After a year and a half at my school, they've finally killed my will to teach

[Yu_Bumsuk]

How will they know you're using the textbooks in your class if they're not there? Just use them anyways.

It's hard to imagine a Korean school with no computers and TVs in the classrooms. I'd think that the students and parents would put up an awful fuss since every other school in the country gets to have them.

[steffyannabelle]

So sad to read posts like this. Sorry to hear about the stress.

[flasyb]

It sounds a lot like my first year in high school. No textbook, no computer in class, no TVs, diminishing presence of co-teachers toward 0% attendance (except 1 who's great). I was allowed to make seemingly unlimited copies though. I think it's going to be a lot of games involving blank paper, teams and the board for the next 6 months for you. I feel for you because not long ago you were commenting in a thread and saying how regular classes are where you do your real teaching. Now your ability to do real teaching has been seriously limited. Could be that your reputation/popularity was getting to the point that you were eclipsing your co-teachers and they wanted to stop it. It's a bit conspiracy theorist though for me. I suspect it's a case of "the know not what they do." Simply a complete and utter lack of consideration.

What I did was I started taking all of my classes to the library where there is a projector hooked up to the computer and the desks are arranged in a nice horseshoe. As I had no way of booking it in advance and older teachers reserve the right to cancel any booking (made through my co-teacher), I'd just turn up. If it was in use, it would be back-up lesson time - paper based games with a little teaching thrown in the mix that was relevant to the game. If it wasn't, business as usual (minus the 5-10 minutes required to get the students there and settled down). Eventually, someone (perhaps the teacher whose naps I frequently interrupted and who I later found out made the library his home/office) must have started asking why I was constantly invading his space and other teachers might have whispered in dark corners or by coffee machines about the rowdy march of flasyb's students to the library every class period he had. After a few weeks, an old dinosaur of a laptop turned up (which I asked the technician to format in order to make it functional) and in the intervening time my school had been investing in plasma screens. In the end, I got a laptop, plasma TVs and was able to teach with technology. Flasyb 1, Korean high school 0. 

[bobrocket]

How will they know you're using the textbooks in your class if they're not there? Just use them anyways.

I go along these lines, at least grab a book for yourself so you can add some progressive structure.
I uploaded a book called everyone speak, you can teach the material and give them paper, hopefully paper  :D

[gayageum]

It is possible to be an effective and interesting teacher without computers, TVs, co-teachers, massive amounts of printed materials, and so on. You simply need to be creative and resourceful. Three examples:

Random Questions (Source: ESL Cafe's resources). The students are provided fourths of scrap paper. On the blank side, they create 3-5 random questions to ask their classmates. They ask a classmate their questions, swap papers, and then find a new partner.

Same or Different (Source: Nunan's task-based book). Create two sets of images, A and B. Some of the images are the same and some are different. Students are paired. One is provide A and the other B. Without looking, they must describe the images to determine if they are the same or different. They record their answers on scrap paper quarters, and the image papers are reused across classes. (Total copies required: ~5-25 depending on how many images and how their ordered on the paper).

Jigsaw Comic (Source: Jigsaws are a common approach across education). Take a four panel comic and fit it on one page. Cut the paper into quarters. Divide the class into groups of fours. Give each group one panel of the comic and tell them to memorize the comic. After time, reorder the groups so that each group has one member from each of the panel groups. The groups must then tell a partner how to draw their image on the back of scrap paper. When finished, the next person tells the next student. (Total copies required: ~5-6 because of reuse of panels.)

My instructions may not be clear. I typed them rather quickly. But, these are all activities and tasks which I have used with high school students across levels, and they have been successful. The students often viewed them as games without being presented as such. Nor were they intended as such.

Needless to say, it is possible to be an effective and interesting teacher without a massive amount of resources.

[#basedcowboyshirt]

Ahaha. Oh. The plot thickens.

A teacher just came up and said 'Did you hear the new plan? You will teach on Saturdays, too!'

And I was like 'What?'

And he said 'A teacher will notice to you about it'

헐

[vw08]

Ahaha. Oh. The plot thickens.

A teacher just came up and said 'Did you hear the new plan? You will teach on Saturdays, too!'

