Korean Job Discussion Forums

Len8 · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Location: Kyungju

Had an incident where I work where the students complained to an expat teacher that the grade they got was much lower than they expected or deserved. Teacher went and checked and found that the Korean teacher had put in her own grades and ignored our expat grades. Our grades amount to 66.666% of the total grade, and the Korean teacher' grades' amount to the remaining 33.333%.

Seems as though the Korean teacher felt the said student with a high grade deserved a lower grade. Sure takes the cake. I can understand giving a poor performing student a higher grade, but dragging one of your own countrymen down to a lower grade , Geeze.

jellobean · Joined: 14 Mar 2006

changing grades is a standard practice... but usually it is up and not down... strange...

jaderedux · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Lurking outside Seoul

It's all about the curve.

Big crisis during the speaking tests this year. Most of my students have spent 2 if not 3 years now with a foreign teacher in their elementary school. This effects them in different ways. They are not gobsmacked when they see a foreigner. They are used to seeing one in the school and they have had to interact with a native speaker.

I used the method that was agreed upon and 2 classes had NO D'S. F's are for complete no shows. This is not acceptable as it messes up the curve. The teacher took some of the C students and dropped them to a D. I was livid and they apologetic but they catch hell if there are too many high grades. I have first year students that are easily intermediate to advanced.

Our first mid-term had the first years banging out 100% (in english) like it was nothing. The Principal and Vice Principal were not happy to say the least. Me? I was estatic. The Korean teachers were freaked out. Running around trying to figure out what to do. This test was alot harder and there are still "too many" 100%.

BTW I am not bragging like I did this somehow but they write the tests the same way as they have since Noah was a boy. These kids know how to take tests. They have had English thrown at them since they were a kid. Cable has on endless English learning programs. Some have had a Native Speaker in their school since they were in 3rd grade.

So the next test will probably resemble a College Entrance exam to beat those 100% out of curve. Laughing

Jade

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Sody · Joined: 14 May 2006

What a horrible system for all involved Sad

My problem is that the English teacher here is bumping up the grades for a stupid curve where the student is graded either an A, B, or C. This is incredibly stupid and I have no idea why they do this because there are clearly students in my class who are failing and failing really badly. My solution was to grade them appropriately and get the failing students into a remedial class of some sort, but they would rather I sit in my office and do nothing but prepare lessons between classes. Many times I have seen these students who had free time and I could of tutored them but no, I'm not allowed. How stupid. I don't think the Korean teachers should be allowed to change the grades, it hurts the students in the long run.

Sody

own_king · Joined: 17 Apr 2004 Location: here

I had this happen only a couple times in my time in Korea. The next month, when I was asked by a Korean teacher to complete song jak pos (evalulations). I just handed them back to her and told her to do them herself, if she is going to put down what she wants anyway. I guess word got around. I never had a problem after that.