Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Great Toad]

I have a a Korean CoTeacher- the teacher is a nice person- I like this person it is a congenial person of friendly disposition and great bombast - much like myself. Problem is said person is 50 years ole waste of space. Teacher speaks Korean 95 percent of the time sometimes going into Korean discourses 10-20 minutes on end telling humorous stories all in KOrean of which I catch little and look on in boredom eventually saying, "huh?" what are you saying?"

I told the teacher and the Edu Office teacher speaks too much Korean and I am bored and feel like a leech of Korean Dollars to be a Fat Foreign FigureHead English Monarch King George. They said well it is hard - ____ is old- then they had a teacher meeting said ok they will let you teach whatever you want - great so I come in with amazing powerpoints/games teaching plans and ______ butts in and just goes into some very fascinating and astounding ALL KOREAN story... I had this Bingo game students were to speak the sentence/phrase that went with the text book to get bingo...it is a great plan... students like it but Ktech hijacked my class and had them speaking the whole blasted English speaking Game in Korean... then last class I was like oh lets try to speak it in English and Kteaxch actually let the students say a few English pharses after they repeated Ktechy's poor English pronunciation... I am going to have teacher "Taken" and sold to a rich Iraian Sultan / Sultaness who will feed Clowny Turkish Delight and laugh at Kteches funny Korean jokes whilst she/he gently smacks KTeche on the ever blubbering mouth... well no...

But I have to say I really feel my class is a waste and I see no point in making any sort of lesson plan ... only good thing about clownish teacher is person usually comes 20 minutes late to class so in that period I oft get some teach time in... Oh I should mention clown also has told me to stand in back whilst clowny goes off on a 99 percent lesson ... also clowny has told me take a rest in the office so I teach nothing....

I have no hate against clowny. Kteach has a sweet job and no doubt is making 4 million to bumble about the room and pretend to be an effective teacher... ok well I should say that 2-3 percent of English taught is the oral recitation of the dialogue from the book which I suppose is applicable and in a sense is teaching since I doubt kids would would recite and memorize the boring dialouges without A large clown to force them...

Right right so basically I feel I am wasting my time welll I am in fact and I am thinking I will just start leaving the classroom when Clowny goes off on a 99 percent Korean recital....

Anyhow basically I think Korean Education System is a joke as as far as I can tell noone or nothing can shoot this clown down .... where as of this was a french teache rin Canada or a Spanish teacher in America she/he would be evaluated and either not tenured or giving bad evals.... and there are like scores of WAYYYY good English speaking guys/gals I know forced to teach in Hawkones cause clowns like this are not booted.... maybe I will ask the education office to fire the person.... or on the other hand ask them to fire me... I told them I do not want this school anymore or switch to another grade but they do not want to do it...

Man I have hella tons of Korean teachers who just shut up and let me Teach my Powerpoints and stupid Speaking Games I might even throw them a bone once and ask them to clarify a word.... but this Kteacher for some reason think s they are better at teaching English in 95 percent Korean despite my Indomitable English Lordship Presence in the Classroom.. Imagine that a Noble English Crusader by trade IN His Own Country Denied Supremacy in a Backward Speaking Land of Poor Konglishee! I hould go back and teach in da USA anon but those USA Public Sk00l Poog Office Goons wouldst pile my fat head with reams of garbage paper work ten times more frustrating then any COREA Teachereee. BUT yet The insult is more than I can tolerate -- Maybe I am going to go back to Tropical Taiwan where teachers in the Public Schools shut up as they knew I was the Masterful English Lord Of The Monkeys Tarzan Noble Of Greystoke....

I will sue Korea I will sue the city I will Sue the Korean Beef Farmers I will Sue King Sejong's Descendants and I will Sue Dave too as he should have been able to prevent this...

[Countrygirl]

How come you write as if English is your second language? If you are a foreign teacher (doubtful) than I believe that it is possible that your Korean co-teacher teaches English better than you.

[Kimchieluver]

[Easter Clark]

OP--I'm afraid I don't understand a word you're saying!

[drunkenfud]

While I agree that the OP's English is terrible, I must admit that I agree with the gist of what he's saying. There are too many older Korean English teachers out there who are unfit for their jobs.

[anyway]

If you really enjoy this language that you've dreamed up (which is in a way KINDA cool, not hella cool), then you need to start teaching the kiddies in it. At the very very very least, speak it to the clownish oldster and perhaps the school admin until they finally transfer you.

[KYC]

Seems like you're trolling..

but if you're not--then you've got problems! As in communication problems! Learn to write...and you're not funny.

[saw6436]

Most of you ragging the op for his English have not been members of this board long enough to know anything about The Great Toads writing style. Once you have lost your newbie wings, well then, critique away.

