Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

Is anyone recieving notes supposedly written by a student�s mother handed to you by your school? I was handed such note in a fancy wedding invitation envelope addressed to me personally at the end of the day this evening and told by the vice-director that the director wanted to speak with me on Thursday at 6PM about my teaching, but not tonight. I asked if there was a problem and she said, "I don't know," with avoidance. I asked because they never give positive feedback, but only negative when they do feedback which has been only once. I know if I am not hearing anything from them, then it's all good. I have heard that hagwons start this parents complaining crap with teachers about 6 months into a contract with increasing intensity and I am not up to it as I do my job and have not had any indication of any real problems or disrespect towards them. I will have to wait and see what they do.

Funny thing, I get this letter because I am the homeroom teacher of a class that I only spend 1 hour a week with, while spending 28 hours with other classes! It is totally absurd to be responsible in producing positive results when you�re not in charge of the matter enough to make much difference. Vice-director tells me she can't fix this problem. That�s F'd up.

I do not know if this letter originated by the hagwon or the actual mother. (I am suspecting it's bogus sh*t to rouse me) What do you make of this?


"This is Toms mom and thank you for teaching my son, I am afraid my son is shy not raising his hand in class not speaking English. Please let you speak and interest to my son. He is always worried about not speaking wrong. Please your special concern and praise.
Some day!
I hope that my son is good at speaking English.
Thanks a lot.

From Toms Mom."

Obviously this letter is not really a complaint, but simply a letter of concern, but the school is treating it like a complaint that is my fault as I got negative vibes on this one tonight. Fact is, while I do try my best in producing learning results, I spend such little time with my homeroom class while I have a fulltime job teaching other classes which is not my choice.

I am not happy about intentially being worried by my school the night before a holiday which is a time that I should be allowed to have a little R&R. I feel I am beginning to lose respect and esteem for this school as they are showing little respect and disregard towards me while I have put my best foot forward. I think they are just scoundrels posing as good classy people who don't care about real education, but only care that the parents are quiet.

[garykasparov]

EDITED

[babtangee]

I don't know what you are worried about. Mountainous molehill to me.

[Seon-bee]

Based on the content and the fancy paper/envelope, it looks like a roundabout way of asking you to give junior more attention, but to recognize that he's shy so don't push too hard. I see no complaint here.

Why do directors wait 6 months to unload on the complaints? Because that's about how long patience lasts. A few months are given to accomodate a fitting in period--the time they overlook our mistakes and problems. Parents and co-teachers complain, but we're forgiven. Then at 6 months they ask we we're still getting complaints and not doing things as expected.

Also, some/many foreignors are blow off complaints. Human nature I guess. In the beginning we say, sure just let me know what I can do to improve. Then when we get complaints, we shrug them off and never change.

[Fresh Prince]

The kid blamed the foreign teacher when he got in trouble. Happens all the time. The foreigner is the cause and solution to all of Korea's problems.

[passport220]

[Juregen]

Some mothers don't understand that the silent kids learn from listening, they rehearse in their head.

I always experience the silent once to know more then the loud ones.

[Lao Wai]

[jmbran11]

That envelope probably came with a bribe in it to get you to pay more attention to Tom, which was then pocketed by the director . . .

[jajdude]

Like a baseball umpire, do well and not hear a word from anyone; have a lapse, and expect grief.

[legalquestions]

Well put, jajdude. Sad, but true.

[The Lemon]

It's probably as it seems: an effort by the mom to get her son more of the teacher's attention. Parents are paying all that money for the kid to enter the competition with other students for more face time and interaction with you. This letter is mom's way of helping the boy gets at least his share.

That said, you're right about this: "I have heard that hagwons start this parents complaining crap with teachers about 6 months into a contract with increasing intensity... " It's not an absolute rule but it's not unusual either.

But I've never heard of them using a letter to do this - instead the message is verbal and much more vague: "parents say you need to teach better..."

[regicide]