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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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So Rock how long have you been at the job, then?
'Don't misunderstand me, but the students hate you. We have to find out why'. That's just friggin hilarious. Can't you just hear it, delivered in somber, professional seriousness. I can understand you feeling a bit nauseous at the tactlessness of how it's put. Korea's blunt. Kids and adults. Especially when it's the blunt brattiness of kids related by a blunt boss. Relax, it's funny.
Kudos for not breaking down and confessing. Such as, 'I know, it's true, I stink. I wish I didn't, but I do (breaks down in tears)..I stiiiiinnnnnk'.  |
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Rock
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 1:12 am Post subject: |
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| captain kirk wrote: |
So Rock how long have you been at the job, then?
'Don't misunderstand me, but the students hate you. We have to find out why'. That's just friggin hilarious. Can't you just hear it, delivered in somber, professional seriousness. I can understand you feeling a bit nauseous at the tactlessness of how it's put. Korea's blunt. Kids and adults. Especially when it's the blunt brattiness of kids related by a blunt boss. Relax, it's funny.
Kudos for not breaking down and confessing. Such as, 'I know, it's true, I stink. I wish I didn't, but I do (breaks down in tears)..I stiiiiinnnnnk'. |
Liked this last one, Kirk. All your comments appreciated. There was nothing, in my eyes, that I did to bring on this antipathy towards me. I've been playing games everyday, have been having fun and saying "Hi" to most of the kids. I haven't lectured them or yelled in class, nor scared them with angry looks or berrated them for not studying. I've gone more than out of my way.
The reason I'm so shocked is because students are coming in left and right and smiling at me, reciprocating happily, so I didn't expect I was a problem in the least. I think, however, that the problem lies with a few problem students and some teenagers, those of whom I'd had to discipline a little, since they're just terrible in class.
I'm thinking about making an evaluation handout to give to the students, just to cover my back. What do you think about this?
I believe the problem lies with this one class and the boss wanting me to really suck up to them in order to protect his income. I could suck up, and have, but there won't be any disciplinary measures to be enforced and therefore, little teaching and learning to be done.
It's getting me a little peeved, however, not so much that I'm not used to this complaining(I've taught in Korea before,) but the fact this may be used against me eventually because the Koreans will, like some people commented here, use this against 'the foreigner.' And the situation with some students at this hagwon, as it is with others, is just plain old hopeless. I'm more or less just trying to protect my job and not have them use this against me.
I've been working here just a month and a half. This is the first time, since working in Korea, that students have actually called me "wae-gukin" in the workplace. The school is in a small town. The school, likewise, is relatively new and not at all adept at this business, since they too, refer to me as "wae-gukin." I disagree with one comment here that this isn't disrespectful, or their intention to convey. You can tell by some of the kids' tone of voice they're saying it in a derrogatory manner. |
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bosintang
Joined: 01 Dec 2003
Location: In the pot with the rest of the mutts
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 2:52 am Post subject: |
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| Rock wrote: |
I'm thinking about making an evaluation handout to give to the students, just to cover my back. What do you think about this?
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This is a terrible idea. Kids are in the last position you want to be evaluating you as a teacher. The solution is simple. If your director brings it up again, push them nicely for specifics. If they refuse to provide specific problems, then tough, they can live with your teaching style. If you're near the end of your contract, make note that this very well could be a ploy to fire you and try to withhold your severance and airfare. This scam is not unknown to the labour office, so keep proper documentation of your conversations about this in case they try to fire you. |
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hari seldon
Joined: 05 Dec 2004
Location: Incheon
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 3:16 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Rock"]
| captain kirk wrote: |
| ...The school, likewise, is relatively new and not at all adept at this business, since they too, refer to me as "wae-gukin"... |
I wouldn't put with that crap from my boss or co-workers for five minutes and wouldn't tolerate it from the students. |
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Badmojo
Joined: 07 Mar 2004
Location: I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| bosintang wrote: |
| Rock wrote: |
I'm thinking about making an evaluation handout to give to the students, just to cover my back. What do you think about this?
