Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mack the knife]

Demo,

I don't believe you are bragging or lying. You are, however, confused. Unless you are the ONLY teacher in the school, period, English is being taught in the other classrooms. Your claim is just as foolish as saying "Math is not being taught" or "Korean is not being taught". Of course English is being taught. You just haven't figured it out yet.

[Demophobe]

I am not GEPIK (a modded GEPIK). I am the only English teacher.

Apparently, one of the five dudes sitting in on my interview was from the board of education in Namyangju city. He authorised the changes to my contract, duties and responsibilities. Why, I don't know, but I just got off the blower with the principal, and that is the deal.

[CanadaCommando]

Demo:

First, let me wish you good luck in your gig. You seem to be fully committed to what your going to do, and I applaud that.

Now, on the realist side-take a moment to consider the importance of your role. Your are going to be responsible in making sure that all your kids do well on the government tests. This does not mean that you are in charge of your students growing in the English skills-this means that you are molding the students under the expectations of the Korean curriculum. AND EVEN if your innovative methods work well with students right now, best hope they are able to readapt to the Korean system once they leave the enlightened environment of your English classroom, and re-enter the real Korean English classroom-where rote memorisation rules.

See, it's not that I like the lecture style of most Korean teachers. OR that I think Korean teacher deliver English in a better way than FT do. I hate rote memorisation, but that's the way that it's taught here. And if that's te way the curriculum leans towards testing, I think WE need to teach to the test. That's how the education culture works here~they teach to the tests.

I think part of responsibility is being able to foresee things beyond your own ability-the responsibility to step up and say "Hold on now, this might be a bit much". Peppermint, who is in a similar scenario to you, has made it clear that it is a bootful of work, and very difficult at times. Not to say that it is not rewarding, but at least take some more consideration into how much work and stress you are in store for. I really do hope you find yourself able to deliver, but also note there is no safety net. You fumble, and you take your kids with you. You sound like a qualified teacher~but your job is going to demand far more than that.

Don't dismiss me as a troll. I don't post often, and usually only for what I see as significant issues. I'm not trying to stir the pot~more just to raise some concerns I have with the setup of your school.

CC

[Demophobe]

[misquote="CanadaCommando"] Blah, blah, blah....you people can't be trusted to do a task alone, even though you may have done more work than many an education major from the west....you aren't qualified for anything more than a hagwon....don't step out of your place because you know full well, and if you don't I'm telling you, that you just don't belong in a position of independance or authority, again, because you just aren't good enough....[/misquote]


Not a troll, but certainly a touch ignorant. The elementary sudents in Korea are no "tested" per say in Korea. They are tested, but English is not a subject that appears on their report cards. That is, their English marks have no relevance to anything that involves their future in educational placement.

Now, I realize the responsibility for their education still exisits, and I haven't changed my stance in what I intend to do for the students. However, your entire rant (at least all of your ensuing posts, seeing as the few who took you to task at all were in elem. Ed.) is made redundant by the aforementioned fact. The entire purpose for English in Elementary school at all is as Mack alluded to, to get them interested and exposed to English, in hopes that their middle school and high school marks will be better, as will their general attitude and proficiency.

So, to ease your mind about all of us posers, imposters and "wanna-be"s damaging the futures of our students, possibly leading them into a life of despair from our miserable, pathetic teaching, we are still in such a role that has much less meaning than your sad little tirade would have hoped.

I am also done with you and your passive/aggressive, beat-you-down-then-pick-you-up-to-do-it-again mode of discussion.

See you in the funny pages....

[Demophobe]

[CanadaCommando]

BOOYAAAH! Touching hearts and minds!


Dude, you have fully missed my point! I am in no way lording over anyone in this post. I don't think anyone with a BED or even an M.Ed from back west should be doin' your job. I thought I stated about 5 times in postings that it was NOT simply a matter of education. I think the education is advantageous. Think whatever you want there. But in no way did I ever say "You never did your Bed-Go home!"

Ya think I'm pigeon holing you? Here, I thought I was giving you then benefit of the doubt. Thought I said in my post a few times that you sounded like a sound teach, but here you throw me down as being some sort of condecending Edu-Nazi.

[schwa]

A lot of elementary schools I'm familiar with would do well to hand over all their english teaching duties to a motivated native speaker with a modicum of qualifications. As things stand, there is already a disheartening proportion of kids hitting middle school with zero interest or ability in english despite several years of mandatory elementary english 'classes.'

A lot of elementary teachers resent having had english instruction duties dumped on them -- most are largely untrained in it & they find it stressful & even humiliating. So they clam up & maybe play cd's for the kids. What signal does that give impressionable kids about the learnability of english?

