 weeks of "work."
Looking forward to your last installment!
You are doing great. Thanks for sharing.
Prof Lisak
Hi Miae! How are you doing? I heard that you'll be back to class next Monday. As you told us in your journal, time flies like an arrow. Thanks to every classmate's collaboration including your outstanding record file, our business started to work form this week activity. We're doing collaborative market research now.
It's very hard to be a leader in the group like you said. Delegating everything didn't mean I was the leader of my class. It's same matter basically with the problem you had in your teaching experience. Fortunately, I think I met nice coworkers in this class. Our group activities and achievements are getting better and wr're making ceratin shape of our business. It will be the best after you jump in next Monday. Take care and I wish you finish your precious experience with unfogettable memories in your life.
Finally, I’ve completed my 4weeks project!! Time flies like an arrow and I’ve got unforgettable memory through my precious experience as a training teacher. Now, while I am writing my journal, everything I did in high school goes through my heart. I want to say the title of this week is “preparing separation”
Last weekend, I made ‘teaching-learning process’ to get ready for my real teaching experience. I spend my whole weekend to do this. I worried about lots of things because I don’t have teaching experience before and I’d never observed the classes. I don’t know why but I didn’t have an opportunity to observe the class. Therefore, I had to teach with new students except my class students. From now, I will introduce what I teach. The teaching plan was divided by two parts, master plan and sub plan. Text that I used was ‘High School English by Lee, chan-seung et al. and the unit I taught was lesson 6. ‘Living Life to the Fullest’ It is about the life of the disabled and I want to make students understand the difficulty of the disabled in daily life by reading the text. I’ve never thought of myself as a real teacher but I should be a real teacher who has confidence because I don’t want to be remembered as a teacher who was lack of confidence and had poor ability to teach somebody. That’s why I prepared lots of things like searching Internet, finding many grammar books and reading the text till I think my pronunciation is good enough to listen to.
In class, I said hello to students and introduce myself briefly before start lecture. And then, I showed a video file to arouse students interesting and that was about a physically challenged person named Lena maria who were born without arms and one leg, and she leads her life as a gospel singer. Students really concentrated on that video and we shared our feeling after watching it. Some students said that they felt sorry for her and it looked very hard to life like that so on. And I read the main text and explain the language structure and grammar in text like ‘would infinitive’ and ‘used to’, and introduce some vocabulary and idiom such as ‘live life to the fullest’, ‘get into trouble’ and so on. Before I finish the class, I asked the their opinion about this text and they answered that the girl who is main character in the text has a very positive attitude toward her life and she hopes people look at her and realize anything is possible. I did the same period to 4 different classes.
Honestly, I was quiet nervous and I couldn’t remember what I did in the first class. Sometimes, I just care just few front rows. As I think now, I just said what I prepared and I couldn’t concern about the responses of students. These are all I’ve learned and I won’t do the same fault after.
At the very last day, students gave me surprising part and I almost cried. They wrote down some sweet words like ‘good bye~ beautiful and cute teacher!’ and ‘see you someday later’. And I blew out the candles and I got 37 letters from my lovely students. They show their special skills to make me happy like singing, acting and dancing so we got a great great time. I couldn’t forget this precious experience with 37angels.
I will explain more about my chat with my students on Moodeung trip. They don’t know how they study to do what they want. This is, they just study what the school gives them. However, they have long-term goal. It means one of my students wants to be producer in broadcasting and some of them want to be teacher like that. Even though they are just 17 years old, each of them has dream to be. But they can not choose some subjects like America and they have to do all the things. I really don’t like our education system and I want to do something for students if I will be a teacher.
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