The time after winter break (the start of February) until the start of March and the new school year is the most ridiculous thing I've ever experienced. Especially for the 6th graders who know that they have finished their finals (IN DECEMBER) and nothing they do will effect them getting into middle school or not. I only had 2 classes of 6th graders today. In the first class, only half of the students brought their books and in the second class only 3 or 4 students had books. How the hell are we supposed to follow the lesson plan, finish the book for the year as planned/requested if the students don't deign to bring books or pencils? They were rambunctious and couldn't care less about being there. In the afternoon there is a field trip to visit the local middle schools for some sort of orientation (I think, as usual there is a fair amount lost in translation) so everyone was beyond hyper. Mrs. K eventually gave up on at least trying to get through the listening/speaking activities and suggested I start a game. I got the class under control by asking them if they would rather write or play a game (the 6th graders almost universally hate writing in English, I shouldn't use it as a punishment but at this point it's almost a lost cause). They stayed calm for about 2 minutes. One more warning and I gave up. I had them all sit down, passed out paper and pencils and had them copy sentences from the board. Boring as hell for both of us. Tomorrow I may or may not have classes since there is a rehearsal (but we aren't sure) for the big exhibition next which I know nothing about other than it's on Wednesday or Thursday at 6 or 7 and I should probably show up. This ambiguity has nothing to do with my co-teacher's English and everything to do with how business is run in Korea, that is to say last minute. I am trying to go with the flow. After all, it isn't really a travesty if my classes are canceled last minute.
On another educational rant, though a slightly different topic, the infamous Kang Shin-who wrote the concluding piece in his illegal tutoring series. The conclusion? Exactly what I said a few days ago, that illegal tutoring is in too much demand and far too hard to regulate for the government to have a chance in hell at eradicating it. They might as well make some money off of the more honest folks. Kang, are you reading my blog? :-p Just kidding. The article was anticlimatic and not up to his usual inflammatory level. However, he did through in evidence of his usual standard of journalistic integrity by using this "fact" instead of trying to cite any actual statistics (or god forbid, conducting his OWN data poll or survey).
"According to some parents and students in Gangnam, southern Seoul, many foreigners there earn 50,000 to 70,000 won per hour for private English tutoring sessions."
Seriously buddy? You can get away with that sort of stuff in the informal blogosphere but you write for the Korean Times, a newspaper that proclaims it wants to act "[a]s the mirror of the times, The Korea Times will become the eyes, the ears and the window to a whole new world."
I realize this is an overly negative blog post. I should probably refrain from blogging when I've only had about 2 hours of sleep. Stupid insomnia.
14 comments:
It is true what he says. 50-70,000w is a bargain I think for a place like Kangnam. You get at least 50k in Busan and it's the 2nd city.
People that shop for cheaper teachers usually find one, over and over and over again. You get what you pay for.
Agreed. I think it's interesting that he didn't compare prices for the rest of the city or country since Kangnam is one of the richest area and sure to cost a bit more than the rest of South Korea.
Oh...and as for the clasroom control if you are having trouble just open the windows and not allow them to wear jackets. They will 'cool' down real quick.
ps...you are easy on the eyes.
It's just easier to villify(sp?) us as the foreign infidels who come here and take money.
Oh course I don't force people to take my classes nor do i go begging around asking for work. People get foreign teachers because they want them.
Agreed. I cannot count how many times I've been approached to teach English lessons. I have enough to do!
Alex, what the author of that piece doesn't show are the real numbers.
We represent about .1% or less of all the private teachers in Korea. It is just a few fish(foreigners) in an ocean of Koreans. They can't even regulate their own! How are they going or why would they care about the little minnows like us when there are 99.9% big fish to fry?
The statistics you point out are interesting, especially given the fact that the articles tend to emphasize us E-2 visa holders though it does scold the F series as well.
E2 people are not legally allowed to teach private. F people, it's a slippery slope and more of a tax issue than being against the law.
I don't think my numbers of .1% are really that far off. Foreigners represent about 1% of the population here. of that 1% nearly half are chinese-koreans.
Of F visa people about 90% are south-east asian mail order brides. The F visa foreigner doing privates isn't the norm like most people think it is.
Are you on break now or something?
Yup! My classes were canceled last minute for something or other and I'm already too far ahead on my lesson plans to really do anything but read the news and reply to blog comments.
Great! I'm here all afternoon as well.
Oh...if you want to make it look like you are around but have fled the place for an hour or two you can all ways turn a book upside down on your desk. It has the illusion that you are reading it and have just taken a bathroom break or whatever.
When I worked for EPIK years ago that's what i did to do errands around town in the afternoon.
Meh, my school is pretty cool about letting me leave to do errands. I've had to go to the bank a few times and the post office once and they were always like sure sure no problem, let me sign off on that. I don't REALLY mind desk warming it's just that being under worked is boring. I'd much rather be teaching.
You are young, I'm older and grizzled.
When I was your age I could drink all night here, get up and teach. Now I'm in bed by 10pm. I can't handle the club scene anymore. It's too loud and smoky i'd rather stay home and do the xword puzzle.
Oh youth is wasted on the young. tss tss.
ps..i'm not that old but 40 is a coming....
I'm too busy keeping the foreign crime wave going to do private teaching.
@Kyle: :-D :-D
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