Korean Job Discussion Forums

[butter808fly]

Today I just felt fed up with my students! I think I can be decent at my discipline. My teaching is pretty good... but Korean students seem to not respect waegook teachers, or am I wrong?

They (except the few) don't bow when they see me - they wave and say 'hi teacher!!' Now this I can justify because I am a foreigner with different customs... but I am still their elder and their teacher. They should know better.

They almost never receive their papers, or give them, with the two hand rule of respect here in Korea. They will ALWAYS do this with my co-teachers.

No matter if I have a discipline system in place, they can be unruly until the magical Korean teacher walks into the classroom. I can have the EXACT same method but winning their respect is near impossible.

My favorite class today just totally made me mad because they still show little respect for me even after weeks togther. Maybe its just me, but I wonder if others have the same lack of respect from their students.

EDIT: oh yes, and not sayin 'yo' at the end of a statement.

[Demophobe]

My goodness...what a large subject. There is so much to say on a topic like this, but I don't really want to break that ice. Getting respect from Korean children isn't easy.

However, simply, yes, my kids respect me, as I do them. They treat me like a Korean teacher.

[ella]

I'm leaving for Korea in a few weeks. So far I only know the above, not answering with -yo, and the dreaded dongchim thing. I'd love to hear more about what students do or don't do signs of respect.

[butter808fly]

demophobe - a hater of people (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/demophobe)

Interesting user name.

Yeah, there is a lot to say about the subject, thank God I wont have to talk about it again in counting..... 7...6...5..4..3..2...1... zero weeks.

[Ya-ta Boy]

My students are caught between cultures...they semi-bow and wave and say 'hi' all at the same time. If I come around a corner and surprise them, they just bow. And then add the 'hi' a moment later. I think it's cute. They do use two hands when they hand things to me or receive things. So I would say in the formal ways, they show respect. I've never heard them use ban mal with me.

However, the respect that I am used to in terms of discipline that I got at home is not here. They simply fear the Korean teachers more. I have a pretty good relationship with most of them, but it is limited to joking. I can't have a real conversation with any of them. Their level is far too low. So the forms of control through having a real relationship is not present. That is frustrating.

For me, the most frustrating part is when I am doing (trying) a question and answer exchange with a student. At home, the other students were quiet and the discussion could move between students. That can't happen here because as soon as I start talking to one student, I lose the attention of all the others. In this sense, I don't have their respect. I've altered my discipline approach with a new class I started about a month ago, and that is going better.

[ella]

What is "ban mal ?"

What have you changed in your new class that is working better, Ya-ta Boy?

[laogaiguk]

It pretty much depends on how you conducted class for the first 5 minutes of your first class. If you were like 90% of the teachers here, you started off a little soft (many reasons, your first time, new to kids, etc etc). If so, you have an uphill fight, but it can be done. You just have to CONSISTENTLY get them to do these things. Don't take it unless they do it with two hands, etc. Don't let up once, even if you don't care at the time. That is the best advice I can give. Personally, doesn't bother me at all. My children love me so much 90% of the time if I am angry, the other kids will almost beat the offending one up, and definitely get them into line.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[TheUrbanMyth]

Gotta be tougher.

Just after I started in a public school, the majority of students always handed things to me with two hands. However there was this one Grade six boy who after a few weeks thought it was time to test the boundaries and started handing me things with one hand. Now I don't really give a rat's a** about one or two hands...it's the intent that counts with me. He was doing it to be disrespectful. He knew it, I knew it, the class knew it and he knew that I knew it. The first two times I handed it back to him with an admonishment to use both hands. The third time (it was a test paper) I ripped it into little pieces right there in front of the entire class, dropped it in the waste basket and told him to go stand in the corner for the rest of the period to think about his lack of respect. Since then, I've had no problems.

Sure some of you might think "Oh what a terrible teacher" but I can promise you that I have no problems with class control. (Nor do I give a rat's a** if you think that either).

Group punishment (for the misdeeds of one) is also a very effective tactic. It works as well in the classroom as it does in the army.

That said, I rarely have to employ any type of punishment, since the students know I won't tolerate rudeness and misbehaviour. They also know I speak enough Korean to give their mothers the scoop on their behaviour.

[cubanlord]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[butter808fly]

I have not enforced the two hands rule. I think my thinking was flawed when I thought 'if they respect me, they will do it, if they dont, they wont'...

great posts here..... I think Ive been to inconsistant and more concerned with the love of my students rather than their respect. Now that Im after their respect, its a little late to turn back this far in the game. But, a good lesson learned!

Im so glad to read that there are some good teachers out there who put the fear of waegookin in these kids... aka.. just teach them to respect their teacher.

[Lizara]

[Novernae]