Korean Job Discussion Forums

[AsiaESLbound]

What's the deal? Students are mostly late, if not, they are too early and bugging me. Half of a class shows up on time or 10 minutes early and the other half trickles in causing many disruptions during the 1st 15 minutes of each class. Most of the time my after school classes are late or don't show up all while the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grader class are often 30 to 40 minutes early cutting into my lesson planning time. When I mentioned this to my co-teacher, she just giggled. Co-teachers are often 5 minutes late to do last minute Zeroxing as well, but do expect me to be on time. What would they, co-teachers and students, think if I started being late? I bet that wouldn't fly. I haven't been late yet so I didn't find out, but I bet it will lead to an argument if and when I'm late for some valid reason on one occasion. Everyone's late once in a blue moon, but being late most of the time is a recipe for failure at school and work.

Being late tells me you are not serious and have a lack of respect so you might as well go play and run along instead. This is why college professors are likely to give you a low grade or flunk you even if you are good study with the material. While I'm not grading anyone, I do find it an insult to be pressed with unrealistic expectations while getting a response of insincerity. Call it a double standard. How can they expect me to hold undefined high standards when their standards they set are actually very low despite the enormous amount of time devoted to schooling?

[oldfatfarang]

OP. You are right. Being 'late' (in Western culture) is considered rude and bad manners. Not so in Asian cultures (who don't have our sense of 'being on time'). Time is more 'flexible' in Asian cultures (I call it 'rubber band time').

All NET's encounter this problem to some extent. It takes me about 6 weeks to get the co-teachers and kids to appreciate that 'being on time' for class is not only good manners, but it is also mandatory. (I tell them that later in life, if they are 5 mins. late for a meeting with a Westerner, the Westerner will be gone.)

"Being on Time" is one of our English Class Rules (posted on classroom wall).

I have vocational classes that don't give a stuff about anything - English class included. They were always coming in late - after class started - and leaving the room when they felt like it. Now, the classroom door is locked 3 minutes after class starting time - and kids arriving late have to report to the co-teacher. Not my problem.

Good luck with Asian 'rubber band' time.

PS: 2 days after posting our rules I was 5 mins late for class (oops!).

[jonpurdy]

Go with the flow. I usually intentionally show up 1-2 minutes late to each class. By then most of the late kids have trickled in and I can get to teaching quickly.

[Triban]

Accept it and move on; just think of it as less time you actually have to teach, and you will eventually get over it.

[Aelric]

Yes, but I just stared being late with them. I don't leave the office without my Co-teacher in tow and that has made them show up sooner and now I don't have to try to get the kids under control alone when they are in wild monkey mode.

[Mr. BlackCat]

I have to agree with you OP, but it's a real cultural difference. With my adult classes we have a class on the subject. Koreans do not consider showing up 10 minutes after a meeting time to be 'late'. We talk about how late is too late in different contexts (social, familial, professional, etc.) and they will be adamant that it is never acceptable to be late. This after they stroll into class 15 minutes late, chat with their friends, go get coffee and finally sit down. When I tell them that in most Western countries being on time means being 5 minutes early they freak out. It usually comes back to the usual, "But Koreans are sooooooo BUSY!!!" Like no one else in the world has multiple commitments. I'm fine with it being a cultural difference (not that I have a choice), but I hate that line of rationalization. It's because I'm busy that I don't have time to sit around waiting for you. I know it might shock some people, but my time is just as valuable as yours.

Also, I should be clear that when I say 'Westerners' here I generally mean those from English speaking countries and Northern Europeans. Southern Europeans certainly have a different concept of 'on time' as well. At least they have good wine to drink while I sit around and wait.

[jvalmer]

[Manuel_the_Bandito]

Students no; coteachers either late or never come at all.

[T-Bone]

[Moonera]

Students drifting in for the first five minutes of class used to drive me crazy so I started using a timer in all of my classes. Now, I rarely have late students. My classes are 45 minutes so I just set a giant timer on the computer screen for 45 minutes and don't start it until the last student is seated. The timer also works really well for discipline. If the class gets out of hand, I just stop the timer and within seconds the classroom is silent. Students can't leave the classroom until the timer is finished. This strategy works the best in classes right before lunch because students HATE being late for lunch. My coteachers also caught on eventually and now they are on time too.

[Depths of My Soul]

[lukas]

Yep I know exactly what you mean OP. However, I've come to enjoy it. Because instead of being in the classroom where I'm supposed to teach before the bell rings, as I would back at home, I start my leisurely walk down the hallway when the bell rings. I usually walk into the classroom 2 or so minutes late, and no one says a word about it to me.

My suggestion to you is to do what Korean's do and enjoy the culture.

[Horangi Munshin]

The 10 minute thing.

I took my car to the factory service place for some repairs. My wife actually booked a time (8:40) After having to hurry up my wife and terrible traffic we arrived just under 10 minutes late. I was embarrassed but my wife thought it was fine.
When we got to the mechanic he couldn't find our stuff on the computer. They don't bother waiting for people. He berated us for being late so he assumed we weren't coming. My wife replied with we would have called to cancel if that was the case. The mechanic laughed and said Koreans don't call, they just don't show up! Funny stuff!

[mmstyle]

[Easter Clark]

I used to stay in the staff room until the bell rang, then leave when the other teachers left. IMHO, waiting in the classroom show weakness. The students should be waiting for you...well, they should be on time, but when in Rome...

Typical class beginning at the Tech HS where I used to work:

10:00 Bell rings

10:05 Walk into class

10:07 take the roll, chat with co-teacher

10:15 class captain call to order, start teaching

10:40 stop teaching and give the kids "self-study" time until 10:50

I tried to do it the "responsible" way--insist that everyone be on time, but when your coteacher is routinely late, that tells the kids that punctuality isn't important.