I know exceptions too of course -- young enthusiastic teachers, some near fluent, & a couple schools that have specialized Korean english teachers that do a quite capable job. But the majority of kids are way underserved.

I hope the GEPIK program ends up being run well & spreads. It could really help.

[Demophobe]

"BOOYAAAH! Touching hearts and minds!"

A.k.a. trolling.

"Dude, you have fully missed my point!"

Perhaps it wasn't so clear.

"Here, I thought I was giving you then benefit of the doubt. "

Why would you do this? Why doubt me at all? You don't know me. Condecention.

"I shouldn't do it. None of my buddies either."

Who are you again? Who are your buddies? Sounds like if you and they shouldn't, no one should. More Condecention.

"They go through uber years of Korean Teacher school"

4 years. Same as everyone. Not uber-years by any stretch, and once in a uni, it's actually difficult for Koreans to fail out.

"I just think if you are officially going to be the only teacher there, that you should have to face the same standards as the Korean teachers-aka Korean (not western) education program. "

So why did you go on ad nauseum about western ed. degrees at all? You should have pointed out from the start that no one except a Korean can win in your scenario. You didn't say this however, you went on at length about needing an Ed. degree, presumably from a western uni. Again, not very clear if that isn't what you meant.

"laying into me for some BS reason"

Now my reasons are BS? Well, my feelings are my own then...at least you know about them, as I do of yours.

"YOU made this personal. I started off not specifing anything, just saying some of the difficulties out there. "

Not true. You started out this thread by saying that the difficulty was the foreign teacher and his/her under-qualification. That is personal to anyone with any pride in what they do. I did unfortunately take it to the next level....my bad....I guess you bring this out in me.

"Honestly man, even think I wished ya luck a few times."

More Condecention.

"You sound like a qualified teacher~but your job is going to demand far more than that. "

Explain what else I will need.

"Nice. I'm tossing out good will, your laying down the insults, and Im the jerk."

Yes. You never had any "goodwill", just condecention and down-talking. I was reacting (my bad). You were antagonizing.

Anyways, I apologise for my personal comments. I still stand behind them as I still think you are too high on yourself, but I don't like that I made them.

[CanadaCommando]

I was going to PM this, but as we are basically the only ones posting right now, I'll toss this on the thread.

My point shoulda maybe been more clear. I was objecing to any and all FT taking over the sole full time role. I refered to myself as not qualified as well, not because I am trying to say "if Im not qualified no-one is" but rather just to illustrate the simple fact that I don't consider myself qualified either. I def. do not hold myself up as a model teacher. I have alot to learn still.

4 years of schooling in the Korean system is still alot-and I think any teacher in a responsible role in the Korean system would benefit by it.

[kermo]

[trigger123]

The unfortunate thing about CC is that most of his / her rants are uninformed and have led to conclusions which are not fair to the Education system here or to the GEPIK teachers that are trying their best to work in a new system.
I'd like to speak on behalf of my colleagues in the GEPIK programme. So, to make it clear, and to back up what previous posters have pointed out -
1. We are not the sole source of English education at our respective schools. We work alongside a Korean teaching staff, sometimes co-teaching lessons where appropriate, and work together to deliver the curriculum. Did you really think we would be spending hours with a dictionary translating the curriculum and teching guides?!
2. We're here to teach the kids AND the school's teaching staff. We will improve the level of English proficiency amongst Korean Elementary teachers, which given our experiences ranges from beginner to pre-intermediate. That in itself is a very positive thing.
3. CC talks about how because we're not bi-lingual we shouldn't be teaching in the public system. Well firstly we don't teach alone so difficult points are explained in the kid's language. Secondly, if we follow CC's idea about only allowing bi-lingual teachers to teach, then none of my Korean co-teachers should be teaching English either.
4. Qualifications? I am a teacher in the UK and little of my degree could have prepared me for my work in a Hagwon or my current post in an Korean Elementary. Many of my fellow teaching graduates could not do this job, and thats not a reflection of standards in the UK. Please, don't start lecturing people, no matter YOUR qualifications, on whether their qualifications or experience are good enough to teach.
This country's efforts to take English education away from private, poorly-run Hagwons is a good step. I agree it isn't perfect but its a step in the right direction.
Good luck to everyone

[CanadaCommando]

Dear Trigger123,

K. Let me spell something out for you...

THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT GEPIK!


This is a thread about a very few people who ARE the only English teachers (as in no Koreans teaching English AT ALL) at the school-which is why no other Gepik person posted after the first page. I was not talking about them.

In fact, the only person who posted who this applied was Demophobe...and we have already discussed the matter to the point of closure. Which it is-closed

Please, read the title of the thread before you post. If you want to call me uninformed~fine! Just know what the hell you are talking about first.

Peace.