Korean Job Discussion Forums

[teachingld2004]

I teach little kids. I love it, they make me happy.

So here is a really strange complaint I received from a parent. Not to me, but to the boss.

I was in the class room after class cutting squares for a math lesson. A kid comes in, and says "What are you doing?" I said I was cutting squares for a math lesson. The kid said "What?" I said, come here, I will show you. So the kid sat down, and we talked. Or I talked. Then she had some game I never saw,and I said "Oh, show me how to play". So she did, and I still did not get it. She said "Understand?" and I said "No, show me one more time".

I had fun, and to me it was no big deal. The next day my boss tells me a parent got very jealous that I was giving another student a private lesson. She said the mother called her at night and asked if I was giving private lessons.

I said I was not giving a lesson, the kid asked me what I was doing, I showed her, and then she showed me a game.

My boss said the mothers are very jealous of eachother, and I can not do that. If a kid comes in to talk to me, I can talk for 5 minutes, and then I have to tell the kid to please go, that I am busy.

My boss said she knows I was just being friendly, but the mothers are very competitive.

My boss said she knows that Korean mothers are crazy.
That just blew my mind.

[spliff]

Don't talk to anybody in your free time unless you're getting paid for it!

[yingwenlaoshi]

That's retarded. How do you say "That's retarded" in Korean? Anybody?

[BigBuds]

[Ilsanman]

A similar but cleaner expression would be 웬일이야 or 미치겠어

[Son Deureo!]

Yep, and if you'd refused to speak to the child HER mother would have complained that you were being unfriendly to her kid. You can't please everyone.

Your boss needs to learn how to handle the parents better and stop passing on every inane comment they make.

[teachingld2004]

My boss is great. My director is great. Really.

My boss asks me my opions a lot. She also does not know what to say to these parents.

On the fair side, she also tells me when the parents give compliments.

Another strange thing, was that a parent said I should not say "Ah-sah", because her kid said "Ah-sah" and that was not respectfull. The kid said "teacher said a-sah", and the parent said that adults say that, children do not.

The kids say to me "Ah-sah:, and I say it back to them.

Man, these parents are super strange. I know that here there are levels of respect, but the kids can say "teacher ba-boh", and they can say "dung", and a host of other things, but "ah-sah" is not good?

I find, and I am sure other people find this also, is that the parents of the children who are not doing well are usually the ones who complain.

[Ryst Helmut]

[Hater Depot]

I once had four kids taken out of class to go on a Boy Scout camping trip. Their mothers (successfully!) demanded free lessons from the school to make up for the lost time. My manager did it.

[hubba bubba]

RE: Innane complaints and requests from wongie.



Smile, say ok, nod, walk away all friendly.

Then just ignore it.

[khyber]

I don't think you want to ignore it...at least if you have agood relationship with your boss.

Next time, suggest you meet with the parents and the wonjang as well.

Tell her to encourage the kid to talk to you. She will. The kid won't talk. Issue resolved.

or just learn the word for bribe.

[mrsquirrel]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[yingwenlaoshi]

I'd say definitely ignore it. I'd say, "That's interesting. What do you want me to do about it?". Chances are, you won't get bothered with anything again. It's quite easy to get them off your back.

"Well fire me. Whatever."

[ChopChaeJoe]

It's not an issue to get confrontational about. It probably won't become a serious issue. If you don't mind hanging out with kids while not teaching, the school has no right to say you can't, unless it's spelled out in the conract.