Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Boodleheimer]

any takers?

sharing misery is misery halved. or something like that.

edit: or happiness shared is happiness doubled.

no more b*tching about how negatively K-teachers are portrayed. you're free to write that you love your co-teacher and he/she is an angel.

[Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida]

2003. I taught my morning classes and had a quick meeting to discuss the lesson(s) with my co-teacher (she did the second class) for the afternoon. I return back at 2:00 PM for a quick prep. Say hello etc. 3:00 PM comes around, I walk into class and there's a boom box and a couple of tapes. I never used tapes since I'm a native speaker.

So, I begin my lesson. A few minutes later she barges in. Screams at me. Calls me assorted names and then proceeds to give me the student's test papers. Dumbfounded I asked why didn't she tell me there was a test that spanned both classes. More bad words followed. So, she leaves and I explain to the class they have a test (imagine the unhappiness). But wait! The tapes haven't been cued up. 5 minutes later she was even more upset.

So, the manager gets involved. Fortunately, my point concerning communication and teamwork was understood. Still, it was a trying time until the end of the contract. After that gig, I made it a point never to share a class with a Korean teacher ever again. Adults only.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I've got a real gem for my grade 1 and 3 MS classes this term.

Plus side: much better-looking than 98% of her white, 31-year-old counter-parts, and much nicer inside, too; does genuinely try hard and is very subserviant to me.

Minus side: everything else. Speaks and understands less English than many of my high school students and is roughly on par with about 15 or 20 of my middle schoolers. Has no idea how to prepare for class and cannot control the students worth a damn. Classes that were hardly ever a problem with the old teacher (who often couldn't make it leaving me to teach alone) now require constant disciplinary action. This usually comes in the form of me clamping down on a student who has refused to listen to her. She tells students to be quite and they turn around and keep right on talking until I have to march over and tell them in no uncertain terms to stop. Students talk back to her and she covers her mouth and giggles nervously. I told a student who was loitering outside a class she was teaching to get inside and as the student went in, walking right be her, she stuck her headphones in her ears. She is all right at doing translations provided that I give her the material well in advance and then stand at the back of the classroom making sure the students are quiet and paying attention to her. If she spoke only fluent English and I fluent Korean we'd probably be a really good co-teaching match-up.

[formerflautist]

I love my co-teachers, especially when they don't show up for class. Seriously, it's the greatest gift they could ever give me.

[Homer]

Is it ok to have Korean English teachers post in this thread about the Westerner co-teachers from hell?

I suspect the stories could be just as interesting.

[xtchr]

[Homer]

Well..considering that I know many Korean English teachers who have excellent English would their stories be accepted here or is it just about us weaguks sitting around the bon fire and bashing away at K-co teachers?

[Smurfette]

[Homer]

[CBP]

How about some advice? I'll be in Korea on Monday and will have a co-teacher. The idea is that we'll alternate days that we teach the same students. Typically, what will a co-teacher expect from a native speaker? Is one teacher considered to be the lead teacher? Does information get exchanged back and forth? Is it a fairly competitive relationship? What should I avoid doing that might offend my co-teacher? Things like that.

[Boodleheimer]

i'd love to hear from Korean co-teachers who have had a terrible time with western idiots! MissSeoul, do you have anything to add?

i suppose that might fit best on the "freakiest waygook thread" though.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Boodleheimer]

2 of my co-teachers have terrible English, but they're very good at keeping discipline and helping me out. i can't complain about them. 3 are very good. one is evil. absolutely evil. i'm supposed to be *his* "co-teacher" so i work 18 hours instead of 15. he insinuates i'm stupid, he made me take an English listening test alongside the students "for fun", and he wastes class time.

one example of wasting class time: he should be prepping his students for the SAT. i show up to class, he smirks, and asks if i'm worried now that North Korea has the bomb. i say yes. he laughs and said that's foolish. he then tries to get me into a debate showing me how foolish i am. after about 10 minutes, i just start agreeing with him so we can get back to teaching. but somehow, he keeps going until class is over.

second example: his mobile phone is never off, so he'll talk to whoever calls him for up to 20 minutes while his students wait.

he's been *my* co-teacher on a few occasions, and he interrupts me, destroys the flow, and asks stupid and inane questions. he never tells me if classes have changed times. and he's also supposed to be my liason with the administration!!!

petty complaints? probably. but it annoys the crap out of me.

[hubba bubba]

Man oh man....I want to write a book.

Maybe I will sit down this weekend and write a few pages aobut the teacher/coteacher relationship. It's really strange in Korea. I have "a pretty good coteacher", but it is still insanely difficult. I wish she had a better grasp of English. One of my 3rd grade students corrected her today in class.

[Horangi Munshin]

Gee!!!!

I think I'm really lucky then. I have three co-teachers in the elementary schools I teach in.

They all have their strengths and weaknesses I guess like anyone but they are all good teachers. They can manage bad behaviour and don't have trouble with the English most importantly!!!