Korean Job Discussion Forums

[shawner88]

Not unless you consider handing out word search puzzles and then reading the newspaper teaching.

[Alias]

I'm definitely not a teacher. I actually cover all the material that I'm required to do and I don't spend half the class playing games. Its just the kids have no interest in the subject because they know it is not a real school and that they will not be punished for anything that they do.

My day consists of the kids constantly takling in Korean (the only english rule is a joke) swearing at me, throwing their books around the classroom for fun (or at the white clown in front of the class). Fortunately I only get slapped and pinched. Haven't been kicked in the groin yet. Spit on a couple of times though. Nothing was done to the student obviously.

I don't get mad about it. I realize that I work for a business and not a real school. Therefore, I am not a real teacher. You just have to grin and take it all. I've been completely honest with my supervisor. She knows that there is NO ENGLISH being taught in a couple of the really bad classes. At least I haven't been blamed.

No, I don't teach kindy either. These are all grade 5 and 6 students.

[Guest]

[cacheSurfer]

[the saint]

[jajdude]

How about sometimes? Sometimes I teach. Sometimes some students learn, sometimes because of my help, sometimes in spite of me ....sometimes I can't get into it much more than they can.

Some days are diamonds, some days are coal.... is that how the ol' song goes?

[just because]

I think i teach some but I also am a glorified babysitter at the moment.

Just depends on the situation and how supportive your boss is and what program he wants to take.

[matthewwoodford]

There should be an option for half way to being a real teacher. I consider myself good in some ways and shaky in others but am learning by doing.

One thing's for sure: that real teaching is hard work and that's the real reason people just wing it, not the nature of the hagwon industry. Maybe being good at anything requires hard work - that's what we tell students anyway.

[the saint]

[Corporal]

[peemil]

I consider myself a real teacher if I had real students.

[the saint]

[mysteriousdeltarays]

I take it very seriously.

I didn't when I started out, in fact I had no idea at all what I was doing despite an education degree.

At some point you realize the students are your friends. It is not some goofball job where you just put in your hours.

You are trying to help people. Try to do the right thing.

It is not a matter of putting in X hours a week, or pulling apples out of your pocket etc.

When you you realize that you actually care... then you are a teacher.

[peemil]

No... I'm the opposite here. I started out two years ago as an excellent teacher. I'd make lesson plans, get them involved etc... Then one day. I realised that for the most part I spend most of my day talking over people, yelling for them to shut up, going over things we've done one hundred times before... Short answer.

At the end of the day I realised that hagwons, no matter how you get around it are babysitting clubs. No more. Little Jimmy and Jane don't really give a toss about their English ability. It never occurs to them that it would be good idea to speak English to you. Rather, than waffle in Korean.

You know for the first six months, everyday I'd come into the room and the kids would ask in Korean, what they were doing today...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"
Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"
Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"
Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"
Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?" Kid tries it...

Next day... What are we doing today... In Korean of course...

"No Little Jane, you say what are we doing today?"


To infinity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[captain kirk]

There's a very cool saying that the moment you start blaming other people you're on the wrong track. That being said I'd like to violate that truth by whining about managment and how they block efforts to 'be a good/better teacher'. Management had, so they say, met many bad and strange teachers before me. They tend to take on short-timers, anyway, illegally so perhaps that's why it has been, apparently, enough of a zoo of freaky foreigners to give them the heebie jeebies and give them a hair trigger about calling 'weird' on foreign teachers. But from the start, in the first three months conscientious mode I asked to be able to stay after work downloading reading materials off the net to copy for class but got a firm NO. It would involve me being given the key to the school to lock up after I go. The head Korean teacher is 28 and has been at the school 3 years and is allowed 'the key'; that irked me. I've been teaching in hagwons for seven years. They told me I was different, applauded me on being passionate and conscientious, but didn't say whether I could push for preparing for the dolorous lull which occurs about month four, after the honeymoon period, which I am now in.
I've also noticed how herd the management and Korean teachers are in their mentality about what is 'preferred behaviour'. Herding in their thinking in general. And where the lead mind (wonjonim) goes so go the rest. It wouldn't matter if the wonjonim was slightly off, or not, off they'd go following what's 'true' from the top.
We go for three months on the same book. Let's Go 1 for three months. That's a long time to be doing 'What's this?', and 'What are those?'. The parents don't want to pay for the next book up before three months is out. They also want the teacher to use the accompanying Let's Go tape. The funny thing is when I use the tape the kids just gear down and go into a zombie mode and look almost comfortable, as if they are 'herding' into an activity which they know has benefits, trusting the teacher's judgement, and following along. I know this 'repetition method' is NOT doing them any good in comparison to a snappier, pop quiz style of calling for answers and correct responses, but that's what the managment want. To follow the program. It would make more sense for a Korean teacher to be using the tape, but to say so would be 'counter-management'. There's a real lack of any 'ear' on the part of management. It's rather trickle down and 'so it is and should be'. Which, having experienced that over time, bars any passionate 'to be a better teacher on my part' expressions. You tend to get a a long look at a wide moat and ramparts, take a breath for a hurdle, and more 'well, we'll think about it' looks.
I went out with the superivisor and the head teacher to talk about the 'getting the key to the school' issue and permission to stay late (if you can believe it!). It was exhausting having to absurdly push a request to be allowed to do unpaid overtime using the printer and computer to download. The management sits down in meetings weekly with the Korean teachers but there isn't a similiar close exhange with foreign teachers. If you want to push to be a good teacher and have a vivid, prepared, interesting interplay in lessons there are blocks and obstacles which can make you jaded, and not give a damn. The management are busy with scheduling, mothers, payment, and supervising or class content are at the bottom of the list. That's the 'teacher's job'. The head teacher herself has been extremely frustrated with management over their blind, yet forceful style. So I'm not alone in this or 'making it up' in a whiney, disgruntled fashion. Nope.
If you want to be a good teacher and so feel like a teacher (and not a glorified babysitter) you have to keep pushing and feeling some progress. The kids know when you are genuinely trying and when you feel like it's a lost cause by the tone of your voice, the look on your face, and you're general 'energy'/body language. That's the kind of thing they tell their mothers about, I think. You're kind of on you're own generating results. But are expected to as a matter of course, to keep your job. And to not make waves. Any kind of contact with management re; how things are going seems to be bothersome and barely in to the 'making waves' category, but close enough.
Yeah, I feel like a 'teacher' and not a babysitter most of the time. As long as I'm trying (ignoring the said 'obstacles' which are only, really, present as an annoyance, like bad drivers on the roads blithely performing absurdly stupid manuevers).