Korean Job Discussion Forums

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

I've frequently read on this site about how arrogant some of the students can be, and i've always been a bit skeptical, as i 've never really had a brutal class in all my years in Korea. But that all changed last night....

Yesterday, I started at a new hogwon (the hours are great and the money is good). As soon as I walked in the door, I was warned that I would be teaching a class of "arrogant" girls. "Whatever", I thought, giving it no real attention. Anyway, the time for this class begins and the first thing the 5 girls say to me is, "hey idiot/whitey, where you from?" I tell them that it is very rude to speak to a teacher like that. They then turn around from me and begin to talk to each other in Korean, completely ignoring me. That is, except when they turn around and point at me and start to laugh and make these faces at me. Alright, I think, I'm not going to be bested by a group of elemantary-6's. I try to gain control of the class by attempting to perform roll call. The queen of the group tells me her name is princess because "that is what she is." And this is when the class goes from bad to worse; Princess then calls me a "Motherf$#%r" and tells me that I am a "sh*&head." First of all, I was amazed they could swear like this. They then proceed to tell me how lame I am as a teacher. (I really wish I could desciribe the faces they were making at me). I tell them that this language and attitude are totally inappropriate. They then start laughing in this exaggerated manner, calling me all sorts of beauties in Korean and English. "Divide and conqueer," I think. I tell Princess to get out, and she just laughs and then tells me "I'll be hearing from her father." I say please have him call me, to which she again calls me a "stupid whitey." As she leaves, she again reminds me how much better "Scott" was as a teacher. Now a Korean teacher happens to be walking by at this time and I ask him to come in and talk to the class. I tell him what has transpired in the last 15 minutes, and of course they immediately all start to behave, but then the teacher starts to laugh. I could have strangled the idiot; talk about undermining me. He asks me to give Princess one more chance and I say ok, but as soon as he leaves they start up again. I eventually get them to open their books, but when I ask them to read, they start to only spell the words out, or talk in a handicapped fashion. I should mention that of course I could not find the director through any of this, as this was the time he goes for dinner. So by this time I am close to loosing it. I tell them to shut their books and I try to guilt them in to submission; "who do you think you are," "I'm trying to help you learn English" blah, blah'blah. They then tell me that they only want to speak Korean because they love Korea and speaking English is "dirty". I ask them what their parents think of this. Anyway, I eventually get them to tell me where they learned how to swear. It turns out that Scott, a Korean-American, who could not speak any Korean, would "teach" them American swear words which the class would translate in to Korean. The other teachers confirmed this after class.

I could on in more detail, but you get the idea. I ended the class by telling the students that I will be calling their parents to discuss this matter. They laughed, doubting that I would do it. However, as soon as I clarified my Korean wife would be doing the talking for me, it was like I shot them. They all burst in to tears, begging me not to call their parents. And this is when their spin job sprung up. They go around and tell the other students I said "Korean students are garbage, " "Korea is garbage," etc... I did say at one time they are "treating me like garbage." So now, I am starting to see that this may all turn on me fast; that I could be labeled a rascist ,or whatever, by their lies. I talked to the owner about his problem and he told me I CAN"T call their parents as he can not afford to loose these 5 students. Typical!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suffice to say I did not sleep well last night. Do any of you have any ideas about what I should do? I was thinking of asking the director to sit in our class next time, or maybe split the girls up. I have not signed a contract yet, but I really like the other classes, so I am reticent to quit. Besides, I refuse to be intimitated by this class of 12-13 year olds.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Oh, memories, memories, memories.

'You are worse than Tim. You are worse than Chris. You are worse than Greg,' as I get a litany of every FT a group of middle school brats has ever had as I stand their with my pockets bulging with handphones and MP3s I've forcebly confiscated.

Look, it's obvious what is going on here. Wongjongnim only wants to collect their parents' money and is tolerating a farce. It's basically fraud. He gives the parents BS in exchange for their cheques. You burst his bubble, bye-bye cash cow.

