Korean Job Discussion Forums

[HamuHamu]

I see this on job advertisements that are trying to attract people to come to Korea, or in books, newspaper articles, or general conversations --

"In Korea, there is much respect for teachers."

In fact, I see this in MANY Asian countries.

It's usually written or said in the context that this is very different to the west, and thus suggesting that there is NOT a lot of respect for teachers in our cultures.

And I'm really, truly curious about this. Not in a bashing way, or a complaining way, but really a curious way. HOW is this respect shown? In what ways is there so much "respect" for a teacher?

Is there REALLY some extra or additional respect that Asian societies have for teachers, or is this just a carry-over from old, traditional Confucist beliefs, that really doesn't apply in anymore? Becuase I don't see it (this huge respect for teachers) here in Korea, and I have never seen it in any other country that says this is true.

The students who respect me here are the same students that have been raised to have respect for all people, or all of their elders. They don't have any more or less respect for their other teachers, be them hagwan or private teachers versus school teachers. They just show them the same general respect that they do to adults in general. Nothing special because someone is a "teacher."

The students who are disrespectul are the same ones that are rude or disrespectful to the front desk staff, the school administrators and the ajosshi at the local super.

In Thailand I never saw students show any more respect to their Thai hoemroom teachers than to the foreigner contingent, nor did they show much less towards us. But again, just becuase the students bow (or in Thailand, "wai") to their teachers every morning on the way into school, I don't see that as any more "respect" towards them....especially because they bow or wai to all adults that they are supposed to.

So I'm just wondering where all of this comes from? I've had some talks with Korean friends/co-workers about this, and they seem to think that it's not so much that there is a huge respect for teachers in Asia, but that in the west, there is a total DISrespect, ("oohhh you're only a TEACHER? Pffft") and that students, parents, and society in general, thinks lowly upon teachers.

I know that public schools have issues, and that in a lot of places, people have bad attitudes towards things like teachers on Work-to-Rule, or striking over pay, when they are "privelidged" to have benefits like 2 months off in the summer -- but I have never seen this as a disrespect towards teachers as a whole? As for kids being horrible brats in school, I think that this is the same situation as in Korea - kids who are disrespectful towards their teachers tend to be the same individuals who show a lack of respect towards other people in general.

I suppose this is all just pondering and thinking and wondering...but does anyone have any ideas on this? Maybe I'm way off to think along this line, but I really do think that it's just a natural-triggered response, left from a very strict Confucianist society that was relationship-based.

[ulsanchris]

i think respect for teachers is diminishing every where. Korean teachers don't help themselves when they are notorious for taking bribes to pay special attention to certain kids. Or when they tell kids to go to hakwons to learn because they are unable to learn properly in school.

I think in general the lack of respect for teachers decreases as the education level of the population increases. a hundred years ago it was pretty special if you could read and write well and do maths well. Or know anything about science. People who could do these things were special. NOw this knowledge is pretty common. Teachers aren't so special anymore.
another problem is parents who think their kids can do no wrong. A problem that is ever growing. parents who complain to the teacher when the teacher diciplines their kids.

[schwa]

I'd guess its a holdover from the past. Teachers were once held in very high esteem here (a student who stepped on a teacher's shadow might get hit with a stick!) & sonsaengnim is still a respectful honorific.

But it mostly rings hollow now. Open disrespect in the classroom is a common plaint of Korean teachers. The majority of kids still look up to teachers but ever moreso a teacher needs to earn their respect rather than simply expect it.

[Zenpickle]

A friend of mine commented that this must be the view of teachers in Korea. There is a commercial for a cold medicine that shows a teacher taking role and noticing that a student is missing.

Cut to a little girl taking care of her younger sibling, who is feverish and coughing. There are no parents around. The teacher stops by.

"Oh, Songsaengnim!"

The teacher gives the child the cold medicine, and all is well.


So I guess teachers are regarded as another buffer for laissez-faire parenting.

[schwa]

[phaedrus]

[jajdude]

I think the students might respect the teacher more if they both speak at least enough of the same language to communicate a bit. I feel like most of the kids don't know what to make of me, or any foreigner. We are simply outside their realm. I've been feeling this a lot lately. It's painful for some kids. It's painful for the teacher. The language and culture gap is wide. Maybe it's hard to feel respect where there's little understanding of each other. I also have a lot of kids now who mock my English quite a bit, more than any did in the past. It upsets me to see such rudeness, but I can understand their frustration too.

[Zenpickle]

[tomwaits]

excuse the tomwaits moment but why should "we" get respect.?

"We" are not qualified to do much aside from read books and they realize thast in Asia. If you have a teaching degree OK and maybe that is what you are talking about in the first place. Asians realize that many of us (speak for myself here) are not "real" teachers to start with and hence the lack of respect.


Yo teach---ahmmm gonna dust some teachas off...



fuhget it,,,

[mindmetoo]

*snort*

I always view it this way: every moment of a Korean child's life is under the gaze and absolute control of a Korean adult, except for those 45 minutes they're in your class. You're not part of their system and they know it. You can't phone their mother and have their Sony PlayStation taken away for a month. Their natural impulse is to bust loose.

Our natural impulse tends to be taking pity on these kids who spend every waking hour of the day studying and being the cool teacher. That can seriously backfire.

[captain kirk]

Whether one likes it or not, a haggie teacher can't help taking on the qualities of the toughest, sternest, 'you'll study or else' Ajumma. So be warned, kids.

[matthewwoodford]

[Zyzyfer]

Compare attitudes from students here to that of students back home. I agree that respect has to be earned now, rather than expected, but once it's earned, children pay much respect.

[tomwaits]

[nasigoreng]