Korean Job Discussion Forums

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

I've been teaching at a public high school for about three weeks. I love it so far, it's a walk in the park compared with working in the hagwon and all of that nonsense. I don't have many complaints really; the job itself is fine, and of my four co-teachers, two do a good job of controlling the behaviour and one is really helpful to me in terms of helping me out (I'm new), showing me the ropes and just generally being good.

But the fourth co-teacher is a problem. She just takes off two minutes after class starts. She's been doing it since day one.

I read enough Dave's to know that this is common, so I didn't complain at first and I was grateful that it was only one co-teacher rather than all four. The problem is, her classes behaviour is worse than all the other classes, even if she were to stay. All of her classes are beginner-level, boy's classes with known behavioural issues, so she is the one co-teacher I actually need. A few of her classes have decent behaviour, and she stays for those, so it seems she only leaves the classes that have bad behaviour.

Anyway, I just had a class with them and of 45, 10 sleep, 10 talk and the rest are okay. It's kind of a pain to control them and I feel like it'd be so much easier if I had a hand.

What's the most constructive way about approaching this situation? Should I enforce the rules more in the class? I threatened to go get the co-teacher back today but... well, I don't know where she goes when she leaves.

I also brought this to the attention of the head teacher and alas, it is still happening.

Just as an aside, do these co-teachers have to do more work when I come or less? How am I disrupting things? I'm just trying to get a better sense of whats-what.

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

Complain.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

You mean she refuses to co-teach. First find out if she's a head teacher. This is refered to as Bujangnim. in Korean. It's important to find out if she is a bujangnim(head teacher) because if she is. She will have a lot of other duties and she might be short on time. If she is a head teacher she also has direct contact with the Principle and could make your life very miserable if you decide to complain. If she is a head teacher you're going to have to cut her some slack.

Another possibility is she's new. If that's the case than what's she's doing is really out of line. Try talking to other other teachers about the problem. Whatever you do don't make it look like a personal attack. The whole culture of saving face evolves around not being too critical. You might want to add that she's useful when she is there.

You're going to have to consider that if classes are bad now they're only going to get worse. If and when they do get worse the run away co-teacher will not accept any of the responsibility for a problem that's rooted in her not being there.
Get her to do the job she's paid to do.

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

I will disagree with the above posters. It's lost cause & you will not gain anything in the end.

I was in your EXACT situation when I first started. I had coteachers who came but did nothing. I had one coteacher who refuses to even step foot inside the English classroom. His class was also the worst class. There was a special student there who made me almost cried once. It was terrible.

I brought this up to my handler. He promised to talk with said teacher. His promises never got anywhere & I was extremely frustrated with him even though he was helpful in other aspects.

Then suddenly, more coteachers decided that English time was their break time. They decided to stop coming and let me do it on my own. I was not going to let this slide. I talked to my handler again and he delivered the same promises. Weeks went by and I decided to contact dain bae. She ignored me for a while until I wrote her a very sarcastic letter. She finally responded and called my handler.

Nothing changed. He showed up to class maybe once every 2 months. I was tired and didn't care anymore.

New teachers came in March. Basically, the same vicious cycle repeated. No coteachers showed up. I had a new handler at this time and she asked why I seemed so unhappy lately. I finally told her what I was upset about. She said she would talk to the new teachers.

2 of the new teachers are now coming to class but they do absolutely nothing. They don't even translate. They sit and play on the computer/phone/etc. Sometimes they don't even come. I have stopped caring. One teacher (a new one) still refuses to come no matter what.

His class is one of the worst. A recent incident happened..and I was very physical with one of his students. I was so angry I dragged said student by the arms to his classroom. I opened to door and angrily told his teacher that I don't want this student in my class because I can't and shouldn't have to control him.

It was talked about for weeks at school and the coteacher lost face and started coming to class. That lasted about 3 weeks. He now doesn't come to class.

There's just no point. I really have given up. I'm tired and will move on in 2 months. Yet they really wonder why I won't stay anotehr year.

poet13 · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 6:00 pm Post subject:

By law a Korean teacher is required to be present in the classroom. Politely point this out to them (I wish I had the link...anyone?) If they are not in the classroom after that, leave the classroom and return to your desk until they decide to join you in the classroom. As far as getting them to actually MANAGE the students and COTEACH, well that's a different kettle of fish.

Personally, I'm delighted that I don't have co-teachers.

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

saw6436 · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon, ROK

I love it when my co-teacher leaves the room or, better yet, doesn't show up. Once the kids twig on you being the teacher it actually makes things easier. If the F teacher is the one handing out discipline, running the lesson, etc... the kids will start to see you as a real teacher not just some drive by english monkey.

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

KYC · Joined: 11 May 2006

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

Not having a co-teacher shouldn't be an excuse. If your school has a discipline department (and it should), learn where it is. There should be differing levels of punishment--e.g.: 1st offense, stand in the back of the classroom. 2nd offense, write 100 times and don't leave the classroom until you've finished. 3rd offense, take them to the teachers responsible for handling "problem students" and talk to their homeroom teacher after class. 4th offense, punish the class for the troublemaker's mistakes. Be sure to inform the troublemaker that this is the next step. I've never had to go past step 3.

You have to be very aware of the messages you are sending the kids. If you let students get away with sleeping, then what's to stop their classmates from seeing you as a weak authority figure? They don't get away with it in their Korean classrooms--why should yours be any different? Do you begin and end class with the bahn-jang calling the class to attention?

The first few weeks are crucial, in that you must establish acceptable limits of behavior. If a student sleeps in my classes I make them clean the classroom at the end of class--while the rest of class gets 5-10 minutes of free time, the sleepers are going from desk to desk collecting trash, and have to stay after to scrub each desk (keep cleaning supplies handy for this!).

You really have to take charge of the classroom. I work with some of the "worst" students in Korea--very, very few of them have any aspirations aside from becoming a model or computer game expert. Most will never go to college. The first couple of weeks were tough because we did very little learning--the reason being that so many kids had to be made examples of. Once they know that you will not f*ck around and that you will not tolerate interruptions, teaching English can begin. Until then you're teaching behavior.

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

crazy_arcade · Joined: 05 Nov 2006

First, you should politely bring it up with your co-teacher first.

Bring her an ice-coffee, start the chat friendly, thank her for the help she gives you in certain classes, then explain the need for her to stay in those other classes.

The classes she has with you are a part of her class hours (16-20 or so week) and she has the responsibility to be there as part of her duties.

Anyways, bring up with her first and if nothing changes then you should bring it up with your department head (unless she's the department head or she's above your department head--then you're funked.)