Korean Job Discussion Forums

Dodge7 · Joined: 21 Oct 2011

The Korean MOE should conduct a news conference and tell the citizens of Korea that they are going back to corporal punishment and to the way things used to be 20 years ago. Any backlash towards the new (old) protocol will be met with severity and swift punishment. No exceptions. And end the conference saying if they do not like the new laws they are free to move to another country. Period.

I would have a newfound respect for this country if they only had the backbone to do this.

The moral fabric is breaking down, and just like in America, it always starts within the schools.

Charlie Bourque · Joined: 27 Jun 2010

Mix1 · Joined: 08 May 2007

Smithington · Joined: 14 Dec 2011

I agree. They should not have copied this aspect of Western culture. Bring back corporal punishment.

Waygeek · Joined: 27 Feb 2013

I agree, there are some real punk kids here that desperately need saving; I've tried for 11 months to do it diplomatically, but there are a handful to really need the back of the hand haha!

nero · Joined: 11 Mar 2009

They don't need to bring back corporal punishment -- they need to train Korean teachers how to effectively manage their classes.

You can't take away the only form of discipline these teachers have ever known expect things to run smoothly.

The other problem is (as previous posters have mentioned) that parents have far too much control over the teachers and the schools. In my day parents would usually side with the teacher. Now it seems little Minju can do no wrong. Korean children are distastefully coddled.

The Cosmic Hum · Joined: 09 May 2003 Location: Sonic Space

TheUrbanMyth · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired

rococobean · Joined: 08 May 2013 Location: South Korea

nicwr2002 · Joined: 17 Aug 2011

I see kids doing things to their parents here that I would have been knocked out for when I was growing up. I really can't believe the lack of punishment and appeasement I see parents giving their children here and in America.

Gnawbert · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Location: The Internet

drydell · Joined: 01 Oct 2009

Totally disagree with all the pro-corporal punishment types on here - classic sign of someone who has failed as a teacher at in-class behavioral management... and anyway - the culture of respect is being broken down from many angles - can't ban the internet, games, movies etc..(stable door - horse bolted etc)

I've taught in some extreme behavioral units (all the kids too bad for school). Trust me - the worst behaved kids were already getting a lot of 'corporal punishment' at home... you'd have to beat them senseless before they'd respond to any physical punishment.

I'm not saying i'm the best at behavior management but I followed classes as a TA over 10 years ago with a totally anarchic class with an ineffective teacher to total compliance and good behavior as the same class with another teacher - and no hitting was ever necessary - just good techniques/strategies..

As an aside - anyone watching the Korean news a lot recently will have seen the nursery scandal in Busan - the staff were caught on CCTV hitting the toddlers there - to the extent that some had bruises all over their bodies and had to have hospital treatment and of course it was lied about how it happened and they all tried to cover it up - turns out they were all having a go - cruel, lazy and pathetic - that's what you get with 'teachers' who resort to 'corporal punishment' as a matter of course. (incidentally my son was about 3rd on the waiting list for that particular place - how would you feel about that one Dodge7? your daughter will be in one of those nurseries in bit yeah? she starts coming home with bruises all over her and that's ok?)

Anyway as a result of that expos�- your little throwback fantasy to a golden era of CP is thankfully not going to happen in Korea- and all the kids have camera phones now too anyway...

What I think does need to happen is focused training on behavior management for all teachers - maybe even more so for those who have always relied on CP... it doesn't come easy having great class control skills..

And if your classes are out of control - man up- and admit you have failed - research and try different techniques.. if other teachers can do so can you..

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I agree that there are better ways to control behavior than corporal punishment, but you are living in dreamland if you think you will be able

to train Korean teachers overnight.

It will take a generation perhaps before the education system realizes they

need to start training teachers in effective classroom management,

meanwhile the present generation runs wild.

Until they actually have teachers who have learned some alternative

methods, they are better off staying with CP.

It's not corporal punishment that is/was the problem, it was the abuse of
it.

EZE · Joined: 05 May 2012

My students are pretty good during class. However, one aspect of behavior that has gotten much, much worse compared to previous years is boys grabbing private areas of teachers in the hallway, before class, in the break room, etc. Thank god I'm able to lock the restroom door.

It was only dong chims (as if that isn't bad enough by itself) when I taught in 2006-2007. But at my current school, it's a common and frightening occurance for boys to grab even the reproductive organs.

A few months ago, I was sore after one boy grabbed me and went, "Gojah! Shing!" pretending to cut off my weiner. That same day, another boy had a creepy grin on his face and then suddenly grabbed me roughly in the hallway. These boys are 13-14, seemingly old enough to know better, but I had testicular soreness all weekend. The grabbing has been an ongoing problem throughout my contract with various boys grabbing or trying to grab, but that day was the first time the pain lasted for more than one day.

I was nervous about getting a vasectomy, because I was worried they would grab me and tear the stitches. It's pretty bad when the primary concern of surgery has to do with students grabbing the area, especially that area, as opposed to normal concerns relating to surgery. I went ahead and had surgery on February 28th and was extremely paranoid for weeks, not allowing any students within arm's reach. I had complications during the first two weeks following surgery, but was fully healed within a month. After finally feeling 100% better, I gradually let my guard down and a boy who hadn't previously grabbed me did grab me. The grab reaggravated the area, causing moderate pain and minor swelling that took a week to go away. I waited it out and it went away on its own, but for a few days I was wondering if I would have to go to the hospital. Even just yesterday, another boy pretended like he was going to grab or maybe even hit the area, but was just joking and didn't. I jumped back and man was that ever scary.

My boss is a single female and can't relate and the parents obviously think the behavior is okay. Nobody can understand the problem from my perspective. I'm on my own in trying to deal with this issue. I have taken time out of class to teach the kids how it's unacceptable behavior. Some of the girls say, "But I don't grab there!" I tell them, "Yes, I know you don't and I really appreciate your good behavior and good manners, but there are some boys who do grab there." And a lot of the boys who don't grab (80% or so) scold the boys who do (the other 20%) with very caustic, homophobic remarks. The boy who wears hairbows and nail polish never grabs, and I just tell them I don't care who is or isn't gay, I just don't want to be grabbed, and nobody should be grabbing anyone there for any reason at school.

There are only 95 days left on my contract, so I'm just trying to finish it and make it home without further injury in that part of the body.