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rookieglobetrotter
Joined: 19 Dec 2008
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 Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 11:34 pm Post subject: Work culture tips for first foreigner at a new school |
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I am starting a new ps job in a new city after a pretty tumultuous first year teaching in 2009 (I posted about this before �Getting a 0 in my PS Evaluation�). I am at my new school now and like last year, things are starting off relatively well. I just want to do everything possible to make it a good year for me here since I am again the first foreigner at this school in a fairly large city. I have heard schools that have had multiple foreigners before are less prone to jealousy about contract/cultural misunderstandings.
The female coteachers I met are pretty friendly, but I can tell that they are pretty nervous about working with a foreigner esp a male. I feel this because they rearranged the schedule so I only coteach with the other newbie, a Filipino teacher who just came from a language institute. The closest foreigner to me with a similar setup said her coteachers told her both schools were very reluctant to work with any foreigners. Last, one of the first things they asked me was not to pull a runner (they probably heard exaggerated �foreigner stories� from the other KETs)
I just don�t want a repeat of last year where my main coteacher was in her first year as a handler. Combine that with her low English skills and inability to follow/read a contract and she was telling everyone I was making 4million won/mo even though I make half that. Jealousy, envy, micromanagement, and poor downward communication pretty much summarized the rest of the year. I actually feel lucky I found another ps to hire me this year and hope my current school won't call my handler (who I tried to make peace with) at my old school.
So my question is what NETs can do about any initial jealousy/resentment? This morning, my main coteacher told me that she has been so busy with paperwork and she was kind of envious of that all I had to do was teach. Like my last newbie handler, she may think I get paid too much even though I make 2.2 like the program has been doing for 15 years. I don�t think there is any problem; I just want to start off on the right foot and continue that good vibe in contrast to the snowball effect that happened last year. Here are my ideas that I am trying to do, and please feel free to constructively advise or offer better suggestions on how to start off the year well.
- After my first paycheck, get gifts for all English teachers and admins
- Try to engage in a decent amount of conversation esp at lunch. All the teachers in my office eat lunch together as my school has no cafeteria. I usually sit was all the female English teachers (I am male) since the men ignore me or don�t speak any English. It kind of feels odd for both parties and I wish I could sit with the kids like last year because I may run out of things to say fairly quickly, but I gotta go with the flow.
- Take part in coffee/snack breaks, going out/lunches, other school activities.
- Always smile, nod, and be polite. Don�t say no that often unless the request is ridiculous.
- Buy gifts at birthdays and offer compliments when appropriate. Thank them a lot for the hard work they do
- Be communicative and a go-with-the flow guy esp during coteaching.
I am optimistic about this year though. I will not put up again with all the stress I had last year as I am still trying to get rid of the baggage built up from last year. I want to do a good job teaching to get a good eval and maybe stay here a couple years with my gf here. Thanks to anyone reading this long post/give suggestions and I hope everyone has a good 2010 school year. |
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Cerberus
Joined: 29 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 12:07 am Post subject: |
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So my question is what NETs can do about any initial jealousy/resentment? This morning, my main coteacher told me that she has been so busy with paperwork and she was kind of envious of that all I had to do was teach.
- After my first paycheck, get gifts for all English teachers and admins
- Try to engage in a decent amount of conversation esp at lunch. All the teachers in my office eat lunch together as my school has no cafeteria. I usually sit was all the female English teachers (I am male) since the men ignore me or don�t speak any English. It kind of feels odd for both parties and I wish I could sit with the kids like last year because I may run out of things to say fairly quickly, but I gotta go with the flow.
- Take part in coffee/snack breaks, going out/lunches, other school activities.
- Always smile, nod, and be polite. Don�t say no that often unless the request is ridiculous.
- Buy gifts at birthdays and offer compliments when appropriate. Thank them a lot for the hard work they do
- Be communicative and a go-with-the flow guy esp during coteaching.
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first of all, don't take the first comment as a sign/statement of jealousy. It may not be. I was told similar things, but never interpreted it as jealousy/resentment. Keep in mind that unless their English skills are superb, they have difficulty in the nuances of the language (which is to be expected) and are simply speaking their mind. Most K-teachers despise the stupid paperwork and otherwise stupid work they have to go thru - it has little to do with you. Similarly the handler will also despise the extra worik, hassle and paperwork she has to do on your account, but this isn't your fault and has nothing to do with you.
your 1st point I think is too much. I'd wait for gift giving until you go away on vacation, or wait a few weeks and then enagage in the Korean ritual of buying something for everyone in the office (chocolates, that Hi C drink etc etc)
(caveat - if you happen to have some touristy stuff, yo can give those to your coteachers and immediate brass now - e.g. baseball cap from your hometown, etc)
try to engage in conversation but I'd do it with the females anyways 
though if a male wants to engage in conversation, great. Many K's will feel overly embarrassed and self conscious about their English, so as much as possible try to put them at ease and just try anyways. Feel free to sit with the kids occassionally, but eating with the K-teachers is an important part of the social ritual, imo anyways.
yeah, smile nod be polite.. or sometimes use SNIP (smile, nod, ignore, proceed) if necesary.
sure do that, but be normal about it.. not overly and obviously engratiating.
last point - definitely! encourage input and ideas from your coteachers and try to incorporate any suggestions and ideas (unless completely banal)
good luck! |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:29 am Post subject: |
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DO NOT appear arrogant at any time, not even for a moment. Or you will pay.
