You may think your kids love you because they give you ridiculous nicknames and climb all over you and are ‘cool’, but what they actually think is that you’re an ineffectual joke and that it’s fun to ridicule you.
And he closes with a top ten list of rules foreign teachers should follow in order to retain some self-respect and do their job to the fullest:
1. Don’t say “Assa!” anymore, because you sound like an idiot when you do.
2. Don’t take a ddongchim (finger playfully thrust up your ass) lying down.
3. Don’t let your kids give you dumb nicknames.
4. Don’t let anybody call you crazy in Korea.
5. Don’t call kids crazy and try to stand on some lame principle that “They should know how English is really spoken.” It only makes you sound like a pompous idiot.
6. If you’re bald, don’t let your kids touch your head.
7. If you’re fat, don’t let your kids touch your belly.
8. If you’re hairy, don’t let your kids rub your forearms.
9. Don’t tell your kids stupid lies about your home country. Don’t tell them that you’re an alien, even though it may be hilarious to them.
10. Never, ever hand over the power to punish your students to a Korean, whether it be your co-teacher or the owner of the school. You will soon find yourself completely powerless.
Check out the whole entry for some context and for a hypothetical situation that, sadly, probably happens way too much when you mix inexperienced teachers and bratty kids.
A huge part of teaching English, in my opinion, involves teaching students how to comport themselves when around foreigners. As I said in reaction to a video posted on ROK Drop of swarming middle students, Korean children---and sometimes adults---completely lose any sense of composure around a foreigner. The sight of a white person triggers a mocking "HELLO!" as a Pavlovian response, and if you ignore their call (as you should) you'll soon hear taunts that move closer toward their real opinion of you. They exhibit behavior they would never, ever imagine directing toward a Korean adult, let alone a Korean teacher. In my town last year students of all ages would follow me home, would try to open the windows of my apartment, would stand outside and shout my name, and would bang on the door. If any student would even think of doing this to a Korean teacher, the kid'd get beat like he owes somebody money. However, my colleagues allowed this to go on all year, and when I complained they told me that I ought to be friendly and open to my students. This school year, on a regular basis, students will yell at me from down the hall, will shout my name from upper-story windows, and will bang on the windows and doors just so I can see them wave at me. My coworkers were surprised when I taught my students not to do this, and protested that students were just being friendly. It's not uncommon for students to shout at me from passing vehicles, from windows, or from down the block, and when I ride the bus I've had students tap my shoulder and poke me after I ignored their first few dozen catcalls. Students have mocked me in restaurants and adults have followed me down the street. Again, no Korean in their right mind would treat another Korean adult this way, let alone encourage their children to do it. Extreme cases of disrespect don't happen all the time, but taunts, catcalls, and other impolite English does occur with enough frequency that I can safely attribute them to deeply ingrained attitudes toward foreigners and foreign teachers.
I've been sitting on an entry about this broad topic for a while, and I'll probably write it up sooner rather than later. Too many foreign teachers allow the zoo animal treatment, under the mistaken belief that it shows friendliness, or curiosity, or an eagerness to interact with foreigners. Too many foreign teachers permit their students to call them fat, or grab their arm hair, or point at their nose. I had a student once try to 똥침 me . . . with the end of a broom, and while I'm not going to write down how I punished him, suffice it to say there were witnesses, and such extremely inappropriate behavior toward me never happened again. Too many foreign teachers believe that, to effectively teach English, you need to be their friend and endure jokes, ribbing, and attitudes that would never fly with a Korean adult.
The problem is, too many Korean teachers think this "special" treatment is okay. Too many Korean teachers operate under the assumption that a foreigner needs to be a clown in the classroom, and that English class needs to be a riot in order to be effective. Oh, the Korean teachers' classes aren't fun, mind you, but because "students are so shy" foreigners are expected to act like overactive, overgrown children. I wonder where Koreans get such a warped view of foreign teachers?
7 comments:
Ah, Isaac. The patron saint of white monkey English teachers.
Brian, it's good to know that there's at least one more teacher out there who's fighting for his dignity. Who knows, maybe we can start a movement.
