Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gillod]

I've been at work until 9 everynight for 2 weeks. I'm here on a Saturday. I've been AUDITED by a lady. This is bizzare.

I know Open Classes are like a big deal and a big dog and pony show, but I think I may be the victim of some kind of elaborate prank. I've poured endless hours into this class, spent pointless evenings changing font sizes and text colors. I sepnt a whole night talking them out of renting an HD movie camera to FILM JUST the completed answers to a worksheet.

Now they're sanitizing my classroom. I have lots of hand-made displays about English holidays and traditions, as well as the seasons and common words. That kind of thing. And they literally came in overnight and took every single thing down and SHREDDED IT.

They've sent a team of auditors to watch us demo our class- The lady took points off for every single word I used that was not VERBATIM from the lesson plan we submitted. They told me I'd 'fail' if I put my hands in my pockets.

Seriously- What's going on here? It's bizzare. There's no longer any trace of English in my English classroom. They took EVERYTHING except the class of the walls and whenever I ask why they just laugh and say 'Oh it is the way it has to go., Please understand'

In the meanwhile, the lesson is a mess because every single auditor gave us weird info and now instead of being a pretty cool, interactive lesson it's a mish-mash of trying to please everyone all the time.

Is it like this for everyone else? I must be on some Korean TV show where they see how far they can push a foreigner before he loses his mind.

I'm really mad about the decorations. My kids made those! And they were in English! And they worked!

This country gets weirder every single day, man.

[tokkibunni8]

I had never put in anymore efforts into my open classes than normal.

[BoholDiver]

I would give up my notice. I'd say something like 'I regret I must leave this job,' and have a letter of resignation ready. When they ask why, I'd tell them.

If they value you, you will get an apologetic response from them. It will also allow you to get out of a future open class.

If they don't value you, why do you want to work there anyways?

[sigmundsmith]

I dont know if you are working in an academy or public school but either way, yes open classes are a dog a pony show. The auditor lady deducting points for not using vocabulary from your lesson plan etc. sounds like a very strange way to judge whether your lesson is up to scratch.

When I was in public school and it came that time of the year to do the re-signing observation the new co-teacher would get all worked up about how the lesson needs to blow their minds. I would always explain that I would not change anything. And I would ask them, do you think any of the lessons that I planned are bad, or do you think that I am not a good teacher, or what do you think I could do to make the lesson better or to make me a better teacher. No suggestions. They are happy with me.

You should probably know by now that the concept of education is very different here to that in our own respective countries. They view it as what they see, right there in front of them to justify whether it is good or bad. And they dont seem to look any further than that. And we all should know that education (especially language acquisition and development) has so many levels involved.

Education is not about having flashy things in the classroom or saying this is that. It is about engaging the students (whether English class or Math class). If you have some experience and your knowledge of English learning by Koreans is high, design a lesson where there is extensive interaction, content based designed that fosters students development.

If they come back to you saying that it is not good enough tell them that flashy things on the wall does not develop their students language ability and that they need to change how they view education. If they disagree with you, ask them why Koreans ability to acquire English is so lacking and why do so many Korean send their children overseas to get educated?

Then you can justify what you are doing.

[Troglodyte]

OP, where do you work? PS or hogwan?

I doubt think that they can or would fire you based on a bad review by auditors. If it's a kiddy hogwan, then the ONLY thing they care about is what the mom's think (and moms are heavily influenced by what the kids think). If it's an adult hogwan, then they only care about what the students think. Basically, they care about whether the students keep signing up for another month.

I wouldn't sweat it. Even if they can and do fire you, you have to ask yourself, "Do you really want to work there in that kind of environment?"

[jonpurdy]

Your school sounds insane. Open classes at my school (and from what I've heard from others) cause the co- to get stressed out but not go crazy with making materials, changing plans, etc. We basically take a regular lesson and enhance it with extra materials (extra Power Point or physical things like well-made flashcards). Then we make sure to do a practice run once to get our timing down. Then do it, smile and not at the Principal and VP's suggestions, then get on with our lives.

[Horangi Munshin]

Mine was a freaking nightmare too.

Made a lot of materials, three games etc the dog and pony bit, fair enough.

The stuff to put on the board! Man. Has to be printed with a light blue background and glued onto darker blue poster paper. The smiley faces I used had to be yellow, the arrow had to be blue and a certain style of arrow, aissh! My co-teacher put pen marks on the board for these things so we wouldn't get deducted points for not having a balanced board!

The class went OK. I messed up my scripted stuff a bit, my co-teacher changed my plan and didn't tell me which irked me and made me look stupid but oh well. We both wore shiny suits.

The worst criticisms were I didn't talk loud enough and our clothes weren't bright enough. Oh no!

[Epik_Teacher]

I think one of the other posters is right. Be ready to flee because it sounds like the owner is a real psycho. I think you'll start seeing more psycho hakwan owners as the economy gets worse this summer and parents start cutting costs and junior doesn't go to so many hakwans. It happened in 1997-98, it will happen again.

Have plan B ready to go!

[lifeinkorea]

Anytime I am asked to do things, I make it the least convenient for them. Tell them you will submit all the stuff tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, give ONLY one thing. When they ask for the rest, tell them tomorrow again, and repeat.

This will slow their demands down, and they will start thinking what they really need from you.

If you are gung ho and give them everything they want, then expect more of the same tomorrow. You'll be squeezed like a lemon and thrown out with the trash.

[wylies99]

[Troglodyte]

[Easter Clark]

[balzor]

Your school might be under performing and is under pressure to impress the district. My school has low district scores, but I just did a normal lesson. No special things, no antics or something that I wouldn't normally do. My co-teacher was freaked the whole week and kept bugging me, but I just taught my lesson and kept the students engaged and the evaluators thought it was great and my principal was thrilled. Stick to your values, Don't sell out to put on a show that causes you so much stress to setup.

[kiwipenny]

How about getting a friend of yours to dress up and go in saying they are auditing your school! Some kind of survey for the education board.. then quit and find a better school~ They sound like complete twits~