Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ptone]

Hi,
My school has come up with this ridiculous idea that we should call the kid's parents. They think it will help to boost sales.... I have many objections to the idea, not the least of which is the obvious language barrier. I was wondering if anyone else has to do anything like this?
It's the first I've ever heard of foreign teachers doing that kinda thing.

Thanks

[kimcheeking]

Good Luck,

I would just flat out refuse if I was you. Hmmm... Unless it is paid time...

[bap]

i don't believe advertising is your job. especially when the person on the other end doesn't have any idea what you're talking about.
refuse to make the calls.

[Stunted Wookie]

I was at a place before that decided to 'add' phone calling to the homes of students. We of course were to 'test' the studenst on the phone and not talk to the parents...
Similar though as its an advertisment ploy...calling to the parents; well thats just silly....Not too much thought went into that idea did it director sir?

On a note we the foreign teachers fought tooth and nail back then against doing it, as it wasn't class time which we were paid for...in one ear out the other....so we made our own game of it

[Catalina]

Oh yeah,

My director came up with the great idea that I would call the kindergarten students at home and do some telephone teaching. These would be the sweet little kiddies that don't understand a word of English.

I was a bit stressed about calling - how the @)#$ would I even get the kid on the phone??

So, I told the director the problem, we invented a script and sent it home with the kids for the parents. Parents say YES or NO when I call.

YES - kid is on the phone and I am singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
NO, I hang up.

So now I make a point of calling during the kiddies nap time. No problem!

Catalina

p.s. Oh yeah - I am paid for it.

[captain kirk]

that's simply insane. it's like those guys wearing signboards advertising a business, holding balloons or flowers, and waving at traffic. the director has a penchant for expanding his reach remotely via his many minions. incredibly, it works! but not for me.

[waterbaby]

Personally, I've always thought that it was just a big time wasting marketing exercise by the hakwon bosses to get their Korean staff to fill every possible working minute of the day... At least the KT's can talk the parents and the kids!

But foreign teachers? I can speak a wee bit of Korean (I know a lot more Korean than many of my young students know English) but the telephone would have to be the hardest place for me to practice it. I can't even get my 6 and 8 year old nieces on the phone for a decent chat... and whenever I see my students outside of class with their parents, they completely freeze up and can barely acknowledge me. Not just horrible for the foreign teacher, but horrible for the poor students too.

Oh wait, just re-read your post and they want you to talk to just the parents? I write them a note and give them a written progress report every two months and very rarely get responses back from the parents. I wonder how many would actually be grateful for the call?

Why not try out your director's new idea... baffle the parents with rapid machine-gun style/ mile-a-minute speech, be verbose and colourful and descriptive and use lots of big words. When it backfires on him and the parents start complaining about the calls... well hey, you tried!

PS Are you getting paid for it?