Korean Job Discussion Forums

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Once a FT leaves, and a new teacher comes in, the students and Korean teachers ALL talk about the last teacher like he/she/it was a saint. That really gets my goat. Talk about insensitive!
At my first hogwan, I replaced a RUNNER who hated the job and for weeks everyone talked about how great she was! Whatever!
I know others have had the same experience with their schools.

boyne11 · Joined: 08 Jul 2007

"The last FT was an ass kisser" is what they are saying.

Atavistic · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 4:16 pm Post subject:

Just say, "Oh! You were very lucky to have such a good teacher. I hope to meet him/her one day."

That's always put an end to it for me. YMMV.

And I don't think it's insensitive. They talk about what they know. They know the last teacher. My kids in the States did it all the time. "My fourth grade teacher..."

the eye · Joined: 29 Jan 2004

I tell the kiddies he/she wasn't looking at the traffic and was hit by a bus.
The looks on their faces put american express to shame.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

That's why I'm so happy I'm the first and only foreigner at my school. Heaven forbid I had to take over at a girls school from a FT who was more handsome than me.

chris_J2 · Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Location: From Brisbane, Au.

My predecessor was a 'no hoper' who also did a runner. Neither the kids or teachers spoke highly of them.

storysinger81 · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Location: Daegu

As a former educator in the states, also, this is completely normal. They will only talk bad about the teacher if he/she was completely horrid (like mental problems). It is human nature (especially students) to dislike changes to the routine. You are new and different and if you make them actually do work sometimes, they will complain or say the last teacher was so wonderful or whatever. The next teacher will hear all about how great you were and go a little batty.

Atavistic's advice is best.

That, and thank your lucky stars they had a decent teacher, especially that she managed to stay professional with her classes despite whatever personal problems caused her to pull a runner. It's so much easier to teach when you inherit classes where they are accustomed to a routine that involves learning.

sojourner1 · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 7:12 pm Post subject:

I replaced a runner who didn't teach or expect anything of his students. His students mostly hated me when I came in attempting to actually teach. What happened is those classes were dissolved and new ones started about 2 months into my contract that are my classes.

Demophobe · Joined: 17 May 2004

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

I never had to deal with that. If anything, I'd say that my predecessor's mediocrity made my brilliance shine less bright. That is, being better than him was so easy that even the OP could have done it.

Treefarmer · Joined: 29 May 2007

my school i have nothing to live up to

they had a string of terrible teachers, drug addicts, wierdoes, one guy who told all the kids how much he hated korea and used to watch simpsons DVDs as his 'lesson', a guy from costa rica who had poor english

cruisemonkey · Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:10 am Post subject:

I'm lucky... always the first where I've worked. Nothing to 'live up to' and no screwups to fix. Smile

merkurix · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Location: Not far from the deep end.

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

Years back at my first teaching gig in korea i took over from a popular teacher. One of the first diaries i read went something like this: "I miss Jessie teacher. I hate Chris teacher." I didn't take it personally. I just took it as being natural.

Atavistic · Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:02 am Post subject: