Alcohol banned at GEPIK orientation

Have you ever been on a staff retreat or workshop with Korean teachers? I'm guessing not. Here's what happens: after a long boring meeting every pigs out and breaks out the soju and beer. Then the guys take off to a noraebang / rooms salon and return to the hotel for a few more rounds. Someone breaks out the cards and the poker carries on perhaps all night while other teachers just pass out where they were sitting. The next morning everyone catches up on sleep on the bus or at any pointless morning meeting. This is usually mostly or all paid for with school money and is as much a bonding experience as anything else.

I have been on a retreat with Korean teachers.  The level of drinking was way beyond what I am used to, but somehow they managed not to destroy any property, make it to bed, and then get back on the bus for day 2 without any of the negative press that is common, and deserved, at GEPIK/EPIK orientations. 

The "they're treating us like children" complaint doesn't hold much water either.  One might just as easily argue that to ask you to rise above the Korean perception of respect is to treat you like an adult who might be expected to understand the concept of forgoing rights for the greater good. 

Finally, having worked for a company that facilitated corporate team building retreats, I understand asking adults not to drink while they are representing the company to the people in and around the training facility.  We actually stopped contracting with companies if alcohol was involved recently before or during our time slot.  Ironically we found that people bonded just as well if not better when sober, but that's beside the point.

I have been on a retreat with Korean teachers.  The level of drinking was way beyond what I am used to, but somehow they managed not to destroy any property, make it to bed, and then get back on the bus for day 2 without any of the negative press that is common, and deserved, at GEPIK/EPIK orientations.

That's pretty much my thoughts exactly. No one's saying the Korean teachers don't drink, but you don't see anywhere near the kind of behavior that you get at an orientation.

I'm EPIK and I like to drink, but honestly, I'd be perfectly fine if they banned alcohol for us too. I was part of the spring '09 orientation group and there was so much property damage that the entire EPIK program got banned from the host university. No, most of us weren't acting like we were at a frat party, but some people definitely were and it was completely embarrassing for everyone else.

I'm also kind of stunned at how many people are saying they absolutely must have alcohol. Surely you've gone more than three days without drinking before, right?

By the way, it's not Korea, it's GEPIK (which I understand is a government program).  We are not slaves.

Seriously? Slaves?  You said you weren't whining, but I'd have to disagree.  You are comparing the banning of alcohol at a work function to slavery.  So do you also feel like a slave because you can't drink alcohol at school?

I was embarassed by the drinking at the SMOE Spring 2011 orientation. Worse was that the native korean teachers who were managing the whole show didn't do anything to quiet noisy floors and tell people to go to sleep.

On the last night (first day at school the next day) there was people awake at 4am screaming that they were excited that they passed the HIV test and were loudly talking about running a train on some girl.

If you aren't going to take the training seriously then **** right off.

I think Korean teachers are being too nice to native teachers..
Korea treat you too nice.
Honestly, where? which country you go and they treat you well??
Hey Native teachers, if you want to complain of small this and that than there is 1 good answer.
Just leave Korea and please don't come back!!!

I agree that it is a small thing to get angry about. I'd like to point out that most people on this thread don't seem to see it as a problem that native teachers can't drink at the GEPIK orientation. "I think Korean teachers are being too nice to native teachers..
Korea treat you too nice." - are you saying that Korean teachers should not be so nice to NETs? What kind of things do you think KETs should do to treat us worse?

they SHOULD do what??? KOREA OWES YOU NOTHING.

They're an employer and their FTs are adults. They owe them a basic amount of respect if they want them to act as such. My school does and I respect them in turn, and thankfully they let me take care of my own professional development.

I think Korean teachers are being too nice to native teachers..
Korea treat you too nice.
Honestly, where? which country you go and they treat you well??
Hey Native teachers, if you want to complain of small this and that than there is 1 good answer.
Just leave Korea and please don't come back!!!

Here are some better ideas:

1. Get on good terms with your school and coworkers so that they can get you out of BS like this.

2. Interview a prospective teacher's references and past employers to try to find out whether or not they'll act like a frat boy at a retreat before you decide to hire them.

3. Don't hire people who are fresh out of university and have never had a full-time job before.

4. Place a hiring preference on maturity, not youth.

5. Stay in Korea and enjoy it's good points instead of BS like being treated like school children.

Have you ever heard the expression 'Korea gets the teachers it deserves'? Unfortunately, it is true sometimes.

The people who are going to act like drunken idiots are going to act like drunken idiots, rule or no rule.  I'm cuorious about how this will be enforced, I highly doubt it will.  It's not really that people can not be sober for three days, it's more that when meeting such a large number of people drinking togethor really is one of the best ways to bond and to meet others.  That, I think, for many people is the largest benefit of an event like this, as opposed to the lectures.  From what I've heard, and what I've experinced of similar events, the time spent talking to others outside of lectures is much more valuabe.

I think Korean teachers are being too nice to native teachers..
Korea treat you too nice.
Honestly, where? which country you go and they treat you well??
Hey Native teachers, if you want to complain of small this and that than there is 1 good answer.
Just leave Korea and please don't come back!!!

that's unfair.  and this is coming from someone who is in favor of the rule.  while i don't agree with the people who are complaining, you are essentially entering western territory by logging in to this site.  part of that culture is the right to voice our concerns and complaints.  some complainers shouldn't be teachers, but it isn't because they speak their mind on waygook, or because they complain.  it's because they are poor teachers, whatever country they come from.  as the saying goes, if you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen.