And I was like 'What?'

And he said 'A teacher will notice to you about it'

헐

Most EPIK/MOE contracts, if not all, stipulate quite specifically that you do not have to work on Saturdays.  Double check your contract to be sure of this and show it to your school if they push the issue.  I know people say that contracts don't always mean much, but for NETs, Saturdays off is a given. However, if you do elect to teach on Saturdays, expect to get 30k/hour, as stipulated in the contract.

[eggplant_tyrant]

Ha ha! Your school is crazytown. Please don't let them get away with all of this.

If I recall correctly, your school also tried to bunk a student with you during break when the dorms were closed, yes? They backed down on that; they can back down on this.

Seriously, crazytown.

[flasyb]

Ahaha. Oh. The plot thickens.

A teacher just came up and said 'Did you hear the new plan? You will teach on Saturdays, too!'

And I was like 'What?'

And he said 'A teacher will notice to you about it'

헐

Haha! Sounds like this waygookin needs to put his foot down. Has there been a change in management or something? Could be that or maybe the management are starting the new term with a crackdown on "teacher laziness." I've noticed VP and Principal patrols increase this semester.

It's strange that you might be asked to work Saturdays. I was under the impression than nobody has to work Saturdays any more. I thought the national MOE had banned it to try and reduce the stress on students and teachers alike.

I think it's really time to start making a nuisance of yourself. Keep asking for your access to technology to come back. Throw in stuff like, "I was talking to my friend who works nearby and he said at his school he always has access to technology." Also, do a lot of sighing and grow a bit of stubbly facial hair. If you're tight with any older staff not in the English department, mention it to them as if (and I think you are) you're very very sad about the recent turn of events. Shuffle through the halls like a ghostly apparition of your former self and look into the windows of classrooms with working projectors/TVs/[insert technology] as if filled with regret. Then, shuffle on. I'd try the library too. Worked for me.

[hilarity ensues]

At this point, it sounds like they're trying to get you to quit.

[fishead]

 This sounds really 1997-2000.
Contact a EPIK/GEPIK Co-ordinator.

[deanitsin]

And also, as I mentioned in a lot of my previous threads over the past year, only senior teachers are allowed to make large numbers of handout copies. Junior teachers such as myself aren't allowed to make that many copies.

This blows my mind. No computer? Okay, everything's on the board/in books. No book? Okay, buy your own and make copies. Wait, you're not allowed to make copies... So basically your school is telling you that you are to teach a class to 40 high school boys where you will (presumably) have no grading power, no co-teacher, and no supplies other than a board and what the students deign to bring to class. No way, no how is any learning going to get done in that sort of environment. I mean, it could if this were actually a third world country where students are used to working with nothing, but this is Korea, where students are trained to give their attention to the test, the screen, the book, the teacher -- in that order.

You NEED to talk to someone about this. Be polite, but persistent. AT LEAST secure photocopying powers... or else check out, and have your class essentially be study hall. Tell students to bring their hagwon homework, and you'll help them with it.

I couldn't have put it better myself. Your school is going out of it's way to make you an ineffective teacher. Something needs to change or this class will quickly get out of hand.

Yep. What reason did they give for not wanting you to use the textbook? I would love to hear that explanation. And I don't even know what  "junior" teacher is....

Maybe sit your.... uh.... well, I'm not sure who you would sit down, given that you don't appear to have any coworkers left, but just see if you can't sit somebody down and ask them how they would teach a year of classes with no computer, no textbook, and no photocopies. After they try to figure that one out for a while, make sure to add in that you're not even asking them to do it in a language that the students, effectively, don't even speak. Maybe after they really place themselves in your position, they'll be more motivated to sort out a solution. I cannot imagine going through a year like that. A class of 40 low level students with absolutely zero visual aids is simply not possible. Ridiculous.

[deanitsin]

Do not work Saturdays. They can't fire you over that. Just do the bare minimum (as it seems they don't want you there anymore,) get your certificate of employment when you leave, then either find a better job here or move on to better pastures.

Best of luck.

That's easy to say in theory, but the problem is that the students suffer, and you have to go through a year feeling like a lousy teacher. That's hard to face up to. I feel for this guy.

