Teaching English in Korea is a fantastic way to travel, save money and go on a ton of adventures. However, teaching English is also a job. Some teachers will come with lots of experience including TEFL certificates and education majors. Other teachers come to Korea with zero experience. In either scenario, this post discusses a few teaching tips for Korea that our teachers learned from their time abroad.
Learn Names!
The first teaching tip is to learn all of the students’ names. This seems obvious, but many first time teachers don’t spend anytime doing this. If you’re new to the school or have a lot of new classes, there will be many students. Furthermore, it is difficult for some to learn Korean names because they are completely new to the teacher. Regardless, when you know a student’s name, it is easier to identify them in class and bond with them. This leads to better class management and a better overall teaching experience.
Teaching tips for Korea – Ask for help
It is a great idea to ask for advice from your coworkers. Most people are very happy to offer advice. You can observe the other teachers while they teach. This will help you understand the flow of different lessons. Also, your coworkers can help you understand how things are specifically run at your new school. In short, don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Educational Games and the Stickyball
Games are sometimes a tricky subject when it comes to teaching English in Korea. Some schools fully support games, while others want to keep the classes more formal. In my opinion, educational games are the perfect happy medium. Hangman is not an educational game (even though your students will emphatically argue that it is!). However, there are many educational games that are also fun ways to review the grammar and other topics of the day’s lesson.
The stickyball is a great tool to turn a simple review into a seemingly fun game. For example, split the students into two teams. Draw a bull’s eye with various levels on the board. Each team must answer a question. If they answer correctly, they can throw the stickyball at the bull’s eye. Depending on where it lands, they get a certain amount of points. There are a hundred ways to modify this game and keep it fresh!
These are just a few teaching tips for Korea. They are all simple, but the great teachers do them all! Also, the more tips you learn, the better you will become. This is not only great for the students, but it will also make your life much less stressful. Teaching is a craft and it takes work to improve it. And with these tips, you are off to a great start!