Korean Job Discussion Forums

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

Hi everyone.

I like my school a lot. Let me just say that first. I work in a good hogwon. I know some of you may think that is an oxymoron.

The only thing I really don't like is that the age of our students seems to be younger than any of us ever expected because of the way they observe birthdays, lunar calendars... etc.

It was supposed to be students from ages 6 to 14. It's actually kids from 3 - 10.
How can you compare a 3 year old to a 6 year old? How is a 3 or 4 year old considered a 6 year old in Korea?
Today my co-worker had a child pee on her. Not sure how she feels but I wouldn't have taken this job 8 months ago had I known some of the kids would be barely past the toddler stage.

Any thoughts on this?

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

Snow,

I understand what your going through. The first year I was here I taught kinder and preschool and just about pulled my hair out. The k classes weren't too bad, but the preschoolers drove me mad.

There was one little girl that pee'd on herself two times. Both times I went and got a Korean teachers. I usually just looked at the Korean teacher with that, "I'm not going to do it" face. Once the actual owner came in and helped because she was the only other person that could.

I definately agree with you, I didn't sign on to clean up kids piss and poop.

Thankgod those days are behind me. I have a nice quiet desk job. While it may be a bit boring at times, I don't miss having to deal with the little kids.

Golden Lama · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:16 am Post subject:

I think this would make an interesting poll, no?

Have you ever been urinated and/or defecated on in class? Yes/No

My wife once had a kid explode in class - well, in the out-of-order bathroom attached to the class. She called her friend in to help out with the situation and they both cleaned up the mess with the exploder's own clothes. Luckily, she had a change of clothes.

Interestingly, the mother sent the child to school knowing that she had a bad belly and, hence, the extra clothes. You know, I've got a rule: Any child that might crap their drawers should stay home. Seems harsh, I know, but I'm a stickler.

Snow, this will all be a laughable story once you're finished this contract. If you're eight months in, start looking for an adults only/middle school student gig that's more to your liking.

One thing's for sure, when you're finished teaching kids you will miss them, but you'll be happy to miss them.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

I should have known better than to believe that the children start at age 6. I lived in China last year and they do the very same thing.

The point of this post was not that a child peed on a teacher but that little children at this age are most definitely NOT 6 YEAR OLDS. I've known some 6-year olds to have accidents too.
The program at my hogwon is extremely rigid and there is NO KOREAN. I think it's unreasonable to put little 3 and 4 year olds into an environment where they have to behave like 6 or 7 year olds and to make them terrified to speak their native language in their own country!
While this structure and enforced rule of "no Korean" is nice for the foreign teachers, I think it's too harsh for the really young kids.
The Korean parents clearly don't object... I've seen them slap their toddlers around and shout at them like adults.

You're so right... I will be VERY HAPPY to miss this. Only 109 days left and counting them down!

tomato · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 3:56 pm Post subject:

Some Korean directors don't seem to realize that different teachers are good for teaching different age groups.
My problem has been the opposite of yours:
I'm good for teaching little kids,
but I'm not macho enough for teaching older students.

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

I don't think I could have managed teaching the youngest level of kindergarden kids - especially when I first started teaching in Korea - if I didn't have a competent Korean co-teacher in the classroom with me - for translations, class-control, and taking them (without me...) to the rest room...

One time during an open-house presentation for parents, though, one of the four-year olds got too nervous during a song-and-dance routine, forgot his words, took a leak, and left with his mother (both crying...)

I've heard that in Japan mothers often bring their one-year old babies to hear classes - based on the theory that even the unborn child within the womb can learn (on some level...)

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

Thanks to all who contributed thoughts to this post!

Does anyone else out there think it's ridiculous to put 3 and 4 year olds in an English Immersion program and call them 6 year olds because they were born in the year of the pig (or whatever)?

They're babies. They belong at home with their parents!

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

jinju · Joined: 22 Jan 2006

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

tomato · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:19 am Post subject:

I won't call Snowkr's post "arrogant crap" or call Snowkr an "arrogant newbie,"
but I would like to testify from teaching exactly that age group.
Until recently, I taught a group of four 4-year-olds.
I had a blast.
I learned a whale of a lot, and I hope that they learned a whale of a lot.
I wish I still had that class.

As for whether they can take an English immersion program or not, I never found out.
My Korean teaching opponent--I mean assistant--make sure that it never became an English immersion program.

Now for Snowkr's allusion to "the Year of the Pig."
I understood that as an allusion to Chinese astrology,
but I'm not sure that Laogaiguk did.
Laogaiguk seemed to understand that as a reference to counting newborns and one-year-olds.
I wouldn't say that astrology and the comparable pseudosciences are "ridiculous," but I suspect that they are wrong.
I plead guilty, because at one time, I swallowed all the occult nonsense hook, line, and sinker.

Now for the statement that "they belong at home with their parents."
A Suzuki violin teacher might agree with the last part, but not the first part. Suzuki advocated teaching the mommies along with the children.
That way, the mommies and the children could enjoy a musical environment together.

I wish Suzuki's counterpart could appear in the ESL field.
If we could bring the children's mommies into the classroom and persuade them to change all the �̸� �͡�s into come-here's and all the ��'s into stop-it's, that would do a world of good.

I would be the last to criticize a teacher for not fully appreciating all age groups.
As for me, I'd rather have toddlers weeweeing in my lap than to endure an adult conversation class any day.