Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bourquetheman]

I've taught at my current university going on 4 years now and I've never had a class that I've hated. Sure there have been select students who have pissed me off, but it always amazed me as to how other teachers would say "Boy my 9am class sucks" or some other thing. One teacher (who is gone now thank goodness) actually talked to the wall because he said he couldn't get the students to speak.
I think it's all about our attitude as teachers and the kind of perception we bring going into class. I never expect my students to be great speakers, but I do expect them to try. I tell each class (big speech 1st class of the semester) that given the choice between 20 great speaking students with mediocre attitudes to 20 poor speaking but enthusiastic attitudes, I'll take the latter choice any day of the week.
As for majors, sure some are better than others. I'm at the Natural Science campus of my university (one of the top 5, not bragging just giving information and the Sports science majors are the poorest in ability but I can't blanket judge them and say they suck because I've had some of them try really hard and I appreciate that.
As for doing the work, my university really has supported our decisions to fail students. Sure I still get the student who either never came, or came once with a letter typed in english saying he was playing basketball for his university and that he would still like a C in the course, but I just politely take him down to my director, make sure he understands why I can't pass him and that's the end of story.
Then of course comes the challenge period when they can request their mark be changed to which I usually get between 10-20. So I basically think that we can't broadly say that Korean universities get a fail.

[Kyrei]

I'll start next week. My classes this semester include English majors, French majors, Adolescent Education majors, Law majors, and the dreaded Phys Ed majors (I drew the short straw it seems). Last semester was all Engineers.

Where I come from Engineers were the hardest working/studying students of all. We only saw them at the beginning and end of the semester and then they were all wild and drunk. Here, they were hung over and sleepy all day, all semester.

Apathy is a big problem. Getting past it is part of the challenge of our jobs, although one that is not written in the contract. I agree with the poster above who said that students who try are greatly preferred over students who produce. That is the goal of this semester for me... get them to try.

I am thinking of saying next week that anyone who is interested in getting a D and not interested in doing any work can sign up and leave now. Show up for the exams and the D is yours... of course this means that no one can fail. Ahh, well, it is only a pre-semester dream anyway.

Last semester I failed approximately 20% of the students for not showing up, handing in work, etc. NOW they tell me that the school has a four absence = F policy (this is my second semester at this establishment). So armed with that... we'll see how it goes. Had I known THAT last semester then a helluvalot more would have gotten the F.

Good luck to all of you!
Kyrei