Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Suwon4AGT]

(Feel free to post your own)

1. I applaud those expats who still care and have found a way to make this ESL thing (or just being a teacher) work for them, but I don't hold anyone who stops caring or trying hard in contempt.

2. Teaching is hard enough, but to succeed in this line of work in the long run, you do have to have some lucky breaks along the way. Bad schools, bad students, and parents who basically pay someone else for fixing their kids are everywhere.

3. I do worry sometimes about whether I am more of a problem than a solution to the problems caused by globalization. But these little existentialist quandries that I have quickly get rubbed out by Korean busdrivers and that smell of rotting kimchi.

[Goku]

My expat thoughts of the day

1. This non-clown thing isn't working. I'm trying to teach my kids with real educational tools but they end up copying off each other on worksheets, not listening, or bumbling with some other crap like cutting up erasers. However, I'm sticking to my guns. They are trying to break me down to do games and candy again. Thank god I don't have any desire to be loved because I might have broken down.

2. If another kids says "Hey Baby" or "oh yeah" instead of a normal hello, I'm calling him out. For the last 8 months I've been ignoring it, but at this point I'm going to get confrontational. The kids shouldn't start what they can't finish. As a teacher I know I shouldn't, but as a human, it's taunting me and degrading to hear. I'll do what's in my limitations as a teacher.... and I'll tote that line as far as I can get.

3. On the positive side, we are experiencing beautiful weather and the sun is glorious. It's as if apollo is looking down on us and ushering in a new day of enlightment and glory to the mortals... I really gotta stop reading so much greek stuff when I have desk warming time.

[Suwon4AGT]

[retrogress]

my ESL thoughts for the day:

1 Hey. 6th grader. When I ask for a broom, I don't want a potted plant. You thought I said "floom"? What the hell is a floom? How can you NOT know where the broom is?

2. Hey, old flame. Making out with you in the video rooms of Jonggak back in 2002 was dreamish. I miss the way you made my chest flutter. I could have swallowed you whole. But I'm glad I walked away from you now that I know Koreans better.

3. Leaving in 2 months. Will I come back for more from the KESL profession? Sure, maybe. I refuse to be defeated, but lets give it a few years.

4. Kicked back in a cushiony chair listening to the grade 6 music class CD all afternoon beats most means of existence. Especially with this kind of weather. You would think there was no harm in this world.

5. A special thanks to the autistic students for being interested enough to talk to me like I'm a normal human while the normal kids are busy being Korean gawkers.

6. When are we having cheese doekbokee again for lunch?

[Burndog]

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

I too am sick and bloody tired with having to face being bombarded with the screaming of

oh yeah baby

are you clagee man?

hellohellohellohello

oh waegook seonsangnim hello!!! what's your name where are you from - oh yeah man!!!

by a chorus of anything from two to twenty kids

EVERY DAMNED MORNING when I haven't yet even had my coffee and just want some damned privacy until I get to myoffice and begin the proccess of waking up and getting ready to face the little buggers in class....

yes Goku it is degrading no matter how petty it might seem.

[Zantetsuken]

[fermentation]

If you really wanna hurt their feelings, laugh at them and make fun of their English. I've seen Koreans get pissed when they perceived that I was making fun of their English. Maybe they'll get hurt and not bother you again.

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

[kabrams]

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

Did you hear the joke about the autisitic person that got another autisitic person't thread removed because they couldn't handle the fact that they were not as smart as they thought...?

[MollyBloom]

1. f-you foreign hagwon teacher---> there's no way in hell my 2nd grader can write a thorough plot summary of Hamlet


2. after lunch. 12:45pm. 4th grade teacher on cool messenger. 3 pages of short essays from students: "Oh mollybloom teacher~~~ can you check the English for me? It's for the school newspaper.. due tomorrow^^"

1:30pm. Just finished aforementioned editing. 3rd grade teacher on cool messenger. 2 pages of short essays from students: "Oh mollybloom teacher~~~can you check the English for me? It's for the school newspaper..due tomorrow ^^"

2:00pm. Finished that one. Drank a gulp of water. Peed. 5rd grade teacher on cool messenger. 3 pages of short essays from students: "Oh mollybloom teacher~~~ can you check the English for me? It's for the school newspaper..due tomorrow ^^"


3. Today the Principal announced mollybloom teacher is leaving for good in September. All day little children with sad faces hugged me and bombarded me with origami creatures. They want to be pen-pals and already started compiling good bye letters to give to me in a special folder.

4. Just found out the deadline for registration (read:PAYMENT) for our school's summer English camp is tomorrow. Hm. Sly move, Principal.

[kabrams]

[Kurtz]

1. Why the special needs student who is now so drugged up to the point of being a giggling mess with glazed eyes (when not drugged up he just screams all the time and throws things) who can't even walk without being helped by his handler was presented to me for a speaking test.

2. I asked myself why the 2nd graders in my after school class can speak better English than most Korean adults I've met.

3. Where in the world can I get paid so much money to deskwarm and not once get asked to do anything yet get complimented for being such a diligent and good teacher.

4. Feeling sorry for the kids when asked "what time do you get home" with an answer of "8 o'clock" when asked why, "hagwon many!"

5. Will Armstrong mount a challenge for the TDF or will Contador be too strong?

6. What will the weather be like this weekend? as I feel the urge for a little trip.

[Burndog]