Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Robot_Teacher]

My after school elementary students showed up 10 minutes early and bombarded me with all these questions like, "Do you like grapes, do you like oranges, do like gimchee? etc." One tries to forcefully frisk my pockets and says, gimme gum! Nope, no gum in there. Movie! Candy! Another make gun gesture and goes, bang bang, I gots a gun. And then one 5th grader gets right in my face and says, "teachuh, do you like *beep* you?" holding his middle up his finger in my face and then runs off to hide behind a bookcase. No, I don't like *beep* you and I will never hear you tell me that again. I couldn't contain myself from giggling at that point. But I quickly stop realizing they have serious emotional issues and deficiencies going on and I must do the right thing instead of letting it slide.

I then tell him to go upstairs to explain to his Korean teacher why I'm kicking him out of the class. He felt ashamed of himself and went pronto, but was probably thinking he's getting an easy way out by answering to her instead of me. The others climb up on tables, book shelves, and jump around going nutz and insubordinate as can be. She came back downstairs with her little angle boy, but no punishment nor apologies. She speaks near fluent English, lived in the states for a year, and is from Seoul so she's easy to talk to and knows a lot and acknowledged understanding the F you and insubordinate behavior.

She tells me I must control these students by myself. I tell her some ground rules must be set right now regarding behavior as Korean students don't respect foreigners, becuase we're not regarded as authoritative superiors like yourself, but simply are seen as a funny sideshow visitor for fun. She agrees. I told her next time anything like this happens, the student will be kicked out of the class and before he can return, he must explain to his mother, and then he must apologize. She can't answer nor agree as she knows she can't or won't support this. This first time I didn't even get an apology, but she explains to me there are problems at home and outside of school I don't understand nor need to know about. OK then, but I will expel any gross behaved out of control insubordinate students in the future nor will I put up with any crap. Yes, crap. She thanks me in a sincere way for understanding. Probably because I didn't lose my cool or show emotion at any time, but just communicated.

Then said cussing kid with 4 of his classmates were sitting in the back of the bus we rode home on. They didn't act bad or anything and never have outside the school, at the bus stop, and on the bus. It was just me sitting in the middle and them in the rear seat. They said something among themselves that really pissed off the bus driver. He yelled at them kids, stopped 3 times in the middle of the countryside and pointed at the door, becuase they were back talking him on him correcting their talking bad in Korean. I wondered what they were saying to make the bus driver that upset, yelling, and threatening to kick them off the bus 5 miles from town. I looked at the kids and said, "Talking bad? Act right and they're won't be any problems." Bus driver motions that he agrees since he knows they're my students. This is the country where everyone knows everyone's business. When we got to town and the door opened at the 1st stop, they ran like hell off that bus and down the street like a herd of terrified cattle.

Quite funny, but I can't teach or anything if it's a circus. I noticed they don't get to play much, but are really no different than American kids; just an Asian country.

[kiknkorea]

[T-J]

[harlowethrombey]

When I was living in Japan one of my little kids (like 4 years old) came into class one day wearing a t-shirt that had a teddy bear on it and in big, bold, green letters, just F$CK (uh, with no $ sign).

First I started laughing. Then I took him to the teacher's office. So the other gaijin could see it, too.

Then I went out and found a similar T-shirt for my girlfriend.


I know it's real offensive to us, but he was doing it precisely to get a rise out of you, just like kids do back home. Curse words are even more meaningless overseas.

At first I was taken aback when some of my high school students would write 'sh$t' on some of their essays/creative writing. I told them it wasnt polite English, I thought about telling the whole class that it was unacceptable. Then I thought 'Really, why do I care?' and the problem solved itself.

[robot]

I'm so glad I'm sheltered from these experiences; I spent my breaktime discussing gothic lit with a middle schooler I found reading the full English version of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

I guess that's one of the advantages of hagwons over public schools...

[lifeinkorea]

One thing you can do is stop the interaction before class. When you interact before class, it invites all kinds of stuff.

What I do is simply ignore them until class starts. If someone tries to talk to me in a genuine manner, I will hand them over a Korean to English dictionary when I can't understand their Korean.

