Korean Job Discussion Forums

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

giving kids a pat on the back? Damn...that's great.

Spock certainly DID do some wonderous work. A lot of his theories are really great and some of them even work.
here is sort of a key sentencE:

Hobophobic · Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:55 pm Post subject:

My coteach beat the soles of my students' feet with a big hardwood pointer stick for not doing their homework - multiple whacks...it was excessive to say the least...(see GEPIK rant thread in JobRelDis forum for details...)

...5 years in and I have never witnessed something here to make me feel so disgusted, sad, and angry at work...they're just little kids.... Shocked

...I can't imagine why she chose this punishment...I have confinscated her so called LOVE sticks today...they're in my office...

I also know now my son will never go to school here...although an already decided move, events such as above have just reinforced our family decision to move to Canada once my contract is up in September...

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

If the incident had occured in your home country, I would consider what you did to be reasonable. But when you are working in another country (unless you're the school director...) one should respect - or at least not interfere with (and undermine the authority of) teachers doing what they understand to be their traditional duty. The particular form of discipline that shocked you is not uncommon at my technical high school, and some teachers who use it are among the most popular. It's understandable to react emotionally when you see someone inflicting pain on someone perceived as vulnerable, but what is considered "normal" school discipline is generally a function of cultural conditioning. Unless you sense that the teacher is out-of-control and the student is in danger of serious injury I wouldn't recommend intervening...

Hobophobic · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:03 am Post subject:

I am well aware of the cultural differences thanks...gots me mine edumacation with them there Honours in Anthropology and Sociology, and been here for just shy of 5 years...

I know how the system works, and I didn't cause her to lose face, or knock her down from her power trip infront of anyone...

I took her STICKS afterschool and moved them to my office let us say for SAFE keeping...when she questions where they are, we will be having an adult conversation...

...why don't I tenderize the arches and bottoms of your feet with one of these ....

5 or 10 times, and more if you yelp or cry...

Guess I should sit this one out and "get back to" my "playstation, son."

You are right...it is not my country, nor my culture...but it is my class...and she was way out of line...I have shown the video I recorded to several friends/teachers, here in Korea, and my wife...all of whom agree she stepped across the line.

Yes, it was an emotionally charged scene to see little kids get punished - only so because the degree of it was much too harsh. I could understand the one whack on the hands, or calves, etc...but not multiple solid whacks to the soles of their feet for not doing their homework....

...sorry, guess you had to be there....

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

In that case what you did does seem reasonable...

My main experience witnessing that form of punishment was when a young Korean woman math teacher (whose desk was next to mine in the teacher's office) would regularly have several students lined up waiting to kneel on a chair to have the bottoms of their feet smacked sometimes well over twenty times. It definitely looked pretty painful, and I winced a couple times seeing it out of the corner of my eye, but these older high school students seemed to take it without much fuss... When I showed that teacher the video clip of the out-of-control Korean instructor angrily punching his student she remarked that she would never do anything like that because she loved her students...

Hobophobic · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 2:36 pm Post subject:

Yes, this is the same as you mention - kids come to the front of class, hop up and kneel on a group of desks, and get 5 or 10 hits on the soles of their feet.

My concern is the amount of force she is using on these childrens' feet - if they were Highschool students I wouldn't be nearly as concerned.

I remember the days of the strap in Canada - you had to of deserved it in most cases if you got it. I suppose I am questioning her reasoning more than anything. Punishment in this case doesn't seem to fit the crime.

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

I'm bumping this because a new thread just came up on the same subject (coincidentally, I hear at least one of my high school students getting whacked as I type this - a very common occurence - and one that is usually taken in stride - though I have seen some nasty-looking bruises...)
Here's the link for the new thread on the "Job-related" forum:
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=57843