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Toby
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Wedded Bliss
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 Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:40 am Post subject: |
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| Corporal wrote: |
| Toby wrote: |
Parents pay the money so they think they have a right to complain.
It SUCKS. |
Well yeah, if there's something really wrong then they have the right to complain. But I think it's safe to say that even your average backpacking teacher knows better how to get the kids to speak English than the parents. And if the parents have lived overseas or studied English themselves then they should be teaching the kids themselves and saving their money.
We wouldn't walk into a dentist's office and tell him which instruments to use on our teeth, how much time to take, how exactly to go about it, now would we? |
Yes. But you know the kind of complaints we get don't you?
"This boy won't play with my son. Can you make him play with him please?"
"I'm sorry. That weekly letter that you chose to do to tell us about the class and their week doesn't tell me enough about MY son."
"You know the website you chose to set up for us to see random pictures of the class? Well, my son doesn't look at the camera. Can you make him look at the camera more please?"
Gangnam Parents.
Quotes fixed by CLG |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:52 am Post subject: |
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Parents do complain about the public school system.
They gripe at parent-teacher interviews, PTA meetings, even phone Korean teachers at home. "Your tests are too hard" (ie my kid didnt study & failed). "Too much homework." "Not enough homework." Etc.
Teachers mollify them the best they can because if the parents dont get satisfaction they complain to the principal. Last thing the honchos want is 'trouble.' Last thing the teacher wants is the parents and the administration breathing down their neck. |
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Homer
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 2:13 am Post subject: |
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Son Deureo!,
Interesting poing about "the plan".
However, my director is doing a good job of following her plan and deals with the parents accordingly. It took some effort to get her to see things this way but we managed to do so by showing her the long term benefits.... |
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ryleeys
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: Columbia, MD
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 2:18 am Post subject: |
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I haven't gotten any specific complaints yet... other than one student's mother being somewhat miffed that I wouldn't meet her for drinks (the kid doesn't have a father). So I think my boss spares me most, but every once in a while, she comes in with a random new idea which I try to work in to my situation.
Truth be told, I wish they'd fire me and I could go back to America and start my career. I didn't mind teaching a real young class (8-9 years) every day... but now I teach 5 classes that age. I love kids... in small doses. 1 kid is lots of fun, 2 are pretty good. 3 is pushing it and the 6 in each class I have are just too much for me. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to handle this. I know that alot of people are in alot worse situations than me, and I don't mean to disrespect them... but I'm just not built to spend 4 hours (+2 more of slightly older classes) every day being pounded on, called monkey, and making children cry when I discipline them.
I don't think my boss will fire me, because she says I'm a good person and even when I make mistakes, she knows that I try my hardest to only make the mistake once. She treats me like a son... but this is going to really start taking a toll on me. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 4:50 am Post subject: |
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| Homer wrote: |
Son Deureo!,
Interesting poing about "the plan".
However, my director is doing a good job of following her plan and deals with the parents accordingly. It took some effort to get her to see things this way but we managed to do so by showing her the long term benefits.... |
Good to hear that you have a good director, that seems to be the exception. The kiddie hogwons I worked for didn't seem to have any concept of the long-term, in terms of planning, benefits, or much of anything else. Instead, they were just jumping from one crisis or half-baked scheme to the next, month after irritating month, pleasing no one. |
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Homer
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 5:26 am Post subject: |
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Son deuro,
My point was not that I necessarily have a good director.... 
Rather it was that with some effort we (as a staff) managed to show her the benefits of seeing long term and of applying a more solid method.
If we had done nothing, she would most likely not have changed or wanted to adapt. |
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sadsac
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: Gwangwang
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 7:29 am Post subject: |
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It is an inherent fault with the system. I pay this school money to teach my little Park My Bus English. Why after 6 months isn't she a native speaker. I am going to complain to the director. He is going to blame the teacher. The downside of teaching in Korea, is that on most occassions the buck stops with us, as fair or unfair as that is. Korean partner teacher corners me the other day, childrens parents are complaining that the homework is too hard. Do I have a solution. Certainly, don't give them homework. No, wrong answer. Her solution is to do the homework in class time. She can't comprehend that in doing this it defeats the purpose of homework. I now only fight the battles I know I can win. Parents are one element I leave alone.  |
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lush72
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: I am Penalty Kick!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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| ryleeys wrote: |
| Truth be told, I wish they'd fire me and I could go back to America and start my career. |
Ryleeys,
Why not give notice, help them recruit another teacher, and then go back? It sounds (to me) like you are over your "honeymoon period" and are beginning to question your decision to work here. Don��t think for a minute that this is ��wrong��, Korea is different things to different people. I personally feel like my time on earth is too short to waste on things that I don��t enjoy. Leaving Korea is not a decision you should be ashamed of, especially if you do it with grace.
