Korean Job Discussion Forums

[politica]

This could turn into a book, but let me try to be as concise as possible. I have been working at a public elementary school for two months and I LOVE it. I have two co-teachers and one of them just gave birth on Monday.

Enter new co-teacher. She was okay at first. I had a few complaints, but nothing that couldn't be worked out after a few classes together.

Until today. I like to think that I've gotten pretty good with discipline. Sure, I still have a few troublemakers, and a few students that don't participate as much as they ought to, but overall I think my classes are doing well. I have the usual repertroire of discipline tactics- ranging from taking a group point away to standing in the back of the classroom with arms in the air. Absolute worst case scenario, they have a 30-second pow wow with me in the hallway (which involves me talking very sternly in English). I have NEVER used corporal punishment (as I understand I am not supposed to). Neither did my former co-teacher (or my other co-teacher for that matter). The worst thing I ever saw my former co-teacher do was scream at them in Korean and make the class sit in silence for a few minutes.

Now I understand that corporal punishment is technically legal in Korean schools. I wouldn't be Sooo upset if my new co-teacher had taken a ruler to a student's knuckles (mind you, I still don't agree with it and would NEVER do it, even if I was allowed to. But no. After my third class, she took a student out into the hallway and beat her senseless with a textbook. The only thing I saw this girl do wrong was not participate (which in my mind is a fairly small crime). The new co-teacher beat her so hard that the girl ended up crying with her forehead pressed into the ground while the entire class watched. I only caught the last half of it, but I was so shocked that I couldn't do anything. All I was able to do was tell the other students to go to class.

I am so upset about this I could barely finish my final class. I'm not eating lunch. I just feel sick. Can she do this? Is there anything I can do about it? I feel like I'm no longer in control of my classroom. She just waltzed in and beat MY kids to a pulp.

Help please.

[cruisemonkey]

There's nothing you can do except grow a thicker skin.

She did not beat your student, she beat HER student. All Ks see it this way. Like it or not, you're only the 'guest native English speaker' in the classroom... she's the 'teacher'.

[gangpae]

The pain you're feeling sounds excruciating.

[spliff]

Not ur problem...why worry?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

If you're older and have more experience at your school you can pull rank, but make sure you have the support and respect of the senior teachers before you do that.

[branchsnapper]

It could be worse Politica. Many teachers dislike their jobs and would love to see certain students being given a good beating (and actually, why is it OK to sit lemon like in English at all times, as some do? It isn't OK in any other class)

One of the problems with corporal punishment, to my mind, is that bully teachers like it best, and they don't necessarily pick on the worst students. My own problem is that I can't easily control a class which is usually controlled by beating, and the Korean teachers often leave the room, but I don't think that it is a clever idea to hit students as a foreigner, even if you agree with it (and I don't know if I do, but I must admit I do a bit of rough handling here and there).

If I were you I'd just ask if the teacher could not do it in front of you because it upsets you, which since everything has a hidden knife in Korea will mean "don't do that you cruel person!".

[Scouse Mouse]

It is illegal, but ignored. Start taking photos and it will stop soon enough.

[Ed Provencher]

http://edvenchers.blogspot.com/search/label/Love%20Sticks

Here are some photos of "Love Sticks" of my co-teachers at Do Your Best Choison (DYB). At DYB, they carry a big stick, and use it too. When I worked at the headquarters building, I could hear (from the hallway) or see (while walking past other classrooms) various kids getting a beating throughout the entire work day.

[CentralCali]

[Fishead soup]

Give him three or four months of students screaming and he'll start wanting his co-teacher to beat them. It's a process a cycle. It's just a matter of time.

[branchsnapper]

Start taking photos? Why do so many people round here offer how-to-get-hated-by-all-quick advice? (not to mention advice which assumes Korean authorities are just itching to clamp down on naughty Korean behaviour at the request of foreigners).

[Easter Clark]

Corporal punishment is a fact of life in public schools here. Those who can't accept it will have a hard time. It used to bother me a little but these days (especially since I've been at my school long enough to know when someone is genuinely making trouble) it doesn't bother me at all. I guess Korea has made me "harder." Also, the teachers do have good reasons for punishing students. In fact, many times it only takes getting hit once or twice before their behavior changes for the better.

Unfortunately, corporal punishment is on the verge of being abolished back home, which is partially to blame for the decline of teacher respect in our public schools, imho.

[branchsnapper]

Since the hitting is a little bit controversial and hidden away, there is a great variety in how much and how seriously teachers use it. Some use it pretty frequently, that's all I know. I've never seen a serious beating though, or only on TV/video. Older Koreans have some hair-raising tales, but then so will your grandad.

[JustJohn]

Seems like the teachers get a lot more respect back home to me. When I was in high school or middle school no way would we have gotten away with being half as noisy and inattentive as they are here. In the classes with inexperienced teachers I can barely hear myself teaching sometimes. The whole class would be in detention back in the states...

[thematrixiam]

My director/coteacher owed a variety of sticks that one of the fathers of a student actually made for him.

The funny thing was, they were constantly having to be replaced because they kept breaking.