Discplining Students

Maintaining classroom discipline in schools in Korea is very different than back home. There have been a couple of incidents that I think are illustrative of the disciplinary style here and will be of interest to readers in other countries.

At my boys' middle school, it's always a challenge to keep students on task and from disrupting the lesson. One day last week, I told the students in this first-grade class that they needed their textbooks, notebooks, and a pencil for the lesson. The Korean teacher repeated the instructions so all the students could understand.

One boy was stalling and wasting time at his cubby at the back of the classroom. The teacher admonished him because he was wasting time and we needed to start the lesson. There was some back and forth between the teacher and student, and I could tell by the tone the student was using that he was talking back and arguing with the teacher. He finally found his books and proceed to toss them across the room towards his desk. The books flopped onto the floor.

The teacher called him out to the hallway, effectively removing him from the classroom. I had never witnessed this before from the teacher. It is very rare for teachers here since they subscribe to the interpretation of law that students "cannot be denied their education", therefore removing them from the class is not normally permitted.

However, on this occasion, the disrespect had crossed a line and the teacher took the student to the faculty office. She asked me to proceed with the class, and I didn't see her until the class was about to end. The rude boy did not return to class at all. 

Later, the teacher asked me if I was surprised to see her so angry since she has never shown anger like that in class before. I told her to get even angrier in the future if she wanted. Sometimes the kids push things too far. But she's not likely to do that in the future. She said it "wouldn't be pretty."

The next day, the offending student is at the teacher's desk bright and early to receive his punishment. And this punishment was truly novel. He had to stand in the faculty office holding a sign, written in Korean, that he promises to respect teachers and the school rules and not misbehave any more. He stood there before classes, had to return for some of his breaks and part of the lunch hour. It combined embarrassment, which I'm not sure he felt, plus the pain of missing his free time at school. The teacher told me later that the parents had signed off on this punishment. Knowing this student, I highly doubt that this or any punishment will be effective, but it's nice to see some measure of discipline for poor behaviour.

Imagine my surprise when I return to the school one week later and the student is still standing with the sign in the faculty office! How long is this punishment? I think the other teachers took one look at that kid and thought, "yes, now that's a punishment!" because by the time lunch rolls around, there are three other kids standing there with their respective signs announcing to the school the wrongs that they've committed and how they'll follow the rules from now on. One student held a sign about how he will always wear his mask from now on.

All the teachers at my boys' middle school have trouble with class 3-1. They're a rowdy bunch, rarely play attention or participate, and only quiet down when they decide to take a nap at their desks. It was clear that the Korean teacher was tired of dealing with them, so she announced to me that she wasn't going to wake up the sleepers this week. She'd just let them sleep during my Halloween lesson. It was easier for everyone. Pick your battles.

Finally, at the same school, there was a fight amongst two boys in grade 1. I wasn't there to witness it, but I learned of it when I saw a student in my class with ugly looking, bloody scratches on his throat and a small cut on his face. Yet, strangely, he was in a good mood and participating in the class much more than usual. That is, he never participates but now he seemed to be having fun, if not goofing around in the class.

When class ended, I brought it to the attention of the Korean teacher. She inquired about the student's injuries and told me later about the fight. Apparently, it was resolved by the other teachers. Resolved, at least, in a way that had a scratched-up, bloody student in my class rather than sent home. 

I'll never understand how they do things here.

Making Soap

One day without warning, although I'm sure it had been planned months in advance, the teachers at my school had a professional development activity in the late afternoon after the students had left for the day. We gathered in the science room to make soap.

Earlier in the year, an outside instructor came to the school to teach us how to make natural shampoo. She returned last week for a session on soap making. It was much the same process as before. Several bottles of various ingredients were spread out on the tables with a digital scale. We were to follow the directions by adding a certain amount of each ingredient to our cup, stirring, and repeating until all the ingredients had been added, and the combination had formed soap.

There were several types of soap that we could choose from, but being that the session was fully in Korean, I didn't really understand what was going on nor was I that interested in making soap. I ended up with two kinds of soap, the first was a barely-based exfoliating soap. The second was an orange-coloured paprika soap made with tomatoes, lemons and other spices that apparently moisturize the skin. I chose that soap because the powder looked like the orange powder that you add to ramen. All I really understood of the instructor's presentation was "essential oils". 

 

 

Sitting at my table of teachers was a male gym teacher. Once he realized what this session was all about, he left just before the session started and did not return. Luckily, at my table sat the new Korean English teacher and some other younger teachers, so they were able to explain everything to me in English. I appreciate their efforts because I would have been lost without them.

The new Korean English teacher was oddly pushy. For example, we had to add ingredients into the cup on the scale in precise measurements. Say we required 1.0 gram of a certain substance. I would drop a little in the cup, and it read 0.2 grams on the scale. Then I would add a little more, and it read 0.6 grams. She then grabbed the ingredients away from me and finished adding the substance herself while I sat and watched. This was repeated for every substance. At one point, apparently, I wasn't stirring my soap mixture properly, so she took it away from me and did it herself.

