While I was teaching children I also taught some adult classes. Also a few adults came to my university classes.
There was a problem which still bothers me. When students left the class they usually didn't say anything to me before going. And in most cases the management said nothing.
Sometimes I asked the other students in the class or the office what happened to that student. I think a few students told white lies saying they were too tired or busy.
I dislike being told a white lie, but I want to say that leaving without saying a word is the worst thing. I think it's rude.
Sometimes a student attended regularly for a time and then vanished without a trace. Children did this also. I will tell a few examples. One medical student attended my class for a time, spoke English well and all seemed to be fine. One day he wasn't there, then another day he wasn't there.
I asked the students if they knew what happened to him. I just remember that one student said as they left class one day he said he may have to stop coming to class because he was busy. I don't understand why he didn't say anything to me directly since we got along well. At least I understood why he quit. Many students just left me guessing and when I think about it I can't get it.
Please say something, anything, to your teacher before quitting a class!
About Me
- Truth & Understanding
- So many things I want to say after spending years in Korea! Some things I still can't figure out, but most things I understand. I wish I knew it all at the start. I hope my blogs help others.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Random Stories of Being Cheated by Hagwons
SOMEONE WHO STAYED IN KOREA FOR SIX YEARS WAS CHEATED OUT OF 3 MILLION BY ONE HAGWON. THEY UNDERSTOOD THE MONEY WAS GOING TO THEIR PENSION BUT AFTER GOING HOME TO THEIR COUNTRY,NEVER RECEIVED IT. AFTER COMING BACK TO KOREA THEY WENT TO A GOVERNMENT OFFICE TO ASK ABOUT IT. THEY SAID THIS PERSON'S NAME HAD NEVER BEEN REGISTERED WITH THEM, THEREFORE THERE WAS NO PENSION AND NO REFUND COMING. THE HAGWON WAS CLOSED SO THERE WAS NO WAY TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT.
SEEMS LIKE EVERY TEACHER I MEET HAS A STORY TO TELL. A FEW MONTHS AGO I MET TWO YOUNG FEMALE TEACHERS WHO HAD FINISHED A YEAR AT A HAGWON THEY SAID WAS BAD. THEY SAID IT HAD BEEN HARD ON THEM BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY EXPLAIN WHY OTHER THAN SAYING THE PEOPLE RUNNING THE PLACE WERE TOO HARD TO WORK FOR. ONE THING THEY TOLD ME I DO REMEMBER: THEY SAID ONE TEACHER HAD WORKED FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND WANTED TO LEAVE TO GO TO A FAMILY REUNION. THEY GAVE ONE MONTH'S NOTICE BUT THE HAGWON SAID THEY SHOULD'VE GIVEN TWO MONTHS SO KEPT ONE MONTH'S SALARY. THE TWO TEACHERS TOLD ME THAT THIS TEACHER WENT HOME WITH A BAD OPINION OF KOREANS.
I MET SOMEONE ON THE TRAIN NEAR DAEJON ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHO TOLD ME THEY HAD RECENTLY QUIT THEIR HAGWON. THEY SAID SIX TEACHERS QUIT IN ONE DAY. THERE WERE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS BUT ONE THING I REMEMBER IS THIS: THIS TEACHER SAID THAT ONCE WHEN A NEW SCHEDULE WAS MADE THEY SAW THAT THEY WERE TEACHING 45 HOURS A WEEK EVEN THOUGH THE CONTRACT SAID 30.WHEN THEY TALKED TO THE BOSS ABOUT IT, THE BOSS SAID TO "BE A TEAMPLAYER."
