Korean Job Discussion Forums

[elliemk]

Anyone do it? Where do you go - to a kind of hidden place so current students can't see you?

Or not - wait until you get off work?

Interested to hear replies. Thanks.

[htrain]

[Ya-ta Boy]

In the two high schools I worked in, one public and one private, we could smoke. At one school we could smoke on one side of the building but not the other--although both places were in open view of the students, so I don't know why it made any difference. At the other, teachers on the first floor could smoke out back and the teachers on the second floor could smoke on the roof.

At neither of the schools did any of the women teachers smoke.

[Smee]

I smoke, but not in the mornings before school and not at school (and not in my apt., because I don't want my clothes to smell like it).

At my first hagwon everyone---men and women, Koreans and foreigners---would smoke in the stairwell. Last year at one elementary school the principal would smoke inside the teacher's office or in the hallway. At the other school the teachers would walk around the dirt play area and smoke. This year they go to the side of the building, but it's right next to a window in the stairwell so that whole side of the building smells like smoke. And man, they're chimneys. After every 45 minute class they go out there.

[jaderedux2]

Don't smoke. When I started here they could smoke in the teachers room. Then they had a special room. Then only outside. And now no one can smoke on school grounds.

I used to smoke years ago. I think generally it is a bad example for students to get preached at (and they do) about the evils of smoking and then see a cluster of teacher in 10 degree weather puffing away outside the school.

Have no problem with smokers. Just don't think it is good habit for students to see teachers smoking after the lectures on dying of cancer and ugly lung they haul around for them to see.

Jade

[Atavistic]

[cdninkorea]

[RedRob]

Somewhere I have on DVD a song that some kids made and practiced for me called "Teacher, please don't do the smoking"

It was about 3 mins long and they made it in their own time and sprung it on me one friday afternoon! They were a bunch of 12 year olds, sweet really.

[cruisemonkey]

I smoke. I work at a public school. 'We' have a smoking area/room out back.

[cruisemonkey]

[marlow]

Wherever all the Korean teachers smoke sounds like a good spot.

Who cares about smelling like smoke? Some people are ugly but I don't ask them to cover their face. If someone likes a good puff, tough shit for everyone else's noses.

I'd say that I'd rather not have students see me smoking. If they can figure out that I do, but also figure out that I'm discreet enough to want to hide it somewhat, they may figure out smoking is something enjoyable, but maybe not something to be proud about.

[xtchr]

The Korean male teachers who smoke (about 5 of them) at my elementary school lock themselves into the boys toilet (I kid you not!) which is directly opposite my English classroom. Then they leave it locked afterward, so that no one can smell anything (I assume). That doesn't work because the whole corridor reeks and it's really obvious what they've been doing.
They choose near the English classroom because it is in a separate wing, there are no other used classrooms nearby, and thus no one near their own classrooms sees what they are doing.
It is really really annoying when I've got grade 1 and 2 elementary boys in English class needing to go to the toilet, only to find the door is locked.
I've complained numerous times, but they all just lie to my face, and deny that anyone even smokes. And the door is not locked, it is just stuck and needs 'maintenance' . I even pointed out a pack of cigarettes in their shirt pocket, and still they looked directly at me and maintained they don't smoke!

Anyway, rant over, just another stupid thing that really ticks me off about my school.

[sojourner1]

It tends to go, whether a teacher or not, nearly all men smoke and nearly all women are non smokers. I only seen one Korean woman smoke who is uncommonly affluent which was outside of a Toastmasters International meeting.

I smoked my first several months here and like many buildings, the school has a roof with a door to it that you can walk and smoke on. The middle school students complained of me smelling like smoke and hassled me and when I quit, they still found other ways to hassle me. I never let my students see me smoking when I smoked.

As for teachers smelling like smoke, I realize that the air is already bad smelling to the point that it matters little as long as a teacher is not smoking in the classroom. People are burning trash near the school which is really fouling the air up. The school bus drivers all smoke, often around kids so it's nothing like it would be in America today, maybe America 40 years ago or something.

When I was in school growing up, most of the teachers smoked on school grounds, all of whom were women. In high school, I smoked with them in front of the school. Today, you would not see such a thing at all, this would be big legal trouble for a teach to smoke at school and around students. American teachers are walking on eggshells today due to the todays legal climate teaching and other jobs that involve children entail.

In Korea, go ahead, smoke your lungs out, no one cares.

[indigo777]

I smoke but not at the school. I usually have a couple in the morning then after work. Some of the Korean male teachers smoke outside during breaks between classes.
I do enjoy that cigarette when I get home.

[elliemk]

Thanks for everyone's responses. I had planned on quitting a couple of weeks after I got here (have the medicine), but my director turned out to be such a monster that the stress was just too much. I will try again in a couple of weeks (before I start my new position).