Korean Job Discussion Forums

[toiletgod2000]

Ok, so this has been bothering me for awhile. At my school I have a co-teacher. She's the foreigner wrangler. I teach in the classroom with a few other teachers, I consider the foreigner wrangler and these teachers my "co-teachers." Then, everyone else at my school is a coworker. Co-teaching is the name for this concept of putting foreigners into a classroom, but not trusting them alone.

All the people who speak English at my school refer to the other teachers as their co-teachers. As in, "I drank alcohol with my co-teachers last night." I told them I thought this was Konglishee, but my advice just won't hold. One teacher actually argued with me a little bit and busted out some educational article about co-teaching. I told her that I thought it's a newly concocted word, and that it only fits when you're using it in the sense of two teachers who teach the same students in the same room. I love it when Koreans argue with me about grammar, and it's even better when they bust out Man2Man to show you how your grammar is incorrect. It's like their sliver of the one true cross...one book that unlocks all the mysteries of English that can never forsake them.

Anyway, what do you call the other teachers at your school? Is it common to call them co-teachers in English speaking countries? I know this is a small point and I should work on the teachers saying city instead the name for the smelly brown stuff, but I need to know for my own edification.

[UberJRI]

This was a few years back, but we called anyone who wasn't the "head" teacher in the room at the time an "assistant teacher" or an "educational assistant." The word "coworkers" just referred to any employee at the school, but yeah, I can't imagine we'd ever call a fellow teacher a co-teacher.

[OiGirl]

I would certainly say "co-worker" for other teachers at the school, and "co-teacher" only for those you actually taught with in the classroom. (I had those as I did a lot of inclusion.)

[Countrygirl]

Korean people have to have a label for everyone. Everyone has a title. For fun, ask them about their extended family...'My wife's first sister...you mean your sister-in-law?, my father's oldest brother...you mean your uncle? My brother's youngest son...your nephew? Even my advanced students have a hard time not wanting to use some sort of label when talking about others.

Whenever your handler uses the term 'co-teacher' incorrectly, make her say "I bought some coffee and a VCR at a supermarket in BC." really fast 10x's.

[Young FRANKenstein]

[Ilsanman]

Why don't you tell this dumb harlot that you are the expert on the English language, not some Korean.

Imagine me correcting some Korean's Korean language ability.

[polonius]

I called them colleagues.