Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rhoddri]

Before I start, I'd just like to state that I am far from the serious, professional "English teacher". Although, in my defence I'm not a charlatan, and I do my best to keep the kids entertained. I am certainly not looking into ESL as a long term career prospect. It was only yesterday that I viewed the post and footage of a girl being struck by a teacher in a Korean school, that ended in the teacher being fired.

Today I messing about at the start of class with my fifth grade elementary school students. It's a big class and most of them are nuts about WWE. They usually try picking me up and stuff like that, then I recipricate usually by picking each student up individually and plonking them back on their chairs, then the class 'begins'. Anyway the kids love all the messing about and it's all done for fun. Although in the last week a few extra students have joined the class. They're more quiet than the rest of the students at the moment as they are new. Today I was going through the same ritual, with a bit more vibe than usual..(hey it's friday!). I'd just finished picking up one of the most playfull guys up, faking a few moves and then placed him down on his chair...then I realised one of the new students had been filming everything that I had been doing. I was actually taken aback by it. I was just doing the usual fooling about with the kids, it's all good fun, but then I thought about what it must look like to someone else.

Most of my coworkers do similar things with their students. Even the boss messes about with the kids. It's just an activity that along with everyday hagwon life (in my work place anyway). Although after being filmed by this student I became ultra conscious as to my mannerisms in class. If kids are doing something that I tell them not to I give them a "yellow card", if they do it again, they are sent out of class (red card) for two minutes. They're my class rules. After catching the guy filming me I gave him a yellow card. Then a few minutes later I caught him again when I quickly turned around after writing on the board. I sent him out for a couple of minutes. I was then thinking "jesus am I being hard on the kid just because he filmed me?" and thoughts along those lines.

I know all I was doing, and all that was filmed was just having fun with the kids, but would it be seen in the same eyes as say, someone with a particular vendetta against hagwon teachers? I mean for example,if footage of something like that got on the internet I'm sure most people would think it's funny. Although I'm sure there would be some 'netizens' who could spin it and add stuff like "foreign teachers assult our people in hagwons" etcetc. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but that's just the thing, I've really got nothing to be paranoid about. It's just when you go into a class of twelve year olds and you're worried about what you're doing because it may be filmed and spun as something other than playfull....well it can be quite disconcerting.

I started this post talking about career prospects. I'll be checking my mannerisms in class from now on to make sure I still have a career to aim for when I finish my 'teaching' stint in Korea.

Big Brother is watching...

[shawner88]

I get annoyed when my elementary kids come in to school carrying 500,000 won Samsung Anycall color phones. What's up with these parents?

[The Lemon]

Interesting post. Since your boss sounds cool, you might want to bring up your concerns with him. Hopefully he'll continue to support you and you won't have to feel quite so paranoid in class about what kids might do with their cameraphones. And your concerns about what some Korean "netizens" might do with unflattering-appearing video of a foreign teacher is I think a legitimate one.

Good luck.

[Rhoddri]

Thanks. I told the boss after class about it, he's cool. Ahh yes it is quite something when a couple of 12 year old kids have mobiles worth around 500,000won in class.

But doesn't this entire situation seem weird to you guys? I mean I'm 25 years old and I can still remember my school days clearly. Cell phones in class? Students filming teachers on a mobile phone? Jesus I feel old!

[Juggertha]

I htink Lemons got it right. Chances are most everyone knows your cool with the kids. IF the video doesnt show it, it'd be good to have backing from all around you.

I do the same thing and would have the same worries too.

[Mr. Pink]

[HardyandTiny]

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200404/200404010018.html

Video Clip of Teacher Assaulting Student
With the spread through the Internet of a video clip depicting a teacher assaulting a female girl in the classroom, the Gyeonggi-do District Office of Education decided to fire the teacher in question, Thursday.