Is my school too strict, or am I crazy?

[cragesmure]

We have all heard that foreigners need to respect Koreans and Korean culture because we are all in Korea, which is not something I disagree with. But when a Korean hires a foreigner from a different country the employer should have certain expectations for the foreigner. They should expect that the foreigner doesn't know much about korean culture, doesn't speak korean (and is therefore often not assimilated into the society), and should not expect the foreigner to acquire these skills during a brief stay in Korea.

With these expectations in mind, the foreigner should absolutely respect Korean culture but at the same time the korean should respect our culture and way of doing things and not expect us to do everything the way they do. This is called mutual respect and I don't care what country you are in or what culture it is, mutual respect for one another is a must and often Koreans get a pass because we are in Korea but everyone deserves respect. This is a value that supercedes cultural boundaries.

I agree with most of this, especially when we hear Koreans moan about how rubbish the Korean education system is.
I'd like to add, however, that flexibility is important.  It's obvious that planning a lesson is critical, as a teacher should have clear short, medium and long term goals.  There is nothing wrong with referring to a lesson plan to make sure everything is on track.  More to the point, there is nothing wrong with thinking on your toes and adapting a lesson plan as the lesson progresses.  Let's face it, we aren't robots, and nor are the students.  Sometimes they know more/less than we expect, sometimes they are more/less motivated than we expect, or whatever else.  It's not a sin to refer to back-up materials you have aside or to adapt a lesson as it goes along, especially if this is done when we are not "in the spotlight", so to speak.  Being flexible and adaptable is part of being an effective teacher.  Just yesterday I had 2 classes.  Same plan.  Warm up, teaching, rehearsal, then prac.  The first class, they loved the prac activity, so I rolled with it for 10 minutes, and they didn't want to leave class when time was up.  The 2nd class, they were bored s&$tless by the same activity after 2 minutes, despite being interested up to that point.  A quick look in my file and a bit of imagination...boom...had them engaged 20 seconds later with a new prac activity, which may or may not have worked with the first class.
There's nothing wrong with that.

[Jeff Winston]

1) SO lets just get this straight, you as a teacher think that an appropriate thing to do with your students is pretend to fire ( jokingly) a dangerous weapon one that can kill thus perpetuating the rant you went off on that simulated guns are okay? You're a teacher and while everthing you said is accurate this is not a justification for doing what you said. Switch it to a knife where take a ghost knife and pretend to slit your throat, or lunge at them in jest, Acceptable?

You should have seen me demonstrating the verb "to hang (oneself)" to my high school kids. I can see the headlines now if one of them does it, "NET Gives Lesson On Suicide to Depressed High School Class." You might as well ask if it's acceptable for kids to play cops and robbers

Teaching them a relavent verb is a far thing from a person in a position of authority and education pretending to shoot them with a gun. Just as a sex ed teacher isnt held accountable if the student goes out and gets pregnant, or if a science teachers shows a chemical reaction to a student who later uses the chemicals to burn down the school. You are making a really false analogy

[giselle]

I just make my ppts to flow with the lesson plan.  On the first slide, I put TODAY"S PLAN with a short list of the tasks.  For example this week's first grade was: 1) How to give praise  (2) 'sick' or 'hurt'  (3)  Listen & Speak p.47  (4) Activity Book p.125
This way, I don't have to actually memorize it; the next slide tells them & me what we're doing.  And by Tuesday, I've done the thing 3 times, so it just flows from there.  Monday morning classes are the guinea pigs, unfortunately.  I like the idea of putting a short outline on the board, too.  Keeps them focused & they will know the lesson isn't randomly flying along.  And you can check off each task as it's completed. 
As far as pretending to shoot them ... the kids are so coddled here, it makes me nauseous.  I don't particularly see a problem with it, as long as you have established the kind of relationship with the kids where nobody's feelings would be hurt.  And having been there for a month, maybe not yet.  BUT ... the parents are the ones we have to worry about here!  If one whiney kid goes home & complains to their crazy, coddling, xenophobic mom, well then, you can figure out the rest.

