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Information about Teaching in Korea | |
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The Reality of Being a Teacher
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• How would you cope with this situation?
• A Teachers Comments on Her Job It is amazing how a foreigner reflects back and thinks over all the things they left behind in their own county when they decided to live and work in Korea. The one thing I can assure you is that within one month of being in Korea you will start reflecting on many of these things and you may become either a tolerant culturally accepting person, or a moaner and a groaner, never satisfied with the employment situation and never recognizing the situation for what is really is (ie. seeing both sides of Western/Eastern interpretations or opinions). You might start to listen to other moaners and complainers and suddenly everything becomes too hard or you slowly start labeling yourself a victim!
Supervisor: ?You begin your elementary school classes today." Teacher: ?What does this mean I have to do?? Supervisor: "Oh, well, you'll be teaching the same group of children for two hours a day every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning in about 10 minutes." Teacher: "Which grade?" Supervisor: "3rd grade of course." Teacher: "Well, what am I supposed to teach? You know I'm a middle and high school teacher and that's what I've been doing here for 4 years." Supervisor: "Oh, you know, anything. Whatever you want." Teacher: "Ok... well, can I have the elementary school curriculum?" Supervisor: "No, just teach whatever you want." After massive complaints of no planning time and other non-important things, he relented and agreed to delay one week to prepare. And, wonder of wonders, he scheduled a "planning meeting" with the co-teachers, himself and myself. I settled in to wait (but being fairly knowledgeable in Korean cultural moves, I developed my own curriculum and plans in secret.) The "planning meeting" started out promising. Three co-teachers present and the supervisor were waiting as I strolled in. I had noticed on the official paper that the co-teachers were required to bring with them an "educational plan" for the course. Things looked good. I saw the little bundles of educational lore and wisdom, carefully bound in slipcases and colored paper. Them...mmmmm.... a real plan to start with. Then, I still cannot believe my eyes; he collected them all and put them into a folder in his desk. I said, "Hey, wait a moment. Aren't those for me?" His answer "Oh no, no, no....these are just a formality. You can teach whatever you like." and said "Oh yes, anything is good...." I changed my approach. I asked the teachers "So, what do you expect from me in class (which begins in 2 days)?" They were overjoyed, smiles spreading in knee-twitching excitement. One said (and the others joined in) "Oh, puppets and games and chants and songs and fun activities and blah blah blah.? "Good, so you will be making this material?" Stunning silence followed by sputtering not so silence "Oh, we are too busy. You can do that. It's your class..." I will delete the expressions I used in which I implied how I feel about the assumption that I am not too busy (I do teach more classes weekly than they do) and so on. Finally, accepting defeat, I asked for the curriculum or at least the textbooks so I could plan. I also told them to have the students prepare questions (in Korean or English) for the first class. Needless to say, I am on my 4th week of this and despite repeatedly asking these things, I have not received one ounce of assistance, nor curriculum, nor books, nor are the students prepped for classes. But well, you know what I say about the cultural differences of planning and preparation and caring about quality education: "ours is not to complain or criticize, but to recognize and embrace those cultural differences which make this world a beautiful place."
But I really wonder: what do they think of my opinions and attempts to get them to see other points of view? Are they too foreign? Do they think they work in Canada but will not work here? Do they think, "Ah, she's just being silly and making up stuff again?" (I'll often make up silly stories just to see if they understand me and can get a different brand of humor) What I DO NOT consider my job is to tell Koreans how to run their country. I can suggest, give examples, offer solutions, and point out areas that could be improved. It's all in the delivery. And they choose whether or not they like the ideas. Unfortunately, there are times when they don't like to change something for simply the reason "It's always been done this way". Not an open-minded way of thinking, but hey, I've done my part and thrown out an alternative. I can't force them to see how "rude" or "barbaric" they are. Because then it becomes bitter and it invites statements that "foreigners just don't understand Korean culture". Maybe we can see the problems and hear the arguments that they give for why things are the way they are. But do we really UNDERSTAND why some things may never change? There's a difference between grasping their words and actually seeing things from their point of view, which often involves emotions and cultural memories. There are things about North American culture that Koreans can see and grasp the reasons, for example, how we often shove our beloved old ones off to care homes. (We don't have the time to care for them; we need our independence, whatever the reasons) But some can't understand how we can be so, in my student's words, "uncaring". They see our points, but they can't understand them. We don't like our countries citied. Would you take a Korean persons word and immediately change your customs? (No more kissing in the street!!! it's rude!!!) Do you really think they're going to change just because you think they should? Yes, there are many things, which I find rude in Korea because my country taught me it was so. But its' not my country to change. When it gets to be too much, I'll simply go home."
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