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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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 Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:14 am Post subject: |
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My Co-Teacher last year was an irrational mess. Delusions, schemes, and demands.
But she also was an excellent preparer of materials and due to her demanding style I now have a portfolio filled with lesson plans and materials as well as the experience of 'delving into the curriculum' (such as it is). And sometimes her criticism was spot on.
My new co-teacher is great to work with but I don't get the same sense of urgency from him, nor are our lessons as interesting. I think our students are ultimately a little worse off (for the time being) than with the old 'bat from hades'
The point is that we need to sift through the criticism given us by our co-teacher and listen to what is good and what is them taking out their bad day on us. Also we always can do a better job. The bottom line is what is most effective for the students. And guess what, sometimes they, the Korean teachers, are right. Often they are wrong but we can't just totally tune them out.
I mean having the co-teacher who just sits back and lets you run things is great but sometimes things are missed by not engaging in team-teaching. Also I think it is better to be a little stressed and harried and involved through your work than to just be the English Monkey-bot.
Also believe it or not you can win out as a foreigner, you just have to be smart, diplomatic, and yes, a little sly about things. Everyone believed the old bat was great and I was the source of all ills until the parent-student reviews came back (with some suggestions for comments given by me to the students). One of us still teaches English. The other does not. |
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NYC_Gal
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 12:17 am Post subject: Re: Submitting to the Co-T. |
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| Easter Clark wrote: |
| lilith63 wrote: |
After 10 months of fighting to have the right to do my job, I decided to submit and leave ALL the responsibility on her shoulders. My Co-T is a control freak unlike any I have known and I got tired of having every suggestion I make shot down...so, now I just say, "Lily, What do you want me to do tomorrow"? with a huge smile on my face. But now she gets pissed off when I do that and we had a huge blow up yesterday. I am tired of this BS with the Co-T. Its nothing more than a control issue and when she saw that she couldn't really boss me around anymore...it pissed her off. So now what?!!!! |
I wouldn't ask her about the next day. I'd wait until class time when she walks in and say "What are we doing today? Oh, you don't have anything prepared? Then what should we teach them? I'm just an assistant and I'm not Korean. I will be happy to help with anything you need. Just tell me what to do."
...or something along those lines. Then later, complain to her superiors offhandedly-- "I'm not sure the students are learning anything in my class. I try to do everything Lily tells me but it just doesn't seem to be working. Is it my fault?"
Oh, and you might wanna think about finding a new school when your contract finishes |
I LOVE that! I give my head coteacher my lessons 2 weeks in advance (powerpoint "key point" lesson, word doc with the outline, and a powerpoint game for each session), then when she suggests changes, I smile and nod and say "You can change anything you like. I am just making entire lessons and you can use the parts you like and add and subract anything. See? You can edit them easily."
She never edits anything. 
Just smile and remember: this job is a cakewalk, and the kids are great! |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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Evidently not in the case of Korea.
| cdninkorea wrote: |
| stevieg4ever wrote: |
Means nothing as foreigners are outside of the Confucion dynamic.
Another culture vulture that stumbles at the first hurdle. |
Confucius was a foreigner too, but that doesn't seem to matter. |
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ThingsComeAround
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| nautilus wrote: |
Koreans are a tribe who are unable to criticise eachother in favor of a foreigner no matter if they are in the wrong. The feeling of unity they get is more important to them than any actual objectivity. Ultimately nationalism is the root key to understanding korean behaviour.
...
There is so much wrong with this industry that I don't know where to begin. So far the koreans have shown no clear intention to improve or fix their system due to the chains of their confucian social ways. Thus korea will remain the country with the highest amount spent on english education yet lowest level of proficiency.A team of FT's experienced in Korea could probably fix it for them in a day if they'd only listen. |
AMEN, REVEREND! PREACH ON!!    |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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I agree Nautilus, I have not met with an industry as unprofessional and ameteurish as ESL in Korea. And in many ways you are correct with your assertion about the people: its people that underpin every organisation and system and when the people fail so to does the said organisation or system. Until they change expect more of the same.
