Of course that effects how I perceive life here in South Korea, however there are so many undoubtedly good things going on for me, that I think almost anyone would be happy in my shoes. I have the best co-teachers that let me plan and lead my own lessons, while only using the textbook CD Rom a little bit (which is very important in my opinion; I'm an native English speaker, I don't need to show videos of other native English speakers throughout the whole class). I also have a wonderful community of friends, including foreigners as well as Koreans. I could go on and on. Now there are some not so great things, but I actually have to think hard to list them because I never focus on them (so they aren't too bad!). In fact I won't list them here and now, but I will talk about some of my friends who are having a less than stellar experience here, and why that is.
The inspiration for this post actually came from a pretty good friend of mine here from England, who is having a pretty crummy day. The facts of the matter are:
- He is in a very old and poor school.
- He has teachers that make him teach the textbook, and the textbook only.
- He has a background in business and law, NOT in education.
- He is very nice, and quite witty in my opinion, but is much happier when he gets some peace and quiet at his desk, not when he stands "awkwardly" in front of his classes.
The following is his Facebook status, that he deleted pretty soon after posting. I happened to see it right away and posted a reassuring comment, to which he responded in a personal message. He is going to be fine here, he is just having one of those days (and the non-stop rain today sure doesn't help).
Anonymous friend's status update:
How are
you? What's the day today? What's the date today? What's the weather like
today? What lesson is today? Turn to page X. Listen and repeat after me.
Dialogue. Read and write. Complete the sentences by choosing the missing words.
Chant - sing the cringeworthy song. Repeat x 4 for all classes. Walk
around the classroom pretending to check on what they are writing. Watch
exhausted 6th graders barely even
keep their eyes open, let alone give a crap about English. Go into the library.
Say hello 500 times. Get asked how I am 500 times. Cringe when I hear made-up
terms like 'so-so' or 'not so good'. Put the same Spongebob Squarepants DVD on.
Have kids jump and scream and dance around me. Try to read or concentrate on my
computer screen. 'Teacher, what's this? Do you like apples?' Tell the students
to stop climbing, fighting, running, screaming, but they continue anyway. Stay
until 6pm. Go home and think - what the hell was the point of all that then?
Repeat the above every...single...day. I'm in Groundhog Day. Must keep hold of
my sanity. Must keep hold of my sanity. Are there any proper jobs out there?
My response:
Wow, your day sounds a little less fun than mine. Try
teaching them different things to say when they come ask you about apples, or
say hello 500 times. I started saying "what's up?" and not allowing
them to say just "I'm fine, thank you. And you?" Also, remember
not to take it too seriously. Like, as a teacher I would never say that back
home, but here they aren't going to learn or care if class isn't fun. So make
it fun! Joke around, play (or make up) GOOD songs or chants. Of course I don't
know how your co-teachers are, or if being too 'fun' will make them act like a
bunch of crazies, but there are things you can do to keep your sanity friend :)
Many of his claims and complaints are fairly similar to how my day goes, the only difference is I sincerely enjoy it! I do have a similar routine, but I really love these kids. Since they have fun in my class, they are excited about learning English. Since they are excited about learning English they come and talk to me all the time (before, during and after school). This is not a nag or a chore for me either, it is really fun and rewarding!
There are some fundamental differences between my friend and I though. Personality and background is huge (for anyone considering taking this job). School environment is something that is somewhat out of your control, but that is a real factor that can make or break your experience here. I get to play guitar and sing during every single one of my classes, and I get to end with a game almost every class. I have fun, and the kids have fun. There have been days where I have been pressured into teaching the textbook lesson. Listen and repeat for 40 or 50 minutes. The kids hate it after 20 minutes, and the teacher certainly isn't having fun (or using any kind of skill or creativity). If I was forced to do that all the time I'd be numb too.
Some people I know have really bad experiences because they are not allowed to lead the class. Their role is what we call "the parrot" role. Stand there and do nothing until the Korean teacher asks you to do 'listen and repeat' with the students. This is okay for some people, but others who are really passionate teachers see this as a travesty! There is a CD Rom that can do that. Why even pay someone from across the world if that is all you are going to use them for!?
