Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sarbonn]

I thought I'd just run this question by you all as I respect the fact that many of you have been teaching in this environment for quite some time. When I first came here, I was concerned I'd not be able to teach young kids as I'd come from an environment where I'd been teaching college students for quite a few years.

Anyway, one thing I've started noticing is that kids, especially middle school kids, tend to really respond well to humor. And I mean absurd humor, like when explaining a debate technique (I teach debate here mostly), I'll often bring up something like "evil bunnies" or some other harmless bizarre oddity that tends to make the kids laugh. One class constantly talks about squirrels with machine guns nowadays when explaining things (it was a weird joke that seemed to resonate until practically every kid kept talking about it in our classes...it's hard to describe unless you're there sometimes, but suffice to say, it works).

What I have noticed is that the other teachers, all Korean teachers, keep telling me that humor does not belong in school. Yet, I'll walk by their classrooms when they're teaching, and their classes are completely out of control. The kids are yelling and screaming, and it is so obvious that these teachers have no control over their classes. I paid a bit more attention to my own classes and noticed that rarely do the kids go crazy like they do in the other classes, yet everyone seems to be having a good time and learning the required material.

I recently started finding out that all of the parents have been complaining that I don't teach more classes, wanting their kids to be in more classes taught by me.

Now, this isn't a thread to congratulate myself. What I wanted to address is that even though my classes seem to be going well, I can't seem to escape the Korean teachers who tell me that I'm teaching wrong because I don't teach like they do. They have this bizarre attitude that students shouldn't be having fun in class, that everything should be so serious. I wouldn't really care about this, but their comments seem to be coming more and more these days, even though the head teacher keeps telling me the parents love me.

How do you all handle this kind of juxtaposition in a way that you're not pissing off the people you have to deal with on a daily basis (I mean, I want to be on friendly terms with the people with whom I work) and still manage to teach as you think is best for the kids? I know there's a usual "screw the complainers and do as you want" kind of response that happens in these threads, but that usually sets up an undesired hostility that I really don't want to achieve. Any thoughts?

[yingwenlaoshi]

Maybe the other teachers are right. They're teaching while you're just fooling around. Just a theory.

[candyteacher]

I think students respond well to humor, (especially crazy humor like squirrels with machine guns) because their education is so boring. they spend all day everyday in education so this type of escapism is just what they crave. some of my students best writing and debate came from this method of teaching. As for the korean teachers, keep doing what you are doing and dont worry about them. Often korean teachers will tell you to stop doing things because they are jealous. this happened in my school often, particulary with one teacher who had been there along time but was not very popular, then new teachers arive with great ideas, and teaching plans and she was left to look boring!! You know you are getting through to your students, and doing a good job.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Humor is good, but some students are complete asshats.

[Whistleblower]

One thing you could do is this; whenever a teacher says that you need to change your style of teaching, you could offer to observe their class so that you could learn how best to improve. Most teachers would stop there and say that you shouldn't take teaching too seriously and leave you to it.

Anyhow, you could observe their class and provide critical analyasis of their class telling them what things to improve (humour, too much teacher talking time, not allowing students to practice, poorly planned lessons, etc). They would really get unhappy with your observation and then you could invite them to your class so that they can learn from your teaching. They would have lost enormous amounts of face and feel like a right tool.

[storysinger81]

I don't think Whistleblower's advice would help your situation much.

Whenever a teacher criticizes your teaching, ask them if it's a complaint from a parent (this should be taken at least a little seriously, as pissing off too many parents will cost you your job). If it's not, then ask the teacher for some teaching hints. Take notes and thank them sincerely.

Then go on doing what you've been doing.

If it IS a parent complaint, go ahead and ask to do a classroom observation to see how this teacher thinks you should be teaching. Perhaps try to do a compromise of your style and what the parents want.

If they are just jealous harpers, try to ignore it. But make sure there isn't something you could learn from the situation, first. I've seen teachers (foreign and Korean) here who think they're the shit and their classes are learning NOTHING.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Just ignore them rather than making a mountain out of a molehill.

You're teaching English. It's not rocket science.

[sarbonn]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[trish91198]

I've taught preschool and kindergarten for years, and humor is definitely on the top of the "teacher materials" list. I'm leaving for Korea next week, and I will most definitely be incorporating humor an silliness in my classroom. Just because the kids are having fun does not mean they're not learning at the same time!
Unfortunately, the Korean teachers learned in classrooms without humor. Therefore, it's all they know. You're doing something out of the ordinary to them, and from what I have read on this forum, Koreans aren't too keen on things different to what they know.
Keep up what you're doing. The kids are having a blast while learning and the parents seem to be thrilled with you. Ignore what other teachers say and just do your job the way you know works best!
Good Luck!

[John_ESL_White]

[yingwenlaoshi]

I'm not a garbage man, I'm a sanitation engineer. Can I buy you a drink?

[MikeGrey]

[Zulethe]

Koreans debating? Now that's an oxymoron and yes, you've just described the impossible.

I swear on my life I'd pay 100 k Won to watch one of these so called "debates" and bring my video camera just to laugh my ass off.


HA...seriously mate....HA!

[ThingsComeAround]

Humor is good in the classroom for all ages, not just kids.

My adults loved it when I crack a joke here and there.

I will use the psycho killer squirrels idea in my own class, if you don't mind ^^

Don't let other K-teachers get you down. Offer to take them to dinner, and when they decide to like you the complaints will go away