Korean Job Discussion Forums

[HymanKaplan]

So I've been at a hagwon for elementary and middle school students for six months. Currently I'm on thin ice, because the manager is worried that I might lose some students. Here's the story, trying to leave no relevant detail out.

I got complaints from four of thirteen classes I had, which isn't in itself abnormal. Some of my coworkers told me it's routine for them to get complaints from half their classes. In three of the classes, the complaints didn't seem to be that big an issue. In one class it was one student. In this case the Korean teacher told me my manager had misinterpreted his (minor) complaint as a threat to quit, and when I asked the student how he was doing after she changed the schedule, he told me he'd rather have me teaching the class again. Two more classes involved princesses, who complain about all their teachers except their one or two favorites.

So none of these are unremarkable on their own. I get the strong impression that the reason my manager took away all four of these classes is because of an apparently very severe issue in another class, one which caused her to overestimate the problems with my teaching. And so now, here's the salient points.

First Class
1. The foreign manager (FM) says that the Korean teacher (KT) told her she had complaints from all of the students, and that several had threatened to quit.

2. The KT leveled a student up without asking me. I asked FM if that was normal practice. FM asked the KT about it, and the KT told her that the girl had threatened to quit if she couldn't change classes.

3. The KT told me that all of the students had complained because I wasn't funny. She also told me that they asked her to change the foreign teacher, but none of them threatened to quit. I begged her to be honest, and she repeated that same story. She also told me that the complaints had been early in the term, she just hadn't bothered to tell my boss for several months.

4. At the end of this class, I told them they would have a new teacher. The students groaned and asked "why." I asked them if they wouldn't be happy to have a new teacher. They vehemently denied it.

Now at this point, I still believed that I simply hadn't connected with the class, and had since improved.

Second Class
5. After the FM changed the classes around, I ended up with another class with this same KT.

6. Half of the students in this class I had taught before. Some of them had told me that I was one of their favorite teachers, but I taught them right after a teacher most of the students hated.

7. The day after my first class, the FM emailed me to tell me that the KT had had complaints from the students, again that I was too boring. The ones I had taught before begged her to change the foreign teacher the ones I hadn't made the same request right afterwards.

8. When I asked the KT she told me that every one of the students without exception complained though. Some of them later recanted,

9. I asked the class what I could to make the class more interesting, and they vehemently denied that they found me boring, and told me that they had no idea where the Korean teacher got that idea.

10. I know that both classes dislike the KT. Both classes (one when they lost me, and the other when they got me) asked if they would have a new Korean teacher, and whined when they didn't. I think it's possible that students don't like any of their Korean teachers, who unlike the foreign teachers aren't supposed to be entertaining.

So now I'm wondering what's going on here, since I have two classes where the students apparently all complained about me, and both are with the same KT. Of course the students are quite plausibly lying to me, but then why this one KT only.

I feel like either 1. there's some miscommunication between KT and students or KT and FM, 2. there's something about Korean culture I'm missing here, 3. the KT has something against me, or 4. all the other Korean teachers I've shared classes are downplaying the complaints about me.

Any ideas?
Also, for any of these contingencies, how should I handle it (except the last one, where the answer is pretty obvious)?

Thanks
HK

[Malislamusrex]

I got 3 words for you...

bingo and candy.

[HymanKaplan]

[litebear]

Hmm, interesting situation. You're over te 6 month mark which is good. Gives you a bit of protection from a contractual point of view.

I'd go to the FM and ask him about making your classes more interesting, if he gives you the green light maybe you could start playing a few more games at the end of the class? Or jazz up the lessons a bit. I'd also tell him your concerns. Don't go right out and blame the KT, but tell him that you can't understand why only particular classes have a problem with you, why not offer to have him observe you teaching? That way he can see for himself.

[Perceptioncheck]

Looks to me like the students (or parents) are complaining about the KT, and she's trying to set you up to take the fall if - or when - they quit.

You could ask the FM if he could conduct some kind of performance review; perhaps he could watch a class, or even have the kids fill out an evaluation of your classes. If you're not doing anything wrong - and it sounds like you're not - then that might help back you up if your evil KT starts playing the blame game when students quit.

[WadRUG'naDoo]

You're teaching them English, right? Tell your manager that you don't want to hear anything more on this issue because it will fall on deaf ears.

[HymanKaplan]

Thanks for the feedback so far guys.

litebear: FM has observed two of my classes. The first one (a few months ago) she was not very impressed with, for a number of minor reasons, though this was a class that likes me and that I was doing quite well with (successfully teaching peer-editing to a mid-level class). But the FM was convinced from the start I wouldn't do well with this class, and told me as much, so she may have been biased.

