Korean Job Discussion Forums

nautilus · Joined: 26 Nov 2005 Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!

This is a serious question. I've met 2 teachers here (in 4 years) who clearly should not be teaching/or responsible for children. I'm talking obvious mental disorders/disabilities of various kinds.

This is not meant to be nasty. Its worrying to see people that should be either in professional care, or under the wing of their families back in the west- unleashed on Korea, far from home.

Do their families just send them here? Are their (presumably) hogwon employers oblivious?

Now I haven't met that many, but other people assure me its fairly commonplace. I certainly not saying such people be locked away, but should they be allowed to be teachers? What do you think? Does the North american welfare system not look after these people?

MrsSeoul · Joined: 31 May 2007

cerulean808 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I worked with one who I swear was autistic. Would not shake hands with anyone. Wouldn't look at anyone when talking (which was rare anyway), but looked down around the knee cap. Made odd verbal responses.

VirginIslander · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: Busan

Chicken or the Egg. Did they came to Korea crazy or did Korea make them crazy.

Question

johnpeterson2008 · Joined: 23 Jul 2007

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Certifiable to teach or certifiable to be locked up?

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

The over-40s teachers are always the worst.

At summer camp, two of the most excentric people I've ever met taught there. One guy was on 2.7m and was (is) an absolutely woeful teacher.

Steve Schertzer · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Location: Pusan

The_Conservative · Joined: 15 Mar 2007

Stupid and "certifiable" know no age.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

alinkorea · Joined: 02 May 2005

The older crowd have a high percentage of the wierdos

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Steve Shirtlifter made the unwarranted assumption that older person = certified teacher back home. In any case, it's very surprising to see someone with experience and with pretentions of being an authoritative observer buy the myth that certified teacher back home = good at TEFL. Totally not a given. I've met plenty of real teachers who made the same mistakes we're told not to make on the first day of CELTA - no talking too fast, no speaking to students like you'd speak to a native speaker, actually think about what you're saying (will my students understand the expression "it has to be done"?), too much bloody talking period. I find the over-intellectualization of TEFL wildly embarrassing, but it does require specific skills we cannot take for granted in a certified teacher in my experience, for the obvious reason that years of experience teaching native speakers has no relevance to teaching learners of EFL.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

nautilus · Joined: 26 Nov 2005 Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!

By the way, by "certifiable", I mean "Insane", not "certified" (as in holding a teaching certificate).

Although the two probably go together sometimes?

I mean people with clinical medical mental conditions. Like..someone who frothes at the mouth a bit, talks jibberish, has a really odd look in the eyes.. nervous twitches..laughs for no reason. Those sort of things. Yes; they end up teaching here apparently. Obsessive compulsives, people with crazy out-of -control anger, and other cases. I'm not laughing at them. I just wonder how they are allowed to be sent to korea to teach by their families? I suppose if they are able to stand in a classroom and talk, then thats all that matters?

Although some people are just nuts/ have personality disorders without necesarilly having been diagnosed.