Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Corporal]

Do you trust your Korean co-workers? Do you feel that you have to be slightly circumspect in the things you say to them? If for instance you complain about goings-on in the school, do you have to worry they will turn right around and go to the director?

I like my co-workers for the most part. However, I don't really trust them. And I only share superficial things with them. Sometimes this makes me feel a little guilty because I am a generally very straightforward and direct person.

[Draven]

[paperbag princess]

don't talk about personal things with workmates, it makes life easier.

[NearlyKorean]

[crazylemongirl]

my work enviroment the adjumas seem to always be giving me stuff... the younger teachers that speak some english are cool but can be shy. Mr copy boy who lives downstairs is my eye candy. I love my co-workers

[ryleeys]

The teachers at my school hate my director so much, that I have been freely voicing my unhappiness for several months now without the information going around. Even if it does though, I don't care. With any luck, I'll get fired.

[oneiros]

M co-worker is generally great, and we get along fine. Do I trust my co-worker? Absolutely not. Back in my early days, something I mentioned in private went straight to the director and caused a big argument.

Now it's an uncomfortable situation, because my co-worker is starting to see the light of how bad the director is treating everyone, and wants someone to discuss problems with. I won't do it, because of the previous incidents.

I will admit that in the past, I used the knowledge of the office spy to get what I wanted from my director, though (ie. getting my diploma back.)

[paperbag princess]

at my last hogwan the korean coworkers would specifically come to the foreign staff and start conversations with us to incite b.s with the director. i think he told them to do it. they also would lie about us behind our backs to the director to get ahead. i found it pretty interesting b/c if anyone ever acted that way in canada, i'd prolly have it out with them, but they didn't even think they were doing anything wrong. it was so weird.

oh yeah, they were also babies. one time of the korean teachers came out where were smoking and then complained that we blew smoke in her face (which we did not), then she cried to the director about it and we got in trouble. i figure if you come outside, during my breaktime when i'm smoking, you should deal with it, not cry.

ok, so the long and the short of it, do i trust korean colleagues. no way.

at my new school i like my korean colleagues, but i'll never trust them. i can't afford to be screwed over again.

[just because]

I don't trust them but then again there was always a tattle tail back in my workplaces in Australia dobbing you in to the boss.

In my opinion same crap different smell, just in a different language.

[oneiros]

[matthewwoodford]

Don't trust them an inch. Spies, every one of them! Generally I don't say anything to co-workers that I don't want everyone in the hagwon to know, and that goes for western co-workers until I've got to know them.

[girlinseoul]

At my school, we have one korean co-worker who just happens to be the head teacher. as head teacher, she should be helping the teachers, but she just ends up acting like the boss and ordering us around. talk about a power trip! the native teachers are pretty much fed up with her, and we're hoping she quits soon enough. can you believe that she cries at the drop of a hat in front of the teachers? how unprofessional can you get?

[edoras]

[ryleeys]

It sounds like I'm the only one here that completely trusts my coworkers (the younger ones anyway). My director spends every waking minute just bending them over the barrel and having her way with them. Meanwhile, I go way out of my way to be nice to them.

For example:

We lost a teacher lately, so the director has the Korean English teacher cleaning nearly the entire hagwon by herself. So every day I chip in and do half the extra cleaning with her. Another teacher is filling in all the classes (she's up to 60 hours a week now)... I offered to teach her extra classes one day a week so she could take a break. She was extremely grateful. And get this, the director said no way. Come on! This poor girl doesn't even speak English and is teaching English classes... and here I am the native speaker, offering to pick up 3 middle school classes a week for no extra pay just to give the girl a break... I've told both of these teachers that if they want to make demands or threaten to quit, I would support them and quit if they did. And they said the feeling is mutual. The teachers that have quit in the past on the spur of the moment, I've aided in finding new jobs... I'll even order pizzas for the teachers (and even the students) when they're at school until 10 or 11pm.

A little kindness from you will go a long way to putting the teachers on your side against the director (sometimes anyway).

[rapier]

There is one way to keep the Korean teachers firmly on your side: flirt with them.