Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Cosmic Hum]

[World Traveler]

Isn't it weird to have a kid half your age (or a third of your age in the case of many Dave's posters) call you by your first name? It seems disrespectful and unhealthy in terms of a professional teacher student relationship.

[cabeza]

^
Are you serious? Unhealthy? When I was at uni most of my lecturers (Some of who were real Professors) told us to address them by their first name. There were a few who were a bit funny about the correct title being used.

Besides, I'm 30 and am only 5-6 years older than my oldest students.
If you rely on the power of a title to build a good student teacher relationship then you aren't going to do very well in the classroom.

[World Traveler]

[Unposter]

I am an American and when I went to college many of my professors were on a first name basis with us.

Personally, I don't get too caught up in the whole title business, on either side. I think some people on here protest the use of the professor title too much; they sound jealous IMHO.

I don't think there is anything wrong with being on a first name basis with your students, even if, or especially if, you are a university instructor.

[World Traveler]

Did you go to a community college?

It's so weird, I can't fathom a situation in which most introduce themselves by their first name, because where I went, none did.

[IPayInCash]

I went to one of the most prestigious schools in the USA, and no one would dare call a professor by their first name. It's rude.

I also took classes at a community college, and no one called a professor by their first name either. And I was in a class with crack heads and gangsters. Tough sell.

[globusmonkey]

In summary, the general rules on this forum are:

1. No English teacher should be called professor, ever.

2. No English teachers should be called by their first names, ever.

3. One person's experience is the rule for everyone, always.

I'll leave it to the trolls to turn off the lights.

[drcrazy]

[drcrazy]

[Smithington]

In Itaewon last night I was looking at all the fools dressed up in costumes for what is, essentially, a day for children. And I had a thought. Foreign teachers in Korea, with an Hons B.A., pretending to be "professors" are basically playing dress up all year long. It's halloween 365 days a year for them. Reality is too dull. Retreating into a fantasy world is so much better, especially if your costume comes with a letter of authenticity (university "name carduh"). Some of those fools were out last night dressed as vampires, wolves, and pirates. Sadly, on Monday they'll all have to return to work, to 'reality'. Happily for them that reality involves the belief that an undergraduate degree in agriculture = "Professor of English." That kind of escape from reality can't be bought.

No wonder Halloween is so popular with a certain type of English teacher in Korea.

[Jodami]

LOL@Smithington's jealousy of us Englisheee profs.

[jazzmaster]

[PRagic]

Where I work, you CAN put in for full tenure at the Associate Professor level, but that is a recent development and a royal pain in the kiester. Most people either make it to Full Professor (and tenure) or are weeded out, many by the Associate Professor level. We go for full tenure when we go for the promotion to Full Professor. I already have sufficient points to obtain tenure, but there really isn't any additional benefit at this point. There is no raise in pay. Raises in pay occur annually and are based on rank and years in rank. I can wait two more years and knock it out when I apply for Full Professor.

It is a bit different than in N. America, where most go for tenure at the Associate Professor rank. You only need a handful of publications to make it depending on where you work. To make Full Professor, however, is a very big deal, and you'd better be able to really show how you've contributed to not only your dicipline, but to the university at multiple levels. I'd say the publication cut-off for most tenured, FULL professor positions in my dicipline is around 30 or so in the U.S., or a combination of book chapters, articles and other work.

If someone introduces themselves as a professor, I just ask them where they did they're doctorate or in what dicipline, or both. If there's an awkward silence and a blank stare, odds are they aren't really a professor.

[Jodami]

Update:

Word on the street is that Dongguk University has told its staff, that from next semester, only those with a master's might be rehired/hired.

They said that this is a government directive, and they will know for sure by this January.