ONE TEACHER FEATURED ABOVE UNFORTUNATELY ALSO HAD A PROBLEM AT ANOTHER WORKPLACE THEY ASKED ME NOT TO GIVE THE NAME OF. DURING SUMMER OR WINTER THE TEACHERS WERE TOLD TO TEACH AT A CAMP AND THAT THEY'D GET THE SALARY FROM CAMP IN ADDITION TO THEIR OWN SALARY. AFTER CAMP THEY GOT PAID FOR IT AND WENT BACK TO WORK. THEN A SUPERIOR SOMEHOW LET THEM KNOW THEY WOULDN'T GET THEIR REGULAR PAY. A GROUP OF THEM WENT TO COURT. THEY HIRED ONE KOREAN LAWYER TO REPRESENT THEM. IN THE END THE JUDGE TOOK THEIR EMPLOYER'S SIDE.
SEEMS LIKE EVERY TEACHER I MEET HAS A STORY TO TELL. A FEW MONTHS AGO I MET TWO YOUNG FEMALE TEACHERS WHO HAD FINISHED A YEAR AT A HAGWON THEY SAID WAS BAD. THEY SAID IT HAD BEEN HARD ON THEM BUT THEY DIDN'T REALLY EXPLAIN WHY OTHER THAN SAYING THE PEOPLE RUNNING THE PLACE WERE TOO HARD TO WORK FOR. ONE THING THEY TOLD ME I DO REMEMBER: THEY SAID ONE TEACHER HAD WORKED FOR EIGHT MONTHS AND WANTED TO LEAVE TO GO TO A FAMILY REUNION. THEY GAVE ONE MONTH'S NOTICE BUT THE HAGWON SAID THEY SHOULD'VE GIVEN TWO MONTHS SO KEPT ONE MONTH'S SALARY. THE TWO TEACHERS TOLD ME THAT THIS TEACHER WENT HOME WITH A BAD OPINION OF KOREANS.
I MET SOMEONE ON THE TRAIN NEAR DAEJON ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHO TOLD ME THEY HAD RECENTLY QUIT THEIR HAGWON. THEY SAID SIX TEACHERS QUIT IN ONE DAY. THERE WERE DIFFERENT PROBLEMS BUT ONE THING I REMEMBER IS THIS: THIS TEACHER SAID THAT ONCE WHEN A NEW SCHEDULE WAS MADE THEY SAW THAT THEY WERE TEACHING 45 HOURS A WEEK EVEN THOUGH THE CONTRACT SAID 30.WHEN THEY TALKED TO THE BOSS ABOUT IT, THE BOSS SAID TO "BE A TEAMPLAYER."
ONE TEACHER FEATURED ABOVE UNFORTUNATELY ALSO HAD A PROBLEM AT ANOTHER WORKPLACE THEY ASKED ME NOT TO GIVE THE NAME OF. DURING SUMMER OR WINTER THE TEACHERS WERE TOLD TO TEACH AT A CAMP AND THAT THEY'D GET THE SALARY FROM CAMP IN ADDITION TO THEIR OWN SALARY. AFTER CAMP THEY GOT PAID FOR IT AND WENT BACK TO WORK. THEN A SUPERIOR SOMEHOW LET THEM KNOW THEY WOULDN'T GET THEIR REGULAR PAY. A GROUP OF THEM WENT TO COURT. THEY HIRED ONE KOREAN LAWYER TO REPRESENT THEM. IN THE END THE JUDGE TOOK THEIR EMPLOYER'S SIDE.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Alternative Schools
There is an alternative school in Korea with 15 students in each grade. I asked about it and I'm pretty sure they said the schools starts with kindergarten and has an elementary and middle school. I can't remember for sure if they said they have a high school.
Having been in Korea a while and having learned so much about the system of education, it's really hard for me to believe than anyone in Korea would allow their kids to go to a school like this. Their education is tough and really determines what people go on to do with their lives. The college entrance exam means almost everything. Most parents and others would say that kids going to alternative schools or being homeschooled have no chance of doing well on the exam and therefore no chance of getting a good job. Koreans look at their kids' future as their family's future.
The kind of people who would send their kids to alternative schools must be very unique people. I'm sure that a lot of people would love to do that but wouldn't because they think their kids need the traditional education. Knowing this makes me think that the people who would go for alternative schooling are even more unique.
