Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wylies99]

Okay, this seems kinda funny, (not haha funny, but eerie), but, this week, myself, and three teachers I know (all at other schools) heard the EXACT same speech from our bosses-
"Parents are complaining that you are not teaching vocabulary words before you have them read a story."

I do teach vocabulary words- from the school's preprinted list. The boss backed down and actually apologized the next day.

My question is this- Has anyone else heard this exact same complaint? Is it a common complaint or, (something more sinister), is this something that hogwans use as a BS complaint?

[robot]

parents think they know everything. i've found they're especially bossy about vocab.

some of my kids' parents complained that 3 weekly tests of 150 TOEFL words was too few words. they wanted over 200 per 2-3 days. completely unreasonable.

ROBT.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Maybe there was some story on the news and they assumed all FTs were doing this.

[Buff]

When I worked at a hagwon, our director's favorite thing to say was "Some parents are complaining about ...." When asked which parents, the director would not have an answer. She would just use that as an indirect way to voice her opinions about what she thought we were doing wrong.

Many times, stuff like that is because they hear some theory that they didn't know about before and assume that you don't know it either. Either that or the parents actually did complain and you just have to do the ol' monthly policy change due to parent complaints. Man I hate hagwons.

[Juregen]

[jajdude]

I don't know why parents complain so much. It seems like they complain more now than they used to. Maybe it's part of the increasingly competitive hagwon situation. They are spending a lot of money, and if they don't see results they call the school. Some of them think they know a lot more than they really do. I'd like to see some of these parents do the job in a foreign country using a foreign language, and see what it's like.

[wylies99]

Some of the parents are total psychos. I had one complain- "too much homework", then, a week later, "not enough homework", then, after a couple more weeks, "Stop giving so much homework on weekends", then, a DAY later- "Frodo needs MORE homework on the weekend to stay busy."

IMAGINE being married to that woman- some LUCKY guy put a ring on her finger.

[mindmetoo]

I think the kids just lie to their parents.

[ChopChaeJoe]

I ignore what parents say. My director knows that if she doesn't like what I do, then she can fire me. Once and awhile we will conference through a teacher that speaks English, but she knows that it's gonna be my way in the end.

Such is the life of being a decent teacher in place that has no others.

[hellofaniceguy]

I ignore all koreans who make blanket statements such as the ones posted above and add my two cents by telling the parents, director, etc. or whom ever is in charge...."who are you to tell me or any teacher how to teach....you can't can't even speak English yourself....not to mention your vocab sucks!"

And I suppose the parents are just trying to impress their children by correcting the teacher. But..... I tell them off right in front of their children and hope they lose face. I mean..hey...they want to try and front me off...two can play that game.

[princess]

[wylies99]

I thought SOMEONE would comment about the mother naming her child (for the school) Frodo.

Worse than a scrabble or soap opera name.

[captain kirk]

I got pulled over for parents complaining. By the head Korean teacher with whom I've never talked frankly about what the parents think, or are like. The Korean teachers, of course, have a whole lot more to do with the parents.

It was about me being too strict and scary but what 'scary' meant was trying to say intimidating with limited English. Then she (head Korean teacher) said that a mother complained that her daughter was afraid of her, who is as tall as a mutant hamster in high heels. But I suppose she makes up in frown what she lacks in height. Maybe an intimidated kid who hates being in the hagwon and is weaseling for a way out, any way out, thinks complaints about frowning mutant hamster head Korean teachers is the ticket!?

So I said what do the parents think their kids are, neat little flowerpots arranged in a row in class, all daintily mannered? Heck no! Oh. And the girl was 'scared' by the Korean head teacher why? Because the teacher 'looked mean' at the kid sitting next to her, so it was overflow scariness. Must have been scary, huh?

If your bosses or head teachers are bothering you with this sort of commentary from the mothers, ok. But I hope they save it for the end of the day when the real work's over. I ask the head Korean teacher NOT to bother me with what the mothers think during the day and the main mayhem, during which complaints seem too ungrateful for words, swear words!!! Nasty, unspeakable swearing

Part of training managment on the teacher's (your) part is instructing them to be sensible and not emotional. Particularly delivering, unfiltered by common sense and at least some hours of consideration, emotional and absurd complaints, suggestions and so on from outspoken Moms who don't know teaching English, what their kids are like in hagwons, or what large number of kids in a class can be like.

The BEST Korean managers and head teachers drop the complaints as quick as they come in over the phone and the foreign teacher never hears a thing. They coach the kids to be cool and less complaints filter thru the kids (who want out of any hagwon if they can/could) to the Moms.
The worst just pass complaints on to you as is, in their half-baked, kooky, uncooked natural condition.

[Qinella]

[wylies99]

Plus, instead of just ASKING questions, they call or come in acting like they OWN the place- barking orders, yelling at receptionists, and basically being biatches. That psycho mother would YELL when she came into the school. If she saw me in the hallway, she would YELL at me, IN KOREAN. She would walk right up to me, eye-to-eye, and say her child's name, and then start YELLING. WTF? Picture the female Korean version of Sam Kinison.

Instead of acting like someone who just drank 100 coffees , they could just CALMLY try to find out what's going on. Betcha the TRUTH is different than the fantasies/stories/lies they are being told by their children.

Of course, it would help if the people in charge would say something to parents besides "We are your slaves. Please keep giving us money. We will do ANYTHING you wish."