Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rock]

I want to know where I stand. I never get any positive feedback from the people where I'm working. I have gotten some good comments, like "You have beautiful writing. . .wonderful drawings. . .are hardworking. . .a good teacher. . ." from just a couple of co-workers. But as to how I'm doing at the job, which is what I'm most concerned about, I feel I'm always hanging.

It's like they have me over a barrel. I need to know if I'm doing everything right because I'm pretty dilligent and have a good work ethic. What should I do?

If you ask for feedback, you're more or less likely to open yourself up to negative criticism, so I shy away from it. Yet if you don't, there always comes a time when the proverbial 'roof might come crashing in'.
By this I mean, they're apt to find the littlest thing to incrimminate you and may even use such things to mask discrimmination.

I'm in Taiwan, not Korea, and this latter aspect is rampant.

[cdninkorea]

Why should you care? Don't ask yourself "do others think I'm doing a good job?" but instead ask "do I think I'm doing a good job?" You can and should consider the reasons other people give (if they do; no one is in your case of course), but never substitute anyone else's judgement for your own when it comes to your work.

As Howard Roark put it in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead: "The truly selfish man doesn't care about the approval of others. He doesn't need it."

[shifty]

OP, pause to think of how many years you've already been in the business.

A transient one at that!!

Some newbies pick it up after a mere 6 months.

You're not cut out for EFL, so go do something else.

Twice to Taiwan, inclusive of the present stint, seven years in Korea, what's a man gotta do to learn the craft?

[jaderedux2]

It is not in the nature in some Asian cultures to praise people. As nationalistic as they often are if you try to compliment someone they will fiercely bring up all their faults. Drives me nuts.

Bosses are not there to say good job but to tell you when you do something wrong (think King or Queen). The group outings are the "thank you". It is not that they are cruel or mean simply compliments are not part of the everyday culture.

A husband will tell invited guests, after his wife has cooked a great meal, that she is not a good cook. Women frequently say their husbands are not handsome.

I have had a few students in my 7 years that will take compliments well. One in particular was the number one student in the school in Middle School and then High School. He went on to Seoul National University. What did the teachers say about him. They didn't like him because he was too confident. He was proud of his achievements. He didn't boast or brag but neither did he shuffle around saying how stupid he was either.

He wants to go to America and be a translator at the U.N. and I don't doubt that he will.

Its the way of things in Asia. If you are looking for praise or a pat on the back you have come to the wrong part of the world. Be confident in your abilities. Do you job well and watch the progress of your students. You can't be insecure to teach here. You must have good self esteem and belief in your own abilities.

May sound conceited but I am a good teacher and my students for the most part learn. It is not perfect. I do make an effort to improve my skills. I took a TESOL course. I read books on teaching. I know I am good but can always be better. So believe in yourself!

Jade

[PRagic]

jaderedux2 hits the nail right on the head here; it is a cultural difference. In Confucian-oriented management, the boss actually spends more time putting employees down than primping their egos. This is something that many non-Asians find disconcerting, to say the least.

Know your job, know your place, and work for the betterment of the organization and the harmony of your direct work environment. Not an easy day-to-day pill to swallow, but that's the way it is. Sounds easy enough to deal with in theory. In actuality, however, it challenges 'our' self perceptions concerning status, achievement, and individualistic contributions to the organization.

The fact that you recognize the difference is a big step toward dealing with the cultural differences. Best to you in your job. It's one of the things that makes working overseas a challenge many are not up to.

[Rock]

'Shifty's' comment really galls me, but hey, it reflects why he's still in Korea. Read the other posts Shiftless.

Nonetheless, I'ver perceived what the others have said here. But I'm trying to push the envelope here, precisely because I know the cultural nuances. I do not like these 'when I'm new to a job position.' Feedback is just plain old practical, and I'm attempting to find a way around this cultural difference between the West and the East because 'it's been well known that positive reinforcement' increases employee work performance.

What's more, communication is essential to any job duties and I've kind of run into a loggerheads with this over in Taiwan. I did not, however, have much of a problem with this in Korea and wouldn't really care if it weren't for the fact the jobs in Korea are far more secure.

I don't like my life feeling as if it's hanging over a barrel.

So my comment here is to ask how you could get around this, this lack of feedback?

[shifty]

I'm not in Korea.

[crazy_arcade]

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Adahma]

This is all good to know. Thanks.

[jaderedux2]

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Keep an eye on your students. If the majority are engaged and are trying, then you're doing a good job. If you constantly have discipline problems, or if you're not seeing any improvement (no matter how small) in your class' English ability, then you need to look objectively at your teaching and change a few things.

If no one is going to offer you feedback, you need to look for it yourself. After each lesson, think about the class. What went well? Why did it work so well? What would you change next time? Why? Was the material interesting / too easy / too difficult for the students?

�Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.�

~Einstein

[twg]

Try to be more practical about it OP

Everything you do is helping Koreans build up to the all important goal of passing the TOEIC test at some point down the road so they an get a decent job and then proceed to not use English.

You're also helping them with their love life. Being able to say a few words in a different language always makes one cooler, and thus more desirable to potential mates.

And of course, the true goals of EFL apply: That you're still cashing your check. And that the boss looks nice in his BMW the student's tuition paid for.

Do YOU think your students are going to pass the TOEIC or look cool at the club in the future? Is the boss still paying you? Is he coming across as wealthy?

If the answers are all "yes", then you're doing your part well in the great Korean EFL money grab, and you should rest easy.

[GreenlightmeansGO]

I was at the same place as you, thinking it was me being a bad teacher. The problem was that I was being forced to teach a pathetic curriculum and cramming too many lessons into too few days.

Most of the bosses I have seen I judge as sub-human.

Maybe get to know your co-workers outside the work environment...

[Colorado]

Hey Rock,
I can tell by your posts that you're a good teacher. Keep it up.
Now get back to work.