ShelleyK
Brown Belt
Ive been noticing a few things lately in my Dojang.
Now please do not get all feisty on me (especially you masters here) but I have been keeping tabs lately in my school on who gets the most help in class.
One thing I REALLY noticed is that I BARELY got any help from my master in the month of June to help me prepare for my blue stripe belt test last week.
On June 11th I got my first tip for learning Pal Gwe Sam Jang. However...I KNEW the form over a week before that...I competed this form on June 6th and came in 2nd place! I waited a week before my instructor finally took me aside and had me do the form for him to get my tip.
My next tip was for learning the 1-step sparring, which again I already knew and was teaching to other students with the same belt level as me, I got that tip on June 19. I asked my master if I would be testing for my blue stripe on June 25th and he said no so I was like ok, I guess Im not as proficient as I thought I was!
I missed my Monday class the next week as I was sick, and came back on Wednesday and my noon class belt partner Joe had his 3rd tip, which is for the self defense. So I knew he was going to test. He asked me if I was and I said no that Master Moon said I wasnt. THEN after doing warm ups and some drills Master moon told all the testers to go into the other sparring room to practice for the test which was the next day...he called me over and told me to go in there and I got all confuzzled and reminded him that he told me I wasnt testing, then he says he was mistaken because I only had 2 tips and he realized that he hadnt been watching me carefully enough to see that I knew my self defense.
Now normally you have to get the testing form and fee in TWO days before the testing! I had to cram to fill out my essay form and come up with the fee...which I wasnt prepared for, all because of his lack of observation! Luckily for me my husband had some money put away so I was able to use that.
Now back to playing favorites....this does all tie in....While the 3 weeks went by I noticed that there are a couple of students that master Moon "prefers" to help more than others. Even my belt partner Joe noticed that Master Moon rarely glanced our way while we did our curriculum. We literally had to learn ALL of the techniques on our own by watching our instructional videos or studying our manuals. Now dont get me wrong I dont mind learning that way but when its obvious that a student is struggling....as I was on my 3rd self defense technique....because class always ended as we were getting to that part LOL....you would think that the teacher would step in and give some instruction. My noon class isnt normally very big...anywhere from 6-12 students at any given time...sometimes more sometimes even less. And when a student is pretty much ready for a belt test and the teacher doesnt even realize it...I feel that there is a problem.
I dont want to seem petty and complain to the other staff either...one of whom also plays favorites but I am kind of at a loss of what route I should take next?
Just on Friday, the day after my belt testing I luckily brought my manual which had the steps of the form in it. When it was time to do curriculum again I grabbed it because I KNEW I wasnt going to get any help. I stood there staring at the manual and trying to imitate the hand/arm placements. And not once did my teacher glance my way, instead he concentrated on another student that has been on her belt level for 2 months now. When class ended I grabbed one of the other instructors/director of the school to at least help me with the first 4 moves of my new form. Im getting more frustrated as the days go by...
Any thoughts on what I should do?
Now please do not get all feisty on me (especially you masters here) but I have been keeping tabs lately in my school on who gets the most help in class.
One thing I REALLY noticed is that I BARELY got any help from my master in the month of June to help me prepare for my blue stripe belt test last week.
On June 11th I got my first tip for learning Pal Gwe Sam Jang. However...I KNEW the form over a week before that...I competed this form on June 6th and came in 2nd place! I waited a week before my instructor finally took me aside and had me do the form for him to get my tip.
My next tip was for learning the 1-step sparring, which again I already knew and was teaching to other students with the same belt level as me, I got that tip on June 19. I asked my master if I would be testing for my blue stripe on June 25th and he said no so I was like ok, I guess Im not as proficient as I thought I was!
I missed my Monday class the next week as I was sick, and came back on Wednesday and my noon class belt partner Joe had his 3rd tip, which is for the self defense. So I knew he was going to test. He asked me if I was and I said no that Master Moon said I wasnt. THEN after doing warm ups and some drills Master moon told all the testers to go into the other sparring room to practice for the test which was the next day...he called me over and told me to go in there and I got all confuzzled and reminded him that he told me I wasnt testing, then he says he was mistaken because I only had 2 tips and he realized that he hadnt been watching me carefully enough to see that I knew my self defense.
Now normally you have to get the testing form and fee in TWO days before the testing! I had to cram to fill out my essay form and come up with the fee...which I wasnt prepared for, all because of his lack of observation! Luckily for me my husband had some money put away so I was able to use that.
Now back to playing favorites....this does all tie in....While the 3 weeks went by I noticed that there are a couple of students that master Moon "prefers" to help more than others. Even my belt partner Joe noticed that Master Moon rarely glanced our way while we did our curriculum. We literally had to learn ALL of the techniques on our own by watching our instructional videos or studying our manuals. Now dont get me wrong I dont mind learning that way but when its obvious that a student is struggling....as I was on my 3rd self defense technique....because class always ended as we were getting to that part LOL....you would think that the teacher would step in and give some instruction. My noon class isnt normally very big...anywhere from 6-12 students at any given time...sometimes more sometimes even less. And when a student is pretty much ready for a belt test and the teacher doesnt even realize it...I feel that there is a problem.
I dont want to seem petty and complain to the other staff either...one of whom also plays favorites but I am kind of at a loss of what route I should take next?
Just on Friday, the day after my belt testing I luckily brought my manual which had the steps of the form in it. When it was time to do curriculum again I grabbed it because I KNEW I wasnt going to get any help. I stood there staring at the manual and trying to imitate the hand/arm placements. And not once did my teacher glance my way, instead he concentrated on another student that has been on her belt level for 2 months now. When class ended I grabbed one of the other instructors/director of the school to at least help me with the first 4 moves of my new form. Im getting more frustrated as the days go by...
Any thoughts on what I should do?