I have met 2 or 3 people who stuck it out an entire year here despite being miserable. To me, that��s just not worth it. I don��t advocate going on a ��midnight run��, especially with a boss that treats you like family, but if this isn��t for you Ryleeys, then it just isn��t for you. No right, no wrong.
Whatever the case may be, I do hope that you find some comfort here, and when you do leave Korea you remember the good more then the bad. The trick is knowing when to leave, you might merely be suffering from a case of culture shock. I think that is supposed to occur around month 4-5 (someone correct me if I am wrong here) and there is a ton of material on fighting it available on the internet.
Goodluck! |
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Toby
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Wedded Bliss
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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| ryleeys wrote: |
I haven't gotten any specific complaints yet... other than one student's mother being somewhat miffed that I wouldn't meet her for drinks (the kid doesn't have a father). So I think my boss spares me most, but every once in a while, she comes in with a random new idea which I try to work in to my situation.
Truth be told, I wish they'd fire me and I could go back to America and start my career. I didn't mind teaching a real young class (8-9 years) every day... but now I teach 5 classes that age. I love kids... in small doses. 1 kid is lots of fun, 2 are pretty good. 3 is pushing it and the 6 in each class I have are just too much for me. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to handle this. I know that alot of people are in alot worse situations than me, and I don't mean to disrespect them... but I'm just not built to spend 4 hours (+2 more of slightly older classes) every day being pounded on, called monkey, and making children cry when I discipline them.
I don't think my boss will fire me, because she says I'm a good person and even when I make mistakes, she knows that I try my hardest to only make the mistake once. She treats me like a son... but this is going to really start taking a toll on me. |
Stivk out and move on to better things when you have done your time there. Sometimes it is good to start in a bad job - you appreciate the next job 100 times more. |
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katydid
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| lush72 wrote: |
| ryleeys wrote: |
| Truth be told, I wish they'd fire me and I could go back to America and start my career. |
Ryleeys,
I think that is supposed to occur around month 4-5 (someone correct me if I am wrong here) and there is a ton of material on fighting it available on the internet. |
It's supposed to start after the 3rd month or so and then last anywhere from 3 more months to 6 more months. (Imagine feeling like crap for half a year then having things kick in for you with only three months left? Hmmm...)
I come from the if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger camp. Ask yourself can you actually go back home now, are you financially able to, and remember most people advocate having saved about 3 months salary before deciding to cold-quit a job. Unless things are really really bad, don't run. I had someone tell me once that the minute you quit something it makes it easier to keep quitting things once they get bad and maybe there is some truth to that.... |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| lush72 wrote: |
| personally feel like my time on earth is too short to waste on things that I don��t enjoy. Leaving Korea is not a decision you should be ashamed of, especially if you do it with grace. |
I agree but I think that when you quit you should do so rationally well aware of the bigger picture. I had thoughts last july when I got a job offer back home but I knew if I did that my travelling days would have been over if I had. it's important not to let to let short term stuff bugger up your long term stuff. |
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Toby
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Wedded Bliss
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| lush72 wrote: |
| personally feel like my time on earth is too short to waste on things that I don��t enjoy. Leaving Korea is not a decision you should be ashamed of, especially if you do it with grace. |
I agree but I think that when you quit you should do so rationally well aware of the bigger picture. I had thoughts last july when I got a job offer back home but I knew if I did that my travelling days would have been over if I had. it's important not to let to let short term stuff bugger up your long term stuff. |
When does short term become long term though? What dictates the difference? A year is long term for some and very short term for others. |
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katydid
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...
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| Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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I think my traveling days will be over ONLY if I ever have kids. And I certainly know if you were interested in the campaign aspect of politics CLG, you'd certainly be traveling all over the place.
One of these days, I really would like to get involved in that. Not to hijack another thread but I think in my plans for 2000, I wanted to work on a campaign in 2004. I guess there is always 2008. |
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