Korean Job Discussion Forums

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

I teach in a high school and most of the students have told me that they've never been hit by a Korean teacher. Then, when asked what makes their high school different from American schools, they always say... "the teachers hit us"

One of my co-teachers told me last week that there really is no way to punish the students here. I see students lined up on their knees in the teachers' room, doing squats, or just standing around looking awkward in our office and I really don't see the point. In fact when I first came to work here, some students apparantly tried to get in trouble just so they could come to the office and stand near my "desk" which I barely occupy anymore since I have a nicer classroom, five floors up.

I really don't feel like I'm working in a high school. Still... given the recent news of the latest school shooting in Ohio, I'm pretty glad I'm here and not teaching back in the states.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I've seen just about every punishment you could think of and a few you couldn't. The only thing consistant about discipline at schools here is that it's inconsistant.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

"Hit" to them might me hit in the head or face.

I'll be a great many of them have been smacked in the shins or hands with a ruler!

teachergirltoo · Joined: 28 Oct 2006

It depends on what type of high school a person works in. I teach high school for boys. Before I was hired I was told by the administration that it is a corporal punishment school, so the boys are hit, and beat harshly, on a regular basis. Mind you, they are very well behaved most of the time due to this threat.

marckot · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Location: Mokpo

Punishment in my school depends on the one dishing out the pain. Each teacher seems to have his or her favorite way of punishing the kids.

I saw one teacher beat the kids with a long stick on the back of their legs while they were in the push up stance. Another teacher hit the kids on the soles of their feet with a long ruler. One teacher just walks up to them and smacks them really hard on the back or chest. I have never seen a teacher smack a kid on the head or in the face. Many teachers make the culprit leave the class and wait for the boss doing his rounds to find them.

I must add that the discipline is really well maintained in my school and the kids for the most part behave really well and always stay respectful.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

Beat on the Brat with a Baseball Bat.

Dome Vans · Guest

Not linked with the high school, sorry, but last week at my elementary school out in the middle of nowhere I had a problem that I dealt with in the way I thought was best.

I walked into my 6th grade class, my only difficult class, to see a boy and girl fighting at the back, he proceeded to push her over and then kick her hard when she was on the floor. I went over grabbed him and took him out the classroom and gave him to the 4th grade teacher who speaks a bit of english.
I was playing football after school with my students after school and with him as well, so no grudges held.

BUT, I found the reaction of the different teachers I told to be fairly laughable. I don't think it was right to punish him because it was a one off. But the Korean teachers found it funny!! They think it's almost tribal and to be expected, so why should I be made to feel that I should have let it go and made them sit down again. I understand that kids on the spur of the moment make mistakes like this, but maybe in my english way I felt that a boy hitting a girl is just wrong whichever way it's looked at. BUt i agree that with the prev. post that there's a lack of consistency, but I suppose that's to be expected because native teachers have their different ways of dealing with discipline.

By high school I expect that students are more able to know what right and wrong is so therefore are expecting harsher penalties. Mine just seem to get the endurance punishments. But it's a mixed school so it varies with single sex to mixed schools. I have a friend who works at a high school in the city and they have a punishment room, which she get's, luckily, to have a desk next too. She's not impressed at all. Hitting everyday.

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

Interesting...

I may not be in the best school for discipline, but I'd rather not witness kids being beaten on a regular basis. I have seen teachers hit them hard on their back or arms and it bothers me ... maybe just because I'm from the states and this is unacceptable there.

I don't know if my kids are that well behaved but they aren't a bunch of maniacs like so many American teens these days...

Dome Vans · Guest

It's strange at primary school when I was young, I used to get smacked the whole time, on the back of the legs, hands, bum and around the head, and I even got the cane twice (even though it was banned) By Secondary school I was less naughty, and by high school age had cut my bad behaviour out completely.

Maybe it had something to do with me being beaten at an early age. And yes it was a catholic school. Would this work with Korean kids? Or does it work? Discipline younger or not? Is it too late to discipline at high school regardless of the punishment?

bacasper · Joined: 26 Mar 2007

contrarian · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Location: Nearly in NK

My high school whacks them around a little, even a few of the girls. Nothing serious.

garykasparov · Joined: 27 May 2007

And pretty soon a student will beat the crap out of a teacher because of this punishment that goes overboard.

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Back in LOS I had a guy we called Thitler. Discipline man for the school. Psycho of the highest order.

He went through a phase of making the kids sit outside in the baking sun. Boys with their shirts off so they would get black skin. Sometimes kids were out there for two or three hours.

He then progressed to making them sit outsideonly in their boxers (boys) with their shoe in their mouth.

The director came back from her business trip and he stopped. Scarely he now has his own school.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

If my child got out-of-line at school, and punishment was warranted, I wouldn't feel bothered at all by my child getting a smack in the shins with a ruler. As long as it wasn't too much.

I feel that a lot of the problems we have with children in the USA today (speaking of my own country) is that they have no sense of discipline.

Spare the rod, spoil the child.

Kids can't even be disciplined easily by their parents today. It's really gone too far in the wrong direction, and things have gotten out-of-hand with all of the PC "no spanking" crowd.

The crazy teachers who hit with closed fists grab the headlines these days -- and I think they should be fired. But I feel that Koreans are in the right when they punish kids physically in some way, as long as it's within reason.

Young children in many parts of the USA show no respect. At least, in some ways, Korean kids do. I think a lot of this has to do with the lack of discipline in the schools of the USA today.

If only Koreans would show more respect to total strangers (when parking, walking, etc.) then this would seem like a much more friendly place on the surface.

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

I do think punishment could be stricter and more consistent here in my school but my students aren't really that bad...

then again, I'm still somewhat of a novelty in this place so it's very possible and probable that this will change... soon.

As for the USA, I've never taught in a public school and I think I'd rather be out on the streets or working for Burger King than teaching public school there.. esp. high school.