Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Incognito]

[hari seldon]

[chronicpride]

[Derrek]

[Corporal]

[Merlyn]

canuckistan wrote:
JacktheCat wrote:
A warning to all of you, that right now may not be the best time to met your young female students outside of school.



I don't think it's appropriate for any male teacher to be meeting his young female students outside of the school area. Not just in Korea either. You're asking for trouble if you do.

You could have brought treats to the hagwon instead, or at the very least brought along a female Korean co-teacher.

True. It would be very strange for a male teacher in the US to arrange to meet some of his female middle school students outside of school.

But, this is Korea. I've been told before by my director that I must become good friends with my students. Of course the director is motivated by a desire to make money and he's afraid that the children will drop out if they don't like their teachers. So hagwons do contribute to the problem of teachers behaving unprofessionally.



Just a few comments. If your heart is in the right place you should be able to take your students to whatever ice cream place, restaurant, or what have you and it doesn't matter what the occasion is. If your plan is to hurt the students or any human being for that matter, that's not good, and that person needs help. My past employers have encouraged that I take my students out as well, and perhaps that was to build a closer relationship, which it has done in many cases, particularly with the University and adult students that I've taken out to a restaurant or bar, but also with some of the middle school and high school students I've ordered pizza with. But I think these trips also provide a great place to practice English outside of the classroom and to speak about everyday things. Many students I've taught haven't traveled over seas, but I know from my own experiences that they'll no doubt feel much more confident should they meet foreigners on their trips to Canada, the US or any place else, which they've told me as well.
Obviously, there might be some people out there who misinterpret these trips, and they are quite simply wrong in their misinterpretations. That's their problem, not mine. On the other hand, if they see something really inappropriate in a foreign teacher's behaviour then they have every right to do something about it, as I would, and have done in the past when I've seen Korean byeontaes and there is a big difference between these and the average English foreign teacher who takes their students out for a snack.
These comments aren't directed at the above comments, just in response to the conversation as a whole.

[eamo]

I've taken kids on extra-curricular outings a few times. Co-ex once. A k-league game another time. Their parents were all for it. Free English lesson and someone taking their kids off their hands for awhile. Great!

But I wouldn't do it in the current climate. Too much fear around.

I'd wait for a month or two.

The worst scenario is that this demonisation of foreign teachers will implant a kernal of doubt about us in Korean memory for a long time to come.

Maybe the next time I suggest to kids to come to a museam etc with me on a Saturday not many will get the permission from their parents. That would be a shame.

[Manner of Speaking]

[The Cube]

..

[dman]

I'm with cube on this one I think this guy blowing smoke up everyone a--.

[inkoreaforgood]

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

Just because something as innocent as a well-intentioned teacher taking his students out for a treat is something you, The Cube, wouldn't dare do, doesn't mean that it didn't happen.

I've taken former students -- boys and girls, together as groups -- to movies. On a Sunday. Their parents were estatic at the idea. Incredibly stupid of me, I know: I even paid for their tickets. Unbelievable?

I have no reason to doubt the OP. He's always been a straight-shooter on this board, as far as I can see.

Sparkles*_*

[The Cube]

..

[Reflections]

I'm kinda curious Cube. How did you go about formulating those odds? Where did they come from?

Have you got a table of odds that you use when dealing with all Koreans? Ajummas included? I hope that you are consistant. Maybe you should release a book for Kyobo distribution, "The Odds of Meeting a Korean in Korea".

So do tell me, what are the odds that I am going to be shoved in the chest tomorrow morning, by the ajumma trying to beat me to the seat on Line 5?

Don't know, but your post just seems a little 'odd'....

[SuperHero]