Korean Job Discussion Forums

[koreakowboy]

Not sure why I didn't do this earlier but recently I have been asking some of my good students why they are acting up or not doing as well and quite often the answer is "no breakfast". So today I polled my classes and about 35 per cent didn't have any breakfast today.

As a teacher back home this is sadly no surprise and the reasons numerous. However what I don't understand is why the kids can't bring any food to school. I cornered the two head teachers today over lunch and tried to bring this up but as usual my questions/ideas/opinions/suggestions fall on deaf ears. I guess a school 'store' is coming at some point was the response.

At my school the kids eat lunch and then do not eat again until at least 5pm. This leaves the majority of them starving for their after school classes and probably hungry for most of the day.

So before I jump to any conclusions I am just curious as to whether or not the kids can eat between classes or have access to food at your schools?

Sorry for such a long post.

[laogaiguk]

[Colorado]

My students are always hungry too, which may explain why they perform so well for candy or treats.

I didn't really say that, did I?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

My school has a tuck shop and there are often bowls of ramyeon lying around. I've felt a bit bad confiscating snacks from hungry students but they can wait til the next break. The students have 10-minute breaks between classes which is enough time to scoff something down.

I should try polling my morning students to find out how many have had breakfast. Our school cafeteria serves breakfast but I suspect that a lot of students would rather take the extra 30 minutes of sleep.

[koreakowboy]

Sorry, I guess I should have asked if the students are allowed to bring food to school? At my school they can't.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Scouse Mouse]

My students always have food and are quite willing to share it with whitey. In fact, if I fancy a snack or skipped breakfast myself all I need to do is walk around during one of the 10 minute breaks and they all want to show me just how delicious their particular food happens to be

[ilovebdt]

My school has a tuck shop, so my kids can never complain they are hungry.
Unfortunately, none of the stuff in the shop is healthy. Except maybe the cartons of milk and bottles of water.
I guess they are catering to what the students want to eat. But, eating all that crap combined with little exercise can't be good for them.

ilovebdt

[mrsquirrel]

I operate a candy tax.

If they eat I get one unit of what they are eating.

[bixlerscott]

I hear complaints everyday of hunger from all my afternoon elementary students. I know my kindy students earlier in the day are always very hungry too and acting up over the discomfort. I noticed since my first week that this is a real underlying cause of behavior problems such as very short attention span (not even 1 minute many days), refusing to listen, refusing to do school work, pounding on desks, throwing chairs, losing interest in things they like, and downright acting rude and resentful in school. My notion that this is a real issue has been confirmed many times when I do flashcards and seeing the reactions when some cards show food items though I am not hear to fix anything nor tell the Koreans there is a real problem despite the obvious fact since I am a visitor here. Not all that related to hunger(a non-food hunger), there is no playtime or recess in hagwon English programs, at least the one I teach in so this makes for one unhealthy situation for both the students and teachers.

Daytime hunger is a performance barrier for both, learning and working. Kids always beg me for food, candy, and play time and hate me for not giving any such highly coveted pleasurable things like that on account of rules though I often will sneak low calerie cookie things to afternoon elementary which helps them to cooperate to ease there hyper nervousness over hunger. (they often give me rice puff things and candy)

It's not that these kids are malnurished or poor (in fact, my students come from very affluent households), it's just that your typical Korean food such as rice, gimchee, and veggies with little or no meat is very light (were not talking Samgyeopsal), digests quickly, and you need to eat more often to avoid hunger..

Like myself, Koreans are probably consuming 90% of thier food in the evenings. I know myself, becuase I eat Korean lunch of rice, gimchee, veggies, and brothy soup everyday and feel very hungrey and jittery by 3 or 4 in the afternoon despite filling my belly at noon. Often, snacks are provided to the teachers in the teachers room at 4 or 5, but not always. Often at 6 in the evening, I am rushing out of work to go downtown for a hamburger or something with more substance to it.

It would be nice to have bowls of fruit in school here to supplement the light korean food which would help promote an environment conducive to learning as to ease the students hunger pangs and nervousness. Would make my job more do-able too.

[Sash]

In some cases it's probably that the time they wake up it's too early/they're too tired to eat/ they have no time to eat.... especially after a long night of studying.

My kids aren't allowed to bring snacks to class, it will get confiscated, but they are allowed to eat something in between classes outdoors. They usually enter class after a break with stuffed cheeks. LOL.