Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Threequalseven]

I've learned to tolerate a lot of things here: the vanity, the ass kissing, the complete detachment from the natural world... But one thing that I can't shake is the total disrespect from my academy's students.

First, let me be clear. You public schoolers who are ready bust out the "you suck at teaching" diatribe can save it. You all get a Korean co-teacher to translate, your students actually have to try to some degree because their grade depends on it, and you get them early in the day when they're not totally wound up and burnt out.

That said, my academy is in a medium sized city way out in the sticks, and it happens to be in the wealthiest neighborhood in the province. I don't know how much that has to do with it, but [some of] these students are downright racist (though their too insulated to realize it). Just this week, my girlfriend got blasted in the back why one of her middle school girls, I've had to go crazy on a class just so they'd stop talking, and I had a student talk back and say "Do you think you're God?" and "Grace teacher is main teacher," after telling him he had to stop talking and listen. How is any of that racist? Because the students do a complete 180º whenever a Korean teacher comes around. My worst class hushes up right away, students willingly give up their phones with no resistance, and I know they would NEVER touch a Korean teacher let alone punch one.

Now, before the predictable "they're better teachers than you" argument ensues, let me assure you. I've watched their classes. The teachers sit there on their cell phones doing nothing to manage the class, yet all the students quietly sit and do their work. Yet even if I'm on my A game and have a perfectly organized lesson plan, my difficult classes are still almost impossible to control. They only listen if I scream at them, and even then, a student might bust out laughing at another student's comment not computing the fact that they're being reprimanded. Worse yet, if a student does something obviously wrong like throws something at another student or yells at the top of their lungs, when I say something to them, they just look at another student as if they don't understand what I'm saying and continue on. Either their too freaking lazy to think for two seconds about the context of the situation, or they're playing dumb. Either way, it would never happen to a Korean teacher. I've straight up asked a teacher about a couple of students, and she said "they're just fine in my class. The other students say they just act differently in your class."

I'm sure some of you are still thinking, "well, how is that racist? You're just not as qualified as the Koreans because you can't speak the language." But that's just it. Because I don't know the language, they feel like they can do whatever they want. And, even if I could speak perfect Korean, it's not as if my director is going to let me talk to the Korean parents anyway. So, simply because I'm a guy who looks different and can't call mom, they register that as "screw it, I'm going to do what I want and completely ignore the lesson, because it's of no consequence to me. And if the books don't get filled out, my mom will blame the teacher, not me."

1 on 1, these kids [the bad ones] are totally different - shy, submissive, intimidated. But in a group, they turn into these wicked little monsters. Most people's complains about hagwons are because of the shady directors, but my #1 problem this whole year has been the kids. I'm leaving Korea at the end of this month, and I can't wait. If Korea was a person, I'd tell him, "Your country is alright, but I can't stand your children!"

[andrewchon]

I don't think that's racism, yet. More like 'torturing the powerless teacher' which is a form of bullying. Homeroom teachers have power over their students, because they know how to make Korean kids feel guilty. Shouting at them doesn't make them feel guilty. Korean Art of Guilt isn't hard. You just have to know what to do. People who has made their partner say "maybe it's my fault" even though they are totally the blame knows what I mean.

And I totally agree with your choice to pursue other options. It's good to know when it's just not worth the money.

[Julius]

How long have you been teaching?

These things improve with time, as you learn to form better relationships with your students and develop your own style, and find out what works.

If this is your first year teaching, don't worry to much about it,- but- read what you can about teaching techniques. Do what you can to improve. Use online resources. Take a CELTA.

ESL is actually a very complex and difficult job to do properly.

[Threequalseven]

[Threequalseven]

Also, I don't know how feeling it's okay to punch a foreign teacher in the back, yet show utter respect for the Korean teacher, isn't racist.

[NohopeSeriously]

This is not being racist per se. It's more like the K-kids acting extremely rude, like most Koreans. Think like this. Being rude is part of the Korean identity. You don't suppose to question this.

[Julius]

[salutbonjour]

They would do the same to a reject Korean teacher really. You are very similar in that you have zero recourse. Your co-teacher won't support you, your administration won't support you and you can't call the parents. You can do nothing. If they behaved to a Korean teacher they would call the parents or kick them out... on the other hand if they act up in your class you don't have any recourse.

