Korean Job Discussion Forums

Arthur Fonzerelli · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Suwon

I just taught a class that was very strange to say the least...It was almost surreal...

I come into teach this class for the 2nd time at my uni... I walk in to find that there are a brand new set of students than what I remember from the first class we had last week... Very strange... Then I realize that there is an OLD Korean man who is very dark in my class... He looks like a farmer who's tanned from being outside too long...He sits alone and doesn't say a freakin word the whole class. He's just staring at me...eye to eye lock...WHOLE FREAKIN CLASS.

I also realize a girl in the back who has the biggest roundest most expressive eyes I've ever seen and she is giving me the most menacing chaotic glare... It seems like she has a nervous twitch in her glare the could be read as vulnerabilty or maybe a physical disorder.. I can't seem to judge for my own good as of yet... I glare back to show that I notice her glare and to force her to retreat, but her eyes are locked on me and I end up looking away in intimidation...I'm wondering what's her problem? I believe in showing attention to your teacher, but the exaggeration in her glares was so obviously out of the ordinary acceptable limits of human social interaction.

Then there's the young guy who's glaring at me like he's some gangbanger and wants to beat me.. I try a different tactic with this starer and try to unarm him with a smile of acknowledgement... His eyes back off once he notices and he instantly becomes a "nice" student after that..

Then this really dirty girl with raggity filthy clothes walks in with her friend about 30 mins after class starts...They sit way in the opposite corner away from everyone.. During class she asks me weird questions that have nothing to do with the topics on hand... Her friend walks out in the middle of the lesson never to be seen again... After class, after everyone leaves, she (the filthily dressed girl) moves to sit right in front of me and starts reading a newspaper right in front of me... I am freaked..

The first girl that was glaring at me starts speaking to me in Japanese for some odd reason...which gets a rise from the class...I look into her eyes in order to read her intentions...Is she trying to embarrass me or intimidate me? Her big cynical eyes are comical at the same time because ummm, they are so damn huge...

The class eventually ends, but I realize that this was the most irregular, offbeat, off-kilter, off-balanced things that have happened to me in conformist Korea...

The surreal is alive in Korea. May I experience more of it....

The Fonz

Wishmaster · Joined: 06 Feb 2003

That is exactly why I don't teach at a University. I would rather deal with hagwon kiddies for 30 hours instead of teaching 15 at a university. Yeah, the vacation time is great but teaching classes such as that...no.

weened · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 9:33 pm Post subject:

Sorry, but that's not good enough. I am currently struggling with the Hogwan/Uni decision and your response is troubling to say the least. I was under the impression that almost all Uni jobs are better than Hagwon ones. I'll post a seperate thread to see if this stirs up some responses...
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denz · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 9:52 pm Post subject: yesh well

fonz,

are you sure it was the right lecture room?

denz

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

I HAVE AN EXPLANATION!

Once when I was a university student myself.. well.. I was a Freshman.. and i saw we had a substitute teacher.. but it was my class.. so I went in anyhow.. the students looked a little older.. the teacher instantly said 'can i help you?' and i said.. 'i'm okay, no problem, just a little late for class'..

anyhow.. i walked across along the blackboard, worked my way to the far corner of the room.. and made myself comfortable. About two minutes later i realized i was in the wrong classroom.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

Um, it's not sounding too good. Many universities allow students to move classes during the first few weeks of a semester here. Normally but not many will move if they like you. The other thing is where you dept you teach at. Uni! Students are graded, the tourism dept. gets the low level students. Now if you are at a low level Uni and have the tourism class then good luck.