This reminds me that once I met a hairdresser who told me her daughters were "attending" high school online through a program based in the US. This is a good option I think for Koreans who want their kids to have English education but can't send them to an international school or to another country.
Having been in Korea a while and having learned so much about the system of education, it's really hard for me to believe than anyone in Korea would allow their kids to go to a school like this. Their education is tough and really determines what people go on to do with their lives. The college entrance exam means almost everything. Most parents and others would say that kids going to alternative schools or being homeschooled have no chance of doing well on the exam and therefore no chance of getting a good job. Koreans look at their kids' future as their family's future.
The kind of people who would send their kids to alternative schools must be very unique people. I'm sure that a lot of people would love to do that but wouldn't because they think their kids need the traditional education. Knowing this makes me think that the people who would go for alternative schooling are even more unique.
This reminds me that once I met a hairdresser who told me her daughters were "attending" high school online through a program based in the US. This is a good option I think for Koreans who want their kids to have English education but can't send them to an international school or to another country.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
What I'll Always Remember
First of all, maybe I shouldn't have used that title. There is a lot I will always remember and I can't fit it all here.
What I want to write in this post is this: I'll always remember the "bad" students, some horrible, that I had when teaching in hagwons. But on top of that I'll remember how the Korean teachers/staff dealt with those students. People think that Koreans are strict in schools, and it's true that they are - sometimes. What I remember though is that 90% of the problems were "solved" by a Korean staff member simply saying "It's okay." or something like that. Or simply listening to my story and then doing NOTHING.
This also happened when I spoke to Korean acquaintances or adult students about this. Very few, in fact I recall just three of them, were sorry about the bad behavior of students I had. The rest of them answered in one way or another "It's okay."
One time I remember being bothered that Korean teachers could do more in terms of handling these students. They could call parents. They could speak Korean of course and say things to kids that foreign teachers couldn't say and that would include threatening them with what they can do or telling them of rewards which they may be able to earn if they behave well.
There are so many problems in hagwons that most teachers don't stay working at one for a long time. I couldn't have worked at any of the hagwons I worked at indefinitely. I've heard of foreign teachers working at one hagwon for as long as five years. Those are exceptions.
What I want to write in this post is this: I'll always remember the "bad" students, some horrible, that I had when teaching in hagwons. But on top of that I'll remember how the Korean teachers/staff dealt with those students. People think that Koreans are strict in schools, and it's true that they are - sometimes. What I remember though is that 90% of the problems were "solved" by a Korean staff member simply saying "It's okay." or something like that. Or simply listening to my story and then doing NOTHING.
This also happened when I spoke to Korean acquaintances or adult students about this. Very few, in fact I recall just three of them, were sorry about the bad behavior of students I had. The rest of them answered in one way or another "It's okay."
One time I remember being bothered that Korean teachers could do more in terms of handling these students. They could call parents. They could speak Korean of course and say things to kids that foreign teachers couldn't say and that would include threatening them with what they can do or telling them of rewards which they may be able to earn if they behave well.
There are so many problems in hagwons that most teachers don't stay working at one for a long time. I couldn't have worked at any of the hagwons I worked at indefinitely. I've heard of foreign teachers working at one hagwon for as long as five years. Those are exceptions.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Public School Teaching
Most teachers that I know of now are teaching in public schools. However I know there are many still in hagwons. I can't say which group is larger. I can guestimate it's 50/50, half in schools, half in hagwons, but I have no way to verify this. Only Korean government officials would have this information.
Having never been in public schools myself, I can only say so much about them. I have heard a lot of stories, a lot, from teachers I've known. Also, I had a part-time job teaching classes afterschool at one school.
By and large people conclude that public school teaching is better overall and I'd agree. Two main things: shorter hours and more vacation. However, had I not had my hagwon experiences there is so much about Korean culture which I would not know.
I may include posts on teaching in public schools in this blog or another one.
