Korean Job Discussion Forums

[some waygug-in]

Probably something like....

You are an evil invading foreign devil who steals jobs away from honest, hard-working Koreans like me. You have no real training, you don't understand Korean culture or language and you make no effort to fit in.
You expect us all to bow down and magically understand your language, even from an early age. I know I have to work with you, but I don't have to like it!

I expect you couldn't get any kind of job back home, that's why you are here, savage barbarian! What makes you think you can come into our schools and force your language upon our children?


To which I would reply, well, your government invited me to come and teach English and gave me this job. Since we are co-teaching, I am not stealing any job from you or anyone else. As for training, I do have a TESOL certificate (poxy though it may be) and several years of teaching experience both in and out of Korea. I've taught children, adults, business English and have 2 years of PS experience prior to coming to this job. You think I have no clue, that is obvious and I admit that I am not the best at controlling students, but does that mean that I should not have any input into the planning and presentation of English lessons?

Why do you feel threatened by my mere presence?


I am not asking to steal your job or to be your boss. I only ask to be allowed to do my own and that means that for 20 minuites out of a 40 minuite class, I should be teaching and you should be willing to allow it.

How would you feel if I were to interrupt every sentence you tried to speak mid-sentence and disrupt every activity you tried to present to the class?

Why can't we work together to share the teaching duties instead of having to compete against each other?

[nautilus]

[winterfall]

"Do you really need me to script everything you say and do?"


"Please let me do my job. I'm here because you didn't do yours."

[I'm no Picasso]

In the same vein as some previous posts, and not just to my co-teachers, but the other teachers at my school as well.....

Thank you all for setting aside an evening and taking me to Newcore Outlet to help me find a winter coat that would fit my massive American shoulders, because you noticed that the one from last year is too big and not quite thick enough. Thank you for seeing me come into the office on the first cold day this year shaking with a big red face and offering to drive me to school everyday for the duration of the winter. Thank you for giving up your wishes to eat a homemade lunch on your own everyday because the other teachers made you feel guilty about not eating with me in the cafeteria. Thank you for taking me to play pocketball and drink coffee and taking turns telling me horror stories about your teaching experiences on that day that you noticed I was a little down after a particularly bad class.

But..... I know there's bread on the food table. If I want some, I will help myself. I know my Korean is pretty basic, but I can manage to pick at least that up. All fifteen of you are really kind for telling me specifically and all, but I'm trying to finish making this PPT before class starts in five minutes. And no, I really, really, 정말 don't want a piece of fried chicken. Thank you.

[sulperman]

Along the same lines as Gillian57-

Do you REALLY not hear the students swearing in class, in both English and Korean? It really seems like you don't. Is that possible?

You don't know "f*** you"? You don't know "s--t"? You don't know "son of the bitch"? You don't know "변태 새끼"? You don't know "존나 심심해"?

Do you hear it and think it is ok? I don't understand.

[The Gipkik]

Seriously? I'd probably want to say this: "You're such cool people. How'd I get so lucky?"

They are incredibly helpful and always open to different points of view, which I have many. They run to the photocopy room for me. They take care to have flashcards laminated. They decorate the room. They keep me happy with lots of mid-afternoon snacks. They share in the lesson planning, which I used to do alone. Now, we take a few minutes and brain storm together, critiquing each others ideas. Love it. No power trips or head games. None. Nyet. That's what it's all about.

And one of my two co-teachers is pretty sexy, so there are a few things I'd like to tell her off the record as well.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Well the responses to my 'what would a Korean Teacher say to his or her foreign co-teacher' sure proved a point....wow.

[Neil]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Tahnks for proving my point in an even clearer fashion neil.

Well done.

[Neil]

Tis was said in jest Patrick....

[PatrickGHBusan]

Ah well my apologies then Neil...it did not read that way!

[Papa Smurf]

stop talking like a 5 year old girl whenever you talk to senior staff members, or parents. it makes me sick. thanks. have a nice day.

[cruisemonkey]

To (ex) 'foreign' co-workers' -
"Read your contract."

To K co-workers -
"Read my contract."

[The Goalie]

Please try to understand...

[jpotter78]

I don't have any co-workers right now....