Korean Job Discussion Forums

mountain goat · Joined: 18 Dec 2006

Anyway, I have a friend who has been here for maybe three months now working in a public elementary school. She has been saying that the teachers really dont seem to like her and she doesnt know why. I told her that she was probably being paranoid, you know, its an elementary school and a lot of teachers are probably embarrassed about their english skills etc.

A friend of a friend who works at her school asked me if I knew her and what I thought of her. When I said I thought she was nice she pulled a face. After some further questions she said that she was too cold towards the students and compared America and Korea too much so all the teachers hated her.

The actual consqences of this make her life difficult because she has an hour bus ride to our town and then she had to get a 15 min ride with a teacher from her school. The teacher decided that it was too much trouble for him to take her in the morning. He was going that way anyway so I dont see the problem. They just told her to find another way to school-but the buses dont go that way. Sometimes a students mother takes pity on her an gives her a ride, she did hitch a few times (dangerous?) and some times she gets a taxi-but thats expensive. Again they argue about who should take her back in the evening and the unlucky one who has to take her huffs and puffs and doesnt say a word.

To me the explanation seems so unreasonable. I suppose it is important that you interact well, but I also know if you are too friendly with the students they will take advantage. She hasnt been here that long and it does take a while sometimes to build a rapport. Also to me it seems natural to compare countries, one of the comparisons she made apparently was the price differences between here and the states.

Lastly Do you think I should mention what I heard to her?

hubba bubba · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

That sucks. She should buy a cheap car. If they are gonna be pricks, go to school, mind your own business and go home.

She could try to "mend fences" but sounds like she works with 'tards.

mountain goat · Joined: 18 Dec 2006

happeningthang · Joined: 26 Apr 2003

It seems to me that the travel issue is one of taking responsibility and making your own arrangements.

There's always an inherent potential for bias amongst Korean teachers for the Foreign teachers, since they generally get paid more, and work less. If you add that perception of privilege amongst the Korean teachers to someone who can't organise themselves to get to and from work, and instead relies (or imposes depending on your point of view) on co-workers to get there it could create some resentment.

A 15 minute taxi ride in Korea is too expensive?? Then why should her, generally less paid, co-workers bear the expense and trouble of her transportation?

If the teacher in question hasn't figured this much out after three months, then it indicates to me she, perhaps, could be more considerate of her co-workers. In her comparisons between America and Korea, who does her preference go to? If you have some-one running around saying, "Oh, in America we do it this way", "In America this is much cheaper" you're going to be annoying to almost anyone.

I would advise building rapport by employing some empathy and consideration. Cookies aren't going to do it, since it's hard to respect someone who sucks up, and doesn't adress the underlying problems.

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

pest1 · Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Location: Korea

Well when you work for a countryside school you have to expect the people there to be conservative. Of course they think Korea is the best country in the world and can not accept anyone who thinks otherwise. Koreans are very nationalistic people in general, any sensitive topics are to be avoided if you wanna get along.

pest1 · Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Location: Korea

patongpanda · Joined: 06 Feb 2007

mountain goat · Joined: 18 Dec 2006

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Do you believe it's a one way street?

Has her comparisons of America to Korea been in a consistently negative way? Has she been moaning on and on and on and on and on and on like some westerners are prone to do.

Is she getting laid? It could be sexual frustration coming out in the workplace which is making her rub people up the wrong way without her knowing.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Regarding the pay issue. I find that many teacher think we make a certain amount of money and have certain benifits, based on what they heard from another teacher.

I remember a young teacher asking if I got my cell phone for free, didn't have to pay my cell phone bills and didn't have to pay taxes. All based on 3rd hand information.

Well, I didn't have to pay for the phone, but I had to return it when I changed schools. I did have to pay for the bill, but I just gave the money to another teacher who's name the phone was under. But, I guess other teachers assumed it was that teacher that paid for me. And I'm Canadian, so I have to pay the same taxes as everyone else.

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:54 pm Post subject:

JJJ · Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Location: Seoul

Regarding the general situation at the school (not the taxi ride)...I feel for her. I had a situation like this a number of years back and it was a hell of a year. Basically one teacher disliked me and spread her wrath towards me to the whole faculty. I finished my contract and was not going to re-sign until I found out a couple days before that this biatch of a teacher was being moved to another school. I renewed and had 4 more good years. But it was hell the first year. I mean totally stressful.

I handled it because I could sneak out at 3:30 and drank a lot on weekends but I'm not sure your friend is strong enough or not. Tell her to try to make it until the airfare is non-refundable (usually 6 months) and get the hell out of this backwards ass school. Good luck to her.

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

happeningthang · Joined: 26 Apr 2003

Fair responses by all.

I should point out the obvious by saying I don't know the details of this teacher's situation, and was only responding to what information the OP had provided.

If she was told transport would be provided, of course that's a different matter. I wonder if the person who told her that, also mentioned it to those who would be driving her. However, it seems obvious that it's causing some resentment and could be resolved by making her own arrangements. I agree that over the course of a week taxi fares would add up, but I was more trying to point out that her transportation is (despite empty promises) her responsibility.

In all my working situations in Korea, admittedly never in a public school, I have always been, by far, the best paid employee. I accept that those, like Pest1, who say that's not the case know better than me. However, it should be pointed out that those Korean teachers enjoying better accommodation are also paying for them too. Something that's not true for the foreign teachers. The Korean teachers live here, while most foreign teachers are only visiting - it's to be expected they are more settled, and investing in their accommodation and cars.