Having never been in public schools myself, I can only say so much about them. I have heard a lot of stories, a lot, from teachers I've known. Also, I had a part-time job teaching classes afterschool at one school.
By and large people conclude that public school teaching is better overall and I'd agree. Two main things: shorter hours and more vacation. However, had I not had my hagwon experiences there is so much about Korean culture which I would not know.
I may include posts on teaching in public schools in this blog or another one.
Last Four Posts
The four posts which I've just published, which are just below, were made up of my writing about hagwons which was done about 1 1/2 years ago. I saved the writings then and now have copied them here but made them look presentable before publishing. If there are mistakes in spelling or whatever, if you don't like the color scheme or layout or anything else about this blog, don't worry about those things. The writing is what's important.
More I've Written: What to Think About Before Coming
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO BEFORE GOING
- READ BOOKS ON ESL TEACHING IN KOREA BEFORE GOING
- THERE ARE AT LEAST 5 OF THEM AVAILABLE AT WW.AMAZON.COM
- CONTINUE TO READ THEM DURING YOUR FIRST YEAR
- ALSO READ BOOKS ON KOREAN CULTURE
- GET A BOOK, TAKE A CLASS OR FIND SOMEONE TO TEACH YOU BASIC KOREAN
- EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK YOU’LL STAY LONG IT WILL HELP TO
- KNOW THE ALPHABET
- KNOW WORDS FOR THINGS YOU NEED
BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO TEACH IN KOREA CONSIDER THESE THINGS:
