Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thaitom]

I am posting what my boss just sent to me. I am asking peoples' interpretation of this, of how I shouuld react. Judging from the previous reactions from my students, I was under the impression that everything was fine. What gives? I realize that one would read this without knowing the basis of the entire situation, but I hope that someone out there could reach a personal conclusion out of this email my boss gave me. Thanks.

The email is as follows:

Dear ***,


I would like to take this opportunity to express my worrying about current situation. Even though it is just a few students, there are some students who are losing interest in English Speaking class and They are starting openly requesting us to drop the English speaking course for themselves. As a person who is taking charge of all operation of the school, I felt I should do something to prevent any possible further problem as this should not lead to damaging the good reputation of our school or decreasing of the number of the student. As you may notice, I have been doing my utmost efforts to maintain the size and the quality of our school so far. I started the ��point system�� which is the rewarding system for the students, serving food almost freely, making booklet for their preparing examination, opening library for their study, having camp for their fun, staying up with them until midnight to have them study during study period, also I invited foreign native speaker teacher to attract students and parents and I recently even started 6 o��clock morning class not to lose even one of our students.

But to my worry, regardless of all my efforts the number of our students is actually decreasing in total, which makes me very nervous and serious. You may have noticed this as you are keeping all the files of individuals. Of course this is not the fault of any individual teacher or system because I apparently know all the sum of our efforts and quality makes the final result. Frankly speaking, maintaining native speaker as a teacher in the school costs a lot (almost 2.5 times higher than that of Korean teacher). You took each one time out of 3 times of each class from A*** who is actually my partner of the school and it actually costs nothing. I know you are doing your best in teaching our students and helping me to achieve the most fruitful result. But from the judgment which I have been making so far, I would like to give you following advices just to prevent any possible further problem. This letter is being made according to the terms in our contract sheet where it is stated that I should clearly set up the standard which you can follow and by which I can express any dissatisfaction to the employee.

1. You are requested to make check list of students�� attendance and it should be reported end of every week to judge who is missing the class.

2. You should not give the students any impression of your being so easily angry or upset. Some students are saying you are so easily upset and they feel very uncomfortable and find it very hard to ask any question. Of course all human can be upset or depressed which is very natural but I am talking about the frequency which should not be too often and about the rationality which students should feel somewhat reasonable.

3. You should think the level of the individual student or class and should decide the proper level of books or contents of the lecture which should not be too low or too high. Some students are saying they cannot understand you at all and they think they get nothing from the class. If they start saying this kind of story to their friends or parents, whether it is actually true or not, this will make our school��s position very difficult.

4. If a student does not want to participate in the class, it seemingly is the problem of himself, but if a whole class doesn��t want to have the class, it apparently is the problem of the teacher. I hope there should not be any situation like this in the future. Actually one whole class was asking when is the end of your staying here because they think they are too burdensome to participate in the class.

5. Don��t be too harsh to any of the student because in the one hand they are our students to be taught but on the other hand they are our customers. We have to catch two rabbits at the same time. One is teaching them very strictly, the other is keeping them in our school by having them feel interesting in the class. One is raising their grade in their school, the other is having them not lose interest in study. Don��t ask me how to do as you are supposed to be a professional, that��s why you are invited who have the profession of teaching English. I think you have been doing very well so far and trust you will do so in the future. I am just telling you to prevent any future problem. Don��t compare you with Korean teacher. We are in the different position. We can express ourselves to each other freely in Korean and in our culture the senior is thought to have some authority to scold the junior like father or elder brother. Even after our scolding them hard we also are obliged to say sorry or sooth them not to have any left over bad feelings. This, I think, only can be done in Korean and may not be possible in English because they don��t understand serious talking in English.

6. Try to settle all the problems just in the classroom. We are here to lead the student in right way, not to blame them. But don��t allow them to have any opportunity to express complaints to their parents or to their friends or even to other teachers. I think almost of them are very genuine and generous, if you do your best to help them, they will appreciate your efforts.

7. One more very private thing I want to tell you is that I don��t want to hear you say ��totally insane��, ��it��s ridiculous�� ��silly�� which appears very often in your vocabulary but franking speaking which hurts my feeling very much as it sounds like reprimanding our school or our students or our system or even myself.

8. I am writing this letter not to warn you but to prevent future problem and help our school be prosperous. I want you to take all things into consideration and understand my difficult position to have to say something that might make you feel not so good.


Sincerely yours

[just because]

To be honest it looks like a well thought out and nicely worded letter that could be seen as constructive criticism...

Obviously he has concerns that you are teaching a boring conversation class with a poor direction and using remarks that he doesn't see fitting of his classes...

Take the email in with you to your boss and sit down and talk about ways and strategies that you could do to improve your conversation classes and what he would suggest is a good structure...have a brainstorm basically.

[crazylemongirl]

I agree with just because. This guy is trying to make things better for his business.

On this point:

[Teufelswacht]

[dulouz]

Quit ASAP and don't lose sleep. The place is messed up, its not you. It might be you a little bit but it does not matter. Get out of there.

[sheba]

I agree with 'just because'.

Your owner sounds very honest about the whole situation (including acknowledging the 'customer' side of things). Instead of firing you (which sound like it happens a lot), they have given constructive criticism in the hope that things may improve. obviously they want you to stay...

I think its great that they sent you this letter before a face to face discussion. I say have a chat with your director, and take what positives you can from the situation.

