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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 4:23 am    Post subject: Bowing Reply with quote
Many Korean teachers start their classes with the students standing and bowing. I'm wondering if any waygookin teachers do this. I'll be starting teaching in a Korean high school soon and was thinking about insisting on bowing as a way of 'setting the tone'--reminding them that yes, I am the teacher and demand the same proper behavior that Korean teachers expect.

Any thoughts?
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JacktheCat



Joined: 08 May 2004
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 4:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congrats on finding a high school job. It's a great gig if the school's right.

As for bowing, at my high school only the old timers make their students do that. The younger Korean teachers are much more relaxed (to a point).

If you want to get the kiddies to respect you as a teacher, then act and dress the part. But, just don't expect them to treat you exactly the same as a Korean teacher. You are a waegukin after all.
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zappadelta



Joined: 31 Aug 2004
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 5:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think it's a really bad idea and a majority of the students in the class will not want to do that, which will get you off to a bad start.
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ajuma



Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Location: Anywere but Seoul!!
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
While I feel that bowing is way too formal, I DO expect my students to respond when I walk in and say "hello". Either "hello" or "hello teacher" is fine. With one class (uni) I had to walk in 3 times before they got the hang of it! Rolling Eyes When I got no response the first time, I said "Ok...let's try that again." I walked out, walked in again, said "hello" ... and maybe 3 students said "hello". "OK...let's do that ONE MORE TIME!!!" FINALLY they got it! Rolling Eyes
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 8:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
I think it's a really bad idea and



zappa, can you explain your thinking on this?



My thinking is along the lines of what Jackthecat said. It seems to me that if you start the school year/class off looking and playing the part as nearly as much like what is familiar, then the behavior patterns that are already formed will play in your favor.

I know when I was 25 and looking 20 that wearing a tie helped establish my image as the teacher with my high school kids at home. (Six months before, while I was student teaching I got stopped in the hall and asked for a pass by a teacher who hadn't seen me before. Alas and alack, those days are long gone.)
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gang ah jee



Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:47 am    Post subject: Re: Bowing Reply with quote
Ya-ta Boy wrote:
Many Korean teachers start their classes with the students standing and bowing. I'm wondering if any waygookin teachers do this. I'll be starting teaching in a Korean high school soon and was thinking about insisting on bowing as a way of 'setting the tone'--reminding them that yes, I am the teacher and demand the same proper behavior that Korean teachers expect.

Any thoughts?


If you speak Korean credibly enough this might be a possibility. If not you could institute some other ritual as a substitute - when I enter my YL classes the students recite:

Rule number 1: We only speak english.
Rule number 2. We listen to the teacher.
Rule number 3: We do our homework.
Rule number 4: No smoking in class.'

I've been doing this for so long now that they don't really recognise that class has started unless they've done it. Similarly, they won't leave without saying 'my homework is page 59. May I go home now?'

Routine is a good thing and gives you the authority of tradition - even if it's just a 3 month old tradition.

Last edited by gang ah jee on Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:24 am; edited 1 time in total
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Gopher



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
[deleted]

Last edited by Gopher on Thu Jun 15, 2006 2:46 pm; edited 1 time in total
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gang ah jee



Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Gopher wrote:
gang ah jee wrote:
No smoking in class


Do Korean kids smoke that much?


I'm in Vietnam. 'No smoking in the classroom' is one of the rules on the International House charter. Students need to respect that regardless of age.
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jaderedux



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Lurking outside Seoul
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I teach middleschool boys and I absolutely have them bow. I don't like it but if they don't do it...then I am not REALLY a teacher. It is easier for them to keep that ritual than change it for me.

Also, it affords the same treatment as korean teachers. The freaky part is when I see my students on the street.....they bow. It feel strange but what the heck. Even my boys who have graduated to high school do this if they see me on the street.

I don't mind....

Jade
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zappadelta



Joined: 31 Aug 2004
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 2:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
My thinking is along the lines of what Jackthecat said.


My thinking is also along the lines of what the Cat said. You are not a Korean teacher and some of the kids won't mind, but I think from my experience that most of them would not like doing this. The ones that don't mind bow anyway.
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
PostPosted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
The freaky part is when I see my students on the street.....they bow. It feel strange but what the heck.



When I first came to Korea back in '94 I was determined I would never bow to anyone. I was teaching mostly university students in a hakwon and had a nice time with them.

It was really a peculiar feeling to run in to them on the street where they bowed to me. I soon got over the cultural prejudice I'd arrived with.

What worried me though was that students in cars also bowed to me. I was very concerned one of them would bow, knock himself out on the steering wheel and end up running over me.

I also should admit that I have an evil compulsion that I just barely keep under control. Whenever I see an ajumma with a big brown plastic bowl on her head when I'm walking on the street, I want desperately to bow to her to see if she will bow back. So far I have resisted this temptation.

But the topic at hand is bowing in class. Thanks for the input. It's interesting to me to hear different opinions.
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xtchr



Joined: 23 Nov 2004
PostPosted: Sun Jun 19, 2005 1:10 am    Post subject: