Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chilgok007]

I just found out I have to apologize to a student on Wednesday coz she repeatedly failed to do her homework...

I've been stuck in this crappy job now for 4 months. We've just completed our first cycle of books, and apparantly the complaints magically started rolling in. At first I just assigned homework by writing it on the board (like all the other FTs at this school) , but then I started meticulously circling and dating every page in the book that I assigned and rewarded and punished them for doing it with stickers, but most of the kids still failed to do it. So, I started marking every page they didn't do with a big "X," but my director didn't like that and when asked how I should proceed, she told me not to do anything, so the kids can have a chance to fill in the blank pages later. The director and the KTs I work with all knew of my system and all had repeated chances to look at the kids homework book as they bring them to class every day. No one said anything. The parents also have a chance to look at their students homework books everynight, as they bring them home on a daily basis. We also type out a monthly plan listing every single page of homework we assign and give them to the parents at the start of each month. Once again, not a single parent said anything until the completion of the book, and then it suddenly dawned on them that their little baby Einsteins didn't complete page 56 and 57 and the floodgates of hell break open. The biggest indignation of all came today when one of my KTs, whom I like and respect, told me the parent of one student actually wants me to apologize to her (the student) because SHE didn't do any homework for 4 months!! I do fault myself for not bringing it to the KT's attention earlier, but like I said, this has been going on for 4 months and no one said anything to me. Why is the burden of responsibility always on my shoulders? Why do I have to be the one to ask all the questions, even though most of the time I don't know what questions to ask? I'm not Korean and never will be, no matter how long I stay here. I am fully aware that this is Korea, not the West, so I'm gonna make mistakes without knowing it, yet the mistakes are never pointed out to me until things fester to the point of utter frustration. I can only ask for guidance if I know something is wrong, yet I'm expected to use my psychic abilities to read Korean people's minds and have a full understanding of Korean culture. If these Hagwons want to work with Westerners, they need to be better equipped to deal with them and the problems that arise in a multicultural workplace. If the mistakes are pointed out, and the channels of communication are clear, I'm more than happy to change or fix things before they become a problem, but here, it seems they are totally incapable of dealing with these issues in a timely manner (if at all)

In the meantime, I'm pretty sure that my director is hatching up a plan for me to visit every student's house on a nightly basis and ensure they are doing their HOMEwork (at my personal expense, of course )

I really hate the attitude out here that when a kid fails to do something its ALWAYS the foreign teachers fault (after all, little Misu is a perfect genius, and if she's not succeding it coz the evil FT isn't pushing her hard enough). I also really hate having to work with most (but not all) Korean parents. Forget about that fact that the girl's English has shown marked improvement, or that she was having fun in class, all that matters to Misuta and Misus Kim is that little YeongSu traces a few letters in her activity book. I know Koreans really love their kids to death, and would do anything for them, but it really blows when you have to work with them and their uncompromising attitudes and their triggerhappy willingness to complain about the slightest misgiving. Although when they do, I'm not the one who has to talk to them, I get the sharp end of the director's or KT's stick right up the butt, which often leads convoluted and contradictory instructions from both. I guess thats the problem with running a school like a business. The two just don't mix. In business the goal is to please every customer, while in education (unless your doing privates) you can't please every customer. A ten student class has ten different personalities, ten different intellects and ten different learning styles. You have to teach to the middle of class; the top student will probably be a little bored and the bottom student will probably be a little overwhelemed, but such is life. In business you'd try to make everyone happy, but in education, with limited time and resources you just can't, hence the fundemental problem and the root of all my grief. The other problem is that parents pay on a monthly basis, which gives them too much control over their kids education. What makes one parent happy, seems to make the other one unhappy. If one parent calls in and complains that there isn't enough homework, a week later another will call in and complain that there is too much homework. And of course, the director will say its my fault.

Anyways, back to the homework issue, does any one have any tips on how to deal with this? How do you deal with assigning homework and making sure the kids do it?

[Dan The Chainsawman]

Don't give out any homework at all.

[Dan The Chainsawman]

Oh and by the way. It ain't your fault so don't worry about it. If they can you thank them for the pizza and get a better job.

[chilgok007]

If I do the homework book in class, the bi**h director pulls me aside a chews me out for not teaching during class time! Either way, I'm between a rock and hard place

[alabamaman]

Tell the little heathen to seek life in a toliet bowl when you apologize to him. The big X is the problem man The big X is like a sign of the

[jacl]

I'm not really great with the paperwork end of things. Reports, tests, homework. I started giving out homework again, but there are always students who refuse to do it. Same students who get zero or a little more on tests. I tell them that it's ok and that I'll print out the report I have on computer to show mommy and daddy. Still continuing to slack on this, I take their hand and go to the director. Let him deal with it. Thing is, from what I've seen, usually if the student is slacking off, they're taken out of the program. So, if I write a report saying that Mark isn't doing his homework and speaks in Korean too much to others in class, that student will disappear.

