Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poet13]

The original title was, "3 strikes and knock you the feck out".

The setting...

I walk into a high school class and to see the coteacher changing the students seating arrangements.
They originally were organized with people of each level at each table to facilitate spontaneous co-teaching, inclusive group work and to avoid clique problems.
We had 4 and 5 to a table made for 4. Now we have 7 at one table, 3 and 4 at two others, 5 at one more, and one table has 1 person.
He has two boys and a girl standing in front of him. Their English level is really low.

So the conversation goes something like this.

Me: "Hey XXX. What's going on?"
Him: "I'm changing the seats....but only a few."
Me: "Oh?"
Him: "Well, some of the kids wanted to sit in different seats."
Me: "I thought we here settled on a seating plan? We're continuing last weeks dialogue writing exercise and changing the groups might make it difficult for them."
Him: "Well, the other students don't want to sit with the retarded kids." (They're standing in front of him and I know at least one knows what he said.)
Me: "So the inmates run the hospital now?"
Him: "Well, they're pretty stupid and they just drag the others down." (This is where the original title came from.)
Me: "Ok, well, I hope they don't embarass your smart kids."
Him: "Naw, they won't. (He's serious) They're not going anywhere in life anywhere. They'll just be farmers and workers so English isn't important for them." (Soooo?)

Wow. Just wow.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

If your CT can actually speak English that well at least it's a start. I guess that's one advantage of not having your own English zone classroom. I always arrive before my CTs (the ones that come) so them doing something stupid before I get there isn't an issue.

[thegadfly]

As Sam Kinison said, "While I don't condone violence, I know what turns Mr. Hand into Mr. Fist!"

Good on you for not swinging, but I wouldn't have blamed ya a bit if ya had....

[poet13]

Naw, I would never hit a person for that....but having the feeling is different.
Some people should never be let in a classroom....regardless of their level of English.

[oldfatfarang]

Violence isn't the answer Never is. But drinking - yes, excessive drinking - and coming to work completely hungover - now that always fixes a classroom's little frustrations - or so it seems for my 'nightmare' male co-teacher.

[Luciddreamer]

What happens if you punish by hitting a student in a public school? Fired?

[oldfatfarang]

[creeper1]

[Smee]

Yes, I had one coteacher call the special needs children "stupid" and "foolish" in front of the class. An English teacher with practically no ability to understand, use, or teach English probably shouldn't be calling people stupid or foolish. To say nothing of insulting the children in the classroom when they're supposed to be in a supportive environment.

The seating chart for me was one illustration of the futility of trying any long-term planning. I wanted to make a chart so I could try and learn the names of my 1,500-plus students, so I had them pass it around and write their names. The next week, all the classes were reshuffled according to level. Then after making the chart again the coteachers just let students change seats every month.

[ardis]

That would make my blood boil to be in such a situation. It's really, really disappointing to see the kind of treatment that many mentally handicapped students receive in the Korean school system, and how the teachers don't even try to understand why they don't grasp certain things...just kind of think that they're dumb. Ugh.

[mack the knife]

You have no idea how far or deep this goes.

When I worked for GEPIK, I had often had problems with rambunctious children in my classes. I truly wanted every child to learn English, and I wanted to do my best for each (no child left behind, etc.). So one, the principal and I are talking at lunch, and I'm asking him why English classes aren't leveled in public schools, and he says "Just ignore the slow kids. They'll never amount to anything anyway."

That was the gung-ho principal of the school. But it really goes even deeper, to the heart of Korean society. As far as Koreans are concerned, you either have it, or you don't. That's the unofficial academic modus operandi here. Focus on the bright kids and let everyone else fend for themselves. It's a freedom-limiting, communistic approach to life. Koreans are pigeonholed from day one. Literally, day one. Their lives are, for the most part, predetermined.

[oldfatfarang]