To the op. I feel your pain. I'm in exactly the same boat but I'm not sweating it. I've pretty much given-up trying to make a meaningful impact on the Kor Edu System. When my co-teacher takes control I just kick back and figure I'm getting a free ride. Fortunately, for me, I'm just part-time and have no ownership problems with my classes. I advise taking advantage (which you seem to be doing) of your co-teachers lateness and do your own thing. When he/she does turn up tune them out. If they break in and try to break your stride, just ignore them and teach over them. If that doesn't work I'd just walk away.

Previously I simply refused to teach with one of my ex- co-teachers. I liked her just fine as a person but she couldn't teach her way out of a paper sack and would take no constructive advice. It was harsh and created ill will but I got to actually teach. Now, years later, I don't much care.

At the end of the day the Korean Edu System is broken. Its up to Koreans to fix it, not me.

[The Great Toad]

Right I think I will try to have a frank talk with him again and perhaps contact the elevated office jockeys to boot.

ok ok my discourse was rife with errors and way lame I shall cloister myself with my dictionary/brown book and attempt to mitigate my enormously gross and heinous ee cummingness of da englishee lingo pray forgive my grammarian failings in sooth I like to do writs in doomsday book/c00l kidz style but I canst seem to get the style down gooder enough i should look that up on the net and reread the c00l parts... Anyhow yeah I guess I should call da office ever and anon with continued lamentations...

But verily I say unto you doubting Hoggywon thoamsses I be da biggeddy biggdey bomb teacher in da states an I only write funny cuz I like to imitate ma public High sk00l English students who I done taught to. Their English r00lz over mine or to put in highsc0l speech pwns!
I'd tell u where I taught and give u da numba of ma Engish 2ndairy ed license; Also, I done got in thee 90s on all them smart guy state teechur tests! Ok ok I forgot all my Grammar and if I took one now I might go into the 80s- at least on the English specific test part for Grammar ....

that's what I should start explaining participles, gerunds, and infinitives! that would be sure to help the class!

"Now, Tae Won please explain how the gerund is working in the sentence how can swimming be a verb and a noun simultaneously! Don't tell me you don't know waht a noun is! You are in middle school for E Mung Buk's sake!"

but to be honest it doesn't matta wut u k00l guys think. unless of course u find out who I am call my sk00l and tell them I am lighting up my c0-teacher on a national board with extreme hurtfulness... If u want I can email u a copy of my magnum opus 50 page 400 level teaching plan wow that thing ruled - it was on the tragic heroes in classical lit... but again why bother? still I am saddened I only got one vote in my poll please vote more so I can claim fame on Dave's. In a way though, I thought one of you might have some great advice...

(Still if you write something negative about me I wager it is rooted in your consumption of USA beef in your past with the brain damge just coming into fruition in your overripe fevered brains. Luckily all the Corean Chicken Breasts I have glutted here have reversed the crazy cow effect I developed.)

[The Great Toad]

Oh hey thanks for the input saw6436 I guess I should be a bit more forceful. I don't know I do not want to rock the boat too much more. But, after a few weeks of it in the first semester I just thought it was getting too inane for evena Corean Classroom silliness factor. I should really just talk with him again and warn him in a kind way I am going to be cutting in a bit... The thing is I am not sure where to cut in as I can not get the intermission part of his stories.

Anyhow they are correct I should write more like Hemingway and I get more positive feedback instead of always tryin ta sound like a reject from a starcraft Seoul Starcraftaa convention (not that I play starcraft).

[Countrygirl]

If you can write like this on purpose, you have skill. You completely fooled me. When I read it I felt stressed and frustrated like I do when I have to correct Korean English papers. You should be writing books if you can switch between styles so effortlessly. I read a few of your posts and I thought it was different people writing the entries.

[nicholas_chiasson]

thegreattoad
Isn't this the guy who said
"I cometh to Japan for a rule of ribaldry?" or something

[captain kirk]

If you're EPIK the foreign teacher is supposed to do 80% of the work.

I had an 'elderly', control freak, egoistical, and patriotic (anti-foreigner) Kcoteacher last year and I pushed her aside/put her in her place. Her English wasn't good so she could only teach the book/couldn't get passed that. IMO if she won't let you do your job that's personal. One's dignity is associated with one's work.

Kcoteachers are NOT given the authority to intefere with one's work so don't you believe it. If you complain over her head to the guy who hired you he will realize there's an issue, talk to your Kcoteacher, and that will give you some slack to move in and teach as she eases up/comes to her senses. It was tiresome sending clear, detailed emails re; her behavior but I knew my perspective would be discounted. Had to be clear about it and 'make my case'.

She was transfered to another school later.

[crusher_of_heads]

The Great Toad, hook up with one of the posters and get yourself some private lessons. Learn English.

[Ramen]

WTF! You don't have to speak and write perfect englishee to teach in Korea.