|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
 Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 5:37 pm Post subject: Koreans and foreigners and work... general stuff... |
 |
|
I only see two or three co-workers who stay after work, and there are myself and another foreign co-worker who stay after work to finish things we should finish.
My friend and I do have slightly more classes than most of the teachers foreign and non-foreign, but they seem to finish rather quickly. Now, that I am cutting corners and having the students grade the quizzes with me, which is not what I am supposed to do, and not looking much at all the students writing since I am the speaking teacher (rationalizing), and pretty much only looking for the points they need to make in their debate and a little at the structure and grammar, I can finish.
My co-worker was trying to tell me that maybe he works slow, because everyone's gone so fast. He is the writing teacher. Even if he were a grading machine, unless he just basically looked at one page of his five page essays, then he can't finish fast. I can understand the rationale for cutting corners. They want to go home, our job can be high pressure, they have deadlines, and they are not career, certified teachers.
Any thoughts on the matter?
Last edited by Adventurer on Sun Oct 26, 2008 6:42 am; edited 2 times in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Jeff's Cigarettes
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:50 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| What's the "matter"? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 7:14 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| You don't catch on very fast... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tobias
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 7:17 pm Post subject: Weak teachers |
|
|
| Adventurer wrote: |
| ....I can finish |
Finish what? You didn't put a period in, so it's incomplete. It's not finished.
| Adventurer wrote: |
....our job can be high pressure.....
Any thoughts on the matter? |
Come again? High pressure? TESOL jobs are a breeze. Never have I felt 'pressure'. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: Weak teachers |
|
|
| Tobias wrote: |
| Adventurer wrote: |
| ....I can finish |
Finish what? You didn't put a period in, so it's incomplete. It's not finished.
| Adventurer wrote: |
....our job can be high pressure.....
Any thoughts on the matter? |
Come again? High pressure? TESOL jobs are a breeze. Never have I felt 'pressure'. |
Actually, I did place a period. The word finish in this case entails work that needs to be completed. Generally, TESOL jobs are a breeze, but not always. My job is definitely not one of those. I was stating that my co-worker was wondering if he is just very slow as a foreigner because the Korean co-workers are gone long before him. My first academy job was a breeze and so was my second one. Currently, my job is as hard as the teaching job that I had in the U.S. Now, that I am bending the rules at work, I finish a lot faster. I am doing what teachers have to do when they cut corners. I have concluded my Korean co-workers are heavily cutting corners except for four of them. I doing that somewhat.
Yesterday, the foreigner on my team and I were staying late. There was one Korean girl at the office left working, two also stayed a little late, but everyone else was gone. I think the Korean girl who was left works her tail off, and really tries to do things right.
I am trying to convince my foreign co-worker that it's not his fault he is taking forever to grade his five page essays for his 15 different classes which amount to 32 classes a week. Would you think that's a breeze, Tobias, to do what he's got to do? I bet you couldn't grade hundreds of those papers in one week even. Do you think you could?
Anyway, we're just having teacher talk on a Saturday.... I hope you all have a good weekend... I am definitely going to enjoy mine.. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 7:41 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Jeff's Cigarettes wrote: |
| What's the "matter"? |
Nothing is da matter except I feel bad for my co-worker who has hundreds of essays to grade. I am trying to convince him to jump ship.
I am trying to convince him that I think many of our co-workers are cutting corners most probably to get their stuff done, and even if he did that, he still wouldn't be done fast since he's grading essays. I literally felt sick to my stomach when he showed me the piles of papers he had to grade and left his room. He's my neighbor. I seriously felt like I had to excuse myself and leave when I saw that many papers.
Hey, Jeff, I like your avatar. It kind of goes well on you, where did you get it?
Ukon: I caught on long ago, but I am a teacher. They also watch our classes sometimes like a hawk, because we teach the upper level classes.
I am just doing what I got to do to finish and leave. I hate taking short cuts, but you can always rationalize that when you look at some of the stuff you're asked to do as useless from an EFL point of view, so I don't really care anymore about some things if they violate EFL scientific rationale, and I look at the ability of the kids and also how they feel, and if something is just stupid busy work and takes too much time then I say - "cut". The kids don't mind.
P.S. I was just bored and posted this. I was just thinking out loud.
Anyway, cut the sarcastic crap. I know what's going on. I know my mate and I work like work horses. The Korean homeroom teacher on my team who lived in the US for several years comes in rather early and leaves on time. I am just making different observations on Dave's ESL Cafe just for the heck of it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
crosbystillsstash
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| It's pretty obvious. You don't like your job conditions (from your other post) and your looking around and getting pissed off. Stop being so self righteous, get off your high horse. If you don't like a situation, change it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 8:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| crosbystillsstash wrote: |
| It's pretty obvious. You don't like your job conditions (from your other post) and your looking around and getting pissed off. Stop being so self righteous, get off your high horse. If you don't like a situation, change it. |
You've mad an excellent point, crosby. I am actually not being self-righteous, take it easy, I am just asking questions out loud, and I think it's fine that some are cutting lots of corners and some are staying late.
