Teaching Here Teaching There

Most expats that I meet are not teachers in their home countries. I am the rare exception; the one that comes to the country with a knowledge of pedagogy, constructivism, Gardner's theory, etc. etc. When other expats find out that standing before them is a real live teacher they have a few reactions/questions. 1) What's the biggest difference between the states and Korea? 2) Really? Like, you're an actual teacher? Oh. 3) So you must be, like, an awesome teacher here eh? (of course...)

I teach adults where conversation can run anywhere from the Free Trade Agreement to how to land myself a Korean boy toy. I have learned a significant bit of culture on that topic I can tell you. The children that I teach is no more than a hyped up tutor session with three students in one class, three in the next, and two in the last. Compared to other  expats situations, I have it easy, and I will not argue with that. Public school teachers can sometimes have 600 students that they see on a weekly basis. They don't play here. Fo reals.

Kids are still kids, no matter the ethnicity. Everyone told me, "Oh Jennifer, you are going to love teaching in Korea. Asian kids are so disciplined, smart, and studious." Yeah, um, no. They are not. Just like in the states, some kids rock and you wish you could just take them home, other kids you want to grab by the collar, throw out the window while laughing wickedly, and glare at the class daring the next student to step out of line.
I've already spoken about my previous teaching experiences in the states and I've yet to see such horrific circumstances in students. In my last school I had a student tell me in a journal entry that when he was 14 his step-dad was beating his mother and he stepped in to defend her, beating up the step-dad in return. The mother called the police and pressed charges on her son. He went to juvenile detention and that's why he was a year behind in school. I've heard nothing like that, but I haven't met every child either.

Kids curse, are selfish, and pick their nose all day. They answer their cell phones in class, sneeze on you, and say, "no teacha" everyday, to everything, every time. Plus they don't understand %50 of what you say so "palm to face" happens about 20 times a day for me, and I only have eight kids. Imagine being in a hagwon or public school.

Being a licensed teacher helps me out all the time and just like during student teaching, where professors are throwing down those "theories" down our throats to make us "better teachers", more than anything I just need to know how to fix the copier (or read it). There are things I miss like curriculums, a discipline system that doesn't involve a corner, and supplies. I often had to buy my own school supplies in the states, but at least I knew exactly where to go for them, unlike here.

So while my stateside teaching experience consisted of restraining students during a fight, receiving students fresh out of rehab, and consoling those who just needed to cry, my Korean teaching experience still consist of discipline issues, problems with the higher ups, parents (who are sometimes worse than the kids),  and a lack of concern from the kids. Sometimes it's so different you forget what you left behind in the states and then little Choi or Kim or Lee go and try standing on the table saying, "NO TEACHA! NO NOTEBOOK!" Aigoo.

Point is, there are good days, bad days, and "I'm never going back" days in every profession, teaching being no expectation. But I love teaching; opening their little mouths and throwing information down their throats, it's what I love and am usually good at, sometimes. If you're coming to Korea hoping for an easy job as a teacher, don't board that Asiana Airplane. Get off now. Return to your parent's house and look for another job. Now. This ain't for the weak son.