[andrew]

.....

[stumptown]

Not to be judgemental, but maybe you should take some time and analyze your approach to how and what you are teaching. This director sounds like he's taking a diplomatic approach to resolving the solution. Just for the record, in what cnotext are you using "totally insane" in class? Here in Korea, even "crazy" in a joking context has the same meaning as f'ing retarded in English, and not in the funny way either. Ignore what dulouz-er said, just try to have a face to face meeting with him and explain you want to fix the situtation too.

[prosodic]

I agree with the "constructive criticism" side of this discussion. It's a lot more level-headed than what you get from a lot of hakwons.

[tomato]

I'm bothered not so much by what he said, but what he didn't say.
He never asked you how you felt or what you thought.

It is interesting that he asked you never to go to him for instruction.
No matter how much training and experience you have had, you have no way of knowing what is going to please a particular employer.
A couple of times in my career, I have followed instructions from a previous employer, only to find that the current employer wants the exact opposite.

Besides, I suspect his motives for saying that. He probably doesn't know poodlededo about foreign language education and doesn't want you to find that out.

Your boss sounds like a pontifical and arrogant jerk.

[Big_Bird]

It's hard to know just how reasonable your boss is being, without knowing what's going on in your classes. He seems quite reasonable though. I'd tend to give him the benefit of the doubt.

What I've noticed in nearly 5 years of ESL teaching is that many native speakers overestimate how much their students are able to understand, and underestimate the effect of cultural misunderstandings. I've seen many students disorientated and uncomfortable in the company of (very goodnatured well meaning and sincere) native speakers who failed to modify idiomatic rich language and overly latinate vocabulary and/or spoke too 'energetically' or aggressively. They're not tryting (or able) to put themselves into their students' shoes. I'm not saying that this is you. But you might consider reflecting on it to see if it applies.

I didn't like the way that he pointed out how much you cost. That's not your problem, and I don't think he should be bringing that up.

I hope it all goes well for you.

[thaitom]

BTW, thanks for all the quick replies and constructive criticism here. My boss is a great guy; we get along well, so this has been a total surprise to me. In fact, the words 'totally insane' and 'ridiculous' has been taken out of context, like, totally. I may be from California, but I am not a valley boy! In fact, I never say 'totally insane', and I use 'ridiculous' merely in a neutral context, never using it for pointing a finger at my boss, or the school. Therefore, I have no idea what he was getting at with those comments. I just wanted to clarify that. I guess what I am really getting at is that I don't know how to approach my boss pertaining to this email. I feel the neccessity to toe the line between subservience and my own pride, and with this email, my toeholds seem to be getting thinner. Anyway, I really have enjoyed receiving your comments, and look forward to hear more.

[captain kirk]

Dulouz has a point. Any one of us could have received such a letter. Usually there's the language/culture gap but this guy is eloquent, but I wonder about his reasoning.

For example he says that if an entire class doesn't want to continue on in your classes, that's something. Well, I've had entire classes go sour. I think everyone has their 'hell classes'. There was a thread on such classes awhile ago. Mine was a class of six middle school girls in which their was a stubborn, miserable, strong personality with an 'aide' to either side. Together those three, half the class, sat at the back like judges, princesses of sneer. I knew a really cool director who said that it's natural some kids are going to like you, and others aren't. It's in the nature of hagwons that the kids are, if they have watches, looking at them. They have better things to do; it's their mom's idea to come to class. Get some of those hard cases and they can turn the whole mood. Any well brought up, positive kids can sway and dance the viper, too, because it's cool, the leader's doing it. The lure of being an empowered critic can wreck havoc.

Your director sounds pissed, like it's your fault, he's doing a morning class to keep his machine running and profitable.

What Tomato said about him sounding like a pontific jerk. Under all his reasonableness he also sounds like he's seething. Bitter about hiring a foreign teacher and the expense, which he mentioned, compared to hiring a Korean teacher. He also says, 'don't ask me (how to improve things). You're supposed to be a professional'. Sounds bitter, talking down.

Is there a bigger, newer, better hagwon in the neighbourhood? That would explain the enrollment drop off. That would be nothing to do with you, then. Some hagwons aren't going to make it, unless there's a super teacher. He's ragging on you for not being a super teacher? A teacher with an education degree? A super charisma man? Did he meet you before he hired you or did you arrive after he saw your photo and resume over the internet? If he's next to a super hagwon drawing students away he should have hired a Superteacher, or paid less for a Korean English teacher and kept going with a little more minimal profit. His mistake.

How long left on your contract? I'd respect this guy and work with him. More pissed off he could make trouble for you.

In what context did you say 'totally insane'? When you were talking with the director? When this pontif was getting on your case?

By the way your post above appeared while I was writing this response. Since you say he's a great guy and you're surprised by his message, be flexible and accomodate. Since he communicates better by emails, maybe you two can 'chat' online and reach an understanding to make it work.

[Big_Bird]

[thaitom]

Excuse me- just one more thought: The afternoon following receiving this email my boss acted like nothing happened, which has caused me not to know what to expect next. He even says that he would call me if there was something fun to do this weekend. Was he just venting out on me for what has been happening to his business, and therefore I shouldn't take it so seriously? He's lost a considerable amount of students because of low math and science scores at their public school, so they have changed hogwons. This is obviously not my fault. The big surprise is that previously my boss has always held me in high regard, and constantly told me so. It's great to hear your feedback.