High School - Safety

[Gilligan]

This lesson was inspired by the grade 2 unit, "Safety First."

Watch the youtube video:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68SbAGAIss8 
Teach the words on the power point.
Day 1 Have them write what happens in groups of 4.
Day 2 have them write the story on a big poster and present...
it was a bit rushed for my students, so if you can spare 3 classes,
that would be better.

[TeacherIsDie]

So a few weeks ago a girl in the middle school forums posted about a student of hers who had been attacked and stabbed in Pohang.
I used to live in Pohang and this news incensed me. I was thereafter given the idea for this lesson. It's about dangerous situations, using easy "should" phrases, and a little lecture on basic safety.

Normally I don't post my lessons up here because... well i feel that i put alot work into my lessons both in ppt form and in-class energy, and i want to share my work with teachers who i know put in at least as much as i do, if not more, into their lessons. This, however, is the internetz, so what can I do? Sorry for being a [mod edit: ******] about it. I feel obligated to post this, as it is the direct offspring of some girl's post--who is erroneously described as a friend in the ppt--and my brain. I can't remember her handle though so i hope she finds it.

Anyway there's lots of prepared comedy. I do a little screaming in this lesson. You'll pick up where. Also, the kids do alot of laughing during the example dangerous situations--explaining American bear safety rules is quite fun. Uhh... yeah... that about sums it up. I suggest cultivating a hilarious way to say dangerous situation. For example i had kids writing things like "My mom wants to meet my boyfriend." and i'd be like, "Oh! Yes, verrryyyyy daanngerous."

Anyway let me know how it goes.

Oh, obviously you should be shuffling things around to suit your own classes and whatnot. Oh and the whaleshark is the thing i toss around class to choose students to speak.

[nzer-in-gyeongnam]

WOW! I didn't read the thread you are referring to, but I know of a girl who was raped just 2 weeks into her time in her contract here in South Korea. She requested to go home because of it, and her school was really good too, they paid for her ticket home and everything.

The work you've put into this ppt is amazing! I just hope I do it justice when I use it with my girls. GREAT job!

[klorptar]

"Normally I don't post my lessons up here because... well i feel that i put alot work into my lessons both in ppt form and in-class energy, and i want to share my work with teachers who i know put in at least as much as i do, if not more, into their lessons. This, however, is the internetz, so what can I do?"

I do appreciate the work that you put into this--it looks fantastic-- but I think ^this is a little unfair. I think there's a lot of people here who put a lot of work into their presentations and materials, and they are equally willing to share it with other people. Waygook doesn't simply exist for people who are too lazy to make their own materials. Certainly it facilitates that, but it's also a good way to share ideas and help make each other better teachers.

[TeacherIsDie]

Indeed. I was aware of the inequity in that statement. That's why i apologized for it immediately afterwards. I'm flattered you felt the need to quote me.

Of course we owe it to our students to be at least trying to improve, and i'm all for that. I just prefer to share with teachers i know. My opinions are, unfortunately, my own. I fear i will continue to both be a mod edit *** and also apologize for being a mod edit ****. Regardless, I appreciate the fact that you appreciate the work I did here. I'm currently on a different computer, my own school computer perhaps having passed away. Thus, my insides are wriggling caterpillar-like, as i backed up none of my lessons from this semester. Now i wish i had uploaded them. Sigh.

[Arsalan]

Darn.  That really is bad news.

I understand that uploading lesson plans, and having them used by "any" teacher,  with some unwilling to put the effort in teaching the material properly, might feel like a loss.  However, there are many good teachers that use this site, many of which would benefit from the material and knowledge imparted by other good teachers.

This being the internet, it's true that the medium allows for the material to be available to all, but I find that our setting is much like a large classroom for teachers.  The sentiment  behind it being that it's worth sharing knowledge in hopes that a few good students will grow with it, even though a possible majority might ignore or just pass by with it.  It might seem small or even irrelevant, but small things can accumulate the momentum to affect positive change in the world.

[smartypantsmd]

Wow, I know a teacher who was followed home and raped in her apartment, and her school wouldn't even move her to a new apartment. Glad to hear that the right thing was done in her situation.

[tovarivera82]

There's no need to be harsh to people. Can't we all just get along?    <-- The post I was talking about was deleted. Now I look like a goober. Sorry! 

I do understand your sentiment ~ I put in TONS of work on my lesson plans. We're talking hours and hours, taking things home to do at night / on weekends, and all around working my rear off for this stuff. It does sometimes irk me when other people use it. (I've had people at my school use my materials without telling me in advance ~ making it so I can't use them in my own class when they were planned for that week.)

However, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if someone else chooses to use my stuff. Even if someone who isn't willing or able to put in the work does use only other people's stuff, what's the harm in it? The kids will get a solid, quality lesson. The goofball who slacks off will still be a slacker, and life will be grand all around.

 

Thank you for sharing the lesson! I think it's great ~ especially something like this, that affects the kids' safety and well-being. 

[RufusW]

Firstly, important lesson - it's things like this that are important for non-Koreans to bring into school/the culture.

Secondly, I understand not wanting to share materials, but think of how it effects you.  The negative effect will be very small and would be greatly outweighed by someone offering constructive feedback.  (But it sounds like you share them with like-minded teachers anyway).