Other friends have had a bad experience because they are picky eaters. I LOVE Korean food, but some people just refuse to eat it. Too bad for them.. I don't recommend an extended trip abroad if you can't try to enjoy foreign cuisines. There are Western restaurants and stores that carry Western style groceries, but it is a lot of work to avoid Korean food all the time. It is also more expensive!
I think it is obvious and clear how much I love being here in Korea, but it really isn't for everyone. If you are considering coming to teach here for a year, take those potential problems into consideration. The school situation is a little bit of a crap shoot, but it can be negotiable. If you are a good teacher, with a lot of creative ideas, and that can be direct, I think you can make any situation work!
That is sad for your friend that his co-teachers aren't very encouraging and supportive of making the class fun for the students. I hated school growing up because none of my teachers (except for my one teacher when I was in Central Intermediate and we were doing our project on the five major religions as part of our Medieval Ages unit in Social Studies) never made the classes fun. Oh there was Onstage Theater and that was okay, easy "A" there-just had to get up on stage and do the skit you were assisgned. For some reason watched I Love Lucy a lot in that class-still not quite sure what the point was of that-maybe to see some real acting in Hollywood or just to get a break. Any job can be stressfull and have its negative points-you just have to try to make the best of it but that can be hard when you're not allowed to be creative at all if you're a teacher. That is one thing I do not look forward to in USA when I Insha Allah become an Early Childhood Education teacher-having to teach to the state tests and possibly not being able to be creative with my lesson plans unless I just stay in the daycare-preschool setting. Being shy is something I will have to overcome if I want to be a teacher, otherwise I better start looking for another line of work :) . With the school the opportunities one can get I assume depends exactly on your experience and degree qualifications but I don't think anybody will find it fun to be stuck in a school run by crabby people who have no room for imagination. Maybe your friend can sneak in some creativity in there once in a while to make the lessons more enjoyable for him and his students. Perhaps do a lesson on "England Culture". Maybe get an instrument from England that they've never seen before and play that in class. Is there any way he can go to the head of the school and talk about getting more leeway with his students? Hope it works out for him.
ReplyDeleteWell there are a few things I'd love to address from this great comment. It is sad that he is in that situation, but I feel like there are a few options for him. One is NOT to go to the head of the school. One thing you do not do in the Korean school system is go over your superior's head. Due to the Confucian influenced hierarchy of society and the importance of staying "face" here, you generally only talk to your immediate superior when you have an issue.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing about being a teacher, which I believe he could do, is be creative WHILE teaching to the textbook. You can use pictures, props or board drawings to help make the material you are teaching more appealing to the students. My friend however admits that he is in no way creative, and even with more freedom, he would still struggle to change his approach. That is what is unfortunate about his background and personality in this setting. For you as a future teacher in the States, please keep this in mind! You will most likely have to teach to a standardized test (which I feared nearly the whole time I was training to be a teacher), but that isn't necessarily the end of the world. You are going to teach those things anyways; they just might ask you to spend more time on one topic, and less time on another. While you are teaching those topics, you have a lot of freedom in HOW you teach them. When I was student teaching I had specific things I had to cover. Once I figured out how much time to spend on each thing (according to the Ohio Content Standards) I was able to do anything, as long as I hit the main objectives.
Looking back at your school experiences, I'm sorry to hear that you did not have fun or interesting teachers. However as you thought theater was extremely easy and fun, there were certainly students who thought it was difficult and treacherous! I only bring that point up to remind you that from a teacher's perspective, all of your students will be engaged in different ways. There is no 1 perfect/interesting approach.
Anyways, my friend is actually going to be staying in Korea for a second year like I am. I hope it isn't a big mistake for him, because a big factor for him is his girlfriend that he has met and fallen in love with here. I sure hope his school life gets better, but based on today's status, it isn't looking too fantastic :/