Are you embarrassed to be a ESL teacher/professor?

In my 'conscious mind' I think its a noble profession to teach or be a professor. That being said when I was a teacher in Korea I felt a bit bad when people asked me what I did and I said I was a teacher. Its weird because being a teacher/professor is basically public service.

In a separate thread a user called ESLturtle said he is a teacher and a business man. Does anyone else in Korea have a hybrid career like him?

"Been in Korea 10+ years, still only possess a BA in some useless liberal subject, still work at a hakwon, garbage Korean skills - absolutely embarrassed."

I get what you are trying to say but why should these teachers/professors be embarrassed? Seriously? For ten years they have selflessly giving their time to help others - when they could have been doing something much better for themselves personally.

When people disrespect ESL teacher/professors my knee jerk reaction is similar to the reaction if someone were to disrespect someone working for the red cross or salvation army.

Quote from: Telephone33 on November 10, 2018, 03:11:10 pm

Are you embarrassed to be a ESL teacher/professor?

In my 'conscious mind' I think its a noble profession to teach or be a professor. That being said when I was a teacher in Korea I felt a bit bad when people asked me what I did and I said I was a teacher. Its weird because being a teacher/professor is basically public service.

In a separate thread a user called ESLturtle said he is a teacher and a business man. Does anyone else in Korea have a hybrid career like him?

I think I'd be more embarassed telling someone I had some hybrid teacher + something else job than a straight teacher.

It often comes across much like the "waiter/actor/but I really want to direct".

As someone who earned a Ph.D. while being a "professor" here, I am not embarrassed to be in the position I am in for the time being. I am, however, pursuing a position where I can utilize the knowledge from my degree and research. This position pays the bills and has been flexible enough to allow more than enough free time to do research, write, AND travel. 

I am not embarrassed to be myself, nor am I self-loathing - I leave that to white liberals.

Being embarrassed about teaching in Korea would depend on a few things. Young and working at a hakwon - fine. Been in Korea 10+ years, still only possess a BA in some useless liberal subject, still work at a hakwon, garbage Korean skills - absolutely embarrassed.

Holy sheet you just described me, minus the hagwon job!!

And no not embarrassed, but in the final countdown for returning to home country with family.

With the amount of people on here who regularly admit that teaching in Korea is for the most part a joke and a farce, I'm surprised that more people aren't embarrassed.

Put me firmly in the embarrassed camp.  Although I take my job seriously, I strongly feel that no one else does (I mean my coworkers).  So when they discover how high my salary is (higher than theirs in some cases) that's when the embarrassment kicks in.  I've been here for a few years now so planning takes up very little time.  That means I'm browsing the internet and drinking coffee for most of the day while I see my coworkers running around, always busy with something.

If you are GOOD AT teaching, then there's no need to be embarrassed.

How many ESLers are here for travel, money, blogging or other things? To them it is about a paycheck, and so size matters.

This is an interesting point.  I don't know how you know if you're a good teacher or not.  I wish there were a more robust evaluation system in place.  That would add some validity to the job and I'd feel less embarassed.

Very interesting topic for a thread!

Quote from: alexisalex on November 11, 2018, 04:10:25 pm

I don't know how you know if you're a good teacher or not. 

you are a good teacher if the students like you, if you don't bother the management too much and if you always do as you are told without questioning it. this is all that matters 

In that case I'm a fantastic teacher 

Quote from: VanIslander on November 11, 2018, 08:42:53 am

If you are GOOD AT teaching, then there's no need to be embarrassed.

How many ESLers are here for travel, money, blogging or other things? To them it is about a paycheck, and so size matters.

This is an interesting point.  I don't know how you know if you're a good teacher or not.  I wish there were a more robust evaluation system in place.  That would add some validity to the job and I'd feel less embarassed.

C'mon. You KNOW when it's been a good day of teaching or a bad one. We all have good days and bad days of teaching.

This is not about throwing on a video for students to watch (passively, no goal-oriented comprehension search for info they will be graded and ranked on - contrary to the hunting projects some of us do in 'game' activities that ate really hard-working pair work).

Some days one knows one has made a difference. Other days one doubts it. Most of us have both kinds. No one is.perfect or totally terrible. But how often one has good days of teaching is the issue.

A job is a job. Nobody who does their best at any job should feel ashamed, the idea is ridiculous. Do the people collecting cardboard feel "embarrassed"? No. They're working for a living, same as we are.

I think this is important. I hate it when people look down on other people's jobs. Everyone is just trying to earn enough money to get by. I think of you genuinely enjoy your job then you're lucky - most people in the world don't have that luxury

Quote from: alexisalex on November 11, 2018, 04:10:25 pm

With the amount of people on here who regularly admit that teaching in Korea is for the most part a joke and a farce

It is a joke and a farce but if Koreans want to throw money at us so they can tell themselves they're "studying so hard," who are we to say no?

I think most people get over the "teaching in Korea is a joke" thing after a while. Koreans will never listen to any constructive criticism, especially from foreigners.

The average "constructive criticism" I see here is long on criticism, short on construction.

I don't see us running to receive any constructive criticism from Koreans. Any we get we usually just nod and ignore.