Korean Job Discussion Forums

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

There's always at least one in every class. Her friends point and tell me she's sick, has a headache, or some other lame excuse. When I ask why she was "sick" last week, and the week before that, my coteacher tells me it's because she comes from a poor home or works a part-time job or is on the rag, so we should let her sleep.

Then I bring up something about being held responsible for one's actions and learning how to balance work and school. And how American students would rather die than advertise the fact that they're on their period, and that teachers back home do not view this as a reasonable excuse to get out of doing classwork.

Then I get met with blank looks and my coteacher says it's because she's sick. So I tell him we need to send these students to the nurse. More blank looks and I'm told to ignore the thing altogether because maybe she comes from a poor family and was working all night and needs to sleep. Mad

What's up with this circular reasoning to avoid teaching children how to be responsible adults?!

Atavistic · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:18 am Post subject:

How many responsible Korean adults have you met?

Most of these women are going to grow up, get married, and use the headache excuse. They're just practicing.

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

Funny, I was just spending the first day of class today telling my 6th graders that if they tell me they are sick that I will be easier on them. I figure most of the time it'll be some kid who's sick to their stomach or a girl just starting that time of the month for the first time. I'll still make them work, but I won't be bothering them much, or at least will understand when they don't finish.

oneofthesarahs · Joined: 05 Nov 2006 Location: Sacheon City

I've had a few female students come up to me quietly and tell me that they were on their period and weren't feeling well. In that case, as long as they finish their work, I try to lay off of them a little bit in terms of calling on them during class. I might change my tune if it were seriously becoming a problem in the class and females were suddenly constantly on their period, but as of now it seems genuine.

Atavistic · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:01 am Post subject:

Sometimes, and I'm guessing Jizzo has no experience with this, periods really do f-ing suck.

When I taught fifth grade, every year there were a couple girls who would become lazy, run to the bathroom every 30 mins, whatever. I would call them outside and ask what was going on. They wouldn't answer.

"Blink hard if you think I know what's going on."

Blink.

Unfortunately, I don't think most of our students would be up to that level of understanding.

SeoulShakin · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

It can suck, especially if you are young and it's your first few times. It feels awkward, strange, and you're constantly paranoid and checking to make sure that leaking isn't visible to other people. When you're young, I can understand asking to be excused to go to the washroom.

What I don't get is when one girl is "sick", and her friend has to go with her. "Are you sick as well?"
"No."
"Then you stay here. She can go to the nurse by herself. You can do your work, and then fill her in on what she's missed when she returns."

I find usually the "sick" friend comes back very quickly when she has to go alone. You don't need a friend to help you. If you have to go to the nurse, she can help you. If you're on your period, the nurse can provide you with the necessary "equipment" so to speak.

I'm a girl. We NEVER pulled this stuff in school.

Juregen · Joined: 30 May 2006

Is it really that bad?

VirginIslander · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: Busan

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

Atavistic · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:34 am Post subject:

VirginIslander · Joined: 24 May 2006 Location: Busan

Alyallen · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:55 am Post subject:

Dude...this is a country where the schools have beds for the teachers....

Let her be sick and it's her problem to catch up....No skin off your nose...

Does it hurt that bad?
Yup...It makes me hurl....Seriously unpleasant Crying or Very sad

MarionG · Joined: 14 Sep 2006

I've never seen students that work so hard i.e. are as responsible. Jizzo telling them to ignore how they're feeling is not "teaching them to be responsbile adults," it's just being a jerk. And certainly condescending on your part...

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

You may have noticed that gender roles in Asia are much different than in the West - especially in Korea. Here, woman are confined to a rigid social definition of womanhood - (deferring to men, being the weaker sex) etc. Woman are not equal to men in status here, and they know it (and so do the men).

Korean women therefore adopt a very 'feminine' role. Being 'sick' when they are a period is part of this weaker feminine role. Western English teachers are not going to make any friends with their students or co-teachers if they try and apply their egalitarian gender roles to Korean women - they are simply not ready for this. If your male or female students are sick - let the Korean co-teacher handle it. We're here to teach English.