Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crazylemongirl]

So today I get dragged from one of my classes because the principal wants to see me.

Your students are not excited about learning english. Only 10 students signed up for extra after school classes. You need to change your teaching methods.

Last year he was complaining that my students in my summer camp looked too relaxed and they needed to study harder

[Mashimaro]

This is the kind of crap which makes me reluctant to go back to teaching in korea. You can be doing a great job and their will always be things come up that they complain about. it is a freaking joke,

[hellofaniceguy]

[Billy Pilgrim]

At my college, we get similar complaints from the boss, though he doesn't seem to realise that a lot of the better students crave the chance to study without a text book, and have the teacher prepare classes specially designed for them.

Of course, to enrol in our after school classes, they have to purchase a textbook and we are expressly forbidden to teach anything else.

Our boss gets what he deserves.

[Derrek]

Perhaps this is your boss telling you that he's angry it's not warm enough for you to wear a spagetti-strap top.

I have been worried about my teaching this past week. I've been sick, and when I get sick, I get snippy and moody, and my lessons start to suck. I should be fine by next week, though. Also, sometimes my lessons rely on internet material, and the net hasn't been working well in my room this week. That made me angry more than once. Normally I'd download and save that stuff beforehand, but the stuff I wanted was sort of locked from being able to do that easily.

[crazylemongirl]

Truth be told my principal is a bit of a pain. He has the nick name 'the king and I' because he has a habit of strutting around the school issuing orders on high to everyone.

Everyone else in my school rocks, and we get along fine. My vice principal wants me to stay at my school forever. And I get along well with the english teachers.

He's just your typical middle aged male.

[JacktheCat]

[fidel]

A teacher at my school has the dubious nickname of 'sea of blood' because of the way he likes to slap the students around and beat them with sticks!

[rapier]

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

The major problem with Korean education is that they think foreigners are the magic pill of English and anyone who encounters foreingers teaching English will be on the fun rollercoaster of English, and are actually suprised when teaching sometimes mean hard, boring, REAL work(not saying your classes are boring ) ...just like with their korean teachers. They have unrealistic expectations of foreigners teaching English and think that your white face will permeate expert, fun English into their heads like osmosis and make them fluent in conversation. I'm being cynical of course but I'm getting sick of Monkey got to make Englishee fun and Student got to love Englishee and not complain about the hard work too, but student must be fluent in English in two weeks.
Just do your best...you're doing fine. He's just a crusty turd

[Cherry Ripe]

What's the principal's motivation for you to have lots of kids in the extra classes? I assume he's charging them for the classes.

[Grotto]

One major problem I have with Koreans is that they also dont take into account that we teach the same thing for 4 or 5 classes in a row.

It hard for myself to maintain a high level of enthusiasm when you teach "Hi i'm xxxxxxxxxxx and Hello my name is xxxxxxxxxxx" After the second class I find myself getting bored. Which actually works out in the students favor as I find myself adding in extra things and trying to make it more interesting. By the end of the day though I am pretty much drained.

Korean teacher, math, Korean, history, social, PE, art, music and whatever else.

Foriegn teacher, English, English, English, English, English and more English.

[matthews_world]

Relationships with the staff and the students are two totally different things. As teachers, our first jobs are to teach students.

CLG, your principal in some ways may be right. It may be that your students are scared of you or are not learning to their potential.

Just curious if you having those I hate Korea type days recently. It may be that you need to, for the lack of a better term, tweek your lessons a bit to make them more fun for the students.

Have you had any ESL training lately or gone through a certification course in the past? Start by acquiring and introducing some new fresh lessons and perspectives in your teaching. That may help.

[Len8]

Couldn't you be blunt with him and tell him " Look I'm doing my best. If you don't like it, then go stick it" or better still ask him if it's a money issue. If he says it is then tell him to paye you more then maybe you will try harder. Last bit can be done as a last resort

It's not as though your on tenure. Your comtract is renewed every year, and there are other schools out there that need foreigeners. They need you, and they know you can find employment elsewhere. Just let him have it.

[Koreabound2004]

At my public school they do charge kids for the conservation classes with the foreigner...I did not know this initially...but later I casually asked one of the students if they had to pay extra for my class. They told me they paid 90,000 won per semester with me...which I guess isn't a whole lot of cash for them, but the school certainly benefits, and I didn't get paid any extra for them.

Could be why they want upped numbers at your place....My first semester here 50 kids enrolled in my classes...now only 25...I think it's more to do with the fact that the novelty has worn off. I am still teaching the same way I did last year.