[Hooplehead]

Show your co-teacher this and tell her that Kim Yuna is a bad Korean because she is looked up to by millions and is creating the next Virginia Tech.

[Gradius]

Okay, here's what I took from this lengthy topic.

Do your best to memorize your lesson plan.  But don't sweat it if you glance once in a while at your notes.  If my co-teacher has a problem with that, then, well, I'm out of luck.

I don't really know PowerPoint very well, but maybe I should try using it.  It's not that hard if I practice with it.

Be as compliant as possible.  "In through one ear, out the other" isn't going to fly around here. 

Be flexible in the classroom.  If the co-teacher wants to do something that's not written in lesson plan, don't get flustered.  Instead, try to see the value in it and run with it.

When she does complain about nonsensical things such as lightly tapping on the shoulder to get attentio (let's not blow things out of proportion here, friends).  Do what she asks, but make a mental note to handle this person with care.

And to those of you only interested in passing judgement, I pity you.  People who judge others also judge themselves.  They put themselves on trial every day.  Maybe thats the only way they can get an ego boost.  I think people like these might be happier if they threw away the gavel.  Most people don't deserve to be judged.  Save it for the real villains of the world; the criminals, the terrorists, and the like.

And I enjoyed the Kim Yuna commercial, and you make a very valid point.  She's very talented and gorgeous!

[atmosphere]

That's just Korea for you. I was showing a video of a guy lifting a weight with his tongue and having to use a hook to attach it (demonstrating the word 'heaviest'). One of my co-teachers asked me to stop it as it's inappropriate. My students are all around the age of 16, and the movies they watch are about a thousand times worse than what I deemed to be a completely harmless video clip.

FWIW, the clip was originally shown on British TV at about 8pm. I think I was 12 when I first saw it, and thought nothing of it. ???

[Davox]

Okay, so some think the school is being too strict, and some think I'm complaining too much. 
...
Friends, I think I stepped into Nazi Elementary school here.  I can nod my head and smile for a while, and I plan on complying with her micromanaging, but somehow, this has to stop.  I can't go to work every day with dread.  What would be the best way to get her to lay off?

Yeah, I thought some of your initial complaints were pretty tame, but these seem more serious to me.  Well, maybe not individually but everything collectively for sure.  Except that it's not your school that is the problem.  It's your co-teacher.  So, I guess you have a few options.  The one our group got told at training was to give the co-teacher fruit or juice and then they'll be your friend.  This struck me as pretty patronizing at the time, but I'm not Korean, so maybe that's how it works with some people here?
I suspect, and this is just me based on what you've written, that the co-teacher either feels threatened by you or considers your presence to be an insult to her abilities as a teacher.   One suggestion: at least offer to let her plan/run/lead the lessons.  Maybe she'll lay off more if she feels more in control of the situation.  Couldn't hurt to try, anyway.

[Jeff Winston]

And to those of you only interested in passing judgement, I pity you.  People who judge others also judge themselves.  They put themselves on trial every day.  Maybe thats the only way they can get an ego boost.  I think people like these might be happier if they threw away the gavel.  Most people don't deserve to be judged.  Save it for the real villains of the world; the criminals, the terrorists, and the like.

Oh yeah because youre not passing judgement on them calling them pedantic or nonsensical. Way to call the kettle balck Mr Pot. Listen you want YOUR standards upheld and you're pissed off if she tries to express hers, got it it's your way or it's stupid. When you post in here you are being judges. Some judge what you are saying as valid and others do not. Don't whine about the latter. The irony of you being unhappy with this situation and moaning about very trivial things while telling us WE must be unhapy people with a gavel is so rich. Throw away yours and maybe you may enjoy your position more.

[Gradius]

I'm describing behavior, Jeff Winston, and how it doesn't make sense to me, not passing judgement.  And I'm not calling anybody "a tard". 

Anyway, I'm done with this topic.

[Jeff Winston]

no you are JUDGING the behaviour by labelling it non sensical. and describing it under your standards. So please don't suggest otherwise

[JuliusCaesar108]

This thread is turning into a flame war.  I don't see how it will improve.  Warnings were sent, some of the posts were deleted.  This thread is locked.