Korean Job Discussion Forums

PBEnglish · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Location: Shanghai

At the school I teach at, we are all required to attend a weekly meeting (Every Monday). There are the two Western teachers and then the remaining teachers who are English speaking Koreans.
Our meetings are supposed to be a joint session where we ALL discuss issues facing the school (Yes, I work at the dreaded hogwan...*shudder*). Now given that all the teachers are REQUIRED to be there, and we are there to discuss the school as I whole, I am increasingly pissed off by the fact that for the entire hour, my director and the Korean teachers speak nothing but KOREAN.
The only English we hear when we are in these meetings are (from the director), "Ok, we will speak Korean now, yes", then throw in a few "Sorry Paul" and at the end of the meeting we get "Thanks for coming".
This really pisses me off, because this hour is time I can use to complete reports, make tests, plan my lessons...hell it's an hour I can stay at home and do nothing, instead I am forced to come into this useless meeting and stare at my shoelaces while I silently fume at my director for me being there!
Am I overreacting here? Would anyone else be as frustrated at this as I am?

Satin · Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Location: Texas

So - does the other Westerner feel the same? If so, both of you need to let the Director know how you feel in a private meeting. Ask that you be required to attend only when the meeting is held in English!

I had a director who use to call meetings once a week after ALL classes were finished (2130). Always was the director telling us what we HAD to do -- very little discussion. After the second meeting, I just told the head teacher that when the staff meetings were scheduled so I wouldn't have to hang around for two extra hours, I'd attend; unless the director wanted to pay overtime. Never had to attend again. Anything important was relayed via the head teacher!

If your Director doesn't want to bend, you and the other person can start your own conversation; at a pace and with slang that the Koreans would have a hard time following. Ask a lot of questions that require an answer. Take a book in and read; or, do a lesson plan. Anything, to drive the point home!

lastat06513 · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:56 am Post subject:

It pissed me off at the beginning
But after learning Korean (even basic conversation), I was able to bear it alittle.
I think they want ALL teachers there for;

1. A show of unity between the local staff and the foreign staff.
2. not to peeve the Korean staff if they have to go to the hour-long meetings and leaving out the "waekuk", which might seem "unfair" to the Korean staff who have to tolerate them....

You can:

1. Have a person during or after the meeting translate what was said in the meeting.

2. Just don't show up until they agree to explain part of it in English...

If it is in your contract in English, they should be able to accomodate you into their staff meetings.

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

Take your paper work with you to the meeting and do it while the rest are having a meeting.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

OP- it happens here, too. They post the schedules, with events, in Korean only. I've discussed the issue with the bosses- they don't care.

You've gotta get "dumb like a fox"- accidentally forget there's a metting and disappear a couple times. They'll get the message.

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

I did the same thing at my school. They had a meeting where everyone had to be there. It lasted an hour and not a word of English was spoken. I just sat there doodling in my notebook.

I told the supervisor that I wouldn't go to another meeting that I didn't understand. Next time it happened, I walked out after 5 minutes of Korean. Same the time after that. Surprise...the next meeting was 95% in English!

Also, about the notices posted, I ignore them if they are in Korean. I understand a fair bit, but still ignore them. My philosophy is that if they wanted my presence there, they'd tell me in the language I'm there to teach and understand (they dont' know I speak Korean). After a couple of no-shows or "oops! I didn't know I was supposed to be there"s, they got the message and most of our stuff is in English now.

KPRROK

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

If they REALLY want you to come to their preciuos meeting then they are going to have to meet you halfway. As others suggested either by providing a simultaneous translation of what is being said or by somebody summerising what was said in English at the end of the meeting.

If not, then don't go.

ilovebdt

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Just bring your paperwork along and when they start speaking Korean, start doing your reports, marking, lesson plans, or whatever.

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:39 pm Post subject:

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

It is a chance to remind you who is in charge. They enjoy the fact that they can make you come to the meetings. You are reminded that you are a peon and they are the king.
EGO BOOST!

Gwangjuboy · Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Location: England

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I had to grin and bear it for a year at one previous hagwan. It wasn't that pleasant but I figured it kept them off my back for a week or so.

It sometimes turned out to be a "let's bitch about the wayguk" meeting though, I had to be on guard for those.

The good thing about those days was ....they had to speak some English to get their complaint across to me. Laughing

It was surprising how many times they would complain that I was "not using the textbook enough" one week and then "using the textbook too much" the next week.

I learned that the best way to deal with this crap was to just smile and say OK to whatever was the gripe of the week, and then just forget about it. They really had no clue how to run a school and 9 times out of 10, one parent would complain about some insignificant crap and they would try and make policy changes in response.

Anyway, hang in there.

My present place has meetings, but the wayguks are out. Cool

If there is something he needs to discuss with us, he calls us into his office individually. He's really no better at running the place, but at least we don't have to attend meetings.

xeno439 · Joined: 30 Nov 2005

Just stop showing up for those silly meetings. What are they gonna do, fire you?

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

since all of these hogwon owners seem to be idiots, does it really make you wonder how inefficient they are run? I wonder how much money I could make by simply running a hogwon effectively...