Korean Job Discussion Forums

[twg]

This is an offshoot of those molesting teacher/ hanging with students threads. It isnt really part of either, but it could be...

I don't know about the rest of you, but in the five years I've been here, I've found that teaching middle and high school girls to be a total minefield. Not because they're girls and "Girls are delicate" but because they're always the ones who say embarrassing or inappropriate things in the classroom.

The most recent thing that happened:

We were going over the answers to our exercise, when suddenly: "Teacher"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think me and Linda are sexy?"

"What the f@&%?!"

well, I didn't say that. I just rolled my eyes and kept going because I knew they were trying to rattle the old man. But it wasn't the first time something like that has been said to me by that age group.

Boys aren't nearly as bad, but once, in a similar situation:

"Teacher"

"Yeah?"

"Is your gochu hairy?"

'What?! Boy, don't ask me stuff like that!"

I guess it's the age, I dunno. But once I did have an adult student mention that as a foreigner, my "gochu" must be pretty big and we should go to the sauna some day. Which gained him a "What you talking about Willis?" face from me. Maybe it's cultural...

But has anyone else had any problems with this sort of "hey yo! Inappropriate!!" stuff from their older students? And if you do, how do you handle them?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Is this at a public school or hogwan? I've never had anything like the latter example happen to me at public school. For the former example the correct answer is 'cute yes, sexy no'. The word doesn't always mean the same thing to Koreans as it does to us.

[bellum99]

Yup. I once had a group of middle school girls tell me that it is okay for them to take off their shirts in class because they have a bra on. I continued teaching and did not comment. I do not encourage or bother responding to anything that could be, and probably would be, misinterpreted.
I also had a middle school girl in class who would rub herself in class ( ). She would wear shirts with low necklines (stretched out on purpose, I think) and say things that were not proper. I was very happy when she quit after one month...I never once stared down her shirt, looked up her skirt (legs raised ) or encouraged her in any way. I taught English to her which was my job.

--- I was never never never alone with that girl..she was an accident waiting to happen. Some of them are not INNOCENT.

[seoulunitarian]

Not all, but a lot of this inappropriate social behavior is most likely due to the fact that they have been in some way sexually abused.

Peace

[jaganath69]

Hagwon kid to me...

Teacher, do you have a girlfriend

Me...

No

Him...

Oh, so teacher no fukkee?

Pair of twelve year olds at the same school, french kissing each other...

Me...

That's not very appropriate girls!

Them....

Teacher, We're lesbians!

[poet13]

I get the "teacher, I love you. Do you love me?", all the time at my alternate school (30 girls once a week) and at english camps. " The first time I heard, "Teacher, you are very sexy", I burst out laughing. I had a 13 or 14 year old girl at the haggie that I eventually drove out. Way too developed to be wearing an oversize tank top (every day) with one or the other breast and brownie hidden by the shirt strap, but not both. The boys learned NOTHING in the three months she was there. I hated being mean to her just to get rid of her, but it's not like I could have gone to my female director and said, "Hey, she needs to wear more clothes." That would mean I noticed, and that is simply not cool.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm so glad I teach boys." The worst I have to put up with there is their fascination with exploring each others butts. Oh, and what the hell is up with that anyways? I see boys full-on go for the gold (brown) with each other all day long.

[jennateacher]

I have seen many more boxers than I have ever wanted to. All male students, 99% male teachers=no need to have changing rooms in the gym. Not to many direct comments.

That may be due to the catholic nature of the school. Maybe not.

One kid asked for a hug. He said he saw people do it on tv and he wanted to do it with me. We were in my office. I made up an excuse and went to find another teacher to tell her incase anything came of it down the road. She said that kid was not quite normal. He had given "advice" to another teacher. I think she ment to say he had done that before with another (the new, young, pretty, korean) teacher.

[frankly speaking]

I have received a few love notes and things. One time a fat boy who was very shy said to me teacher "I really love you." I just smiled and said in a rough voice "go back to class"

A lot of my 5-8 year old students try and hug me. I turn at an angle so they hug my side and I gently tap their arms. But if it lasts more than 2 seconds I pull away. I try to not make an issue out of it but I don't really like hugging.

Once I had an overly motivated student. She was about 13 and would walk up behind me and rub her breasts on me. I got really upset about it. I tried to always be gentle in my tone, but I told her not to stand near me. I immediately told my boss and he said that she was just being curious. She tried it a few times but everytime that she got near me I just moved away quickly. Eventually she stopped but it was like being stalked around the room.

Boys are definately easier. However, I did have one young boy about 5 years old, run up and grab me in the crouch and say "teacher you bigguh".

[Oreovictim]

For me, middle school girls either REALLY like me or REALLY hate me. I had two middle school girls say to me on their first day, "Oh teacher, you have charming eyes! Can I have your cell phone number?"

That was a bit weird.

[OiGirl]

Do Korean teachers not love their students? I have always told students, "Of course I love you, the way a teacher loves her students."

[oneofthesarahs]

My students are always trying to hook me up with their older brother/cousin/random relative.

Oh, and one of my female students in the 8-10 age group once told me that I had big boobs.

[thebum]

[Sina qua non]

[Zoot]

Situation The First
Student (10 years old): Do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Yes.
Student: Are you going to marry him.
Me: I dunno.
Student: Well, you have to CATCH him before he gets away.
Me: Whatever. Let's get on with this lesson.
Student: You should shower with him
Me: Stop talking, now.
Student: You should shower with him and have a baby. Then he HAS to marry you.

Situation The Second (same student, some months later)
Student: My sister watches sex movies (referring to porn, I gather. She's 16).
Me: Stop talking, now.
Student: Do you like sex movies?
Me: Inappropriate. Stop talking.
Student: I bet you watch them everyday.


I hate this kid. He makes 2 hours of every week of my life here hell.

[Pak Yu Man]