Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bixlerscott]

[b]Can anyone help me in better understanding what might be going on or what I should do???? [/b] Keep in mind that this is my first hagwon gig and first time to Asia.

I have been at what I believe to be a good school for 7 weeks now and doing well with it, but I notice that my vice-director is frustrated with me and unwilling to help me and very unapproachable and has been just getting worse by the day. She is down on me over being sick with a cold, and saying, "well your co-foreign teachers are fine, why not you?" I am like, I dont know, obviously something is very wrong. (I am working being sick for 6 weeks straight now and rarely got sick in the USA) The other foreign teachers have no problems at our school and our happy as larks. The Korean teachers often run quickly around the office and argueing very quickly and generally agitated, but I cannot make out what is going on and what them and vice-directors situation is and why I seem to stress vice-director out. I am not agressive, nor rude, I speak slowly and softly, and am sensitive to not interupt her, but the problem is she is never free or sitting idle so I do interupt her everytime when I need a magic marker or any other necessary question. Though I do give her time to see that I standing there patiently to speak with her, she just keeps doing things and then runs off away from me usually.

Yesterday, I ask her about a book I am going to need in a week from now just to make sure I had it and if not, then we have time to order it. She was very frustrated, negative, defensive, and just telling me to check with the other foreign teachers. I said, "OK thanks." Tonight, we were all going out to eat dinner and my head teacher set it up for me to ride with our vice-director, but she refuse to take me which led me to have a talk with her about what might be wrong between us as I am clueless on the why I apparently am not liked by her. (she is acting to me like what you might refer to as a b*i*t*c*h.

I am getting fed up after earnestly trying for many weeks to gain her respect like she gives other teachers, tired of finaggling with her, and so I asked her today what is wrong between me and her. I have been a good teacher, always on time, always on schedule, always making effort to teach, and been nothing less than respectful and you seem frustrated with me, avoiding me, not responding when I talk to you, being defensive, and pessimistic with me, but you are pleasant with the other foriegn teachers. If there is a problem we need to talk about it and attempt to come to a resolve. She turns her head and won't say (grunting) and then looks at me and says that I am OK with her and everything is fine. (I know she friggin lied)
I said, "Good."

The director and head teacher say I am doing a super job and all that with no incidents of discilpline, correction, arguments, or anything.

I am very confused and uncomfortable and am wondering if I do not belong here, but yet they keep me becuase I am their cash cow they invested in.

I have had thoughts of leaving at times but, I do not want to have to quit. Before, I would make such a drastic move, I will talk to the director.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[alabamaman]

Korean Teachers are worked harder than Foreign Language Teachers and they're not paid on time. They have to listen to parents whine on the phone about silly stuff or why their child received a poor mark on a test. Observe the looks on their faces when they're in your employer's office. The meeting could be about parents complaining, money issues, the Foreign Teachers, and the fact they need to work much harder according to their boss. Having said that, it's bound to cause friction between an employee or two.

Request a formal meeting with her supervisor and you present. You may want to consider writing down what you're going to say before the meeting. There's several things in your post that should be brought up during the meeting. Harmony in the workplace is important so you should also express that you want to have a good working relationship with her in the meeting.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Just ignore her. Life's too short. Don't try to make anyone like you or whatever. Just go about your business and be your own boss. Don't worry about things like ordering books ahead of time and all that jazz. You'll just give yourself a headache. Teach your classes, do a good job teaching, take your breaks, chat with whomever wants to chat or not. Just happy go lucky the situation. Then go home.

Whatever.

And if you ever find yourself getting out of line. Maybe you yell at someone or something. Just let it slide. Come in the next day like nothing happened. If someone wants to bring up something they figure you did wrong in the past, just say, "That's too bad".

That's Korea.

[Fresh Prince]

[goodgood]

Fresh Prince is giving EXCELLENT advice. Listen to every word of it.

[wylies99]

Someone won't like this being posted, but it's true. This could be true of that boss.

One more thing to remember about MANY Korean co-workers, even those you've worked with for MANY months- they only care about your appearance and attractiveness. If they find you attractive or pleasing to the eye, they'll bend over backwards for you. This is true of bosses, too.
If you are not the best looking person, or you could stand to lose a few pounds, MANY Korean co-workers will be cold and even rude to you.
Even if you are the greatest teacher that ever taught in Korea, they will STILL judge you solely on your appearance.
Is this true in the west? Yes, but not to the degree that it takes place in Korea.

[wylies99]

OP- The problem may not be YOU- it may be that boss. Maybe the boss is unqualified for the position and just can't handle the job. You never know how she got the job. Nepotism is the rule rather than the exception at many schools.

[Rteacher]

I had a director once who couldn't tolerate teachers being sick - even if they kept coming to work. He practically forced a Canadian woman teacher to quit (but she probably should have known better than to try to live and work in Korea with asthma ...)

Actually, he said that when students report to their mothers that the teacher is always sick - and word spreads among parents - a lot of clients are lost to other hagwons ...

[wylies99]

Yeah- there could be more to this than just what you read in the tourist pamphlets. It could be something totally anal.


If a teacher's just a little bit overweight some of these Koreans just have NO RESPECT for that teacher. I've seen it done to different teachers at two hogwans. Koreans are THAT hung up on appearances.

OP- Maybe, someone asked you a question about Korean food,drinks, or whoknowswhat, and you gave them an HONEST answer that they just didn't want to hear. "I'll pass on a 9th helping of kimchi" could have been seen as an insult. You just never know.

Have you had a school dinner? Plenty of opportunities for a faux pas at that "wonderful" event.

[tomato]

It's probably not cross-cultural.

My last two jobs were under two Americans who were married to Koreans,
and they were just as idiotic as their Korean counterparts.

I don't know WHY the two factors correlate.

[Missile Command Kid]

[kimchi_pizza]