Be especially careful with showing your sense of humor. Very often this can be mistaken for arrogance among Koreans.The older ones particularly can feel threatened by it. Don't look like you are enjoying yourself too much or speaking too freely, it gets their backs up.
As a foreigner they expect you to show quiet humility.
Except if you work at a hogwon, where you can be more relaxed. |
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ChilgokBlackHole
Joined: 21 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:36 am Post subject: Re: Work culture tips for first foreigner at a new school |
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| rookieglobetrotter wrote: |
| So my question is what NETs can do about any initial jealousy/resentment? This morning, my main coteacher told me that she has been so busy with paperwork and she was kind of envious of that all I had to do was teach. Like my last newbie handler, she may think I get paid too much even though I make 2.2 like the program has been doing for 15 years. |
There's nothing you can do about what you're paid or the duties you have to perform with regard to your co-teachers.
What you can do, and what I think really goes a long way, is showing them that you respect them as people. If you prepare food at home, bring in food for them to try. I did this two thanksgivings ago, and the turkey was excellent (I work with all women, so no army means they've never tried turkey).
You can't buy respect off anyone, so gifts are out, but when you get care packages from home, make sure mom or dad include little extras like $2 bills (lucky) or packs of herb seeds, things like that. Maybe a newspaper from your hometown printed in English.
And you can show some respect for their culture too, like instead of bringing in a lame and boring sandwich every day, let them see you eating Korean snacks like Mandu and such. Don't go overboard on this, but if someone sees you eating mandu as a snack in the evening, they go "hey, this guy doesn't look like me or talk like me, but he eats what I do and he eats it like I do, so he can't be that bad.
Ask for advice on things to do, even if you know. If you live near a mountain, ask if it's good for hiking. Ask where the temples are so you can show some interest.
That's all I do. |
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Cerberus
Joined: 29 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:40 am Post subject: |
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| nautilus wrote: |
DO NOT appear arrogant at any time, not even for a moment. Or you will pay.
Be especially careful with showing your sense of humor. Very often this can be mistaken for arrogance among Koreans.The older ones particularly can feel threatened by it. Don't look like you are enjoying yourself too much or speaking too freely, it gets their backs up.
As a foreigner they expect you to show quiet humility.
Except if you work at a hogwon, where you can be more relaxed. |
really?
that hasn't been my experience.
I make it a point to laugh bawdily when warranted, and no one will ever mistake me for a wallflower or quietly humble fellow. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 2:42 am Post subject: Re: Work culture tips for first foreigner at a new school |
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| ChilgokBlackHole wrote: |
What you can do, and what I think really goes a long way, is showing them that you respect them as people. |
Thats certainly true but westerners show respect in a less formal way. We enjoy letting our hair down once in a while, it shows that you feel at ease and trusting of others company.
Unfortunately Korea is mostly about guarded and calculated social interraction.
Fundamentally your coworkers regard you as an unqualified and undeserving invader of their workplace. If you show much familiarity, confidence, or general happiness you will be viewed as the upstart foreigner that must be put in his place.
| Quote: |
| You can't buy respect off anyone, so gifts are out |
Koreans love gift-giving. Personally I can't stand it as I see it as a substitute for genuine bonding, a sort of currying favor, but it goes a long way here. |
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rookieglobetrotter
Joined: 19 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 3:30 am Post subject: |
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Just got home and excellent suggestions from experienced teachers! Thanks Cerberus, Chilgok, Nautilus for your input. Striking the balance in the work culture is very challenging here. I feel that I am an honest person, sometimes brutally honest and wear my heart on my sleeve, so I am susceptible to messing up with the office politics/work culture. My gf also said that she can always read me easily so I gotta change that lol. Like last year my coteacher obv had a huge grudge towards me after a couple sick days but she kept on smiling away so I thought nothing was the matter and then pow she hit it where it hurts at the end of the year. I ended up getting some expensive tea and we had a few dinners at the end of the year, so I don't know if anything was resolved but at least she was friendlier and quicker to help me out when I was to depart.
| nautilus wrote: |
| ChilgokBlackHole wrote: |
What you can do, and what I think really goes a long way, is showing them that you respect them as people. |
Unfortunately Korea is mostly about guarded and calculated social interraction.