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This is a terrible idea. Kids are in the last position you want to be evaluating you as a teacher. The solution is simple. If your director brings it up again, push them nicely for specifics. If they refuse to provide specific problems, then tough, they can live with your teaching style. If you're near the end of your contract, make note that this very well could be a ploy to fire you and try to withhold your severance and airfare. This scam is not unknown to the labour office, so keep proper documentation of your conversations about this in case they try to fire you. |
No doubt Bosintang is right. It's ridiculous to let hagwon aged students evaluate you. There's probably a reason why Western students don't get a chance to evaluate teachers until university. That's the way it should be. |
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harixseldon
Joined: 27 Nov 2004
Location: Anseong
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 5:09 am Post subject: |
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| Rock wrote: |
| I've been working here just a month and a half. This is the first time, since working in Korea, that students have actually called me "wae-gukin" in the workplace. The school is in a small town. The school, likewise, is relatively new and not at all adept at this business, since they too, refer to me as "wae-gukin." |
That says it all, I think. My first experience in Korea was working in a small town at a small hogwon that had never had a foreign teacher. Actually, basically none of the kids had ever even SEEN a foreigner before. I left after three months, at the end of my time there I was flipping out in class because the kids would make fun of how I pronounced my word (i.e. correctly), were disrespectful (like saying "ya" to me), etc. The owner "explained" that because they never dealt with a foreigner before this was their way of gettin used to me. BS.
Have you taught in Korea before this school? |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 7:58 am Post subject: |
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| joe_doufu wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| The Lemon wrote: |
| TUM wrote: |
| Please read my WHOLE post and please don't take things out of context. Thanks. |
Whoa, slow down. I've no interest in a flame war over this, but let's be clear. While I typed that, your post was only two sentences long. You edited your post to add the well-taken point about the selfish kids. At the |
As for blaming people for taking things out of context, like you I have no interest in a flame war, but you only posted part of my complete post. And since you posted after me, I assumed you'd read the re-edited post in which case it would be taking things out of context. If you had posted |
Check your assumptions TUM! I side with THE LEMON on this one. |
Don't troll and post partial quotes in a pathetic effort to take things out of context. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Badmojo wrote: |
| bosintang wrote: |
| Rock wrote: |
I'm thinking about making an evaluation handout to give to the students, just to cover my back. What do you think about this?
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This is a terrible idea. Kids are in the last position you want to be evaluating you as a teacher. The solution is simple. If your director brings it up again, push them nicely for specifics. If they refuse to provide specific problems, then tough, they can live with your teaching style. If you're near the end of your contract, make note that this very well could be a ploy to fire you and try to withhold your severance and airfare. This scam is not unknown to the labour office, so keep proper documentation of your conversations about this in case they try to fire you. |
No doubt Bosintang is right. It's ridiculous to let hagwon aged students evaluate you. There's probably a reason why Western students don't get a chance to evaluate teachers until university. That's the way it should be. |
Exactly. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Rock wrote: |
The reason I'm so shocked is because students are coming in left and right and smiling at me, reciprocating happily, so I didn't expect I was a problem in the least. I think, however, that the problem lies with a few problem students and some teenagers, those of whom I'd had to discipline a little, since they're just terrible in class.
...
I believe the problem lies with this one class and the boss wanting me to really suck up to them in order to protect his income. I could suck up, and have, but there won't be any disciplinary measures to be enforced and therefore, little teaching and learning to be done.
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lol, I'm in a similar position, or was until I quit this week. If you're not near the end of your contract just quit and find a job teaching adults. There are so many out there. There's no need to try to suck up to delinquint brats who treat you like shit. |
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Rock
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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I'm just taking it all in with a grain of salt. Guess I'll disregard the evaluation, although really, I've felt so many of the students have taken positively to me that it wouldn't really be detrimental. It would help me use concrete evidence, perhaps even weed out those that "hate me" so that I could use this, and these specific students, to confront the employers' accusations that "The students hate you." I could then prove that the students that do indeed "hate" me are problem students and therefore, the employers' responsibility to control. Either this or 'prove' that the students are biased or this employers' comment.
Do you see what he might me doing? He's putting the burden on me in regards to the kids, or using this psychollogical diversion of his and theirs, to annul the contract. He can then dismiss me, turn the attitude of the other employers whichever way he decides, make this contract negligible. I sense someting in the air, but I'm not losing sleep over it. I'd just like to find a way to prevent it.
I'd made a post on the 'Off-topic' forum about this and some bright person sai | | |
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