1. YOU WILL MOST LIKELY LIVE IN A ONE ROOM APARTMENT. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS?
A. THERE WILL BE NOISE FROM ALL THE OTHERS LIVING AROUND
B. ESPECIALLY THE BIG CITIES ARE NOISY. THAT’S WHERE MOST TEACHERS GO.
C. KOREANS LOVE TO GO OUT AND COME HOME AT ANY TIME OF NIGHT.
D. OFTEN THERE'S CONSTRUCTION WORK BEING DONE WHICH STARTS 7-8AM.
2. IF YOU LIVE IN ONE OF THE CITIES YOU WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH POLLUTION
A. DO YOU HAVE ASTHMA OR BREATHING PROBLEMS?
B. TALK TO A DOCTOR ABOUT THIS.
C. DON’T ASK YOUR RECRUITER OR FUTURE EMPLOYER TO TELL YOU HOW BAD THE POLLUTION IS, THEY WILL UNDERESTIMATE IT.
D. TRUTHFULLY THE WHOLE COUNTRY HAS POLLUTION BUT IT’S WORSE IN THE CITIES.
E. THE WEALTHIEST AREAS IN SEOUL ARE VERY POLLUTED.
3. POPULAR PLACES SUCH AS MOVIE THEATERS, PARKS, DEPARTMENT STORES AND OTHER PLACES ARE OFTEN CROWDED
A. IF YOU GO TO ONE OF THESE PLACES ON THE WEEKEND IN A MAJOR CITY BE PREPARED!
4. KOREAN FOOD IS SPICY!!!!!
A. EVEN IF YOU LIKE SPICY FOOD IN YOUR COUNTRY YOU MAY NOT BE PREPARED
5. KOREANS ARE HOMOGENOUS
A. THEY DON’T ALL LOOK ALIKE, BUT THERE IS A LOT LESS VARIATION
B. THEY DON’T HAVE NATURALLY CURLY, WAVY OR KINKY HAIR
C. THEY DON’T HAVE LONG OR BIG NOSES
D. THEY ARE MOSTLY AVERAGE HEIGHT
E. THEY ARE MOSTLY THIN OR AVERAGE
6. KOREANS TALK OPENLY ABOUT DIFFERENCES IN FOREIGNER’S APPEARANCES
A. SOMETIMES THEY ONLY TALK TO EACH OTHER
B. OFTEN THEY TALK DIRECTLY TO FOREIGNERS USING KOREAN OR SIGN LANGUAGE
C. PARTICULARLY CHILDREN, OLDER PEOPLE, LOWER CLASS, OR RUDE PEOPLE
7. MYTHS
A. KOREANS ARE A WELL-EDUCATED PEOPLE
B. KOREAN STUDENTS ARE ALL POLITE, HARD WORKING AND GOOD STUDENTS
C. KOREAN SCHOOLS ARE BETTER THAN AMERICAN SCHOOLS
8. GOOD POINTS
A. GOING TO TEACH IN KOREA NOW IS EASIER THAN IT WAS SAY TEN YEARS AGO
B. THERE ARE MANY BLOGS, BOOKS, SITES THAT CAN GIVE YOU A LOT OF INFO.
- YOU MAY FIND GOOD PLACES TO WORK OR AVOID BAD ONES BASED ON THIS.
- YOU WILL FIND OUT GOOD PLACES TO GO IN KOREA.
- YOU WILL FIND WHICH PLACES SUPPLY THINGS YOU NEED.
- YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT KOREAN FOOD.
- YOU MAY LEARN ABOUT NICE AREAS TO LIVE OR VISIT.
- YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT THE LIFE IS SEOUL VS. SMALLER CITIES OR RURAL AREAS.
- YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT WHERE TO GO IF YOU REALLY NEED HELP.
- YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET SICK.
9. ONE PROBLEM THAT COMES UP NOW AND THEN – JEALOUSY
- CONSIDER THIS: THOUGH IT’S BASICALLY EASY FOR FOREIGN TEACHERS TO FIND JOBS, FOR KOREAN TEACHERS IT’S NOT!
- IN FACT IT’S NOT EASY FOR KOREANS TO FIND ANY JOB!
- AT THE MOMENT ONE OF MY KOREAN FRIENDS WHO HAS TWO DEGREES, ONE IN EDUCATION, IS STAYING OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY BECAUSE THERE IS NO ELEMENTARY TEACHING JOB AVAILABLE FOR HER.
- I KNOW FOREIGN AMERICAN/CANADIAN TEACHERS WHO ARE TEACHING RIGHT NOW IN THE SCHOOLS SHE COULD BE TEACHING IN.
- SOME HAVE ONE DEGREE, WHILE ONE IS IN THE TALK PROGRAM, STILL A STUDENT.
- THEY HAVE NO EDUCATION DEGREES
- DURING MY HAGWON TEACHING DAYS I LEARNED THESE THINGS ABOUT KOREAN TEACHERS I WORKED WITH
- THEY MADE A LOT LESS MONEY THAN ME, SOMETIMES HALF OR LESS OF MY SALARY.
- THEY HAD NO BENEFITS SUCH AS THE APARTMENT OR AIRFARE.
- THEY SOMETIMES HAD TO WORK LATER, WEEKENDS OR HOLIDAYS.
- THEY DIDN’T GET ANY VACATION OTHER THAN PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND A SUMMER VACATION RANGING FROM FIVE DAYS TO ONE FULL WEEK.
- WHY SHOULDN’T THEY BE JEALOUS?
BTW I’D LIKE TO ADD HERE THAT ALTHOUGH I UNDERSTAND THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT’S WANTING TO HAVE LOTS OF FOREIGN TEACHERS IN KOREA, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE START OF THE TALK PROGRAM WHICH BRINGS COLLEGE STUDENTS WITHOUT DEGREES TO TEACH IN KOREA SIX MONTHS OR ONE YEAR, CAN YOU ALSO CONSIDER ALL THE KOREAN POTENTIAL TEACHERS WHO CAN’T GET JOBS?? COULD SOME OF THEM BE TEACHING PART-TIME IF THEY CAN’T GET FULL TIME JOBS, OR COULD THE ONES WHO SPEAK ENGLISH WELL TEACH ENGLISH CLASSES IN SCHOOLS AS THE TALK PROGRAM MEMBERS ARE?
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