Two of my favorite K-blogs to read have both posted their two cents about a topic that is near and dear to me: how teachers are treated. Both Roboseyo and Brian in Jeollanam-do have done their duties as excellent bloggers to bring the point to a head: the current Korean education system, in both public schools and hagwons, treat their native and foreign teachers with discrimination and a double standard. Read these both before moving on.
This of course, is obvious to almost any foreign teacher already in Korea and doing the best job they can.
To be fair, I am positive there are wonderful Korean teachers who almost never have to resort to a broom stick or a bamboo sword (read Brian's post for the links to some shocking YouTube videos), and that these cases are rare enough to get mention the few times they happen.
So what's the solution?
I'd start with an overall revamping of the disciplinary system. Ban corporal punishment, as a recent Korea Times article talked about, but simulteanously give teachers another source of punishment to be meted out as needed. Without any public school experience I can't say what might work at that level, but when working with kids in the past, the 'nose against the wall' worked fairly well. If they continued to misbehave they sat with the principal and had a...fun...time with her. I'd just as soon put them somewhere where they couldn't disturb the kids actually trying / wanting to learn. Detention, perhaps, as a solution - noting of course that American public schools don't exactly have the best system themselves. I wouldn't want to be an American public school teacher and fear even touching my students. There's a balance somewhere in the middle - the trick is finding it.
This of course, is obvious to almost any foreign teacher already in Korea and doing the best job they can.
To be fair, I am positive there are wonderful Korean teachers who almost never have to resort to a broom stick or a bamboo sword (read Brian's post for the links to some shocking YouTube videos), and that these cases are rare enough to get mention the few times they happen.
So what's the solution?
I'd start with an overall revamping of the disciplinary system. Ban corporal punishment, as a recent Korea Times article talked about, but simulteanously give teachers another source of punishment to be meted out as needed. Without any public school experience I can't say what might work at that level, but when working with kids in the past, the 'nose against the wall' worked fairly well. If they continued to misbehave they sat with the principal and had a...fun...time with her. I'd just as soon put them somewhere where they couldn't disturb the kids actually trying / wanting to learn. Detention, perhaps, as a solution - noting of course that American public schools don't exactly have the best system themselves. I wouldn't want to be an American public school teacher and fear even touching my students. There's a balance somewhere in the middle - the trick is finding it.
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Related Videos :below I show related videos and not so related to this article.
Title: Preaching To The Choir - Steve Dawson
Music video for "Preaching To The Choir" from Steve Dawson's "I Will Miss The Trumpets and the Drums" album. Filmed on Western Ave, Chicago. www.stevedawsonmusic.com
Title: Preaching to the choir
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