Your opinion doesn't count for much as foreigners with opinions don't last too long from what I have seen. Its the 'yes' people who do. The ones that say 'how high' when asked to jump.
| nautilus wrote: |
| stevieg4ever wrote: |
In my province, the poe would just let the situations escalate and then step in and address the native accusing them of the said situations being their fault. They never seem to want to hold the Korean party accountable but that's just my experience ofcourse. |
Koreans are a tribe who are unable to criticise eachother in favor of a foreigner no matter if they are in the wrong. The feeling of unity they get is more important to them than any actual objectivity. Ultimately nationalism is the root key to understanding korean behaviour.
I've never been asked my opinion on anything at any school I've taught in korea, despite me being more experienced in this than most people i've worked with. All I've been able to do is lead by example until they eventually see sense and fall into line.
The nearest i've seen the Education board opening up to the opinions of the FT's was their "confidential" questionnaire handout. However the fact that this was passed via the Korean co-teacher who then read it before (perhaps) returning it obviously defeats the purpose of the exercise.
There is so much wrong with this industry that I don't know where to begin. So far the koreans have shown no clear intention to improve or fix their system due to the chains of their confucian social ways. Thus korea will remain the country with the highest amount spent on english education yet lowest level of proficiency.A team of FT's experienced in Korea could probably fix it for them in a day if they'd only listen. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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| stevieg4ever wrote: |
I agree Nautilus, I have not met with an industry as unprofessional and ameteurish as ESL in Korea. And in many ways you are correct with your assertion about the people: its people that underpin every organisation and system and when the people fail so to does the said organisation or system. Until they change expect more of the same.
Your opinion doesn't count for much as foreigners with opinions don't last too long from what I have seen. Its the 'yes' people who do. The ones that say 'how high' when asked to jump.
| nautilus wrote: |
| stevieg4ever wrote: |
In my province, the poe would just let the situations escalate and then step in and address the native accusing them of the said situations being their fault. They never seem to want to hold the Korean party accountable but that's just my experience ofcourse. |
Koreans are a tribe who are unable to criticise eachother in favor of a foreigner no matter if they are in the wrong. The feeling of unity they get is more important to them than any actual objectivity. Ultimately nationalism is the root key to understanding korean behaviour.
I've never been asked my opinion on anything at any school I've taught in korea, despite me being more experienced in this than most people i've worked with. All I've been able to do is lead by example until they eventually see sense and fall into line.
The nearest i've seen the Education board opening up to the opinions of the FT's was their "confidential" questionnaire handout. However the fact that this was passed via the Korean co-teacher who then read it before (perhaps) returning it obviously defeats the purpose of the exercise.
There is so much wrong with this industry that I don't know where to begin. So far the koreans have shown no clear intention to improve or fix their system due to the chains of their confucian social ways. Thus korea will remain the country with the highest amount spent on english education yet lowest level of proficiency.A team of FT's experienced in Korea could probably fix it for them in a day if they'd only listen. |
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If you learn to "SNIP" Smile Nod Ignore Proceed, you can bypass most of the bad advice while at the same time allow the person giving the bad advice to save face. Eventially when they realize you know what you are doing you will gain respect. By that time you will be tranfered to another school and have to deal with the same old crap all over again.
You can also earn brownie points by going to the ajoshi dog soup party followed by heavy petting at a Talenjeom-jeong ( Karioke with girls) |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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| nautilus wrote: |
[q
Koreans are a tribe who are unable to criticise eachother in favor of a foreigner no matter if they are in the wrong.
This is wrong. I've experienced the reverse more than once.
.A team of FT's experienced in Korea could probably fix it for them in a day if they'd only listen. |
I doubt that...they'd be too busy complaining on Dave's. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:44 am Post subject: |
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| Fishead soup wrote: |
| heavy petting at a Talenjeom-jeong |
you can't actually read Korean, can you? |
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