If my students had enough English (and went to elementary school) I would just drop the teacher hammer on them: "Do you say that/do that to your Korean elementary school teacher? I am your teacher too. What would your Korean teacher do if you did that?"
Plus, I never responded, or gently corrected unacceptable behaviour. "My name is robert, not elephant nose" and didn't respond to the other stuff, so that it was boring to try to push my buttons.
Double down on rule ten: the students MUST know who's boss. The first week of teaching is crucial for this. If you mark your territory on day one, and let them all know you are a teacher to be reckoned with, things will be SO much easier down the road.
"Teacher. Game."
(If you say yes once, you're hooped.)
"No. No game. Teacher teach."
(I even ignored them when they cried, and punished them when they whined -- all my kids knew I held ALL the flippin' cards.)
Wow, someone else who has the courage to say what needs to be said. I have tried to explain how offensive that particular type of behavior is to both students and teachers, and even some foreigners. All gave me the bullshit party line: Oh, they just don't know any better.
Agreed. That is why I am TEACHING them TO know better........ Obviously neither their parents nor their Korean teachers aren't teaching them! Guess that makes it my job.
It is nice to hear good commentary with good suggestions. I care about my kids and want them to understand how to interact with non-koreans effectively. I try to imagine the behaviour as it would be tolerated on the streets of my home town. I someone tried to sexually assault me in my home town (and that is what the @#$ needle is) I would be legally entitled to break their hands in self defence. They would face the wrath of the law on top of this, it should be treated accordingly. If some one yelled "HEY HEY HEY" at my mother I would consider it highly offensive. I know they are just kids, but they aren't stupid and this is part of the education I provide that a Korean can't. I can be friendly with them, but I am not their friend. I wouldn't see them if it weren't my job.
Yes - I live in the middle of nowhere, and I know literally (seriously) every middle school student on the entire island. I can't go anywhere without hearing "teachaa!" behind me. I have taken to wearing my ipod everywhere, that way I can pretend to not hear them.
One of the most recent irritating offenses was when two of my students saw me sitting with the other 3 foreigners here outside the family mart, drinking (as there's pretty much nowhere else to do so). They yelled hi, and waved, but then went on their way. The next day at class, however, all I heard was "Teacher likes beer! Teacher drinks at family mart!". When I got angry with the students for saying those things, and told them they were being extremely disrespectful, my co-teacher said "Oh, they're just being friendly." Bullshit, she'd have that stick on the desk in her hands in two seconds flat if they said the same to her.
OKay, that's enough ranting for now!
I could start my own little rant on this subject... I've been teaching in Bucheon (just west of Seoul) for 9 1/2 months, and my problem isn't as much with the kids... It's with the PARENTS and the Korean teachers who bend over backwards. You try teaching a kid who doesn't want to do anything and you stand him in the corner? Kid tells the parents, parents call the school, the Korean teacher apologizes profusely, the Korean teacher approaches you and says not to do that again...
I realized a couple months in that both the Korean teachers and I have rules for the classroom (no Korean, no noise, etc.). The only difference - and the thing that makes me look strict - is that I enforce them...
I have to say this is a key argument amongst foreign teachers these days. I for one can not stand the image that we must be "clowns" as educators.
And when I see that guy on TV it makes my skin crawl.
But thankfully the environment at my Public Elementary school is more serious than what you have described.
My issue is that I have been too serious with the kids and have difficult being fun or acting in a playful manner. IT isn't a strict environment just kind of dull.
Yes the kids call my name in public and say Hello. But nothing really goes beyond that.
I do live in Sanbon Gyeonggi-do (not SEoul)
And I am a woman. Maybe female teachers get different treatment from male teachers.
As for non-students shouting HELLO to me in the streets. It does happen. Especially by 20-something males. I usually ignore it, because it feels somewhat aggressive.
I think it would be a great idea for teachers to give more of a professional yet also fun projection of themselves in the classroom. But with the media bent on projecting learning English as this zoo, then it will be difficult.
Anyways, I really like this topic.
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