It's all good, and I am actually very relaxed these days, because I am changing the situation and moving on. My mood has changed, the sails are up, and I am looking to sail on down the line half a mile or so as the Commodores used to sing.
Don't worry, if I don't like something, I eventually change it and go on. I like the people I work with, I like the students, and I like my team, but I am going for better pay or working conditions. C'est tout simple, but if what you wrote above is how I really feel, then you would have the right to call me on it. I told one of my co-workers what you wrote above.
No, I am not self-righteous. I am just making some observations and exchanging ideas with the other teachers over here. My tone is different here.
Cheers to that...
I do like your attitude, though. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tobias
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 9:56 pm Post subject: I see you did |
|
|
| Adventurer wrote: |
Actually, I did place a period.
|
You placed it in an edit after I quoted you. I swooped in too soon with my reply, that's all.
You're worrying about somebody who probably won't give you the same conderation. To be honest, sounds like you may be playing the fool.
Kick back and enjoy. Don't be worrying about those who probably won't return the worry-favor later. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Whirlwind
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
|
| Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Wow, Tobias, you need a life. You're making it a point(  ) that someone know that you know where they placed a freaking period. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tobias
Joined: 02 Jun 2008
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:01 am Post subject: The skillet |
|
|
| Whirlwind wrote: |
| Wow, Tobias, you need a life. You're making it a point( :D ) that someone know that you know where they placed a freaking period. |
The pot calls the frying pan black again here.
Yawn. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 7:29 am Post subject: Re: I see you did |
|
|
| Tobias wrote: |
| Adventurer wrote: |
Actually, I did place a period.
|
You placed it in an edit after I quoted you. I swooped in too soon with my reply, that's all.
You're worrying about somebody who probably won't give you the same conderation. To be honest, sounds like you may be playing the fool.
Kick back and enjoy. Don't be worrying about those who probably won't return the worry-favor later. |
Good, you caught that, Tobias. However, in the first instance following the word finish there was a full stop or period, if you didn't notice. You do know there is something called editing when you type research papers and the like, but we are not keyboard warriors on here. We cannot be infallible while typing. Of course, you were doing just to take the piss out of me. No big deal, and I edited the thing on purpose for a little touche.
I am kicking back, meditating, eating well, enjoyed a hookah today, and all. Still, I am looking out for my mate, but I told him that I won't talk to him anymore about helping him get out if he wants, and that I can help him find something better for him, because he is uber qualified when it comes to teaching over here. As you said, it's his problem, but he's my neighbor and a friend, and I encouraged to take the job he has now after his company was bought out, but we both didn't know what would happen later. In the end, I've got to look after my own skin, but I've helped and bailed out tons of people in and out of Korea, but I've got to look out for number one, and that's me.
I am sure I will be in a much better situation very soon. I am confident. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
|
| Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| At my school, students get points for turning in home work. No one looks closely. Teachers also give multiple choice exams that can be graded by a machine. I guess that no one told you about that. Remember, you probably spend far more time than most teachers in Korea teaching and grading; the most notably exception would be teachers at elite Korean schools. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Draz
Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Location: Land of Morning Clam
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 5:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
| The foreign teachers at my school generally leave before the Korean teachers. We have more classes, but I guess they have more "work". I never actually see them slacking off. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
|
| Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 6:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
| sojusucks wrote: |
| At my school, students get points for turning in home work. No one looks closely. Teachers also give multiple choice exams that can be graded by a machine. I guess that no one told you about that. Remember, you probably spend far more time than most teachers in Korea teaching and grading; the most notably exception would be teachers at elite Korean schools. |
I don't think my Korean co-teachers have scantron tests. I am not aware of that. Some of my Korean co-teachers work a lot, I would say about half of them. Others are gone rather quickly. Generally, everyone works pretty hard for our company. Generally, our office doesn't have slackers. As far as the kids, they don't get points for turning work in.
If they don't do their work, they have to call their moms and stay after school for detention and do work. If they get less than a 70 on a vocabulary test, they have to re-test. Is that rather common at hagwons?
I can't make a general rule about the foreigners versus the Korean teachers since Korean teachers outnumber foreign teachers.
There are four foreign teachers, the fifth one did a midnight run.
Two of them have a much lighter load than the foreigners on my time including myself (that's two of us), and they still take work home.
I am not sure I've seen the Korean teachers take stuff home. The thing that takes the most time in many cases for the Korean teachers is when they have to call the parents. Us foreign teachers used to do phone teaching, but that was scrapped when management gave us as many classes as they could.
I haven't seen a scantron machine. I have seen multiple choice tests.
You may have a point there. Most of the teachers teach lower level classes, and so they can use fill in the blank tests, but I am not allowed to do that. I think fill in the blank tests make more sense from a pedagogical stand-point.
I think generally people at my hagwon work very, very hard. This is especially true for the ones on my team. One of the guys (a conservative kyopo) takes tons of work home to stay on top of things. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
