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winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
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 Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| sigmundsmith wrote: |
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ddeubel wrote:
Well finally this site is working and I can reply (how slow can this place get?). |
Yeah. I know what you mean. It's really frustrating. The same thing happens on eslclassroom.com
You've gone from:
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| So what are you complaining about? |
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| Do what you can. There is a lot you can do, if you don't think you can't. |
And finally,
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| To the OP. Again, I think that it is wrong to rant against "the system" and "students" that won't try and don't do their best. As teachers, we should just ask ourselves - "are we doing our best?" |
I must say you can be confusing sometimes.
Obviously, you never re-read the OP. They never ranted against the students. It is the system that is flawed. And you know it.
The system is flawed from the top to the bottom. It is flawed in this country as it is a business and the continual perpetual image that is required of an ideal Native English Teacher.
Ask anyone who has applied to a standard Hagwon or public school job who has been here for at least a couple of years. They don't want you. Reason? You know what the problem is. You know what needs to be done. But whoops. The situation doesn't like such an individual to come in and shake up their comfort zone (great bar by the way in Hwehwa).
They like fresh off the jet university grads who they can easily boss around. No matter hagwon or public school. If you don't believe it you are fooling yourself. Again, this is all a generalization but Korea can be generalized.
Of course, there are the rare places that want the expansion and development of their students English language communicative capabilities but we all know that the majority just want the flow of money continuing - whether private or public.
You stated that:
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| many teachers who just don't have the proper training/experience for direct instruction. It isn't easy to teach in this fashion |
Of course it isn't. The system doesn't allow it. There are certain sections trying to change that but the majority are: no experience, BA 4 years degree, Blonde, blues eyes, North American
So, I think it's best that you get out of your world and live in the world that we are all living at the moment.
You have most likely had success in your world but the majority in the real world are battling.
Enjoy the weather. |
I'm skeptic of the whole idea that the system is beyond repair and they don't want to rock the boat. Out of all the countries, Korea ranks near the top in the amount they spend per student. All these new English teacher including me that are flocking to Korea are part of a $4 Billion dollar campaign over the next 5 years to put a Native Speaker in every middle school. The next plan is to put a Native Speaker in every primary school.
They're expecting something. No rational person would throw $4 Billion dollars into a broken system. With plans to spend more. I can only assume the final total will be t 2-3% of Korea's GDP. Even though Korea has a lot of problems with corruption they're more in the Chaebol kind of businesses and land. Not so much with education.... perse. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| winterfall wrote: |
I'm skeptic of the whole idea that the system is beyond repair and they don't want to rock the boat. Out of all the countries, Korea ranks near the top in the amount they spend per student. All these new English teacher including me that are flocking to Korea are part of a $4 Billion dollar campaign over the next 5 years to put a Native Speaker in every middle school. The next plan is to put a Native Speaker in every primary school.
They're expecting something. No rational person... |
You must be quite new. |
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ajmg8808
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Location: Songpa-gu
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| Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:58 pm Post subject: I never got that memo |
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| In the school where I am, we had to create our own report cards and we tell the parents exactly what happens in class. We tell them the truth and the students are still there. We tell them the good and the bad. I am in a much smaller school and no one ever told me not to tell the parents how the students are really doing and if they don't think that their child is doing well, then they want to know why, and we tell them what we think. I feel lucky to be in a place where I can be honest with the parents about their children. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: I never got that memo |
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| ajmg8808 wrote: |
| In the school where I am, we had to create our own report cards and we tell the parents exactly what happens in class. We tell them the truth and the students are still there. We tell them the good and the bad. I am in a much smaller school and no one ever told me not to tell the parents how the students are really doing and if they don't think that their child is doing well, then they want to know why, and we tell them what we think. I feel lucky to be in a place where I can be honest with the parents about their children. |
That sounds great but does someone translate it or does it come on a bilingual form you fill out? |
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winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| winterfall wrote: |
I'm skeptic of the whole idea that the system is beyond repair and they don't want to rock the boat. Out of all the countries, Korea ranks near the top in the amount they spend per student. All these new English teacher including me that are flocking to Korea are part of a $4 Billion dollar campaign over the next 5 years to put a Native Speaker in every middle school. The next plan is to put a Native Speaker in every primary school.
They're expecting something. No rational person... |
You must be quite new. |
Hahaha.... what gave me away, the idealism? Within a month I'm sure I'll learn the stoic, Korean disposition. |
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ajmg8808
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Location: Songpa-gu
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| Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:44 pm Post subject: Re: I never got that memo |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| ajmg8808 wrote: |
| In the school where I am, we had to create our own report cards and we tell the parents exactly what happens in class. We tell them the truth and the students are still there. We tell them the good and the bad. I am in a much smaller school and no one ever told me not to tell the parents how the students are really doing and if they don't think that their child is doing well, then they want to know why, and we tell them what we think. I feel lucky to be in a place where I can be honest with the parents about their children. |
That sounds great but does someone translate it or does it come on a bilingual form you fill out? |
There are two sections. One where the Korean teacher writes and one where I write. If they have questions they ask the Korean teacher and she translates. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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| winterfall wrote: |
| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
| winterfall wrote: |
I'm skeptic of the whole idea that the system is beyond repair and they don't want to rock the boat. Out of all the countries, Korea ranks near the top in the amount they spend per student. All these new English teacher including me that are flocking to Korea are part of a $4 Billion dollar campaign over the next 5 years to put a Native Speaker in every middle school. The next plan is to put a Native Speaker in every primary school.
They're expecting something. No rational person... |
You must be quite new. |
Hahaha.... what gave me away, the idealism? |
Your equation of 'rational person' with our employers. Welcome to Klogic 101. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| No rational person would throw $4 Billion dollars into a broken system |
This is not being done by a rational person. It is being done by the government.
Koreans already know that the government schools are useless. Nearly all education in Korea occurs in hogwans. Some students are able to teach themselves at home and some poor students are left out. The best hogwans give scholarships to students from families that are financially unable to pay the tuition.
The public schools are just baby sitting services that hold the children during the day until they can attend their hogwans after school, where the learning actually happens. Korea shouldn't bother putting native English speakers in the government schools. The government schools should be closed and forgotten. Give them to the Korean teachers and let them run them as private schools in competition with the hogwans. Many of the teachers are good, but the government is in the way of reform. |
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