Q 4.
I started as a Social Studies teacher in Canada in 1990.
The first three years were as a substitute teacher so I learned a lot through trial and error about classroom managenment. In addition, I went to workshops too (about classroom management). I also got ideas from my colleagues especially in regards to making a class flow smoothly without major disruptions. At this time my focus was classroom management so I was not so concerned about the material9s) I had to teach. About 30% of the time I substituted outsides my subject area (Math, Science, Elementary School). At this time I also reflected on the classes I substituted a fair amount. I took down notes about what worked and what did not. My development as a teacher was both on improving my skills and growing as a teacher through self-reflection.
Starting in 1993 I moved into the Adult Education Department of the Richmond School District. I taught mostly Social Studies and History to adult students. In the summers I taught Social Studies 11 to high school students. From 1993 to 2002 I worked to improve my socials teaching skills. I sought out new ideas for lesson or for pairwork (such as jigsaws). During these years I did not reflect on my teaching much if at all. I did get student evaluations and I had to write a report summarizing them but to be honest I reflected little on the students' comments. Now if the majority of students made a point about changing something I would consider it and if it seemed reasonable implement it. Sadly, my vice-principal and principal were so busy they maybe observed my class once or twice during this time period. As a sreult I engaged in very little self-reflection and study of my classroom (the students and me).
My career in EFL was not deliberate as choose it based on one friend's advice. I had been laid off in Canada due to education cutbacks (over 1,000 teachers in British Columbia were at that time). I had a friend, who was also a public school teacher from BC, Canada, teaching in Korea. After exploring work opportunities in England and the USA I choose Korea based on his positive points about teaching English overseas. When I was younger I lived in two other countries (England and Switzerland) so living in another country was not something new to me. Also, my hometown (Vancouver, Canada) is very multicultural so I grew up around other languages and cultures. The only drawback was I had no experience in EFL. I had taught English to native speakers but the two subjects are very different. Looking back I was I had spent more time invested in skills and training and personal growth as a teacher. Most of what I learned was on the job or from co-workers. As I see the areas of my weakness now I realize I could have identified and changed them many years ago while I was working at Suncheon National University. I wish my workplace had workshops like schools in Canada where I could have learned about SLA (second language acquisition).
I agree with Johnston too that career development in terms of trying something new is important. This summer I will teach a course about childrens' books (focusing on Dr Seuss). The students will make activities and lessons using the books. Minimal pairs will be discussed. Some of things I have learned in the STG program such as minimal pairs, the l/r chopstick pronunciation activity (and some others from the pronuniciation workshop) and PPiPP will be used.
One thing I wholeheartedly agree with Bill Johnston is in regards to the dialogue between students and teacher. I agree that it is not just the 50 or so minutes in the classroom. In Canada and at Suncheon University I often talked to students if I saw them outside of the classroom. This is where my talkative nature and outgoing personality can help. At my current job I see the students all day from Monday to Friday as they stay in our building (it has a dormitory and classrooms). In the morning I say "Hi. How are you?" and at night I often say "Goodbye" or "Have a good sleep." Hopefully my interest in their lives has made them better students.
Q 5.
Yes, I think that foreign EFL teachers are often marginalized in Korea.
Now, I should add that it is improving.
Examples of improvement are that my current workplace gives my co-workers and I in-service training (workshops) with people we choose to present. My workplace pays the presenter.
Also, at JETI (my current workplace) my vice principals now always ask me if they can use my classroom for other presentations. I am very happy that they do this. Years ago other people would use my classroom and leave garbage, use up all my whiteboard markers and not replace them, and move things around (and not put them back). Thankfully this never happens anymore. Lastly, the administrators ask the EFL teachers more often if it OK if they do something or make changes to the schedule (or at the very least we get a heads-up about changes).
The thinking in Korea "that if you speak the language you can teach it" seems to be lessening as well which should help EFL teachers be better recognized. More qualifications are expected and some workplaces pay for EFL teachers going to conferences and workshops.
One key change I hope for is that more of a foreign EFL teacher's training is paid for. Korean teachers get way more workshops and training than Canadian teachers. Overseas training and graduate studies for Korean teachers are often paid for by the education department. In my province the government has reduced the number of professional development school days and a teacher will pay for her/his own graduate programs.
But when foreign EFL teachers and professors are on one year or two year contracts and work visas it is hard to lobby as you can easily be fired or not have your contract renewed. In Japan I have heard that foreign instructors own their own visas. In Korea your employer owns it.
At least at my workplace I have a lot of autonomy about what I teach. This makes me feel less marginalized as I can suggest new courses or change my syllabus ("can lead to some freedom to make what I want"). I might be a little "off the radar" but the students' feedback can change what I teach. For example, when one group of Elementary Teachers said that debate was not useful for them I lost the course. When the course re-started I was not teaching it.
In closing, I am sure that many Korean English Teachers would also say they are marginalized. The whole now we have NEAT and now we don't showed that ultimately the central government proposes and then kills ideas based on their own reasoning.
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