Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kristsoy]

I have a b*tch for a supervisor. she is by far the most moody, bitc hy spiteful person I know. I told her off today which makes it about 12 times in thelast ten months.

I was simply telling her that the kids were being bad today in the class that her and i share. then she snaps and says shut up shut up.

I was like WTF is your problem? and who do u think u are talking to me that way, im not you kid you unprofessional son of a bitch. she didnt take that well, so more yelling happend.

9 more weeks, cant wait to get the hell outta this stupid, behind country. Don't Korean people know to never let emotion get in the way of business.

It seems they dont, it's assbackwards here...

any thoughts on my terrible day?

[Real Reality]

Foreigners See Koreans as Irrational, Unethical: Survey
http://www.yonhapnews.net/Engnews/20031115/300100000020031115102353E3.html

Foreigners Give Koreans Low Marks for Ethics
A majority of foreign residents here give Koreans low marks for ethics and rationality, according to a survey released Saturday.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200311/kt2003111618540511990.htm

A home shopping network offers "emigration packages" and gets sold out, while "emigration fairs" are standing room only. If people believe that today's a trial and tomorrow you'll only be more drained, then the "escape Korea syndrome" will be unstoppable.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200309/200309210026.html

"Koreans tend to think the problem is caused by someone else, that it does not lie within the Self," Professor Chey Jean-yung said. Just about every Korean suffers from soul-deadening mental, physical or emotional tiredness. Due to political hard times, dirty money and competition people feel that they are not being treated nicely.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200403/kt2004031817153511680.htm

[lush72]

[Real Reality]

Kristsoy,
Did you know Korea relies heavily on exports?
It seems Korea is exporting business practices.

At a news conference at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington, Ashcroft announced that the U.S. District Court in Hawaii later the same day would announce the sentences for Kil Soo Lee and two accomplices in the largest human-trafficking case ever prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice. Lee, a Korean national, was the owner of a forced-labor garment factory in the territory of American Samoa, Ashcroft said.

After a three-month trial he was convicted on 14 counts, including conspiracy to violate individual civil rights, extortion, money laundering, and eleven counts of involuntary servitude. "From 1999 through November 2000, defendant Lee and his underlings used threats, arrest, deportations, starvation, confinement, and beatings to hold over 200 Vietnamese and Chinese garment workers in servitude," Ashcroft said.
http://www.usembassy.it/file2004_01/alia/a4012902.htm

[Grotto]

My supervisor is a guy
he continually lies to the foriegn teachers.
Goes behind their backs(goes to one teacher and complains about the other then vice versa)
when you tell him of a problem with apartment, student, anything his reply is 'no worries...no worries' which when translated means not my problem stop telling me about it.
switches students between classes several times a month, one day they are good enough for the higher level the next they are in the lower levels.

This school basically puts students in classes based on which class has the least amount of students not on the students abilities.

[some waygug-in]

I agree with most of what you say, but I have to add that Koreans have a very different idea of what constitutes common sense.

For us, fairness and logical planning are just common sense.

For Koreans, getting the advantage over somebody is common sense, even if it involves some sort of dishonesty.

Koreans don't see the "sense" of fair play, if they don't have the advantage, they don't want to "play".

Of course, with what's going on in Washington right now, it's hard for us to say that we are any better. Koreans look at that and laugh at our silly attempts to convince them that "fairness" will get you anywhere in this world.

It seems all very childish from our perspective, but you have to remember that they have been taught this from day one. The education system enforces such beliefs. Students who cheat do well in Korea and are usually not punished because it is looked upon as a group effort of the class. If one student knows, they are supposed to share.

This whole notion makes it very hard to do anything productive in the classroom, as far as we are concerned. That's why so many teachers advocate games. With games, the element of competition means students are no longer one group but 2 (teams) or many if it is an individual game.

I'm not sure what this has to do with anything, but I hope it helps to illustrate some of the cultural differences.

Cheers

[Paddycakes]

I don't think it's fair to generalize all Koreans as being liars and cheats.

I've met my fair share of "liars" and "cheats" in the West.

As for having a bad boss, well, just pack up and head to Canada or the US where all the bosses are just "perfect". Cough! Cough!

Part of the problem foreigners have in Korea is that they are exposed to the "quick buck" artists who start hagwons because they think it's an easy way to make fast bucks.

These are the same people, who, back home, run tele-marketing operations and multi-level marketing type schemes.

For what it's worth, with the exception of an old Hogwan boss, the vast majority of Koreans seem fairly honest.

[Real Reality]

Paddycakes wrote,
"For what it's worth, with the exception of an old Hogwan boss, the vast majority of Koreans seem fairly honest."

Do Koreans know this?

Rotten to the Core?
Transparency International's "Corruption Perceptions Index 2003" lists Korea 10 places lower than what it was last year, meaning the country ranked 50th. The corruption has gotten that much worse. According to a recent survey, as many as 90 percent of Korea's youth think they live in a country that's corrupt, and a considerable number of them say they're ready to join the club if the occasions calls for it later in life. Our society has become rotten to the core. If we're ever going to stop being a "republic of corruption," then we need to make sure people ultimately gain less from such activity.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200310/200310080034.html

the vast majority of Koreans seem fairly honest.

[rapier]

I suffer a little from a twisted, sour and emotional child of a supervisor too. Or at least I did at the beginning until I snapped back a couple of times. Once they realise that any confrontation with you may involve a loss of face for them, they become more diplomatic.

She has no idea of how to talk nicely, relate to or encourage the workforce. A thousand miscommunications and avoidable mistakes persist, because nobody dares ask her any questions if they are unsure of what to do... to ask a question is to incurr her anger and basically be told you're stupid... she's got a bit better recently, but its been a loooong hard process.
She also seems to hold onto her twisted view of foreign teachers as being inept, unable to control classes, and being here for an easy ride.. of course the fact that I know more about teaching, always have better ideas, am better qualified, and speak English about 1000% better than her, doesn't seem to count.
I'm guessing she is the typical spinster Korean hagwon supervisor archetype here...?
The supervisor can actually be the biggest obstacle to your doing your job effectively, it seems.

[some waygug-in]

[rapier]

Remember that we get treated the best (despite appearances) of all the foreigners that come here. If you have a dark skin or originate from a poor country such as pakistan or bangladesh, your life will be hell here.

[mindmetoo]

My first supervisor snapped his gum every single minute of the day. Cringe. And I had to sit right next to him. He wasn't a bad guy. As a teacher he clearly cared about the kids and their education. But he didn't seem to want to do anything managerial...

My newest supervisor, a woman, is great. She's nice. If I tell her x class are acting like savages, she works her little Korean magic and suddeny they're little angels.

[TECO]

Like a roommate you don't dig...

Move out.

[rapier]

[Corporal]

When you say "supervisor" what do you mean exactly? Another teacher that keeps an eye on you? A head teacher? Someone whose only job is to monitor the foreign teachers? I'm just not too clear on who we're discussing here...