RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

I pulled a groin muscle while at the gym this morning. 

 

Serves you right for being an overachieving morning gymer

I pulled a groin muscle while at the gym this morning. 

 

Serves you right for being an overachieving morning gymer

BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE GYM IN THE MORNING IN FOREVER

I even went to bed early last night so that I could enjoy an empty gym for once. 3:<

Now everyone keeps asking me why I'm walking around like a penguin.

I'm pretty certain I've transported this to the correct thread, B Farrell, haha.

So my main co-teacher has decided she hates me now, for some reason, and I cannot figure out why.  As far as I know, Monday last week everything was fine;  then I got sick that night with food poisoning so I ended up taking Tuesday off and when I came back Wednesday, everything had changed.

~I wasn't aware of anything wrong at first until Thursday during lunch hour, when I went to brush my teeth in the teacher's bathroom.

~Friday, the next day, I'm usually at my secondary school but I had received a message from my co-teacher at the secondary school that I wouldn't be needed there, so I was at my main school on Friday deskwarming and getting lessons done.

~Yesterday during a class with her, I was having problems with the students and I made the mistake of accidentally saying her name without adding 'teacher' at the end (I honestly make this mistake with my other cts, not just her, but the others usually let it go.

-Today I'm not even in the office for 10 mins in the morning when she calls my name (WITHOUT adding 'teacher' at the end, may I add?)

I'm not even hurt or anything that she doesn't like me (I honestly couldn't care less about it) but it's the random suddenness of it all. I literally was helping her decided which jacket/vest looked best on her two weeks ago and now she hates my guts and is undermining me in front of our students every-which-way. She's been teaching for like 25 years and apparently has a reputation from all of her schools about getting into fights and arguments with all of the teachers and I truly have been waiting for my day to come cause she's done this with the other teachers in department, but this is just ridiculous. I really can't wait for school to end in 6 weeks. I'm over this woman.

CO2 you are a gem!

Thank you!

UPDATE: just received a text message from my other G2 co-teacher about why my main has been so snappy and hateful towards me this past week and it turns out the the homeroom teacher for one of the second grade classes was out on sick leave for 3 days and main co-teacher (who is one of the only second grade teachers with no homeroom class) was substituting as homeroom teacher for that class. She was stressed out and decided to take that stress out on me - instead of any of the other 60+ teachers at the school.

While I'm happy to know why she was snappy the whole time, still doesn't explain everything but oh well.

Update-update: After getting everything resolved with this woman the following week, and her going back to loving me, I am now hated again and just discovered that she has talked to the VP at my main school - telling him that she is not satisfied with my teaching and requesting that I be transferred next year to another school. Now I have a total of four co-teachers at my main school, one at my secondary school, and everybody else besides this woman (who is my main co-teacher) loves me and the students all love me (besides maybe the kids in her class, who are extremely out of control and she does nothing with them). I'm not entirely too worried about not being renewed but I also really don't want to be forced to work with her again.  I'm currently going on four days of no sleep because of stress (mostly caused by said woman) and some other things going on, so at this point I really couldn't care less that she spoke to the VP but it is adding onto the anxiety.

I used to love this school. 

usually when you encounter a mentalist like that, everyone else is well aware she's insane too. so i wouldn't worry about it

Agreed, you said it before that this woman's reputation precedes her.

You might have to work with her for the time being, but do not let her get to you. Easier said than done, I know, but use this opportunity to practice SNIP.

And also, I don't think it's too late to put in a request to transfer to another school, either, if you really don't feel like you can work with her in the future. I'm assuming that you're with the EPIK or GEPIK programs. If you are, contact your coordinator about it, lay out the details of what's been going on. With your coT's reputation being what it is, they should never have allowed her to be your coT to begin with.

usually when you encounter a mentalist like that, everyone else is well aware she's insane too. so i wouldn't worry about it

I've never actually noticed this word being used in this way before, and I think it's my new favorite thing right now.

usually when you encounter a mentalist like that,

Man alive, you've embarrassed yourself.  Play a record.

bfarrell1987, do you like your main school apart from her?  If I were you and I liked my school I'd really stand up for myself in that situation.  I'd hate to have to move just because one teacher has a grudge against you.  I don't think it's fair considering the other teachers and students like you.

