Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jangsalgida]

Sorry for the long wind

My friend works at a known adult Haggy. My friend received an evaluation that determined whether a raise would be given.

My friend was denied for 2 reasons.

1st reason...They said my friend had been observed(protocol) in the past and the "Trainer" said my friend couldn't explain grammar points very well. In the observation remarks, my friend was advised to "study like a student" using the different level books the students use. My friend agreed!

The problem was that the Haggy didn't ever provide the most popular/used student books for my friend to use in the office even though my friend requested them. A few of the books were provided but not the most used/important.

My friend has been known to try and learn/communicate/discuss with co-workers/Foreign Teachers the questionable and/or most difficult grammar points in the book.

My friend was left to believe the Haggy was too cheap to buy the books or that they really didn't care if my friend could explain grammar. If/when the books are provided they will probably dissappear in a very short time as the Korean staff likes to enter the Foreign Teacher office and use/steal them.

2nd reason...My friend received negative student comments.

My friend was given 6 negative comments recorded from students, some of which were probably due to the fact that this/that student failed the lesson and had to "repeat" the lesson. One comment in particular was from a student that begged my friend to "continue/pass" the student, but my friend cared too much about the real progress of the student and gave the student another chance to "repeat" the lesson for free in hopes that the student would learn from the situation/gain confidence in performing during the repeated next lesson.

Most students don't have the time to repeat and find it a burden to do so. On the other hand some students like the chance to speak again with a foreign teacher for free.

Bottom line...My friend was denied because of negative comments by students(or was it a budget issue)? My friend has NEVER received 1 possitive student comment by anyone at the Haggy after working there for months.

My friend is saddened that the students don't like him/her and does not think the evaluation was fair. My friend was told... "Positive comments are not recorded" by the Haggy.

Among other things, teamwork was not part of the evaluation.

I tried to console my friend by stating that it's like a CEO telling the next in line that money has been lost by the company but never considering the money made, therefore... "You do not get a bonus."

The Adult Haggy has "Pub Nights" which my friend has never been assigned for whatever reason but has attended each and everyone on a monthly basis to assist the other Native Speaking Teachers. In my friends mind this hopefully helps the Haggy/positive impression in the eyes of the students while paying out of pocket/himself/herself for beer/food/taxi home etc... for an approx. 25.000 Won each month.

Is my friend a fool for paying out of pocket in the attempt to help the Haggy and co-teachers at the "Pub Nights?" Should my friend tell the decision maker that he/she doubts his/her budget will enable him/her to attend "Pub Nights" in the future?

Is it fair not to consider teamwork in an evaluation and ONLY the 2 points mentioned/considered by the decision maker?

Is it fair to only bring negative student comments into a raise determining evaluation?

[rawiri]

Wow...that was long winded. Tell your friend to buy a grammar book of their own, 10 000 won should do it?, why didn't he/she think of that themselves?

[wylies99]

[Qinella]

[jajdude]

What? So negative comments go on record but positive ones do not? That's one way to ensure your friend will never get a raise. The director will show your friend the evaluation and say, "Look, nothing positive, but one student complained the classroom was cold. Sorry, no raise for you."

At least the possibility of getting a raise exists. Not many schools offer that unless you sign on for another year. (Or some have it in the contract, that salary will increase after 6 months or whatever, but that's different than a performance-based raise.) I have never been given a raise, never even had the possibility I think, never asked for one though... guess no positive comments for me either

(PS. 25,000 won a month is not a fortune to eat, drink and socialize. Now, 25,000 won a day, that's a bit much.)

[jangsalgida]

[jajdude]

Oh Jeez, is your friend upset about not getting an extra 75 bucks a month? The school sounds cheap, but how much is an extra 75,000 really going to help anyway?

By the way, I can sympathize how ridiculous it is to have nothing positive on an evaluation. Someone wisely pointed out on another thread that Koreans do not understand western thinking much if they think criticism equals motivation to try harder. If I say only, "You are doing a poor job, try to do better," I am sure you are not going to feel encouraged. Yet that is what Koreans do. It's just ignorance of how we foreigners operate. Pointing out complaints and giving you nothing constructive or postive helps no one, in fact I think it just makes the waygook feel like there's not much one can do to please anybody, so we just carry on same as before.