You basically have three options:

1. You can try to 'win them over' to learning English and get utterly humiliated.

2. You can play along with the farce like Scott did.

3. You can refuse to teach the class.

If it's any consolation, come 2 March these grade 6 girls' lives are going to become hell. Perhaps when they get to middle school the class will break apart in any case.

kermo · Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:23 pm Post subject:

I've got another idea.

Record the class. You will get evidence you can use to defend yourself against their slanderous claims, and to show to either the director or the girls' parents.

It shouldn't be hard to get hold of some kind of recording device, and if you can't, don't sweat it. Bluff!

What you do with the tape is up to you.
One more piece of advice-- don't let them see you sweat. Practise your neutral face. Don't react from now on. Strategize, but don't cajole, berate or rage at them. You will prevail!

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

Thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned Scott did a runner on them. I honestly can't wait to get them again. However, this time I'm going to bring in a tape recorder, and get them on tape, just to cover my ass. But if it gets unbearable, I'll just leave the school.

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

Wow, you must have been reading my mind!

Tape recoder it shall be!

sock · Joined: 07 Oct 2006

one word: watergun

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

By the sounds of it you are on an F2 having a Korean wife and all...

Basically if the directoir is going to let you be called choice swear words in class and this shows absolutely no respect at all for you..

What would make me think is if the director of the school doesn't back me on this then this would set the tone for the rest of the year....it will be a long year, no matter how good the money or hours......

So I would be walking....especially if you haven't signed a contract yet.
just tell your director if things don't improve rapidly(like in the next class) then he will have to find another teacher..

Ther is no way i would tolerate being called "mother%$%#%" or sh&^*head" in class....ever. If the director can't support you on this I would be moving on...and i would be ringing the parents as well. It isn't slander, just tell them straight up of their behaviour.

If the director flips out well you still have the option of leaving....

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

With an F2 why are you even bothering? Why not just teach privates all day? That's a hell of a lot more money, isn't it? Maybe I'm missing something.

But look, if you are going to stay, here's a way to neutralize their comments: respond to them like you are their therapist. So they say you are stupid. Okay, you ask them why they think that, how it makes them feel, and what exactly they would expect of a better teacher. And so on. You'll find that they have no answers, because the words are hollow, and they will lose motivation as soon as you crack the queen.

Alternatively, you could make them all cry.

How did the phone call from your wife to the parents go? It was not an empty threat was it?

riley · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: where creditors can find me

Treat it like they are taking the piss. In other words, the idea is to not show them that they are making you angry. Laugh your ass off at them and tell them that you can't believe how many mistakes they made. Don't take them seriously. They want you to be pissed off and they want to see you act stuffy and say "you must stop this now, or else" For them it's the closest they can get to extreme sports.

Bring in something really good to eat, but don't let them have any. Tell them that rude girls don't get anything. Say that You have no reason to be nice to them. Use them as your personal mental experiment. You are the puppet master!

poet13 · Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:15 pm Post subject:

Tape recorder for sure, but don't let them see it. F-2? Call their parents to the school and play the tape for them. That's a crazy scene right htere.

Zoot · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Location: Bundang

This is exactly what I was thinking. You're the golden boy, man! You haven't signed a contract yet AND you have an F2... you've got enough leverage to threaten your way out of this job and if there's one thing I've learned here, there are a million 'good' jobs out there - money and hours don't always guarantee a PLEASANT job.

You could also just let the class degenerate and let the girls have their fun. Make sure you let everyone know what the class is like so when parents start to complain that their girls aren't learning, you can say 'I told you so.' Also, recording the class could help - many cheapy mp3 players have the recording devices.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

I'm w/ Just Because on this...bail find a new school you'll be miserable there if that's how the students behave, The boss doesn't seem to care about you, Bail out and be sure to wish the owner good luck w finding a teacher who will submit to being looked down upon and laughed at be elementary school girls.