Korean Job Discussion Forums

[beekeeper3000]

Or should you just give up?

Well, not really - but I've noticed a distinction in my hagwon: my boss refers to the other foreign teacher as a born teacher and me as, well, I have to work harder. I feel I am doing pretty good, know I can do better, really like working with the kids, and am overall having a good time.

I hear this every two weeks: "You can be teaching better." But then nothing is specified. I don't want to be a whiner on this site. Just wondering if others have had any of the same problems.

I have a degree in English and have my TEFL certification. I have only been teaching for 3 months, but I think my boss expects my teaching ability to be perfect. The complete lack of ANY positive feedback is nibbling at my brain - I know I shouln't let it get to me. Other teachers have told me not to expect any positive feedback from any Korean boss EVER.

Frustrated from time to time.

[jacl]

Positive feedback makes me feel ill. As does negative feedback. Tell him to take a flying you know what at a rolling donut.

[kat2]

Don't sweat it. Most bosses never give any positive feedback. If they give you advice, its usually crap. In my experience, just say "OK, boss. You betcha" and then go on doing whatever you have been doing and forget abotu what they said. As long as you think your classes are going well, the kids are learning and motivated, then don't worry. If the boss said something nice to you then he would lose part of his power over you. So he never will

[ontheway]

I'm a born teacher. No doubt about it.

I make mistakes every day.

I learn new things every day.

I wish I was better.

Sometimes the kids are terrible. Sometimes I think it's me.

Keep trying. Keep learning.

And, if someone thinks he's the perfect teacher, he's the one who should give up.

If your director, or the other teacher have suggestions, listen and consider them. Then do your best. Don't give up.

If you were a bad teacher you'd probably know it, but you wouldn't care.

[tomato]

Hello, Beekeeper!

My director in Hongseong was a looney bird.
She would have me believe that all the students loved her class, even though she taught straight out of the book.
On the other hand, the students hated my class so much that a mass exodus was going to take place and she was going to have to close down the school.

Read all about it here:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?p=560874#560874

And here is another foreign teacher who suffered under a dingaling director:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=39562&highlight=

[jajdude]

Hey beekeeper,

The fact that you even ask about your ability makes you good.

Hang out with most people here and see if they ever mention, "Am I doing good job?"


More likely you will hear, "Man, I have it bad."

[VanIslander]

I have heard many times in my life "You should be a teacher" and I always said, no thanks, probably because I didn't enjoy the peer pressure terrors known as grade school kids the first time around. Becoming a university professor was the closest I was willing to imagine even though I've always had a more grab the snake by the throat kind of approach. But there was no way I'd join the military, though acting would allow me the flair of the dramatic and take charge. Professionally I became a journalist and quickly became a section editor, making it to lead editor of a town newspaper, the king of a small hill, but the point was I needed a new mountain to climb, a different kind. So travel and teaching seemed like a natural combo for a year or so. I'm still in the "and so" as I've been here three years and have had a passion for this kind of work. Especially with the elementary school aged kids at the hagwon, young enough to learn a ton and for me to see real progress yet old enough for them to sit down in their chairs and concentrate.

Teaching is perfect for me, a fact I still haven't fully embraced because,...

[Yu_Bum_suk]

My middle school co-teacher told me she thought I was a born teacher ... after three weeks on the job. I try to take everything I get from Koreans in terms of feedback with many huge grains of salt, especially when it comes to teaching conversation and listening.

Yesterday in my lesson she couldn't help me define 'whale' and I had to draw one on the board. I think sometimes co-teachers, when they come, do so for the learning more than the teaching.

[the_beaver]

When I came to Korea I was the worst teacher in the world. But I bought a few books and tried a few different things and now I'm doing okay.

It all depends on your attitude towards improving yourself.

[Demonicat]

...and fact of the matter is that your director is probably telling the other teacher the same thing- excep this time your the born teacher and they're the one who needs to improve. Korean bosses love to give annoying ass criticism that rarely makes sense- its how they motivate. Frequently, you'll get complaints from the "mothers" about you. Don;t sweat it. Just keep improving, studying, refining your technique. Remember, focus on getting better your way, not the directors way. Reasoning: well, look at the Korean education system...

[Paji eh Wong]

Beekeeper. I've been here 2.5 years and I have yet to have a boss that was in a position to make a judgement about the quality of my teaching. Zero observed classes, zero class evaluations.

What is he basing his criticism on?

ps. You're already better qualified than 3/4 of the teachers out there.

[SPINOZA]

Like someone else said, I was always told I'd make a great teacher. I was never sure (or have forgotten) the reason. I didn't fancy it because my mother's a teacher and doesn't recommend it; also I've always had ambitions to be rich, so naturally teaching didn't fit the bill. However, as I've got older and realized there's nothing I'm really good at or interested in enough to pursue as a career - like law or business - and I'm never gonna make it as a rock star, teaching became attractive all of a sudden. I came to Korea to get some experience in public schools (I didn't like the sound of JET) and for the money. I never thought I was a born teacher in a zillion years, but a short time into the job I've slowly started to revise that opinion. I get great feedback from kids and colleagues. I actually enjoy it. But you're right - ups and downs, certainly. I have the capacity to use humor, facilitate understanding in others, am good at English and have the odd idea or two and am a nice enough guy in person to get on well with the students. My weakness is that I'm still very much learning the ropes and sometimes this shows.

[Kenny Kimchee]

I'm not a born teacher - but I was born to teach.

I love it because you actually DO something. You have a chance to contribute positively to the world and the chance to change a person's life (for the better, hopefully).

90% of the time I look forward to going to work - even now, here in my crappy job on JET ("crappy" in the sense that I don't work much - I taught 5 hours in a 40 hour work week last week and spent the rest of the time studying Japanese and working on my M.S. TESOL online) where I don't get to make an impact on the students' English.

RE your boss
You say that you've only been at it for three months so you could definitely use some improvement and you seem to be willing to make the effort. See if you can observe some of "Super Teacher's" classes and pick up some tricks from him/her. One of the bad things about teaching is you're all alone in there and you learn most of it by trial-and-error, so any time you can observe an experienced teacher it's good.

Also, try to talk to other teachers and see what works for them - but be careful that it doesn't degenerate into a bitchfest.

Anyway, hang in there and good luck!

[Hollywoodaction]

My mom was a professor and my dad was a teacher (so were his mother and grandmother). Yeah, I'd say I was born a teacher.