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Mint
Joined: 08 May 2008
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 Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 6:16 pm Post subject: Question about work weeks |
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After finals there are three weeks wherein the teachers and student's show up, but no teaching occurs.
Is there a reason for this? Is it a curriculum scope issue?
I'm not complaining, just confused. |
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espoir
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Incheon, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:20 pm Post subject: Re: Question about work weeks |
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| Mint wrote: |
After finals there are three weeks wherein the teachers and student's show up, but no teaching occurs.
Is there a reason for this? Is it a curriculum scope issue?
I'm not complaining, just confused. |
movies, movies, games, games, movies |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 7:24 pm Post subject: Re: Question about work weeks |
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| Mint wrote: |
After finals there are three weeks wherein the teachers and student's show up, but no teaching occurs.
Is there a reason for this? |
Yup... because no learning would occur even if teachers attempted to teach. Consequently, PSs become giant, baby-sitting warehouses where students watch TV/movies. It's the same in February with the week of 'classes' sandwiched between the six-week winter vacation and the two-week spring break - when last year, I attempted to actually teach something... NEVER AGAIN! 
Sometimes, I feel guilty about accepting my pay.  |
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Mint
Joined: 08 May 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 11:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Yup... because no learning would occur even if teachers attempted to teach. |
Even the Korean teachers show flicks.
I think this is a universal thing from what I gather.
With this knowledge in hand why are those weeks a national phenomenon?
Ideas, clues, red herrings? |
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Surfer Rosa
Joined: 24 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 12:05 am Post subject: |
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| Hey Mint, that's a really cute kid you got there. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 1:29 am Post subject: |
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| Mint wrote: |
| With this knowledge in hand why are those weeks a national phenomenon? |
Because Ks go to school to pass exams. Teaching and learning are rather low on the 'agenda'. |
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Xuanzang
Joined: 10 Apr 2007
Location: Sadang
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 5:51 am Post subject: |
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| Mint wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Yup... because no learning would occur even if teachers attempted to teach. |
Even the Korean teachers show flicks.
I think this is a universal thing from what I gather.
With this knowledge in hand why are those weeks a national phenomenon?
Ideas, clues, red herrings? |
Mrs. ajumma wants Lotte shopping hour and lunches with the other ladies. Free babysitting at its best. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 5:59 am Post subject: |
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Very little learning occurs in the Korean public schools, even during the regular school year. They are instruments of social control. This is especially true of high schools that keep students in attendance late at night to avoid teen drug use and pregnancy.
The real centers of learning in Korea are the hogwans. True, there are some bad ones, but the average hogwan student learns more per year than in six years of public school. The best hogwans are many times better than the average. |
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tophatcat
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Location: under the hat
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 6:17 am Post subject: |
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| ontheway wrote: |
Very little learning occurs in the Korean public schools, even during the regular school year. They are instruments of social control. This is especially true of high schools that keep students in attendance late at night to avoid teen drug use and pregnancy.
The real centers of learning in Korea are the hogwans. True, there are some bad ones, but the average hogwan student learns more per year than in six years of public school. The best hogwans are many times better than the average. |
I gave the public school system a try. I realized it was crap for learning. There's a reason there are English, science, and math hogwans...private study, etc. I've been in Korea for some length of time now. Even the Korean mothers have told me, most of what the kids learn is learned in the better hogwans. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 6:53 am Post subject: |
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| ontheway wrote: |
Very little learning occurs in the Korean public schools, even during the regular school year. They are instruments of social control. This is especially true of high schools that keep students in attendance late at night to avoid teen drug use and pregnancy.
The real centers of learning in Korea are the hogwans. True, there are some bad ones, but the average hogwan student learns more per year than in six years of public school. The best hogwans are many times better than the average. |
I agree with what you say; but will add PS teachers get something a hogwan can never provide - the immeasurable satisfacion in seeing a bright (but whose parents are poor) student 'make good' and against all odds, get into university. Especially when it takes an effort on their part to seek you out and say "Thanks... you good teacher". |
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WendyRose
Joined: 10 Dec 2008
Location: hanam-si, seoul
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 6:56 am Post subject: |
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| ontheway wrote: |
Very little learning occurs in the Korean public schools, even during the regular school year. They are instruments of social control. This is especially true of high schools that keep students in attendance late at night to avoid teen drug use and pregnancy.
The real centers of learning in Korea are the hogwans. True, there are some bad ones, but the average hogwan student learns more per year than in six years of public school. The best hogwans are many times better than the average. |
Gross generalization. How much students learn heavily relies on the quality of teachers at hand. Dedicated teachers who make it a goal to teach their students will have classes where lots of learning occurs.
Speaking from experience, my first semester here was dreadful and the students probably didn't learn anything. My second semester did a 180 because a) I was a better teacher and b) My new co-teacher cares a great deal more than my previous one.
Anyway, OP - Those extra weeks are a great opportunity to incorporate fun lessons into your plans. My favorites have been the history of chocolate, disgusting world foods and international superstars. Always fun!  |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| ontheway wrote: |
Very little learning occurs in the Korean public schools, even during the regular school year. They are instruments of social control. This is especially true of high schools that keep students in attendance late at night to avoid teen drug use and pregnancy.
The real centers of learning in Korea are the hogwans. True, there are some bad ones, but the average hogwan student learns more per year than in six years of public school. The best hogwans are many times better than the average. |
I agree with what you say; but will add PS teachers get something a hogwan can never provide - the immeasurable satisfacion in seeing a bright (but whose parents are poor) student 'make good' and against all odds, get into university. Especially when it takes an effort on their part to seek you out and say "Thanks... you good teacher". |
However, the best hogwans not only give the best education, they give scholarships to poor students. If the government would only deregulate and leave them alone, the best hogwans could drive out the bad ones and replace the public schools. |
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WendyRose
Joined: 10 Dec 2008
Location: hanam-si, seoul
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:46 am Post subject: |
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| ontheway wrote: |
| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| ontheway wrote: |
Very little learning occurs in the Korean public schools, even during the regular school year. They are instruments of social control. This is especially true of high schools that keep students in attendance late at night to avoid teen drug use and pregnancy.
The real centers of learning in Korea are the hogwans. True, there are some bad ones, but the average hogwan student learns more per year than in six years of public school. The best hogwans are many times better than the average. |
I agree with what you say; but will add PS teachers get something a hogwan can never provide - the immeasurable satisfacion in seeing a bright (but whose parents are poor) student 'make good' and against all odds, get into university. Especially when it takes an effort on their part to seek you out and say "Thanks... you good teacher". |
However, the best hogwans not only give the best education, they give scholarships to poor students. If the government would only deregulate and leave them alone, the best hogwans could drive out the bad ones and replace the public schools. |
...? Really? You think hagwons should replace public schools? I have to admit that I've never taught at a hagwon, but if you've taught at both PS and a hagwon I'd love to hear your reasoning. |
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cruisemonkey
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 8:30 am Post subject: |
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| ontheway wrote: |
| However, the best hogwans not only give the best education, they give scholarships to poor students. If the government would only deregulate and leave them alone, the best hogwans could drive out the bad ones and replace the public schools. |
 Where the *beep* did you go to university? You scare me... kinda like George Jr. 
I suspect you would have 'Intelligent Design' on the high school science curriculum in order to provide 'balance'. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:54 am Post subject: |
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| cruisemonkey wrote: |
| ontheway wrote: |
| However, the best hogwans not only give the best education, they give scholarships to poor students. If the government would only deregulate and leave them alone, the best hogwans could drive out the bad ones and replace the public schools. |
Where the *beep* did you go to university? You scare me... kinda like George Jr.
I suspect you would have 'Intelligent Design' on the high school science curriculum in order to provide 'balance'. |
George Bush believed in public schools, but he wanted to replace real science with "Intelligent Design" in the public schools. In the US, most private schools would never teach such nonsense.
The fact is, I believe in teaching real science and it is quite clear that there is no intelligent design of any kind in the Korean public schools.
I've taught in a Korean elementary and middle school and have seen how the teachers spend most of their time in meeting bureaucratic paperwork requirements, and bowing to principals and vice principals, instead of teaching. The time of individuals who could actually teach real subjects with much smaller class sizes is wasted by the government. The time of students is wasted in being graded on up to 14 subjects, most of a frivolous nature, yet their futures in the public school system depend on high scores in every subject - even sewing, knitting and beadwork. The time being wasted in the post exam period and between vacation periods, time wasted on silly field trips, time wasted on schools' birthdays, and time wasted on silly subjects are prime examples of why the government schools don't work in Korea.
The government cannot fix the problem, at least not within a reasonable span of time. In fact, in a generation or two, the government schools are likely to be facing the same problems, only worse. And government can never do as good a job as the private sector even though it always costs more.
In Korea, the private sector already teaches the children, but the parents have to pay twice. Unregulated private schools can be cheaper, available to all, give better education with much smaller class sizes, eliminate the bureaucracy and paperwork, eliminate the frivolous subjects and actually take the children from the beginner level to the mastery of essential subjects.
Korea should free up the resources wasted on public education - the land, buildings, and teachers and let them be used in the private sector to really teach. It would be better to just fire the bureaucrats and give the schools to the teachers. Return the tax dollars to the parents and let them choose and pay for the schools they believe will best educate their children.
In a free market, there will be plenty of scholarships to fund those children who are unable to afford the private schools. However, if that should not be the case, it would be much better to provide funding for poor children to allow them to choose among the good private schools available, than to fund a massive public education system that costs more than private education, drains scarce resources from the national economy and teaches almost nothing. |
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