[eggplant_tyrant]

That's easy to say in theory, but the problem is that the students suffer, and you have to go through a year feeling like a lousy teacher. That's hard to face up to. I feel for this guy.

This is true, but I would always, always advise against succumbing to this guilt. It's manipulation, pure and simple. It's not cowboyshirt's job to arrange his schedule in a way that doesn't conflict with his contract. Someone else is being paid to do that. Someone with more pull and influence, even. And that person isn't doing his or her job properly, to the detriment of the students. Covering for that person to your own detriment is only putting a band-aid on the problem, and it's a poor band-aid at that, because you will be doing a worse job (through fatigue, if nothing else) than you would have if you had been scheduled properly.

I hate when people try to impose guilt trips to cover for their own laziness and incompetence. (Not you, of course -- you're not doing that.)

[deanitsin]

That's easy to say in theory, but the problem is that the students suffer, and you have to go through a year feeling like a lousy teacher. That's hard to face up to. I feel for this guy.

This is true, but I would always, always advise against succumbing to this guilt. It's manipulation, pure and simple. It's not cowboyshirt's job to arrange his schedule in a way that doesn't conflict with his contract. Someone else is being paid to do that. Someone with more pull and influence, even. And that person isn't doing his or her job properly, to the detriment of the students. Covering for that person to your own detriment is only putting a band-aid on the problem, and it's a poor band-aid at that, because you will be doing a worse job (through fatigue, if nothing else) than you would have if you had been scheduled properly.

I hate when people try to impose guilt trips to cover for their own laziness and incompetence. (Not you, of course -- you're not doing that.)

I actually meant the "just do the bare minimum" bit. I wouldn't work Saturdays, unless I really felt like I wanted to.

[gayageum]

A class of 40 low level students with absolutely zero visual aids is simply not possible.

It can be a challenge, but it is very possible. See one of my previous examples in the thread.

[deanitsin]

A class of 40 low level students with absolutely zero visual aids is simply not possible.

It can be a challenge, but it is very possible. See one of my previous examples in the thread.

How much new vocabulary are you going to teach to low level students with no visual aids? It is possible to survive, yes. Is it possible to be an effective teacher for an entire year? I don't think so. There is no reason why it should be that much of a challenge, simply to your job, just because your work establishment has decided to strip you of all resources.

[eggplant_tyrant]

I actually meant the "just do the bare minimum" bit. I wouldn't work Saturdays, unless I really felt like I wanted to.

Okay, yeah, fair enough. If you're not a person inclined to do the bare minimum in the first place, doing so is kind of soul-crushing; doubly so if you want to be useful and productive but you're limited by your work environment.

[fishead]

 If there's no computer in the English lab you can bring a laptop computer into the regular classes . There will be at least one student who knows how to hook it up to the television. I did this for two weeks when my English lab computer was out of order. 

 If you can't use the regular photocopiers you can still use the machines that copy on the re-cycled brown paper on the first floor. There is usually an ajoshi who works that machine . If you want new photo-copies by Monday you should see the ajoshi with one photo copy by Wednesday.

If they are not willing to accomidate you on these two minor adjustments you should contact your local Kyopo co-ordinator

[gayageum]

How much new vocabulary are you going to teach to low level students with no visual aids?

Short Version
A lot. There are many strategies and techniques for teaching vocabulary which do not require visual aids. (See "Vocabulary Teaching: Effective Methodologies" for some basic ideas.)

Long Version
This question has shifted the discussion from "being an effective teacher" within a specific context to "being an effective vocabulary teacher." I would like to return to the original discussion to clarify my thoughts.

The original post by #basedcowboyshirt establishes the context as a South Korean, all-boys, public high school class of 40 students. He later added low-level to the context. Thus, my response to his post and your subsequent post were addressing this specific context.

To a teacher who has spent time at a South Korean public high school, they should be familiar with some basic facts about their students and context. First, Korean high school students have had English classes for a minimum of three years in middle school. Most students have had English classes since the third grade in elementary school. Second, to prepare the high school students for the Korean college entrance exam (수능), the Korean English teachers focus on teaching grammar, reading, and listening, and the students are require to memorize lengthy lists of English vocabulary. (This could slowly shift with the addition of a speaking component to the entrance exam.) Third, the students rarely, if ever, engage in English conversation in or out of school.

