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mikekim
Joined: 11 Aug 2006
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 Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:01 pm Post subject: foreign teacher must have korean teacher - is it a law? |
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Can you post a link please concerning co-teachers and what their duties are. From what I keep hearing only a certified Korean teacher can teach Korean students and we are just helping them.
I always hear the older posters quote this law, but never have I seen a link to a Korean Educational website or something.
I know some teachers like teaching solo, but the new crop of students I'm getting is not going to be pretty. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:41 pm Post subject: Mandatory Coteacher |
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From the EPIK sample contract:
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| 1. To assist Korean teachers with their English class(es) and/or jointly conduct English class(es); |
http://epik.knue.ac.kr/sub2/sub2_4.asp
GEPIK had a similar clause. I haven't yet worked for SMOE or a hagwon.
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| 1) Do NOT go into a class to teach WITHOUT a Korean co-teacher. (I know you are sometimes asked to go in alone because the co-teacher is busy. In this case, refuse to teach alone.) Korean law states that unless one is duly licensed to teach in Korea, then one MUST be accompanied in the classroom by a teacher who is actually licensed. Even though you are teaching 100 percent of the class, a co-teacher must be present. Our office will be sending official letters to all co-teachers regarding this. |
Source: http://www.ajarn.com/Contris/schertzernov2007.htm
And it continues on:
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Let's begin with number one where Miss In The-dark tells the native English teachers to NEVER go into class alone. She's right, and there's a very good reason for this. She never mentions it. For me she doesn't have to. She says that it's against Korean law. True again, but the law has never stopped some of the people here from acting inappropriately. The law is not the only reason not to teach a class without a co-teacher. Here's the reason: Someone could get hurt. Someone could get very hurt. In fact, someone could get killed. It is not only for legal reasons that that a foreign teacher must never enter a public school classroom alone, but also for moral and ethical reasons.
This is what I want to make crystal clear: Many Korean children today, especially teen aged boys, are viciously rude, ill-tempered, vulgar, unrefined, uncouth, and barely civilized. Many of them sprang from parents who are barely civilized themselves. Ouch! I know that hurts. But the truth must be told, and here's why.
Every year thousands of Korean students get hurt in their public schools, many of them seriously and some of them very seriously. People fall down stairs, bones get broken, heads are banged against walls, and some idiotic students try to push each other out the the window. I'm not the only teacher concerned about this. From a column titled "War at School" by Choi Tae-hwan, teacher Choi talks about his experiences. |
I'm not sure if the law applies during winter & summer camps, when you ARE expected to teach alone.
Be aware that website item has the name Steve Schertzer on it. His ideas are sometimes controversial, to say the least. You could try a google search, to see what else is on the net. |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:52 am Post subject: |
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my contract has this too: "To assist Korean teachers with their English class(es) and/or jointly conduct English class(es)"
mike, you're at a public school?
i'm not sure about it being law or not, but if this ^ or something similar is in your contract and your co-teacher still thinks she doesn't have to be there (and you do want her there), politely explain to her that you need her to be present and actively helping you during class. if she still doesn't agree or come to class, then point out the clause in the contract. |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:20 am Post subject: |
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It's a good thing, too. I insist there must be a Korean speaker in the room to watch herd. Plus, it's insurance. A Korean witness in case a kid says the foreign teacher did such and such, and didn't. But I don't think that happens much. Main thing is with a Korean monitor the kids don't mouth off in banmal about the foriegn teacher until that reaches a critical mass and they start, I dunno, rioting. Even with a Korean adult (janitor, actual K co-teacher, a secretary, whoever...)it's racous enuff sometimes, especially certain grade six boy/hooligans (who are destined for what I dunno, Special Forces, Soldiers of Fortune, Gangsters, Wild Mountain Pig Ranchers?).
If the homeroom teacher has disappeared I run around and get a K person from hall, staffroom and say "it's the law a K person must be in the room with a foreign teacher" and they seem to believe this because I say so, "it's Korean LAW"^^. |
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aarontendo
Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Location: Daegu-ish
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| So what about those Korean teachers who aren't certified to teach yet? The contracted ones, that go for them too? |
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Cheonmunka
Joined: 04 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:25 am Post subject: |
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| Good God, I could never work in those conditions. |
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moosehead
Joined: 05 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:47 am Post subject: Re: foreign teacher must have korean teacher - is it a law? |
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| mikekim wrote: |
Can you post a link please concerning co-teachers and what their duties are. From what I keep hearing only a certified Korean teacher can teach Korean students and we are just helping them.
I always hear the older posters quote this law, but never have I seen a link to a Korean Educational website or something.
I know some teachers like teaching solo, but the new crop of students I'm getting is not going to be pretty. |
don't know about it being a law but am pretty certain it's a Korean Teachers Union rule - which is what all the flak is about foreigners in public schools - they don't want us taking their jobs - and with good reason considering how unqualified most of them are to teach English.
IMO it's also there to prevent us from being able to join the Teachers Union here in Korea - if we were teachers, not asst teachers (instructors or whatever lame term they are using now) we should be able to join, right?
heaven forbid!!!!  |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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| The current term is now GET (Guest English Teacher). |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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I have never for a nanosecond taught with another teacher in the room.
I am king of my classroom and my students know it. Even my director hasn't stepped into my classroom ever during my classes. Complete lattitude to design and execute lesson plans as I see fit, managing students according to rules I set and enforce. Lovely freedom.
Another reason for a teacher not to work in the public schools. |
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cmr
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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| So, some people say that by law the Korean teacher has to be in the classroom. However, one has yet to see a link providing hard evidence this is the case. Anyone can prove me wrong? By the way, forget about showing up a link to the contract; it has little value. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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Some educational guidelines (not laws) state that you must have a co-teacher for certain public school positions. Some contracts specify co-teaching / team-teaching, and some list it as one of many potential duties.
The reality of life is that guidelines 'requiring' a co-teacher are like laws banning teachers smoking on public school campuses. Whether it happens or not depends on the principal, VP, attitude of the teaching staff in general, and ages of everyone concerned.
Thus no, there is no 'law'. |
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