The other option is to go to another room. Don't be a part of the circus, and you won't be a member.

There is a term "testing ones buttons". This is where you try to see where the limits are. In a sense, I agree. If a student understands authority, they will "test buttons". However, to some kids, there are no buttons. They are simply being kids. We, as adults, see them as buttons because we are trying to impose authority. We are trying to tell kids how to play.

So, rule:

1. Use your playground voice outside, indoor voice indoors.
2. I don't interact with you until class starts.

I get students coming 30-45 minutes before my first afternoon class, and have found success in the classroom by simply not interacting with them until class starts. If you do, they will think of you as more of a play buddy than teacher.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I can't think of any advice to offer, but thanks for making this about 1,000th day I've logged onto Dave's to read about shit that just doesn't happen at my school.

[BreakfastInBed]

I occasionally get kids experimenting with the "f" word around me. In my experience it remains interesting to them only to the extent that it agitates me. I don't take offense when I hear students using the word, it means nothing to them, but I do feel a responsibility to impress upon them the gravity and danger of flippant and ignorant use of profanity.

What I like to do is calmly take them aside and in no uncertain terms explain via visual demonstration what will likely happen to them should they use such language to an English speaking stranger either here or abroad. A few quick strikes of fist into palm at approximately head height (not close enough to cause flinching but with violence sufficient to open the student's eyes) usually does the trick.

[dmbfan]

[bobbybigfoot]

dmdfan, you are bang on. Simply put, when the Korean teacher cares, the kids learn more. When they don't care, it's a crap shoot.

I have about 20 different Korean co-teachers. About half don't care what goes on in my class, about 40% care somewhat but will only act when prompted by me. And 10% really care and are proactive.

It's amazing the difference between a class that has a proactive caring K-teacher and one that has an indifferent K-teacher. Not only is the former far easier to teach, but the kids have superior English skills.

I'd say 75% (maybe more) of the learning is a direct result of the actions taken by the K-teacher. If the environment is not right, there is little we can do to change it.

And in my experience, K-teachers, as a whole, don't care enough.

[tenchu77491]

One of my favorite avalon moments went as follows:

Student: "Teacher, what does nigger mean?"

Me: "It means detention."

Other notable moments,

Student: "Teacher do you have a girlfriend?"

Me: "Yes, I have many!"

Student: "Teacher playboy!"

Really you got to have some fun since you will be asked these same questions by the same students every other day.

Oh, if you get sick of kids asking this,

Student: "Teacher, what time is it?"

Me: "5 o'clock"

Student: " What! No! It's 11pm!"

Me: "... ... ..."

[Robot_Teacher]

Bobbybigfoot is dead on. I noticed in my classes where the teachers care, the students learn, do well, and act great. Those classes are enjoyable. Thankfully, that's how nearly all my classes. Most of us do need professional support to really teach or else it's just a fun and games show to avoid bad behaviors and to promote happiness.

Since the afterschool class doesn't have curriculum nor co-teacher and I was told I can do whatever I want, I'm going to try to make it fun and easy rather than trying to teach. Originally I wanted to augment their other subjects such as math, science, and art as mini subjects to correlate English with their regular subjects, but they're not willing or focused to cooperate. At 3PM, students are tired, ansty to get out of school, and want to go play and relax. They rebelled against it being a class class. It's going to be recreational English. This means movies, childrens videos, and even a ball game in warm weather. I'd love to take them on mini field trips locally, but that would require a Korean teacher present to ensure adequate communication for organization and safety.

I'm not having serious problems in regular schedule classes which are all before lunch each day though I'm still finding my way.

[kiknkorea]

[Demonicat]

I've heard the f'bomb dropped many times, my general reaction is that over the age of 14 I correct their pronunciation and tell them to ease off of it in class as its a pretty harsh word. The one time that through me for a loop was when two 15 year old female students came to me to tell me that they were lesbians. I did NOT know how to respond, other than "uh...ok, cool, now get out your study book."

[WendyRose]