I'm so so angry (mostly disappointed) cause one of my students stole my airpods (2nd gen).  I have never had to "lock up" my stuff from my kids in over 10 years I've been working here in Korea.

 I teach a double reading class on Tuesday afternoons (period 5 and 6) and most of the time the kids are so so bored.  Today I thought...before we read the book (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) I would surprise them with the movie...I even gave them the choice between the 2000 one with Jim Carrey and the updated 2018 one.  (Personally I love the 1966 version but...they would hate it..not enough glitz). 

Soo they naturally chose the 2018 version..and I had my airpods and ipad on my desk (in the English Zone).  Period 5 we watch the movie (my stuff is still there)....then recess (ten minutes).  I come back from the break..ipad there, airpods gone with the wind.

My coteacher came in and I told her and other students about the missing airpods…..everyone searches...airpods still not recovered.

I'm pissed because never has a student stolen anything from me in over 10 years here in Korea.... Also...they are only grade 1 and I was doing them a solid by showing a movie!
 

Sorry to hear, but why Airpods? Good riddens I'd say. Frying your brain with low-level radiation isn't my idea of 'cool'.

Disclaimer: Bluetooth and wifi are perfectly safe.  But I remember a time of weak routers and cabled pc-stations in classrooms and never feeling like my head was on fire/continually charging up. Hard to concentrate as well and I get cranky as hell.

Everyday my head hurts from the 30 laptops charging up the room connecting to the Apple Router above my screen. But I 'm the 'only one' recognising it as such. Instead, all of my colleagues are just 'tired and irritable and rubbing their eyes and forehead' for no apparent reason. At first I thought the women were all in menopause but it's clearly the harmless radiation because we all have that pained, haunting, red-eyed stare at 2 pm. each meeting. Believe me, it cannot be the kids, they're great!

Korean drivers are f@cks. Late for school cause Korean drivers repeatedly entered an intersection when traffic was not flowing and traffic was blocked in 3 directions.

On the positive side saw a delivery scooter slowly slide out on an icy bend. Didn't bat an eyelid cause they deserve no respect with the way that they ride

On the positive side saw a delivery scooter slowly slide out on an icy bend. Didn't bat an eyelid cause they deserve no respect with the way that they ride

Wow. You're actually a terrible person.

I'm so so angry (mostly disappointed) cause one of my students stole my airpods (2nd gen).  I have never had to "lock up" my stuff from my kids in over 10 years I've been working here in Korea.

 I teach a double reading class on Tuesday afternoons (period 5 and 6) and most of the time the kids are so so bored.  Today I thought...before we read the book (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) I would surprise them with the movie...I even gave them the choice between the 2000 one with Jim Carrey and the updated 2018 one.  (Personally I love the 1966 version but...they would hate it..not enough glitz). 

Soo they naturally chose the 2018 version..and I had my airpods and ipad on my desk (in the English Zone).  Period 5 we watch the movie (my stuff is still there)....then recess (ten minutes).  I come back from the break..ipad there, airpods gone with the wind.

My coteacher came in and I told her and other students about the missing airpods…..everyone searches...airpods still not recovered.

I'm pissed because never has a student stolen anything from me in over 10 years here in Korea.... Also...they are only grade 1 and I was doing them a solid by showing a movie!
 

That sucks. I had a small little elephant souvenir stolen off my desk in my first year working here, and ever since then, I've kept any valuables locked up when I'm not in the room. And I lock my classroom door whenever I leave, even if it's for a few minutes.

Also, AirPods are the must-have item for kids in their age range, and they're expensive and easily pocketable - too tempting of a target for some little jerk, I guess :(

...here in Japan, taking a breather.

I know Japan has its own challenges and people like to pretend it is so much better and what not (and one numerous levels, it is).  The expat population is filled with nasty hipsters, doing the same things, talking about the same things and subbing their noses at anyone that tries to join in the conversation. 

However, my ranting/venting is this....I am absolutely NOT, looking forward to flying back to Korea.  Well...at least to my job and the location).  Usually, I was content on getting back...no, I just feel ill thinking about it.

However, my ranting/venting is this....I am absolutely NOT, looking forward to flying back to Korea.  Well...at least to my job and the location).  Usually, I was content on getting back...no, I just feel ill thinking about it.

I felt that for the first time when I returned from a month long trip in Feb 2018. And every subsequent trip since. I knew it was game over once i felt dread on landing at Incheon.