The second one (about three weeks ago) she just said was fine. She couldn't observe the first class I shared with the KT (the one I lost) and can't observe this second class, because her schedule overlaps/ed with mine for both classes.

And I do have a great deal of leeway; I try to make lessons interesting for all but the most intransigent of classes--with activities and attempts at humor that sometimes work and sometimes get stares.

PerceptionBear:
Thanks, that thought had occurred to me. But I feel like there must be something else going on. If she co-teaches with several of the teachers, and she only complains about me, that would seem to indicate that there's some problem between me and her that makes her target me. And if she does complain about other foreign teachers, I'd think the FM would have noticed.

Klingon dude: That's not really how hagwons work. As the FM explained to me: it doesn't matter how well you know your stuff and how much they learn. The most important thing is that the school keeps the kids. And as one of my Korean co-teachers explained to me: foreign teachers are there to play with them, and cover enough of the book that the parents don't complain, while the Korean teachers are there to be the bad guy. I saw somebody on this forum use the term "English monkey," which seems apt.

HK

[some waygug-in]

Careful with that term 'English Monkey'. You'll have all kinds of posters telling you that it's all your own fault if you feel that way.

And how no one can be an "English monkey" unless they choose to be.

There are several reasons why I would disagree with them, but I won't waste time trying to re-hash old arguments.

[litebear]

[HymanKaplan]

Litebear: Thanks, I talked to an family friend who was a teacher for a long time, and she told me the same thing.

[eamo]

You're just suffering from BS hagwon culture......

Most hagwons are just a sham and a pretense. Kids don't want to be there. Their parent make them go. So they don't want real classes. Especially from the foreign teacher who they (and most hagwon Korean staff!) think should do the goofy stuff and let the Korean teachers get on with the 'serious teaching' of English.........everybody kind of knows that it's all a big waste of time but, hey, this is Korea and every kid has to go to hagwons or be a failure.

The only way to get through the day in these kinds of places is to go with the flow and give up on the idea that your job is to teach in any serious or effective way. You don't have to be an entertainer......just fluff your way through classes without giving any stress or hard work to the kids and you'll be golden.

Long term, find a better hagwon, or get into public schools where the students are used to such mind-blowingly boring teachers that you can't possibly fail to be entertaining.

[thegadfly]

[SoccerFan81]

I think we are missing some very important data amongst all of this debate. First off, what level speakers/listening/reading are your students? In my experience, age doesn't quite matter when it comes to hagwons. What does matter is the perception of the role a hagwon plays in the English education of a student. High level students use hagwons to practice and expand their prowess, while those at a lower level are there with the parental expectations to GRASP the language. If you have high level classes, of course they are not going to be bored. These kids get to PRACTICE and be around a native English speaker. It is fun to them! As for the lower level kids, they have to WORK. Thus, they get frustrated and tell mommy that the class is boring, and that they aren't learning anything because the teacher is too mean/boring/ugly. I don't care of you're a cross between Carrot Top and Socrates, these kids are not interested and DO NOT want to be there, they HAVE to be there.

Herein lies the glaring problem in a hagwon "education": Peter is a high level 4th grader. Tommy is a low level 4th grader. They live across from each other in the same apartment complex, thus they play and interact regularly. Tommy's mom notices that Peter has excellent English skills, thus she sends Tommy to the same hagwon. She expects that, in a very short time, Tommy with catch-up to Peter. She sees the hagwon as a magic bullet that will thrust her son into high level English. However, after a few months, Tommy is still not at the same level of English as Peter. Tommy is always complaining about going to the hagwon, he says that the teacher speaks too fast, they write funny and they are mean (no games/candy). Tommy's mommy thinks that his lack of amazing advancement MUST be an issue with the teacher, thus she complains to the school director. NOW, Tommy's mommy is a little embarassed, so she removes Tommy and sends him to another hagwon, citing that the first was subpar and the teachers were poor. The director then gets to blame the teacher for an issue that is FAR from his/her control. Bottom line, hagwons are a money-making business taking advantage of the cultural expectation that all Korean students must include some sort or supplemental educational program into their daily routine. An owner's goal is to make money by catering to their customers, not their employees.

Hagwon teaching can be overly frustrating because the schools themselves are subjectively structured. There are no tests that hold any weight, there are no consequences for poor performance (rankings, etc), and teachers have little leg to stand on when it comes to the business aspect. No, I don't consider hagwon teachers to be English Monkeys. I DO consider them to be a chess piece in a game of checkers.

[some waygug-in]

[litebear]