[TeacherIsDie]

I never doubted that there are plenty of excellent teachers on here, or that the vast majority of us on here are trying to become excellent teachers. Um. Yeah. I just prefer to bounce ideas around with friends. Constructive criticism goes down best with beer, i find. And that's just the forum that I prefer.


I wasn't aware that an aside about my own insecurities would open up a dialog like this. Of course all students should have an awesome English time every time. They are owed this. I suppose the best thing to do is for me to just start uploading my lessons [mod edit:...]
Congratulations you have changed my mind. Not really, actually. But I ain't in the ESL game for the money or the recognition (ha), i'm in it for the kids. 

Superlatives lesson moved to a separate thread after moderating with the moderators.

[mdahl45]

Glad you changed your mind. This is my first post I have been in SK for less than 2 months. While I havn't directly used a lesson from here yet, although I'm sure I will at some point, being able to see all of the posts have given me so many ideas and I feel like my students have benifited from it. Not to mention all the different teaching styles and perspectives that I see in the presentations and replies.

PS
I'm in Pohang and that is kind of scary. It happened about a month before I got here but still...

[Joscelyn2]

As a new teacher with no experience prior to coming to Korea, this website has been a life saver. I really appreciate all the qualified people who put lessons up here. Ususally I download them and change things around a little for my classes, and I have started making my own lessons! I have to say though, those first few months would have been a lot more difficult and maybe impossible if I didn't have this site as a resource for what works and what doesn't.  I started out the first few weeks lecuring the students. After coming home exhausted with them and me dreading my class, I tried some of the game formats and read up on some tips and lesson ideas. This site made a huge difference for me having a positive experience here in Korea!

As for enabling lazy teachers, I understand that this teaching position could be easily abused since there is no one reviewing and determining if people are qualified teachers who deserve to stay and be paid or not. That being said, I think it is benefiting their students to have ready made materials posted here for the lazy teachers to use. If there weren't they would have crappy lessons where the students learn nothing. If these lazy teachers didn't have waygook, do you think they would take the time to put together a quality lesson on their own? I don't think so. I think their students would be watching a lot of movies. So consider it as a help to their students that these lessons are provided for the lazy teacher. At least this way they are learning something!

[sincinnatislink]

This lesson sounds great, any shot of getting it in .doc or .ppt rather than .docx and .pptx ?

[pez]

Also, on the subject of sharing good lessons with lazy teachers-
Think about the KIDS!  It's not the kids fault the teacher is lazy, so if the kids can get a GREAT lesson, because YOU made it (and shared it), then you are helping them too.

Like someone else said, it doesn't hurt you to upload it, and you already did the work so you might as well share it.

I feel bad for all the kids in Korea who get screwed with lazy-don't-give-a-fiddler's-fart-teachers.  But, I think most of them aren't on this site because they are even too lazy to find stuff on here!

My thoughts...

[TeacherIsDie]

um. it definitely is the teacher's fault they are lazy.

like i said, though, i am prepared to have this lesson subjected to download-by-lazy-teachers. it is inevitable.

here it is in a more compatible format. use it wisely. next year probably.

[bern]

I feel obligated to say this even though I usually don't. Get over yourself.

[kneukels]

Not to be a poop in the bucket but is it alright to have a word like 'gotta' in a PowerPoint?
Surely that's not teaching them proper English? Just a thought...?

[Wretchard]

You said it bern...

like i said, though, i am prepared to have this lesson subjected to download-by-lazy-teachers. it is inevitable.

So... hard... to... hold... my... tongue...

Yes, be prepared so the dire consequences of sharing a PPT. And hope you didn't get hurt jumping from your high horse...

Sorry... Could not stop myself...

But more seriously...

Maybe a site like www.eslprintables.com would be better for you. It's impossible to be lazy with resources there.

I think someone who is 'lazy' would not even attempt to teach your lessons. It would take too much effort for them. They probably wouldn't even make through the first viewing of your PPT to the end.

I take lots from this site, and I add what I can. Usually something I download ends up getting tweeked  and I upload this 'improved' version.

That is what I like about sharing on here. I'm not concerned with the 'lazy' people. It just doesn't affect me in any way at all. Everyone in the world is never gonna perfect, and well, so be it.

I do like the constructive feedback the 'non-lazy' people bring. I like getting a great idea that I didn't think of. I like to add my ideas and share them with whom ever wants to use them.

That being said, to each his own. I can sort of understand not wanting to share because I am reluctant to give my materials to my co-teachers sometimes fearing that when I show up to teach with them, they will have already used my materials. It has happened to me before and my first thought was "lazy b____" but I realized my materials were just a lot better than hers. She still shouldn't have used them without asking me but she did, so now I only share the materials I don't plan on using myself.

If you don't want to upload your PPT's I think sharing your ideas is the next best thing. If the idea is good, someone else will likely follow through and create the materials anyway.

Sorry for the opinionated rant...

[TeacherIsDie]

i only skimmed the previous post. you lost me at the high horse joke. gross dude. no need to apologize, though, i quite deserve it, i know.

I throw in lots of things like 'gotta'. Why not write the way we talk? It's pretty satisfying when they use it back at me correctly--though incorrectly as you say.

I'm thinking that the heading of my next post will have to be less subtle about my egomania... i don't think you guys are picking up on it...