Lesson Planning In South Korea: A Q&A With Teacher Ben

How much time do teachers spend on lesson planning in South Korea?

For me, lesson prep took around three hours a week, during free periods. My school did not demand lesson planning. Being at a branch school, away from the administrative hub and the senior principal and larger staff contingent, there was a more open approach to lesson planning. 

In my case, the classroom teacher would structure the lessons, briefly discuss the lesson format, and then ask for any minor input from me. But the majority of the lesson planning was done by the homeroom teacher. Perhaps this was done to avoid discussing the planning in English. 

Lesson plans may require some dialogue between the English teacher and their co-worker, which is not always as fluid or well-defined. Since we had a smaller class, our lesson plans were not expected to be too extensive. 

However, since I had some free time, I was required to prepare at least some original material. Still, since we worked from a textbook that was relatively well structured, I did not have to spend too much time on this. 

Read more: 5 Ways To Adapt Your Coursebook

Are lesson plans and materials provided?

As I was new to teaching and Korea, I am grateful that the staff at both schools were patient and supportive throughout my tenure. They assisted me whenever I asked for help. 

Being creative in preparing lessons or sourcing material was crucial. Since I was the first English teacher at the school, I needed to compile my own database of content. And learn by doing. 

One day a week, I offered one-hour English conversation lessons to a few staff members. This was an informal discussion group centred on topics such as hobbies, family, food, and culture.

This helped me learn how to plan my own lessons. Once the term was over, I had more time to focus on the lesson plans for my students.

Read more: Top Tips For Effective Lesson Planning

Coming from a family of teachers, I was familiar with the dynamics and culture of teaching. I was not expecting much in terms of resources, but I was still surprised by the equipment on hand: high-speed internet, big-screen TVs, games, and a willingness to consider new ideas. 

From a post-apartheid South African perspective, limited classroom resources were not new to me. On the contrary, even a remote country school in South Korea was somewhat better equipped than some of the public schools I’d seen in Cape Town!

Does lesson prep get easier over time?

Over time, teaching became easier once I:

• established my list of teaching materials, 
• developed methods of classroom management, and 
• gained a better understanding of the students, staff and culture. 

Once I had established effective teaching techniques, identified useful websites, built a network of teachers, and established trust, lesson preparation became easier and less time-consuming. 

I could re-use material or build on ideas so that students could improve their skills in certain exercises or familiarise themselves with activities, songs and games. 

My school let me take part in several open lessons, where I would sit in on English classes taught by other teachers in the area. This way, I developed new teaching ideas and increased my confidence in front of a class. 

I was fortunate to attend several English teacher workshops that helped me with my integration and teaching journey. These experiences all contributed to my development as an English teacher. 

What are the expectations outside the classroom?

Thankfully, I had some free periods in which to create lesson plans. 

Staying at school to create lesson plans wasn’t expected, as I also had to travel about 30 minutes to and from school. 

Sometimes, my co-worker offered to drive me home, as he also lived in Joam. During these drives, we could openly engage in discussions about teaching, the school, and life in Korea. We also spent some time together after school. 

A great deal of time was spent building relationships with my co-workers through dinners, sports, or even camping together. Here is where many school-related discussions took place. These team-building exercises related to the school’s culture (often directed by the principal), which influenced teacher expectations and the overall mood of the staff. 

Humility is highly valued in Korean culture, so understanding the social hierarchy and reciprocal nature of Korean society helped me to integrate. 

Read more: Things To Know About South Korean Classroom Culture

Later on, my co-worker asked me to spend more time on lesson planning, which I did.

Language and cultural barriers can impact the teaching experience, as not preparing for lessons may be acceptable for one term, but then be expected the next term, and then change again after that.

So, flexibility and being open to trying new approaches helped navigate teaching expectations. 

How did you prep for summer and winter camps?

For summer camps, I was able to diversify my planned activities and lead lessons independently. 

While some focus remained on textbook-style lessons — like speaking, writing, and reading practice — we also did arts and crafts, show and tell, role-playing, and acting. 

I even incorporated games like UNO and Jenga, allowing the classes to be about playing while practising speaking in English.

Summer camps are far more relaxed and less structured than the curriculum-based teaching or after-lunch conversation classes. 

What impact did lesson planning have on your work-life balance?

Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) is a skill that develops over time. 

My teaching experience was tied to my relationship with the other Korean teachers and the principal. 

At my school, the principal or deputy principal was based off-site. We had a senior teacher who oversaw the teachers at our outreach school, but I was expected to work in cohesion with other teachers. 

Although the focus must be on the students, the working relationship between the foreign English teacher and the local teachers was important. 

As a new teacher, one may need time to build trust between the students and staff. Flexibility and willingness to learn were vital, as they influenced my overall teaching experience.

Read more: The Importance Of A TEFL Lesson Plan

Any tips for lesson planning?

• Use resources for creating lesson plans, such as British Council: Learn English Online , Dave’s ESL Café and YouTube .
• Interacting with other English teachers in the vicinity or elsewhere may be helpful to gain valuable tips. If there was a previous English teacher at the school, they may also have some ideas to help your teaching. 
• Being proactive and not reactive in planning lessons is essential. 
• Engage with your co-worker and learn their teaching style, so that the lesson plans and teaching ideas do not clash. 

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