 

 

When we were ultimately finished, she again took the lead by putting my soap containers in the provided plastic bag. I guess she assumed I couldn't handle such a task.

I haven't used the soap yet as it's just sitting on my counter, but I'll give it a try and see if the whole thing was worth it.

I complain about these sessions because they are awkward and, at times, seem pointless. But with the pandemic cancelling many of the cultural activities that I would have participated in, I am thankful that the school offers these opportunities for learning and connecting with my colleagues away from the pressures of the classroom.

Contract Renewal Decision

While I was sick last week, my co-teacher was regularly checking up on me through text messages. She also noted that I needed to make a decision on whether or not I wanted to renew my contract for another year at the school. I was quite sick, yet she messaged me twice about my contract renewal decision, so I figured it was urgent. I asked her when I needed to make my decision, and she said October 15th. Thankfully, I didn't need to decide on my future while I was sick in bed. I had another week to think about it.

What should normally happen with contract renewals is that I should first receive a performance review, ideally with constructive feedback and a meeting with the school principal who decides whether or not to offer another contract. As with last year, I was not given a performance review and did not meet with the principal. I have never received any formal feedback. I take it as a good sign that the contract renewal is a mere formality because if I wasn't teaching well, I wouldn't've been offered a renewal. Yet, I feel it is the employer's obligation to provided performance feedback. And I would like to improve as a teacher, so the lack of feedback is disappointing. At worst, it indicates that what I do at school doesn't really matter. I'm just filling the position of native teacher.

The decision to renew or not is difficult. I am good at this job, and after nearly two years, it has never been easier. I have a good relationship with the students. My lessons have a better flow and are more fun than when I first started. The workload is manageable, if not tiring. 

There are still many issues with co-teaching and the annoying things that my co-teachers do in the classroom. It was very frustrating at first to have teachers interfere with my lesson after making zero effort to help me plan the lesson or even instruct me on what they wanted in the lesson. Yet, I am used to all of that now and it doesn't bother me as much because I have adapted to the situation.

After my first year, I chose to stay in Korea for a second year mainly because the pandemic was still raging. It would have been very difficult to find another job, especially in Canada where there were many social distancing restrictions. Korea was relatively safe, but travel in the country and surrounding region was not possible. As a result, I spent my second year concentrating on my work and staying close to home, visiting the same cafes and restaurants, and doing very little sightseeing. In that way, it has been disappointing and I have not had the experience I envisioned when I first decided to come to Korea.

Still, I have decided that two years will be enough, for now. I will not renew my contract. I don't know what I'll do next or where I'll go, but I know for sure that I will not continue with this job.

I informed my co-teacher of my decision and it was very awkward because before I could finish my sentence, she got very happy and said "you're staying?!". I had to tell her, no, I decided not to renew. It was uncomfortable, but I'm happy the decision is official. I haven't told anyone else about deciding not to renew, but I'm sure the other teachers and students will find out in due course.

I think the reason I decided not to renew is largely influenced by the pandemic. I have not been able to travel home to see my family or visit other interesting places. If I had the chance to go home during the two years, perhaps I would stay here longer. Also, in terms of the job, two years is more than enough to get the full experience. Much of school life is now being repeated, including the lessons that I teach.

I plan to enjoy my remaining months in South Korea and slowly look for my next opportunity. COVID-19 numbers are slightly down in Korea with vaccination rates very high. With any luck, I'll be able to do something fun during my winter vacation, before my contract expires.

Sick as a Dog

What was supposed to be a short, four-day workweek turned into an even shorter week due to illness. I only worked Tuesday this week and was off sick on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Monday was a national holiday. This was my first time of ill health in Korea and it was a doozy. Wearing a mask for a year and a half protected me from getting sick, until this week.

I was doing one on one speaking tests with students at my boys' school on Tuesday when the first signs of a cold appeared. I was developing a cough and sore throat. By the time I got home afterward, I knew that I was definitely catching a cold and by 8pm, I contacted my co-teacher at my main school to let her know that I wouldn't be able to come to school the next day. It wasn't a problem because I didn't have any classes that day as students were writing their mid-term exams.

I was completely laid up in bed on Wednesday with a severe cold after having spent a sleepless night coughing and sneezing. My co-teacher regularly checked in throughout the day asking for updates on my condition and body temperature. I sent her photos of my temperature displayed on my digital thermometer and slept as much as I could in-between her incessant texting.

 At first, she asked if I wanted a COVID-19 test but I declined because I was sure it wasn't COVID. The next morning, I was still sick and asked again to stay home. Around that time, my right ear became blocked and I worried that I had an ear infection. I had a fever and was now practically deaf in one ear. 

