Reality Bites

Today we had a bit of a reality check about teaching in Korea. I guess this one was more like a reality smack in the face. Curtis has been having a difficult time getting responses from one of his classes and asked our Academic Director for some guidance. She sat in on one of his classes and afterward told him that he was speaking too fast and therefore could not be understood. One problem with this is that the class should be at the level to understand him well. Another one is that the class answers some days and doesn't answer others - the inconsistency doesn't lead to the only conclusion being that Curtis speaks too quickly.

Our supervisor admitted that these students were low for their level and were actually about two levels behind. This means that they are being expected to answer questions about books they aren't able to read. No wonder it's been so frustrating for Curtis! The kids here are often moved up because their parents want them to be, not because they have that skill level or because their skill has improved. After looking at this situation a bit further we realize that it's because these schools are run more like businesses and the satisfaction of the customer is the bottom line. It's sad to realize that we are not educators - we are sales associates. Sigh - I'm just going to keep pretending like I am a teacher. It's more fun that way. :)