Fundamentally your coworkers regard you as an unqualified and undeserving invader of their workplace. If you show much familiarity, confidence, or general happiness you will be viewed as the upstart foreigner that must be put in his place.
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Man thats a good way to put it. It sometimes feels like walking on eggshells here so your right about the quiet humility. I also don't disclose too much about myself like they ask a lot about me and my gf and I am careful to say too much about that (non-married couples is frowned upon so we both live in the same building w/ separate apts .
When I am at work I am close to subdued much of the time in the staff room and animated in the classroom. I do sometimes feel unnatural when speaking with the staff because I have to think things out before I say something. I'll probably start eating lunch with the males since they mostly ignore me. It does seem awkward eating lunch with 40 year old women anyway.
I know I have to be careful in the classroom because I am always very popular with the kids, and therein more jealousy can arise. This was particularly the case last year where I was very popular, the kids flicked off the other teachers behind their backs, and the coteacher lied in my eval saying I was unpopular and the kids hated my class. This year I am trying to play second fiddle to my coteacher cause I just want stress free work day.
But its great to get all this advice so thanks for the posts. Striking the balance between east and west, fun teacher/serious worker, being a foreigner and keeping your identity here is something I'll continually need to work on. |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 3:35 am Post subject: |
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| they asked me was not to pull a runner |
When they request something after the contract is signed (even before sometimes), it usually means they have experienced this before. I bet a previous teacher pulled a runner.
You might find out they don't want you to leave Korea during vacation time. I suggest if you do want to do this, you get a multiple entry visa now, so you can ease their fears.
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| This morning, my main coteacher told me that she has been so busy with paperwork and she was kind of envious of that all I had to do was teach. |
I have had tremendous luck with co-teachers. One thing I have done to show gratitude is to let the head English teacher or manager at a hagwon about their performance so they are not as strict with them. Also, when we teach together, I plan everything out so all they have to do is translate in Korean. If you think you can help them by being in a class with them and correcting things as they teach, that probably won't work. It hasn't with me. They take it as an interruption and they don't know how to change what they have programmed themselves to teach. So, again, plan out the lesson, explain to them what you want to see happen in class and lead the class. They can then just stand there and not worry about what to say.
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| Take part in coffee/snack breaks, going out/lunches, other school activities. |
Definitely a good idea, but it also helps to know who is going. If you know who is going beforehand you can talk to them a bit so they can recognize you. If you just meet them in a group at some restaurant, it's a bit awkward unless there's someone who knows you and the group and can be a go between to break the ice and get a warm atmosphere started. If you already met with them, then you aren't starting from zero.
Last edited by lifeinkorea on Thu Mar 04, 2010 7:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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tiger fancini
Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Location: Testicles for Eyes
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:38 am Post subject: Re: Work culture tips for first foreigner at a new school |
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| rookieglobetrotter wrote: |
- After my first paycheck, get gifts for all English teachers and admins
- Try to engage in a decent amount of conversation esp at lunch. All the teachers in my office eat lunch together as my school has no cafeteria. I usually sit was all the female English teachers (I am male) since the men ignore me or don�t speak any English. It kind of feels odd for both parties and I wish I could sit with the kids like last year because I may run out of things to say fairly quickly, but I gotta go with the flow.
- Take part in coffee/snack breaks, going out/lunches, other school activities.
- Always smile, nod, and be polite. Don�t say no that often unless the request is ridiculous.
- Buy gifts at birthdays and offer compliments when appropriate. Thank them a lot for the hard work they do
- Be communicative and a go-with-the flow guy esp during coteaching.
|
Don't buy gifts until you figure out which of your co-teachers deserve them. The best, most important thing to do is to plan your lessons/co-teaching together. Learn to work together with your co-teachers, establish a good rapport with them, and then after you've cemented your professional relationship after a few months of co-teaching together you can buy them gifts if you feel they deserve them.
The most important thing for the first native teacher at a PS to do is to hammer into the Korean English teachers the fact that you are going to be co-teaching together.
All your other suggestions are great. Try to fit in, don't shun offers and invitations to lunches/hiking/social events. Make an effort. It may take some time, but it's pretty likely that you'll get some kind of reward for doing so.
Just don't let them tell you that your job is to "teach conversation", to "use your own material" and "now go teach!" I learned this the hard way. Insist on co-teaching, and spend plenty of time planning your classes together with your co-teacher.
