Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Old fat expat]

Apparently it is known as dung-chim. Students place their hands together and shove their two index fingers up your arse.

What the��.?

This is bizarre beyond belief to me. I have let it be known to my Director that this is not acceptable in any way. His explanation is that we are foreigners and children don��t know to respect us. ��They think you are their friend.�� Hhhh?
��Do they do it to you?�� I ask.
��Well no, but they know better�� the reply.
��Do they do it to the Korean teachers?��
��No, that would not be appropriate��
��Do they do it to their grandfather, uncle, aunt?��
��I am very sorry, but they are just children��

Have they never been taught how inappropriate it is to shove fingers up people��s arses? How is it that Korean children think waygook are fair game for such an assault? Who taught them, and why do you not teach them otherwise? . Efin Koreans.

This is the second time I have had this discussion with the Director (twice in 5 months). It also happens regularly to the other waygook (he has told me about once a week and does not understand my objection) but he is an English monkey and thinks it is part of the environment. Is it? I have asked the Korean teachers and it never happens to them.

I do not have to stay at this hogwon. I have F-2 visa status. I want to leave but don��t want to over react. But generally everything else about the place is mediocre to say the least.

Any thoughts out there?

[Hater Depot]

If they won't instruct the kids not to do it, and punish them if they do anyway, then I would leave. The other foreign teacher is being an idiot.

[sheba]

Tell the students that if they do it again, you will send them to your boss/supervisor. Works like a charm for me whenever my students are naughty! Yell at them and get angry.... if you do nothing they will continue to think it is ok. You only have to punish one kid and the rest will catch on quickly. I dont let the kids do the fingers in my classes, if they do then they have to stand outside the class for 5 mins.... thats freaky for them because if my supervisor sees them then they really get in trouble!

[Reflections]

The reply by your director is indicative of the caveman mentality prevalent among most Korean males over the age of 30. I think the ddong chim or whatever its called, is the biggest crisis facing Korean society - more over, the fact that they turn a blind eye to it, or think that its funny. Twilight zone.

I was just hopeful that at the recent mayors conference to celebrate the opening of Changhchyeon stream, that a passing child tried to stick it up a Euro mayor, now that would have been a sight.

I can just imagine the Seoul mayor applying the same mentality and passing the buck on that one>

[JacktheCat]

Haha ... ah, sorry. You have encountered the infamous ddongchim.

Learn the set phrase ddongchim hajima!, and say it with force and a death stare, letting the students know in no uncertain terms that that behavior is unacceptable.

Yes, your director is been a shit, but it is your classroom and ultimately class discipline is your problem.

[VanIslander]

My students would never dare.

You gotta learn how to wield the stick without hitting, use the carrot without giving and expect respect while nurturing relationships.

My students appear to love me and fear me.

Take control. Let them know there are limits.

Tell the director to do something? That undermines whatever authority you have built up with your students. Listen to the advice of JacktheCat. It's YOUR classroom and you are king. Let it be known clearly and strongly that it is not acceptable.

[the_beaver]

Where I come we call that the shocker.

Of course, it's done in the throes of intercourse, but maybe she's just practicing for when she grows up.

[some waygug-in]

I haven't tried this myself as I haven't had that problem for a while.

But one guy told me that the best way to deal with it is:

when a kid does it to you next........grab him/her, gently but firmly,
bend her over a desk and invite the whole class to ddong chim the student.

It makes them think twice about trying it again.

[JongnoGuru]

I think if the children see ddong-chimming foreign teachers (though not Korean adults) as okay, and if the directors and administrators aren't rushing to the foreign teachers' defence, and if (I'm guessing) the parents aren't going to take action, then I'd say this is just one of those things that comes with the territory along with squat toilets and the mogi-spray trucks. I suppose if the teacher is feeling sore after a year of playing the ddong-chimmee, then they ought to raise the issue in next year's contract negotiations. Might be worth a few mahn-won to some shrewd negotiator out there!

Oh, and if medical attention is ever required as a result of excessive ddong-chimming, I don't know about the rest of you, but I think the school ought to pay at least half of the doctor's bills.

[Grotto]

Vanislander has it right.

Take control teach them what is or isnt appropriate.

[joe_doufu]

Only one thing undermines your authority more than you running to the boss. That's when you run to the boss, and the boss pardons the child instead of upholding your protest. Don't involve the boss, just work it out with the kids, no witnesses, doors closed.

I've never been dongchimmed (perhaps due to the small and decreasing enrollment at my failing hagwon) but my most effective punishment for most offenses is removal from the room. I also find writing an "X" on the child's clothing with colored chalk is highly offensive to them and thus a valid weapon to use if you don't want to go so far as to kick them out. Also sometimes I snatch their pencils and break them in front of them.

[FUBAR]

Next time, grab that kid, bend them over and let all the other kids super-ddong chim that student. Problem solved and it will never happen to you again.

One highschool girl pretended she was going to do that to me and I told her the penalty (as stated above) for her actions. Needless to say... nothing of that sort will ever happen to me at that school.

[Red]

[Qinella]

Someone got me on my first day of work and I was completely freaked out. Like, I thought it was an accident or something. The next time someone tried it, I caught his write mid-air and flipped my lid in front of all the giggling students. They haven't tried it since.

Now when I'm out in public, I tend to be on guard around little kids because they will either try to ddong-chim me or hit me in the crotch. As soon as I see that mischevious visage take over, I let it be firmly known that if they do it, they will die. "Hamyeon jukeo" and a serious look works wonders.

Just say no to ddong chim!

Q~

[Cheonmunka]

I quite like it because it loosens up my piles.