Most specifically, let's focus on #basedcowboyshirt's context. He has specifically been told to not use the school's textbook. He was not told he could not use a textbook. Rather, he incorrectly assumed using an alternative textbook would require more copies than he's allowed to make. Further, he has not been provided a computer or a television. I also assume what he teaches is an open question. Hence, he has freedom to devise his own lessons.

Given the above, how can #basedcowboyshirt be an effective teacher? Others have bemoaned it as a impossibility. I disagree. It is possible to be an effective teacher within this context. The teacher must begin by defining realistic outcomes for the teacher and students. The NEST class would most likely be the only time in a week in which a student has the opportunity to use English for communicative purposes. Thus, it is reasonable for a NEST to focus on speaking. A reasonable outcome for the teacher would be the reduction of teacher-talk time and maximize the student-talk time. This is easily measurable. A reasonable outcome for the students could be an increase in confidence (or the lowering of the affective filter) in using English in the classroom. This is a little more difficult to measure, but it can be done to some extent.

With outcomes in place, the teacher must then look at the individual lessons. How can a teacher minimize teacher-talk in lessons? Rather than "explaining" how to do an activity, the teacher can model the activity. Or, even better, the teacher can have students model the activity. With time, a teacher will develop an array of strategies for minimizing teacher-talk time. How can the teacher maximize student-talk in lessons? I am a strong advocate of task-based instruction. The focus of the lesson is upon the task rather than language. How can the teacher help increase student confidence? Student confidence will often come through seeing that they can use English to communicate. Thus, devising lessons which allow a student to successful in communication while still stretching them some tends to build their confidence. This is more of an art than a science, so it takes practice. So, let's see what this might look like in practice.

Jigsaw Comic. This lesson requires scrap paper with a blank side (readily accessible in any school) and ~3-4 copies. The paper to be copied would be a four-panel comic strip with one panel on each quarter of the paper. The copies are cut into quarters and each quarter labeled in order with A, B, C, and D. They will be reused from class-to-class, so the teacher will need to inform the students to not write on them.

Once in class, the students will be put into groups of four. Each group is given one panel of the comic strip. The group is required to memorize the picture and any words which occur on the panel. Next, the students are reorganized into groups consisting of one student from group A, one from group B, C, and D. Each group is provided a sheet of scrap paper. Student A describes his panel to Student B. Student B draws the picture in the A panel (upper-left hand corner) of the paper. When finished, Student B describes to Student C. Student C draws. This continues until all students have finished. When all groups have finished, each group is provided a number and the students write the numbers of all the groups on the back (1, 2, 3, so on). The students then pass the comic around the classroom to each group and the group designates how many stars should be given (1 bad, 5 good). After all comics have been rated by all groups, the groups count their scores. The group with the largest number of stars is the winner. (Optional: You can give out candy, but it's not necessary.)

The biggest mistake teachers make when doing similar lessons is attempt to explain the entire process at first. Don't. Simply explain how to do each part. First memorize. That's it. Second, explain how to describe and draw. Third, explain how to pass around and score.

With a full year of similar task-based lessons, the students will begin to see they can use English to communicate. Their confidence increases. Additionally, the task-based approach can be helpful in minimizing teacher-talk time and maximizing student-talk time because the teacher is not focused on teaching "content." Yet, this has been accomplished with minimal resources or visual aids. (Yes, I used a comic strip. It could easily be a story or any other content in the panels, or use pre-recorded audio stories. Hence, one could completely eliminate the "visual aids." The most important thing for a teacher to learn is "adapt.")

I used this approach for close to a year and a half at my previous school. At first, it was challenging. I slowly began to see how to use the approach better myself, and I started to notice the students responding to the approach. Though I did not complete an objective assessment, I am convinced the approach was effective. I accomplished many of my goals and the students seemed to become more confident in class. They were excited about the lessons and often considered them to be "games." (They weren't games.) My co-teachers develop a good degree of respect for the approach and thought it was great.

Is it possible to be an effective teacher with minimal resources? Absolutely.