Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Pak Yu Man]

I was at my Samsung class and I was erasing the board. Guy grabbed the board eraser from me and did it for me.

Usually no big deal, but Ph.Ds in Engineering don'e need to erase the board if you ask me. They're just showing you respect as a teacher.

[mistermasan]

about six years in china/taiwan. less than 2 month in korea.

[babtangee]

Once I was in my apartment elevator. An ajumma entered with an old plastic tofu container with four steaming hot, boiled spiced potatoes in it. She offered me one of the potatoes. Not wanting to hold a steaming hot potato in my hand, I graciously declined. I went home. Five minutes later she knocked on my door. I let her in. She entered my kitchen, found a sufficiently sized container in my cupboard and put a dozen steaming hot potatoes in it. I really didn't know what to say. But the potatoes tasted freakin' awesome.

[Rae]

Bump. More stories please ^^

[porcupine]

Sweet stories.

When the dinosaurs roamed the earth, you weren't even allowed to step on your teacher's shadows.

In Korea, teachers are highly highly respected. Their "sacredness" has somehow faded with too much violence displayed in the classroom.

Moms love to take care of teachers, nonetheless. My friend's mom once tried to set up a blind date for my teacher, who's an old bachelor.

[Easter Clark]

This morning in a classroom of 40 high school students I asked them to copy something and each and every one of them took to the task. I asked my coteacher "Do you hear that?" and he said "I hear nothing." And I said "Isn't it beautiful?" It brought a tear to my eye.

Yesterday in a different class of 40 students, I asked them what they did for fun, and after the usual responses, a girl said "(Easter), what do you do for fun?"

And, between classes, a first year student asked me (in front of several of her peers): "Do you have glue?" When I said "Yes," her friends were amazed at her English ability! Then, to prod her on, I said "Is tape ok or do you need glue?" Then she answered "I need glue, teacher." Her friends were again amazed, and even more so when I handed her the glue. When she was finished she said "Here you are." Again, it brings a tear to my just thinking about it. When I arrived most students were terrified to even say "Hello" for fear that I might engage them in conversation.

You have to understand my students come from a poor background and attend a vocational high school. They are told all the time that they are not smart or aren't worth anything. Not in my classroom! Each and every one is a treasure, and their potential is limitless.

Teachers--please make it a point to let your students know how smart they are as often as possible, especially if you think they are not! Going to work and putting a smile on their faces is one of life's simple pleasures.

[ella]

Cans of coffee, food and other treats, sweeping and erasing for you, "you're the best teacher I ever haaaaaaad!" "you're my faaaaaaaaaavorite teacher!" are not "kindness" and "respect," they're routine sucking up and bribes. Read, "Learning to Think Korean," by L. Robert Kohls, or "Korean Business Etiquette," by De Mente.

[littlelisa]

We sometimes hold classes in a different room just cause it's bigger. A couple of times it was for a cooking class, once we were playing musical chairs.

Usually we bring chairs over to the room from the other classrooms, since it's otherwise chairless. When it was time to go back to the classroom, my (5 and 7 year old) students would not let me carry back any of the chairs. They're small chairs, but they're small kids too.. but they carried them back for me. If I picked one up, one of the students would then grab it from me and bring it back on their own. It was really sweet and cute, and also kind of funny watching these kids carry the chairs.

[mistermasan]

sometimes, the lines between "sucking up" and being kind get blurred. such causes me to recall an old chinese poem:
"you give me a peach
i'll give you an orange"

small tokens of kindness can reap large rewards. don't be kind to get something but rather be kind to be kind. good things shall result.

[JeannieAbroad]

My kids clap their hands with glee every time I try out a new Korean phrase. Then they try to teach me new and useful phrases. Its so cute.

They often poke their little heads in the office and show me their haristyles for the day. One little girl came in early just to show me how her mother curled her hair for the day. "Look, Teacher, like yours!"

The other day I was waiting for the train on an outside platform very early in the morning. It was cold and grey outside. An older man tapped me on the shoulder and offered me some of his hot rice cakes he had just purchased. After insisting I take some, I did. I bought him a little coffee from the vending machine. He waved to me as I exited at my stop. It made my week.

[potin14p]

random acts of kindness! you've gotta love them.
I've had complete strangers give me their umbrella too, it was so sweet.
I've also had neighbours bring me food, randomly.
the sweetest thing however, was by the tailor who worked next-door to my building. it was the heat of Daegu summer, and she popped her head out, and gave me an ice-cream. she couldnt speak any English, and my Korean was pretty basic, but from then on we'd say hi every day, and we'd buy ice-creams for each other about once a week. Then, on my last day in Daegu, I went to say goodbye, and she had made me a really pretty cushion, all hand sewn!
strangely enough, these things all happened in Daegu, and I haven't yet had anything similar happen in Seoul.

[bizrandom]

I leave my job in the states today, before heading to my brothers house for a couple of months to save up a bit of cash and come to Korea. I have read the forums daily for the last month or so, and have to say on this melancholy day, this thread really makes me feel like I am doing the right thing. I am moving accross the country to go to another country, and now I really feel that I am going back to what I love, teaching. I missed it. Thanks for reminding me that kids are kids everywhere, and so are people.

[jennbear73]

All these postings have made my day...

Keep'em coming ....

[Anyang-si]

Last month I was invited by a 2nd grade middle school student and her friends to go to the movies with them - which I was surprised by, but excited, so I accepted.
We met on a Sunday and saw a movie, they shouted me a coffee and snacks after and then caught a bus together home with them. They were so cute and spoke English to me as well as each other, nearly the whole afternoon - it was so awesome. We plan to do another afternoon once their exams are over.

My school is a 5 minute walk from home, so I walk the same route every day to and from. The shop owners all recognise me and now whenever they see me they greet me in Korean and now sometimes in English! They're really friendly.

I had a bit of a downer last week - it was just one of those weeks! But, I re-read some of these stories on the post and it definately helped my mood!

Some of these acts or behaviour may be seen as 'sucking up', but it helps me if I look at it as 'kindness'.

[JeannieAbroad]

I Love Love Love this thread!!!