Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bcjinseoul]

Let�s start a thread of bad episodes some of us have had with Korean co-teachers at public schools, be it past or present. Isolated incidents as well as long drawn out drama.

As for me, I have had a rough November and December with my head co-teacher. Luckily I just started a 3 week vacation, which I desperately needed. Here are some key events, off the top of my head:

1) I did a lesson plan once for a week when there was only one day of actual class, and on a Friday. There wasn�t much to it, and I didn�t want the students to go head first into anything new, and got reprimanded for that.

2) I remember one time my head co-teacher told me in the middle of class not to talk to her in English; just the students , and call them by their names � even though most of them never wear there name tags, and the Korean teachers do roll call. What a stern command. My face got as red as a beat.

3) Anyone get corrected on teaching as much as say, taking a Cambridge CELTA course? Nothing is more stressful when they�re taking notes on our teaching as we�re actually teaching, and finding fault with the most asinine little things. How do they make lesson plans again? Oh, that�s right, they underline words from a book and lecture in Korean. Being told how to teach as you�re teaching = not fun. Kinda stressful. Yeah.

4) Gotta love it when they say something like, �I question why SMOE/EPIK/GEPIK even hired you.�

5) Anyone ever have to do a lot of paperwork, perhaps as an act of punishment? In November, I was told to make three separate folders for a teachers� class, and English teachers� and the regular class, with a sheet of paper over each and every backlogged lesson from the past up till now, explaining every little nook and cranny of each and every lesson step by step like some kind of CELTA/Trinity course. And btw, no one showed up for the English teachers� lessons, and usually almost no one showed up for the regular teachers� lessons.

6) I had to write out 150 questions based on 150 paragraphs on 150 different random topics in some Korean ESL book, and point out phrasal idioms. Paragraph by paragraph, I did so, only to be told it was �incoherent and lacked focus.� Perhaps it was the book that was incoherent and lacked focus�anyway, they ended up not being used by the illustrious head co-teacher.

7) When no one signed up for after school classes last fall, I was told �this might affect my contract.� Sorry I can�t bring forth extra pocket money for some of the staff.

8) I was told by head co-teacher that �I am so kind, so gentle to the girls, and so mean to the boys.� Okay, time to get another job, now you crossed a line�

Let�s hear some other vents and rants�

[expat2001]

4) Gotta love it when they say something like, �I question why SMOE/EPIK/GEPIK even hired you.�

What you shoud have said was " they hired me , cause you couldn't do the job ! "

[ytuque]

I was told by head co-teacher that �I am so kind, so gentle to the girls, and so mean to the boys.�

Is this teacher male or female? I get this frequently myself.

[Rory_Calhoun27]

My problems with my coteacher are legendary... slapping and breaking my glasses at the top of the list.... I tried to work in a compromise, but she'd have none of it....

and granted, the school was F-ed up from the start.... it'd have been nice to know it was SHRINKING by 2/3 half way through my year, or any other changes coming... I think they were hiring at that time mainly to get the money an English teacher gets for the school mainly to remodel the top floor for "lifelong education."

But hope endures.... I think I've learned my lessons to take on the system again... this time just suck it up, say YESS'UM like a good house cracker and move on. He who learns to just smile and walk away lives to fight another day.

[sulperman]

Jesus Christ, OP.....You just convinced me not to switch schools next year. Either I am the most amazing teacher in the world (not likely) or I am very lucky to have the coworkers I do (much more likely).

Enjoy your vacation! Sounds like you've earned it.

[whatever]

[Cerulean]

Maybe you had a dink in the position before you and they're taking it out on you? Happened to me.

Sorry you're stuck with crappy co-workers. It makes the adventure here so not fun.

[Seoulio]

[jiberish]

Well the korean girl I work with is great.

[nomad-ish]

my very first co-teacher here once b**ched out (what she thought to be) just another education board underling at some conference. turns out the girl was the assistant to the english education supervisor.

let's just say when the school tried to not pay me my severance, the girl at the school board helped me out immediately.

ps. my co-teacher this year is absolutely fantastic! there are good ones out there!

[Rory_Calhoun27]

there are! good coworkers anywhere are worth their weight in gold, or at last galbi.... I always treated my coworkers at the hagwon to lunch or dinner. once when the bill came for dinner we argued about it, then I did the "what's that?" and pointed to the door with a headbob, and swiped the bill.... I think they liked the theatrics....

and I tried to meet up with my CTFH (coteacher from Hell) for a meal or two to discuss things, as recommended by a Korean prof I had, but she'd have none of it. so much for trying to be the great compromiser.

[leopard7]

When I taught English in Japan from 1995-1997, I learned the same lesson I learned when i was in the army in Germany in the 1980s: Learn to be at least semi-fluent in the language of any given country. The Koreans are very conservative, as I've found, and they won't always tell you the "real" reason they're pissed at you is with such things as: you don't speak a lick of Korean; you refuse to take off your shoes in your school (I know 4 NETs that refuse to); you never eat with them in your PS cafeteria. My Korean wife is also a teacher, and told me all this, and also that Koreans will hate you f---ing guts if you won't eat any Korean food. And guess what? When I learned the fundamentals of the German language and culture, and the same in Japan and now Korea--I had very few problems with the natives. It's disrespectful not to at least learn to be semi-fluent in any language if you live there. Do you like it in your country when foreigners come up to you speaking Chinese, Spanish or French? Goes over like a lead ballon, doesn't it. I am not a master of the Korean language, but I am above intermediate level, and below total fluency, but the Koreans love it that I can speak to them--EVERY DAY, in their language enough for basic conversation. It is the same in any country. I knew German women that would turn their backs on other American G.I.s who spoke to them in English, and I had more than my share of German girlfriends for speaking half-way decent German (though I wasn't fluent). They despised Americans who came to their country speaking only English, as if we're king sh--s of the world. I get more vacation time, too than most of the other NETs I know in my area. Don't be arrogant--you're in Korea--at least make a decent attempt at learning basic Korean phrases and conversation. If you get treated like crap it's because you disrespected them most of the time. And if you're in the PS, EAT WITH THE KOREANS--don't wander off to McDonald's and hence tell them you think their food is crap. I don't like everything they serve, but most of it's pretty good. Koreans think it is arrogance if you won't eat with them--just like you would if a foreigner in your country did it.

[Big Mac]

Leopard7, I think it's arrogant that Koreans insist that their food is the best thing in the world and constantly try to shove it down your throat. Most of it is disgusting. They think nothing of telling you that your food is unhealthy and disgusting. Cultural understanding is a two-way street. I'm sick of it always being one-way here.

I played along with them for a few years, but I can only do that for so long. If their food was actually good, like Thai food or something, then I wouldn't have much of a problem with it. I don't feel bad about not eating with them in the cafeteria. If they have a problem with that, then too bad.

I think a lot of the reason I've gradually become more and more anti-Korean recently is because I so often feel like a tool for inflating their nationalistic egos. I'm done with helping them believe they are so great.

Glad I'm out of here in two weeks because this is clearly not the place for me anymore!

[Paladin Brewer]

[PaperTiger]

Did you hear about this great new website called "Dave's ESL Cafe" where you can read about the same tired old subjects year after year...each year some newbie introduces EVERY ONE OF THOSE subjects as if it were some dazzlingly insightful revelation (because the search function on this site works about as well as Korea's legal system)....bleah I can't even finish typing that one.






Do go on, absolutely scintillating stuff.