My co-teacher consulted with the school nurse, who informed me that if I was still exhibiting cold symptoms, I wouldn't be allowed to come to school the next day unless I got a covid test. So, Thursday afternoon, I travelled by myself on the subway to the COVID-19 testing facility. I had been there once before but was driven by another teacher. 

I arrived at the testing facility without incident, although I was completely exhausted and would rather have just stayed in bed. The staff helped me complete the required paperwork as I couldn't understand Korean, then they directed me to the nurse who shoved a long prod up my nose, and then another one in the back of my throat which made me gag. She had to try twice in my throat because I was resisting too much. Still, I was in and out of the clinic within 15 minutes.

The results of the test would come the next morning. As such, I was to stay home until it was official that I didn't have COVID-19. If I still felt sick, I could spend the entire day at home. 

I was still fairly sick when I got the text at 9am which indicated that I did not have COVID-19. I had already missed my first-period class but decided to go to school anyway. I was sick but at the very least I needed to collect some files to prepare for my upcoming lessons. I showed the school nurse my COVID-19 test results and went to my desk. When the teachers saw me, it was clear that I was still too sick to teach. Several teachers gathered around me, to have a meeting about me that I didn't understand. Apparently, they were working out who of them was to take me to see a doctor.

My co-teacher made me fill out the log sheet and get the vice-principal's signature to validate my sick time, then we left to see an ear specialist. It was only a 10-minute walk from the school. At that hour of the morning, there were only two other people waiting to see the doctor, so we were in and out very quickly. The doctor sat me down and proceeded to examine my throat, nose, and ears. He inserted a long spike into my ear that was actually a camera. I saw the inside of both of my ears up on the screen. Much less wax than I was expecting.

The doctor spoke mostly in Korean but mixed in some very technical medical English that I couldn't understand or hear because of my ear. But my co-teacher interpreted that I had an ear infection. Apparently, I was born with "a weak ear system." And I should "not blow my nose into tissue so violently." Fluid had leaked into my middle or inner ear, and it was infected.

The doctor prescribed 7-days' worth of antibiotics, cold medicine and pain killers. The doctor's visit cost about $5 dollars which I paid upon leaving, and the medication cost $10 dollars. My co-teacher explained that the medicine was more expensive than usual because typically doctors only prescribe 3- days' worth of pills, but I needed medicine for a full week. I was to take a packet of five pills with meals three times per day for the next seven days.

Once we left the pharmacy, I was free to go home and rest. My co-teacher had not anticipated how quickly the doctor would see me, so she was quite obviously stalling on her way back to school. She usually walks at a very fast pace but was now dragging her feet. It was clear she didn't want to go back to school right away. We took a little detour, she asked me some English grammar questions, and finally arrived in front of my apartment building where she positioned herself so no one at the school could look out the window and see us. She proceeded to chat for a few more minutes before she departed and I went inside my apartment to lay down.

As I write this, it is only two days since my visit to the doctor, I still cannot hear from my ear, but I think my cold symptoms are almost gone. I'm still very tired. Thankfully, it is another 3-day weekend, so I have plenty of time to rest up before I return to school.

Policy of Living with COVID-19

Attitudes and policies have certainly evolved in the year and a half that I've been living in Korea. Back in the summer of 2020 with only 600 or so COVID-19 cases per day, classes were switched to an online format and my English summer camps suddenly changed to online at the last minute.

Earlier this spring, even with cases over 1000 per day, schools had shifted to having 2/3 of students at school while the other 1/3 would have online classes at home.

After the Chuseok holiday this September, cases spiked to an all-time high of 3200 per day, and currently, we are settled in with a consistent daily count of over 2000. Yet, even though cases are much higher than in previous months, South Korea has adopted a policy of "living with COVID-19" and a return to normal life will be implemented.

For my schools, this means that all classes are to be held in person at the school unless the severity level is raised to the highest level. Previously, online classes were required even for lower levels of COVID-19 in the community. Busan has relatively few cases so it is unlikely that we'll have online classes for any stretch of time for the remainder of the year unless there is a large outbreak in the city.

But that is policy, and conditions can change rapidly, as they did on Wednesday, just three days into the "Living with COVID-19" policy at my school. Apparently, a parent of a first-grader had tested positive for COVID-19. Just a few minutes before classes were to start for the day, the entire freshmen class was ushered out of the school and sent home. I wasn't sure what was happening at first because of the chaos in the faculty office, but eventually, this situation was explained to me. 

I don't teach first grade at that school, so none of my classes were cancelled and I had a fairly normal day. The freshmen class studied online for two days before they were permitted to come back to school. None of the students tested positive, thankfully.

Moving forward, we can expect all students to report to school each day. The lunch hour at my main school has been extended to 70 minutes so the students can eat in phases. This will hopefully avoid crowding in the cafeteria and minimize contact with students while they are eating with their masks off.

Living with COVID-19 is off to a rocky start. We can only hope that Busan remains relatively covid-free and everyone stays safe.