By the way, it's not Korea, it's GEPIK (which I understand is a government program).  We are not slaves.

Seriously? Slaves?  You said you weren't whining, but I'd have to disagree.  You are comparing the banning of alcohol at a work function to slavery.  So do you also feel like a slave because you can't drink alcohol at school?

Wow, you completely missed the point.  Read the quote above what I said (the portion that you quoted).  I was referring to him saying that Korea owes us nothing.

I think Korean teachers are being too nice to native teachers..
Korea treat you too nice.
Honestly, where? which country you go and they treat you well??
Hey Native teachers, if you want to complain of small this and that than there is 1 good answer.
Just leave Korea and please don't come back!!!

Please, there's no room for nationalism on this forum.  I understand that you are Korean and have your opinions; that's fine.  All people are welcome on Waygook.org (Waygookins and Hangookins alike). 

I think for the most part, people have been fairly polite on this thread, with some exceptions.  Please don't turn this into a "Get out of Korea" or other kind of thread.

I think Korean teachers are being too nice to native teachers..
Korea treat you too nice.
Honestly, where? which country you go and they treat you well??
Hey Native teachers, if you want to complain of small this and that than there is 1 good answer.
Just leave Korea and please don't come back!!!

Please, there's no room for nationalism on this forum.  I understand that you are Korean and have your opinions; that's fine.  All people are welcome on Waygook.org (Waygookins and Hangookins alike). 

I think for the most part, people have been fairly polite on this thread, with some exceptions.  Please don't turn this into a "Get out of Korea" or other kind of thread.

And if this person is by chance in a position to hire or have some influence over the hiring of FTs, I'd very much like to know how he would go about doing it, and whether he would prefer a mature teacher with lots of experience or a very young inexperienced one.

By the way, it's not Korea, it's GEPIK (which I understand is a government program).  We are not slaves.

Seriously? Slaves?  You said you weren't whining, but I'd have to disagree.  You are comparing the banning of alcohol at a work function to slavery.  So do you also feel like a slave because you can't drink alcohol at school?

Wow, you completely missed the point.  Read the quote above what I said (the portion that you quoted).  I was referring to him saying that Korea owes us nothing.

Sorry, I guess I missed your point.  I still don't see the slavery connection, though.

I think Korean teachers are being too nice to native teachers..
Korea treat you too nice.
Honestly, where? which country you go and they treat you well??
Hey Native teachers, if you want to complain of small this and that than there is 1 good answer.
Just leave Korea and please don't come back!!!

Please, there's no room for nationalism on this forum.  I understand that you are Korean and have your opinions; that's fine.  All people are welcome on Waygook.org (Waygookins and Hangookins alike). 

I think for the most part, people have been fairly polite on this thread, with some exceptions.  Please don't turn this into a "Get out of Korea" or other kind of thread.

And if this person is by chance in a position to hire or have some influence over the hiring of FTs, I'd very much like to know how he would go about doing it, and whether he would prefer a mature teacher with lots of experience or a very young inexperienced one.

I'm actually in the process of starting my own hakwon.  I really wish it was possible to see real names because this site would be great for weeding out the undesirable applicants!  To answer your question, I'm definitely looking for more mature teachers who would know how to represent their respective countries. 

How about this as evidence that NETs are childish?

It's been two days almost and this thread is still active.

I'm actually in the process of starting my own hakwon.  I really wish it was possible to see real names because this site would be great for weeding out the undesirable applicants!  To answer your question, I'm definitely looking for more mature teachers who would know how to represent their respective countries.

Well, then I'd advise against trying to tell them what they can and can't do in a hotel room *after* work, lol.

Good luck with the search. The local GnB in my town bucked the trend and hired a 50-something who's married to a Korean and wanted to experience more of her culture. I've heard nothing but good things about him. Pity GEPIK probably wouldn't even look at him.

I'm actually in the process of starting my own hakwon.  I really wish it was possible to see real names because this site would be great for weeding out the undesirable applicants!  To answer your question, I'm definitely looking for more mature teachers who would know how to represent their respective countries

Send some personal messages to people who catch your eye. There does seem to be a majority of public school people on this site though.

I'm actually in the process of starting my own hakwon.  I really wish it was possible to see real names because this site would be great for weeding out the undesirable applicants!  To answer your question, I'm definitely looking for more mature teachers who would know how to represent their respective countries.

Well, then I'd advise against trying to tell them what they can and can't do in a hotel room *after* work, lol.

Good luck with the search. The local GnB in my town bucked the trend and hired a 50-something who's married to a Korean and wanted to experience more of her culture. I've heard nothing but good things about him. Pity GEPIK probably wouldn't even look at him.


Send some personal messages to people who catch your eye. There does seem to be a majority of public school people on this site though.

Thanks.  Most of the better teachers I've met are over 40.  It's too bad the public schools don't see it the same way, but that's their business. 

Flasyb, that's a good idea.  There are definitely a few people on this site that have caught my attention!  We're not all bad LOL.

Thanks.  Most of the better teachers I've met are over 40.  It's too bad the public schools don't see it the same way, but that's their business. 

Many of the public schools do in fact want a more mature, and especially more experienced, teacher. It's the morons in the hiring departments and / or their higher-ups in organisations like GIPEK who prefer young newbies.

Younger teachers can get paid less, therefore are more desirable.  I do wonder what about this job is attractive to older people though, the pay is good for fresh out of college, but not that great beyond that.