My homework is only writing the words out five times each from each section and then a spelling test. It's not difficult. What it does, if anything, is provide some order. Probably doesn't do much for the learning process, but some students like it because they get stickers and a reward. Of course they have the work books, but I refuse to have much to do with them. There is absolutely no time with the younger ones. It's useless. I'd be spending most of my time correcting this section and that section for whichever place the student is finished. It's not bad doing the workbooks in class. That's the best way, really. Assigning the workbooks as homework is where the trouble begins. I refuse to do this on my own time. I'm paid to teach. That's it. That's all. You could tell your boss that.

Bottom line is that you have to tell your boss that it's not your problem if Johnny doesn't want to do the homework. Definitely don't appologize to a little squirt. Refuse to do that. Stand your ground. If other kids are doing the homework, it's not your fault that others aren't. If your KT or boss come to you again with such stupid problems blaming you tell them to speak to the hand. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT."

Another thing you could do is provide the Korean staff with a "Homework Assigned" sheet. Relegation is the key. It's then off your shoulders. If mommy wants to complain, you or, better yet, the K staff, can email mommy what homework has been given to Johnny. End of story.

I don't know what kind of jerk parents some of your kids have, but if they were so concerned, they'd make sure that homework was done or find out what it was instead of running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

Anyway, the big X in the work book was probably out of hand. If your job is to assign homework and then look at it after, the best way to approach this is to immediately go to the director in the middle of class and show him or her. "Look. He/she hasn't been doing their homework." Another way to end the story.

Homework can be a good thing. Some students look the words up in the dictionary before class without being asked. Some students do sweet fk all. All you can do is teach them and correct those that show an effort. If someone isn't doing homework, inform the parties that be.

[RobinH]

Research has shown that homework has no noticeable effect on learning. Your school sees homework as a way to make parents believe they are getting something for their money. Find a better place.

[plattwaz]

Make yourself a form, half of an A4 paper should do it. It could look something like this:

Incomplete Homework Report (Chilgok Teacher's Class)

Today's Date: ________

Student Name: ___English here____/____Korean here_____
Class: __name of class here____ / ____reg class times here_____

Problem: (circle one): HW incomplete HW not done HW done poorly

HW Assignment: __write what the HW assignment was____

Actions to be taken: (leave this blank or write something like "please contact parent") the intention of this is space is for your supervisor to write what they will do or did about the situation, and return it to you.

Sign it and leave it on the supervisors desk at the end of every class.



Also, for assigning HWK, type out a similar form, it takes 3 minutes per class each day. Have your name, the class name, the date today and the day the hwk is due. Put the pages that they are assigned, the name of the book (even if they only have one book for the hagwan, some kids stll try to play dumb), and what pages and question numbers they have to do. Write extra instructions if they need them.

Copy and paste it to fill up a paper, photocopy as many as you need, then cut them into little strips. Before the students are dismissed, staple or glue the paper to one of the assigned pages in their textbook, so that the paper is sticking out a wee bit like a bookmark.

Save a few extra copies of it so that when the students DON'T do it, you can staple one to the above form when you submit it to your supervisor.

I know it SEEMS harsh, but one hagwan I worked at had these forms and we HAD to complete them after each class when a student hadn't done their hwk. Most of the teachers let the students get away with a few before we would fill in the form....I used to fill in the form as a threat and if it wasn't done by the next class the student knew I would turn it in -- worked a charm.

Also, the assigning HWK and sticking it in their books was a requirement. I found that quite often the kids would rip it out on the bus, but the staple marks clearly show and they are in more trouble! We had to do this despite the fact that parents got a monthly homework list, with specific page numbers, and the daily HWK was posted on the internet (a copy of the paper that you were typing and sticking in the student's book). However, at least once a day, one mother from each class called to complain that her child came home and said that s/he didn't know what the assigned homework was.

[Juregen]

[Qinella]

Definitely don't apologize.

The parent is a moron, plain and simple. The best way to deal with morons in life is to ignore them. If they refuse to be ignored and get all up in your face, placate them. Just smile, nod, say "okay", and then do whatever you were gonna do anyway.

That's all you have to do. I wouldn't bother with all this business of stickers and circling things in book. That's all nonsense. Parents play a vital role to a student's academic success. It's their responsibility to make sure homework gets done, not yours.

Q.

[Grotto]

[Juregen]

[tzechuk]

I don't give homework much.. just once a week. I get them to write their new vocabulary out a few times. If they don't do it, I mark it in my little list and I show the list to my k-coteacher. Then it's up to her to let the parents know what's going on.

I believe that some homework is necessary if it is done properly. Problem is that kids here already have a tonne of homework from school. Then they go to all these different hagwons and get more homework! It's crazy.. they don't need all the homework they are given. At their age, they are better off going outside and play!

My k-coteachers think I am too *liberal* but hey, when I was a kid I hardly did any homework!

[The Hierophant]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

If you're stupid and spineless enough to apologise to a student for something like that please go find a different occupation. Stand up to that BS and be able to look at yourself in the mirror on Thursday morning.