Korean Job Discussion Forums

[supermouse]

I have been teaching at my hagwon now a couple of months, i am still a fairly new teacher FYI. I also have decent TEFL certification, but i find it does not help with teaching kids.

This week i received my first complaint that i am too boring and/or not managing this class well enough. This class is a little bit rowdy, but they are decent kids. I do tell them to be quiet and make certain kids stand. As for the material, its listening stuff and it kind of sucks. But i make my own handouts and play games as well. There is not much to explain and i try to get feedback as much as possible. I sometimes do boys vs girls and the kids get points for participating.

What also confuses me is that i think this class really likes me, we have a decent rapport. The parent also mentioned another hagwon and the foreign teacher there was better. But maybe the material is better and the class had a different personality. I work at a small hagwon so you know that goes. Being the only foreign teacher has its ups and downs.

I used to work for Disney World, and no matter what someone always complained. This is what i tried to explain to my director, but i am not sure if she understood.

[bueblo]

One of my co-teachers told me that one of my classes said that I was too quiet and that I needed to be more fun. I thought it was strange because they told me that I was more fun than their previous teacher, but I understood about the being too quiet.

So I was louder for my next few classes, then I asked the co-teacher if there were any complaints, and told her about what they had said before about the previous teacher. Turns out there was a bit of misunderstanding - they did think I was fun, it was just I wasn't simply loud enough, and she had meant to say that I should sound more fun/excited when teaching. This happened despite that I can speak/understand Korean, so it's possible it's just some problems with communication if your class likes you.

On the other hand, maybe the kids you punished (made stand) decided that you were "too boring" or poor at class management the day they spoke to their parents.

[Gorf]

I'm fired as of the 1st of next month due to too many complaints from parents about (ModEdit for word that will get you fired as a teacher) I can't deal with. Is it any surprise that some kids will say that studying is boring? Sadly, the hagwon is a business and therefore to keep business, the blame will fall on the expendable person's head, which is you.

Don't sweat it too much. There's a zillion jobs out there. Generally the wealthier parents that have too much time to spend on making sure little Kimmy becomes a doctor or lawyer are the ones who will nag about every little thing because they're neurotic and don't think that the problem is their own child's lack of caring/too many hagwons/poor parenting.

Some of the complaints I've heard thus far:
Class is too boring
Class is too exciting
Too many games
Not enough games
The teacher was hard to understand
The teacher spent too much time explaining things
The homework wasn't checked by the teacher
The homework was checked too thoroughly by the teacher

Basically, you can't win. Do your best but always have a contingency. In my case I have lucked out, I have a job with half the hours and better pay starting in early December, but that's only because I was well-prepared. Do the same for yourself.

[supermouse]

Thats my concern, if I should be worried about finding a new job soon. It just seems like you have no job security at hagwons. I would love to talk to this parent, but i can't obviously.

Its an alright gig, but far from ideal. This just adds to a list of frustrations and one less reason for me to stay if this is what i am going to deal with.

[blm]

It only takes one complaint for them to pass on their advice to you.

You have to weigh it up, if you think it's going well but one child doesn't like something do you then risk changing and upsetting the others.

You can't please all of the people all of the time.
Just try to keep most of them happy, so ask how many people complain and which one (only do the later if trust yourself not to hold a grudge).