I am having problems with severely mixed levels of proficiency in my classrooms. There are some students who can have a entirely coherent conversation with me, while others can barely mumble "No Englishy". Does anyone have tips to overcome this kind of thing? Focusing overly much on either end of the spectrum leaves the other end with nothing to do or learn, while teaching for the middle often becomes mediocre or boring. Ideas?

There is an article about this with tips in a KOTESOL publication called The English Connection, winter 2011 volume 15, Issue 4.  Find them on facebook and ask how you can get a copy of it. 

How is everyone finding it now? I'm in my third week and have done greetings. It is pretty hit and miss but getting the students standing up and doing the actions together seems to at get their interest a bit.

Im a bit stuck as to what to focus on next week but I might do a lesson focussing on describing their houses or clean/dirty houses.

Good luck everyone!

I do something similar but after I teach them a ton of descriptive vocab (hair styles, facial hair, body types, etc.) I have them draw am imaginary person. Then in groups of 4-5 they take turns describing the person they drew while the other group members try to draw the same picture based only on the first student's description. Only once the description is totally complete can students look at the original picture. I had a lot of success with the lesson, even if the students only remember the basic stuff it still gives them a ton of practice with the difference between she is _____ and she has______   

The only thing I can suggest for teaching high school students is to create lessons that interest the students otherwise they will not involve themselves in the class. More often than not they are 'too cool' to share so by making it something that they enjoy they will be more likely to involve themselves.

Very true, also along the same lines most of your high school students go to school 12 or so hours a day, are constantly being ridden by their parents about their grades and prep for the KSAT, and are also dealing with normal teenage angst. Trying to make your lessons as interesting and fun as possible is a huge part of getting through to your students.

One resource I've found helpful is the website www.its-online.com. It has many topic based activities and while some are High Beginner-Low Intermediate, there should be enough Low Beginner activities. It isn't free but I subscribed. They also have a resource called "The Language Teacher's Survival Handbook" which has many useful articles including one on first class activities. Other than that as people have said there should be lesson plans available here from teachers in similar situations. The standard format could be a video followed by discussion questions. Some presentation of important vocabulary/expressions, listening examples, speaking activities such as role plays, followed by a presentation by students and a consolidation/quiz/review. Powerpoints and worksheets help keep the students from getting bored especially if the images/videos you use include some of your students our Korean celebrities.

There are large amounts of valuable information in this forum for new teachers. Thank you for generosity!

Hey it gets better you just have you get connected to the network of sites to use. Ive just started using this site, Ive been here two yrs and high school was tough but I was thrown in the deep end. Glad I was though, I learnt a lot. Best websites to use MES - english, EslHQ, Boggles world, eslgamesworld, talkenglish, puzzle-maker, eslflashcards - just google them. Korea has the fastest internet so very lucky indeed. My advice make up a list of all the topics youre going to focus on like Themes : Introductions, family tree, body parts, EVEN ABC's (not joking some dont know even in high school - so phonics are important), hobbies/favourites, Actions/everyday routines, classroom vocab, house vocab, clothes vocab, etc ...

Hey.  I'm starting a new job as a high school teacher for grades 1 and 2.  Like a lot of the posts on here, I have no textbooks, and I'm allowed to develop my own lesson plans.  The focus of the cirriculum is primarily reading comprehension, dictation, and communicative exercises.  Does anyone have any good examples or ideas for where I can locate reading excerpts so that I can develop comprehension questions?  In addition, any good examples or ideas for where I can locate listening, dialogues, etc. to play to the students and provide them with comprehension questions? 

I agree with Ashanti.  Introductions are a great way to get to know the students, and subsequently, have them get to know you.  Collecting their answers is a great way to assess their composition skills as well. 

Try the website, www.netimes.co.kr. I get a magazine from them every so often with little articles that could be useful. If you get a teacher to help you, I'm sure you could subscribe to have it delivered to your school, too, or you could just use the website, though I have not looked at it to see what it's like.

I am also in this position.  I am about to start my second year teaching.  My first year, I was told to teach them what I thought they should know.  There was no book, no guidelines, no starting point.  This caused my first year to be quite unorganized, unrelated, and so this year, I'm trying to prepare in greater detail.  However, I still have no idea what these students will "need to know."  This is supposed to be a TOEFL preparation class, but I was told to "teach them how to talk."  Many of my students have joined our program because there was no other way for them to enter the school.  They are studying alongside the students who wish to travel abroad for college.  So, I guess the question is: What can I teach that is applicable to both?