On the positive side saw a delivery scooter slowly slide out on an icy bend. Didn't bat an eyelid cause they deserve no respect with the way that they ride

Wow. You're actually a terrible person.

Nah! Screw them. They frequently ride through pedestrian green lights and do other asshat riding.

On the positive side saw a delivery scooter slowly slide out on an icy bend. Didn't bat an eyelid cause they deserve no respect with the way that they ride

Wow. You're actually a terrible person.

Nah! Screw them. They frequently ride through pedestrian green lights and do other asshat riding.

Ehhh, I'll actually slightly side with Savant on this. The fact that the rider was a delivery driver, which I think makes it fair to generalize as the delivery industry is exclusively filled with line-steppers, and the fact that the dude didn't seem to take too bad of a tumble, means a little schadenfreude is not unwarranted.

Now if it had been say, just some random person on an unmarked scooter and the accident was more serious, then I might agree. But I think those two things Savant cited are significant enough to not go for pitchforks and torches.

I do feel bad if someone's food was in there, because they don't deserve getting bunch of shaken and spilled crap or a 45 minute delay on their feast.

The genius of my principal:

My school has 2 designated parking lots, but even so, space is extremely limited with many more inconsiderate teachers, who arrive late, parking some of the other teachers in. A few weeks ago, I was under the impression that they were renovating the parking area as all teachers were requested to temporarily park on the soccer pitch (one of the parking areas has access to it). This parking area is right at the back entrance of the school, making it convenient to come and go when it rains.

They're not renovating the parking area, they're making another playground for the students. The students at this school are particularly lazy, preferring to wander the halls or chill in their homerooms, regardless of the weather. What gave him the idea of building another playground is anyone's guess.

So... all teachers will now have to fight for parking spots at the one remaining parking lot, with the rest having to park on the soccer field. This parking lot, and the area of the soccer pitch reserved for parking, are about a 100m uncovered walk from the school entrance. I can see us teachers having lots of fun walking 100m through snow and rain to get to and from our cars.

To summarise the principal's grand vision:

- Teachers parking 100m from the building, having to cross the soccer field to get to and from their cars... The soccer
   field gets particularly muddy when it rains (better invest in a pair of gumboots).
- Converting the main parking area to a 2nd playground, while one already sits barely used
- Having cars permanently parked across one of the soccer goal posts.
- improving the aesthetics of the soccer pitch with perpetual tread marks

This is what happens when one guy is put in charge and nobody is allowed to question.

Are you sure he's 100% behind this and it isnt a "use it or lose it" funding thing or a mandate from on high, like from the county office?

However, my ranting/venting is this....I am absolutely NOT, looking forward to flying back to Korea.  Well...at least to my job and the location).  Usually, I was content on getting back...no, I just feel ill thinking about it.

I felt that for the first time when I returned from a month long trip in Feb 2018. And every subsequent trip since. I knew it was game over once i felt dread on landing at Incheon.

To be fair, this  pure, honest contempt is mainly due to the job and the specified location.  If I were in a location that was not a suck-hole, with a school that does not drain the life out of me, I would feel different.   But...it is not the case.  Even the decent things about overall package are failing to register. 

Luckily, I get paid on Tuesday.  I very well may just say...."Despite what the contract says, I am giving you 30 days, not 90, to find a replacement.  No, I will not be able to help on that level because I just cannot imagine myself selling this school or the area to anyone.  Also, I despite what the contract states about taking 1/2 of my salary should I leave for any reason, I am not going allow that, not at least without a fight.  So...I here is a post dated Letter of Release.  I will stay 30 days, only, if you sign and stamp it now.  If not, I walk...right now.  Should it come to that to ease the burn, you can keep the illegal housing deposit that you have collected". 

I only took this job because due to circumstances beyond my control, the wolves were at the door and I thought could handle it. 

No...once you have tasted the awesomeness of being at a good school, having good working hours,  with a boss that listens, with no Korean teachers to attempt the bully tactics (only to put on a drama show when they get showed up on it), in a decent location....it is extremely difficult to go back to what Korea is known for in this industry.

yep. i absolutely hated my job last year. i hated it. everything annoyed me, too. could have happily left korea, then

this year, i have a job i love, and am more than happy. when you have a job you like you like, the day-to-day niggles don't bother you so much.