Oh, and don't worry about the male teachers ignoring you. If you smile, bow a little and say "Annyong Haseo" each time you see them, they will be happy and they will like you. |
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thoreau
Joined: 21 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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The first week of classes is a monster paperwork for Korean teachers. Sitting beside me in a young girl and this is her first teaching job. She keeps looking at this stack of paperwork and just shakes her head. She said that they have changed the paperwork 3x today.
I offered to help my co-teacher's with their paperwork by telling them that they could leave the classroom after it started.
A little bit of sharing the pain. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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| thoreau wrote: |
The first week of classes is a monster paperwork for Korean teachers. Sitting beside me in a young girl and this is her first teaching job. She keeps looking at this stack of paperwork and just shakes her head. She said that they have changed the paperwork 3x today.
I offered to help my co-teacher's with their paperwork by telling them that they could leave the classroom after it started.
A little bit of sharing the pain. |
From a Western prospective this might make a lot of sense. However down the road this could easily come back to haunt you. Don't teach alone
You are an assistant. After exams students go nuts. It's also a time when teachers are swamped with paperwork. You might find your co-teacher skipping out of class at the worst time of the year. Then again you can always play a movie. |
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JBomb
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| I was the first foreigner at my school and I learned really quickly that talking slowly, being patient, and stroking the ego of the co-teachers is essential. I was always quick to emphasize that co-teaching is a team. We work together and we learn together. That means don't be arrogant and think you are King or Queen English. Also anything they offer to show you or anywhere they want to take you, do it. Not only will you often get to learn some cool stuff about the country but also get to learn a bit about the people you work with. |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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| The female coteachers I met are pretty friendly, but I can tell that they are pretty nervous about working with a foreigner esp a male. I feel this because they rearranged the schedule so I only coteach with the other newbie.... Last, one of the first things they asked me was not to pull a runner |
They experienced a foreigner that ran. It is rude to assume you will do the same, and it is rude of them to avoid you. Don't let them.
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| I just don�t want a repeat of last year where my main coteacher was in her first year as a handler. Combine that with her low English skills and inability to follow/read a contract and she was telling everyone I was making 4million won/mo even though I make half that. Jealousy, envy, micromanagement, and poor downward communication pretty much summarized the rest of the year. |
Amen. My co-teach/handler was a nightmare. Same as yours, but she still stiffed me out of a grand ($1000) and used five excuses of why it wasn't her fault. Just to let you know that I understand what you are going through.
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| So my question is what NETs can do about any initial jealousy/resentment? This morning, my main coteacher told me that she has been so busy with paperwork and she was kind of envious of that all I had to do was teach. |
I would have nipped this right in the bud. She is already telling you she thinks you have it "easy" and that will cloud her judgement of you or any issues you may have for the rest of the year. Tell her about how many Koreans cheat foreigners out of their pension/medical benefits. Tell her she can visit her family and friends whenever she likes and you can't. Don't let her make you feel guilty for not being born Korean |
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rookieglobetrotter
Joined: 19 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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Good posts about the coteaching bit. In the states I did 3+ year youth work but mainly taught independently or worked one-one students. You are all right it takes sacrifice, patience, and preparation to make this thing work. Last year it was a mess since I was micromanaged, had seven coteachers expecting me to lead the classes the way they wanted (7 diff ways), and I felt the coteachers presence hindered rather than helped in the classes. My summer/winter camps were a huge success because I could bond with the ms boys better and there was less confusion/hidden animosity in the classroom.
This year is a lot better and I need my coteacher (I only have one) since I decided to do elem (for my sanity after last years ms). I am letting her lead, though I think I have more PS experience. I mean with my coteacher I have an age/culture/style gap but after more communication and practice I think we can build our chemistry. It will take time to better coordinate (with cues), not step on each others toes, offer suggestions without hurting the others feelings (like today the class went 10 min over and the timing was off).
For the mingling, I am also introverted. I need space to regroup at times, so I am still balancing being friendly but finding time/space for myself so I dont burn out like last year. Around the kids of course I am always happy chappy, but sometimes more withdrawn/quiet in the office not because I am unhappy/upset, but just tired and need some space to regroup for the next class. I save most of my energy for the classroom where you have to be an energyball. This again will take time because what I've learned so far in my experience, is that here we don't have much personal space/time and people will expect me to act a certain way to fit in. I also don't like when Kpeople ask so much about my personal life like my relationship and where I sleep lol. So far its been a good growing experience though. |
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ChilgokBlackHole
Joined: 21 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| ThingsComeAround wrote: |
| I would have nipped this right in the bud. She is already telling you she thinks you have it "easy" and that will cloud her judgement of you or any issues you may have for the rest of the year. Tell her about how many Koreans cheat foreigners out of their pension/medical benefits. Tell her she can visit her family and friends whenever she likes and you can't. Don't let her make you feel guilty for not being born Korean |
I agree 100%. Escalation of the conflict is the key.  |
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