Korean Job Discussion Forums

[HymanKaplan]

Guys, thanks for your help, though this point is now moot. I was fired for "endangering the reputation of the school" a couple hours ago. (And no this wasn't anything you'd expect from that clause. I'm told that it covers being so boring children complain. Which I doubt, but I'll talk to immigration.) And I still haven't figured out what the deal with this KT is. Apparently the KT told the FM that the students in this class were getting to dislike me less. I suspect that there may be some staffing issues involved, but I won't bring that point up unless there are issues with severance. On the other hand, while I'm not happy to lose the return airfare, I am relieved that I now have the chance to look for a job I like better.

I had a long conversation with the FM today. Apparently most of the complaints with the other three classes stemmed back to about three months ago, a good two months before the verbal warning. The verbal warning was prompted by the barrage of complaints from this KT. The firing was officially because of the complaints relayed by the KT in the new class were the last straw.

I did learn a few other details about problems with my teaching, namely that the KT had told FM the students were very happy when she told them the schedule was being rearranged for the class I lost. She also told me that I actually did make one, very high-level class very unhappy. It's still not clear why, but she claims the two students who quit the class when I started (a week or two after I believe) did so in large part because of me. So there's that.

I will say that I'm quite frustrated by the lack of "professional" development" I received. I had one class observed, and she didn't tell me she had issues with my teaching for two weeks. I had complaints directly from the parents in one class, and she didn't tell me. I couldn't get her to observe another class until after the verbal warning. And then fired me a week after telling me about the complaints from this new class, despite reported improvement and no new complaints.

Yes, I know none of the other teachers are getting fired, which indicates I'm not a good fit for this school, but still it's frustrating from my point of view.

eamo:
That's not something I'd have considered trying before, but I think for the rest of my time here I may do that. It's exams for the kids, so it's a good time to let them coast anyways.

thegadfly:
Thanks, your feedback is very helpful. I was teaching them--most of them, and teaching them things that other teachers said they couldn't learn. I didn't bore most of them. And I hope I'm not that teacher. Certainly most of my students don't seem bored. Complaints came in groups, from four classes (plus one student in a fifth), two of which I shared with this KT.

Any rate, your advice is good, and here's hoping I'll get to try out your advice at my next job.

SoccerFan 81:
Both of the classes I'd had with this teacher are around mid-level. The one I lost was low-intermediate, the one I have now is probably high-intermediate. Both were able to understand me with no difficulty, and able to speak in full sentences. Oddly, I've had a couple of really low level classes, and don't get complaints from them. Most of them seem to enjoy my class. But yes, these classes are mid-level.

some waygug-in:
I understand you weren't being critical. That was more a preemptive strike against the people you warned against.

So yeah, thanks again everyone. I do appreciate it.
HK

Edit: minor semantic errors.

[some waygug-in]

Sounds like a blessing in disguise. You probably are better off getting away from that KT and on to bigger and better things.

Sounds like the school has some "issues" and from their treatment of you,

they want to lay all blame on your shoulders.


They really should have explained the situation to you earlier and given you some chance at fixing whatever was going wrong.

From your post it seems that they gave you 1 verbal warning that was unclear and not helpful for you to determine the nature of the problem.

I think they are required to give you a written warning, but that may be up to their own discretion.

Anyhow, best of luck to you in the future.

Hopefully you will find a more suitable employer.

[thegadfly]

HK,

I second the "blessing in disguise" comment -- it sounds like they didn't give you the kind of feedback that would have let you fix any problem that might have existed, nor did they give you enough warning that the situation was such a problem (I'm a big "three strikes THEN yer out" fan).... I think it WAS just a KT interpersonal problem, but you will most likely be happier nearly any place else, so try to take it in stride.

Good luck....

[litebear]

Although I agree with the two posters above that you are better off elsewhere I'm not so sure now that it was just a KT problem. To be totally frank it sounds like you might have been struggling a bit, also with some students actually quitting I'd be suprised if someone else a little higher in the Korean admin side of things didn't follow up the KT's claims about the students' reasons for quitting. They are running a business and I can't see them just having students quit and taking her word for it with no phonecall to the parents.

Regardless, you were treated poorly and should have been given better guidance and support from the FM. It's also clear that you want to better yourself and that you work hard as a teacher. Dust yourself off, get the LOR, and find something that's a better fit. Good luck!