Just read up what goes on in the technical schools out in the provinces. None of the teachers have any recourse and they act the same towards all the teachers: like brats.

It's not racist, you're just easy prey.

[Janny]

I've been in your situation. It's like a daily nightmare come to life.

If you can bring in candy and treat foods like cookies and chips, do it. Use them as rewards for good, quiet, respectful behavior and completed work. Bring in small candies like Skittles and give them liberally (one at a time) to kids who are doing something right. At the beginning, it could as simple as "Billy is sitting quietly and listening. He gets a Skittle." Let Billy pick the color. If Billy is always awesome, let him decide who gets the next Skittle. And so on.

It might be your only hope. Worked for me every time.

If it's older kids like teenagers, let them watch 10 min of funny video or play a game they like (FIND ONE...do you know 7-up? I taught my teen class that one and they loved it, or even bingo for candy would work). Give the reward IF they behave and do a certain amount of work in class.

Take away the privilege for the whole class if even ONE student is misbehaving. They will police themselves if the reward is good enough and you are consistent with giving and taking away.

If there isn't enough time for reward in each class moment-to-moment, or if you are told "no candy allowed!", find out something they would really want (like a short trip outside as a class, a movie class, pizza day) and let them work towards it as a class. Tell your supervisor or whatever that this is the only way things will improve.

Set up a "star" system. They need to earn enough stars for a certain reward AS A CLASS. Give and take away stars liberally each class. Give the reward after a week or two.

Good luck teacher

[denverdeath]

play bingo, or install Shockseats, or have your won-jeong-numb-er install cameras. if that all fails miserably, try various combinations. if any of them tries to punch YOU, grab their wrist, and twist. leaves no marks, or blood, of course.

[Threequalseven]

I really like some of these suggestions. My only misgiving is that I haven't wanted to create, what the Republicans call, a "cycle of dependency"... in which the only way to control the students is through skittles and pizza and so on.

Anyway, the line between racist and easy prey is pretty grey. I'm foreign, so I can't call mom. That's one thing. I'm foreign so if Billy says something crass to the whole class and I don't understand, that's another thing. But then what is racism if it's not picking on easy prey? Isn't that a bit like saying, "I'm not sexist, women are just easy prey"? I'm being taken advantage of based on what I lack. I went to an almost all-white high school, and the two or three kids of color were certainly "easy prey".

[hiamnotcool]

[sweetmoya]

This is definitely not an example of racism lol. How are these children oppressing you exactly? It's an example of bad classroom management skills. The way you talk about the students and the examples you give, imply that you need to work on those skills. You need to build a better rapport with them, loosen up, charm them a bit, reward them for good behaviour, but be firm and clearly layout the rules. You could even draft the rules with your students as a lesson. You should probably read up on classroom management and try some strategies and find one that works. Classroom management takes time and you may need to test out a few things before things settle down. In the meantime, calm down.

[transmogrifier]

[EZE]

The kids aren't racist. It's just a few of the adults. But more importantly, the kids know the Korean teachers can call thier parents and the parents will believe what they say. They know you can't call their mom.

My students are actually great, for the most part. I do candy incentives at times, but the one thing I do that is the most effective is to say, "Let's calm down and focus on our lesson. We're supposed to leave in a half hour. If you keep acting the way you're acting, it's going to take us at least 45 more minutes to finish the lesson." This usually resolves the problem immediately, because I have kept classes late enough times to where they know I'm not just bluffing. When I keep them late and they whine, I just remind them, "I'm not keeping you here late. You're keeping you here late." A variation of this is to write Staying After Class on the board. When I write that on the board, I can hear the consternation in the tone of voice from the students. By the time I turn around, they're saints. The main thing, though, is to enforce it once a name or two gets written on that list. The kids hate staying after class, but the moms have never ever complained about this form of discipline. Their kids are getting an additional five or ten minutes of English instruction, after all. This is my preferred method, since I really don't like collective punishment, even though I have done it a few times.

The kids here in Korea are really good, though, just spoiled. My first two months at my current school were Hell because the kids were completely out of control, but the past twelve or thirteen months have been a blast since the boundaries are established and the kids know how much fun they can have without it being too much. There are a lot of really cool kids at my school.