Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jpe]

So, I work at an adult hagwon and have received a couple of complaints from students...or rather, the students have complained to the front desk which translates into me getting switched out of the class, which is apparently how things are done here now. It would be a completely different story if they had the inclination to approach me directly, but the "one-shot" mentality seems to hold here. I'm in danger of losing classes -- I have a base salary but it's not enough to support me and my student loans, and I depend on overtime.

The structure of the classes is such that it involves a lot of student-to-student interaction and monitoring on the part of the teacher. So, while I'm a relatively outgoing person with a good sense of humour, I tend to stick to the structure of the class...I take it fairly seriously even if I'm flexible as much as possible to the needs of the students.

The first complaint was from beginner students who probably weren't ready for such a conversation-heavy class (which I kind of understand), the second was from a very advanced class, which as far as I can tell, went perfectly well and left me completely shocked. Both complaints happened after one two-hour class, so not exactly a lot of chance to make an impression there.

Does anyone else have any experience with this? Short of a complete personality shift -- like, I'm not as bubbly and giggly as my three female co-teachers (incidentally I'm a male, and the latter class consisted of 10 women) -- I haven't got a clue what to do. Like I'm obviously really miffed because I figured teaching adults meant I might be able to take my job half-seriously, but even as I'm gradually learning to dispose of that notion, I really don't know how to "put on a show" (which are exactly the words my boss used)

[edwardcatflap]

It might help if you told us what the complaints were.

[jpe]

It might help if they told me. The first was that I "wasn't interacting enough with them" or something to that effect, I don't know about the second. Apparently they don't bother asking they just switch teachers, because, you know, that's a fair, responsible and effective way to run a business.

[Unposter]

Welcome to hakwon life. You're a "salesperson." You're job is to make them stay and pay you money for your "service." Do whatever it takes to keep them there. You may want to even very diplomaticly tell them that you care about them as students and if there is anything you want to change about the class, you are very interested in helping them, and you just have to talk to me first.

Also, remember you can't satisfy everyone. One person complaining is probably par for the course. Enough people complaining that you lose your class is a problem.

Just remember that you are here to provide a quality service to your students and if you are good at service, you will probably be a good hakwon teacher.

[edwardcatflap]

A few things I've learned about Korean adult students here.

1) They don't give teachers second chances. If they don't like your first lesson they will complain.
2) They like to do a lot of sitting around listening to the teacher. This is usually pedagogically unsound but you need to give them at least a bit of it to keep them satisfied. Part of this will involve them being entertained and made to laugh.
3) They like being corrected, although they don't like being corrected in front of the rest of the class. So monitor what they talk about in pairs, like you do, then do corrections on the board afterwards.
4) They like teachers who are 'kind'. Smile a lot, learn their names ASAP and give out lots of praise.
5) Avoid discussing or making jokes about anything to do with sex, drugs, etc...or Korean current affairs. Play it safe
6) Talk a lot about all the things you like about Korea
7) They love hand outs/photo copies. Give them out at every lesson
They like reviewing at the start of every lesson. This is one of the few useful things they approve of.
9) They like getting homework, even though they seldom do it.
10 ) Talk slowly loudly and clearly at all times and make all instructions as clear as possible. This is probably what the beginners' class complained about. It usually is.

Hope this helps

[jpe]

I literally covered all 10 of those bases in the first class....

this is a load of crap.

[Stan Rogers]

Tough customers eh. You could try dancing a little jig or maybe singing a song. That might work.

[andrewchon]

So you got a bad performance review, big deal, you adjust, improvise, and overcome. Why not tell us how your two-hour session was structured?
In particular, lesson objective and how was it to be achieved, how many breaks and how long? How many students in a class?

[jpe]

I don't think it needs repeating, but as I already said, it's a big deal because my hours are cut drastically, because the school threw me under a bus (largely because of reduced enrollment, they supposedly can't afford to lose one student even in a large class), and because THEY DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME WHAT I DID WRONG. As in, the front desk didn't tell my boss (senior teacher), so my boss couldn't tell me....so it's a bit hard for me to improve on something when I don't know what it is I need improvement on. The whole "I need to be more entertaining" thing is just something I've vaguely deduced.

That's not a "performance review", that's a reprimand without any feedback whatsoever.

The structure of the class is based on discussing an article each hour (so in this case two hours). The first hour a lot of time was taken up introducing ourselves, administrative stuff, etc. since it was the first class. I took a lot of care to give them a chance to talk about themselves, ask questions etc. Then we read the article talk about it, and I break them up into pairs. At the end of each hour we have a grammar feedback and usually a review at the end or start of the next hour.

[some waygug-in]

There's really nothing you can do. In a class of 15 students, one complaint and you're gone. Doesn't matter that the rest of the class is happy or that the complaint has nothing to do with your teaching ability.

My guess is the student is disappointed that you are not a Brad Pitt clone or something, and yes that does happen. *~*

The hakwon just wants to look responsive to the "customer" and that means
instant action regarding the complaint.

It doesn't matter what you do, or don't do.... there will always be someone

who complains.

Just have to do the best you can and get through it.


Adult conversation classes - as they are so-called are notorious for being

populated by students who are not ready or have a completely wrong-headed idea of what the class is supposed to be like.

I always got students who could barely string 3 words together, and yet I was supposed to have "conversations" with them, whilst not wasting the rest of the students time. It's a tough row to hoe, no matter what others may tell you about how easy teaching adults is.

If the hakwon were worth its salt, they would at least tell you what the complaints are and give you some time to try to adjust. The fact that they don't speaks volumes.

[andrewchon]

Nope, you're going to adjust, improvise and overcome.

Let's say what is not being said. You got reviewed badly by the students, front office and your supervisor. There's hardly any feed back because students didn't know what they didn't like. Bu they clearly weren't satisfied. Front office didn't get any because complainer complained badly. Your super had nohing to tell you but had to tell you something so he gave you a vague throw away answer. You are correct in saying there's nothing to go on with improving. Not you were bad or students, front office or your super, but the reviewing process was badly done.

Anyhow, what's happened is history, and you move on. Question: what were YOU not happy with your lesson? What changes would you make to make it YOUR style of teaching so that you'll have a happy two hours instead of the script you were given?

[jpe]

[thegadfly]

[edwardcatflap]

[andrewchon]

OP, you are close to OVERCOME-ing.

Question: what were you wearing in that class? A suit and a tie? Good leather shoes? Clean shaven? Fingernails neatly trimmed? Were you just casually dressed?