Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[teachingld2004]

It is not easy to answer that question. I think their idea of a good teacher is one who will ake sure the students do not drop out.

Korean parents want to brag aboot their child. (most of the time). If the child can repeat what is in the books verbatim (spelling?) then the teacher is a good one. Depends.

Let the teachers giude be your bible. WOrk with the korean teachers, not against them.

Be polite to everyone, even if you are treated badly.

Yet......
SOMe schools really do care if the students are learning. Just keep a smile on your face, headache tablets in your desk, and a cell phone. (In case you have no choice but to cancel your own plans)

Carry extra pencils, blank paper, erasers, and copy the pages you are going over that day. This way even tho the students are not prepared, you are. Makes your life easier.

Try and be happy, and if at all possible, calm. Just tell yourself " I can save money, I can save money, I can save money...."

[HamuHamu]

I'm with Apple Scruff...can't believe no one else has been told this one before, by either a manager, Korean co-teacher, secretary or most importantly, mother: "Ohhh you so pretty, you are good teacher!"

I actually have a good set of parents to deal with, and I find that some of the reasons they like me are:
- -I am firm with the students, and don't take any crap from them in class -- some mothers have told me that their kids are behaving BETTER at home because they've had a good dose of the rules at school
- my students LOVE me, which means happy kids who don't complain about going to school each morning, resulting in happy parents
AND, the one old wanjeong-nim DOESN'T like...
- I'm honest with the parents. I don't send home progress reports that say little Kevin is an angel and he has learned a lot and he speaks well. I tell the parents where the students strengths are, yes, as well as their progress each month. But I also tell them about the real, honest weaknesses, and send home additional work, or speech tips, or areas that they need to develop in order to advance more. The parents DON'T get angry and pull their kids out of the class the way the director seems to think they will. Instead, the parents work with the kids to improve in the noted areas. It drives me nuts how a year later, the director and I have the SAME argument each month about my progress reports, and each month the mothers who have kids with difficulties come to the class one day to say thank you and to ask what they can do to help.

<P.S. Is this post in RED? The bar above is telling me it is...but I see black. Mind you, Windows pulled a major screwy on me yesterday and LOTS of things are wonky so I'm not sure....>

[JacktheCat]

[teachingld2004]

Oh, I forgot to add....
I teach to the best of my ability, and yes, I also am honest. I do not give progress reports that are not true, I tell parents honestly what their kids are doing.

When kids fight, parents are told. When they are being rude, parents are told also.

But, what the koreans want most of all is to appear perfect, or almost.

THe schools are more concerned about making parents happy, then they are about actually teaching. For the children to be able to recite a book word for word is just as (or more) important then actual knowledge.

As far as beauty is concerned, yes the blonde haired - blue eyed teacher is used in the ads, but believe me I have seen (and so have you) teachers here who look so bad that they would not be allowed in photos. THe better schools can be picky about who they hire, but I have seen some really crappy looking teachers.

[jajdude]

The kids are also concerned what you look like and make comments on it. They don't like it if you are fat. Dandruff is not good. But if your other qualities compensate enough they might be nice to you in spite of your hideous, disgusting appearance.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Good idea of colouring your hair blond and getting blue contacts for a CV or job interview. Funny how in the west we assume the opposite - that blonds must be spinny, clueless, and more inclined to be useless.

[eamo]

[chronicpride]

Keeping with the theme that Scruff, Hamu, YuBumSuk, Eamo, and others have alluded to, a pretty, smiling face, with a song and a dance, and throw in some listen/repeat stuff, will keep you in favor with most schools, and successfully position yourself for a raise, if you were to succumb to their pleading for you to renew your contract.

[some waygug-in]

I pretty much agree with what's been said above, but I thought that some things have been missed.

It depends, at least partly on the school/hagwan that you work at. Different schools will have different expectations of teachers, while generalizations are convenient, they miss the point that there are schools out there that expect teachers to really teach.

Of course, these seem to be the exception rather than the rule in Korea.

Students can have vastly differing opinions on what they expect from you as a teacher. Quite often, this is reflected in student complaints to management.
EX: The class was happy for the most part, but one student expected the teacher to cater to her every whim, and when the teacher ignored her because her demands were contrary to the groups wishes, she complained that he was "a bad teacher, who never listens to his students."

This has happened to me several times. It just goes to show that the old
saying is true, "you can please most of them some of the time, but you can't please everyone all the time."

[TECO]

[TECO]

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

Last year at my hagwon, one of the foreigner teachers just spent every class chucking a ball at students (not an English game either)....he was made head teacher for keeping the kiddies happy and got a bigger payraise out of it

[JongnoGuru]

And since when is learning how to dodge projectiles a bad thing?

[Harpeau]