Korean Job Discussion Forums

[philipjames]

Today was graduation for grade six at my elementary school near Suwon. I looked at the graduation album that each student received, and at the front there were pictures of every teacher at the school - except me, the foreign teacher. Most of the teachers pictured don't even teach grade six students at all, yet their picture was included. I regularly teach grades 3-6 as their English teacher, yet my photo wasn't included.

I like my job and love my students, and get along with the Korean staff, so it's not as if there's an issue there. It's just one of those little reminders that they don't really consider us to be on the same level as themselves.

During my third week here I had organized a lunchtime soccer game with my students on the field outside. Fifteen minutes into the game a male Korean teacher, without even acknowledhing my presence, calls the students off the field, organizes them into another event, and leaves me standing in the middle of the field looking like a fool in front of my students. Now, what message does that send to my students? What does that say about his opinion of me as a co-equal, under whose authority the children were then organized into a sports event?

It's the little things like that which really piss me off. Can't decide whether to call them on the missed photo, and all that it implies.

P. Jameson

[philipjames]

I apologise for the repeat posting. My computer said there was an error posting so I tried again, receiving the 'error' message again. Go figure. Sorry.

[Tiny_Tibbo]

I know exactly how you feel.....we had our recital this week with 75% of it being english....and all the teachers were called on stage except me.....

lol...guess I should be paying more attention....sorry for the misplaced post...

[Homer]

That is just a bad move by the school.

However, perhaps it is not a question of them seeing you as inferior but rather of them seeing you as a temp?

[riley]

Working at my public school, I too have felt out of the loop. It's difficult to get them to understand. It can feel uncomfortable, whatever the reasons.

[mindmetoo]

That's kind of the nature of being the foreigner in a Korean school. I swear Koreans pass information via pheromones or something. They're like a bee colony.

[jacl]

You know, that really sucks. I'd feel bad about not having my pic there too. If we had a foreign teacher teaching us a language back home in one of my public schools, their picture would be in the year book.

What ticks me off even more is what you wrote about that other teacher calling the kids over in the middle of your activity. Something like that would enrage me and I'd go right over and tell him off and tell the kids to get back on the field to play some soccer. Any argument from him would result in me saying, "You go back inside the school and talk to the principal about it. You are a very rude man and I don't appreciate your behavior. Stop acting like a retard and get out of my face now you idiot" in a loud voice.

Well, maybe. That just makes me angry.

[ajgeddes]

In the yearbook at my school, they spelt my name wrong. At my friends school, they spelt his name wrong. At my other friends school, they put him in with the janitorial staff (And, he's been at that school for 2 years). Sounds like they can't get the yearbooks right.

[jacl]

[Lemonade]

philipjames, you have a right to your feelings. About the picture thing, don't sweat it. My school had me inteviewed and took my picture but I really didn't appreciate it at all. I wasn't asked. I was just told and the director told me the interviewer spoke/understood English. When I arrived for the interview, I had to wait about twenty minutes. Once the interview started, he had to translate because the reporter spoke almost no English. The director answered his cell phone about five times and kept talking loudly. Talk about distracting. Then he left the room for ten minutes. We stood there staring at one another. Then the director comes back in and asks, "ok, is all finished?" When it came time for pictures, we were put in poses and I kept saying, "tell us when you are shooting and just say, "cheese." They never said "cheese." The Korean teacher even tried to get them to say, "cheese." I guess they didn't get me smiling much in the pictures

About the soccer game. Hmm, I don't play such games so it's hard for me to relate. However, next time they expect you to play such a game with the students then you have a good excuse why you won't or shouldn't be expected to do this activity. I would say, "I am never going to play this game again with the students because of what happened last time." Then explain what happened. If they don't assure you that you will not experience the same thing, still stand your ground and just say, "no" even when part of you wants to say yes. This is negotiating for your dignity and respect. When people don't show me dignity and respect there will be a consequence as a result and I will win one way or another.... in the end.

[weatherman]

[J.B. Clamence]

[SuperFly]

You're important, you do count. They're closed minded and xenophobic not to include you in that yearbook album or just stupid. Question, how long before that thing came out did they take the pics and organize it? Hope it wasn't before you got there. Screw the guy who took your soccer game away, I wouldn't have confronted him on the spot, just filed the incident away for later. Invite him out for a drink, throw a little iocane powder in there, watch him die while I snort and smile.

[Real Reality]

[Yu_Bum_suk]