A common horror story is when a student teacher has to teach in a classroom with very limited resources. For instance, the textbooks are outdated, there are no proper teaching aids like projectors or even enough desks and chairs for the students. This makes it extremely challenging to deliver an engaging and effective lesson. The student teacher has to be very creative but still often struggles to meet the educational goals.
One horror story could be when a student teacher is completely ignored by the students. They talk over the teacher, refuse to follow instructions, and make it impossible to conduct a proper lesson. It's like the teacher is invisible and their efforts are in vain.
There was a student teacher who had to deal with a very uncooperative and rude colleague teacher. This other teacher would undermine the student teacher in front of the students, for example, by contradicting their teaching methods without any valid reasons. It made the student teacher lose confidence and the students also became confused about who to listen to.
Another bad student teaching story might be when a student plagiarizes work. A teacher spent a long time teaching about academic integrity, but still, there was a student who copied an entire essay from the internet. When confronted, the student denied it at first. This not only wasted the teacher's time in investigating but also set a bad example for other students in the class.
Sure. There was a student teacher who had a student in the class that was constantly disrupting. This student would throw things, make loud noises, and even physically intimidate other students. The student teacher tried all the techniques they learned in training but nothing seemed to work. It was a nightmare to maintain any kind of order in the class.
One horror story is getting stuck in a school with no proper teaching materials. I once taught in a remote place abroad where there were hardly any textbooks or educational resources. It was a nightmare trying to plan lessons without the basic tools. Another is dealing with extremely unruly students. I had a class where the students were constantly disrupting the class and there was little support from the school administration to discipline them.
One horror story could be when a substitute teacher walked into a classroom full of rowdy students who completely ignored all instructions. They were throwing things, shouting, and refused to sit down. The substitute had no support from the school staff and had to endure the chaos for the whole day.
One of my student teaching stories was when I had a student who was really shy at first. He rarely participated in class discussions. But I noticed he was really good at writing. So I encouraged him to write down his thoughts and share them with the class in written form first. Gradually, he gained more confidence and started to speak up in class. It was amazing to see his transformation.
Well, there are horror stories about cultural misunderstandings. For instance, the teaching style that might work well in Western countries could be completely misinterpreted in Korea. Teachers might be too direct or casual in their teaching approach according to the local standards, and this can lead to conflicts with students or parents. Also, some teachers have horror stories about the long working hours. They might be expected to work extra hours without proper compensation, like staying late to help students with exams or prepare teaching materials.
Some horror stories involve the students themselves. There are cases where students are not interested in learning English at all, and they can be quite disruptive in class. This makes teaching a real challenge. Additionally, there can be horror stories around the lack of support from the schools. Teachers may not have access to proper teaching materials or training, and yet they are expected to deliver high - quality English lessons. It's like being set up to fail in a way.
A memorable story was when a student surprised me with a handmade thank - you card at the end of the teaching period. It had all these drawings of things we had learned in class. It was so simple yet so heartwarming. It made me realize how much of an impact I had on the students.
Books are great teaching resources. Classic literature can expose students to different writing styles and story structures. For instance, reading 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' can inspire students to write adventure - based stories.
Another might be related to housing issues. Some English teachers in Korea have found themselves in accommodation provided by the school that was in a really bad state. It could be dirty, infested with bugs, or in an unsafe neighborhood. Imagine arriving in a new country and having to deal with such a living situation while also trying to focus on teaching. It's a real nightmare.