RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

See, that's a question I have now -- why are they on strike?

You guys are saying that the booking was bad even before the strike and that they really needed more trains anyway. Is it because they wouldn't hire enough people to service/man those trains to begin with, leaving the workers in the shaft, that would be part of the reason for the strike?

I honestly don't know what the details are.

AFAIK the strike is because they want to move to a performance-based pay and promotion system. and the unions don't want that because they say there are no clearly defined criteria for performance. or something like that. i haven't really been following it that closely.

with regards to before the strike, i think KORAIL just doesn't have enough money to run more trains. last i read they were in massive amounts of debt and most of their train lines (the mugunghwa anyway) lose money.

never thought i'd say this but if they are losing so much money why not increase ticket prices? it seems they can. the cost of a train seat from my city to Seoul is about 2-3,000 Won LESS than the cost of an express bus, if they made it the same, i don't think many people would mind.

See, that's a question I have now -- why are they on strike?

You guys are saying that the booking was bad even before the strike and that they really needed more trains anyway. Is it because they wouldn't hire enough people to service/man those trains to begin with, leaving the workers in the shaft, that would be part of the reason for the strike?

I honestly don't know what the details are.

AFAIK the strike is because they want to move to a performance-based pay and promotion system. and the unions don't want that because they say there are no clearly defined criteria for performance. or something like that. i haven't really been following it that closely.

with regards to before the strike, i think KORAIL just doesn't have enough money to run more trains. last i read they were in massive amounts of debt and most of their train lines (the mugunghwa anyway) lose money.

never thought i'd say this but if they are losing so much money why not increase ticket prices? it seems they can. the cost of a train seat from my city to Seoul is about 2-3,000 Won LESS than the cost of an express bus, if they made it the same, i don't think many people would mind.

I don't know what city you're from, but in my experience, taking the bus from my city (Daegu) to Seoul is actually about 30 minutes faster than taking the Mugunghwa due to all the stops they make. I think that might account for the price difference.

it takes about the same amount  time for both the bus and train from my city to seoul. but often the bus can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour longer than it's supposed to due to traffic in and around Gyeonggi. the main reason i used to prefer to take the train.

Pecan, regarding giving feedback for tests, my experience is somewhat different.
The Korean co-teachers often ask me whether an answer is right or wrong, and then the head teacher proceeds to ignore my opinion.
Kim Teacher: Menlyn, a student wrote this, is it correct?
Menlyn: No, I'm afraid not.
KT: Are you sure? There's no way it can be correct?
M: Yes, it's definitely wrong.
KT: (In Korean to other teachers) We're still going to mark it correct.

Pecan, regarding giving feedback for tests, my experience is somewhat different.
The Korean co-teachers often ask me whether an answer is right or wrong, and then the head teacher proceeds to ignore my opinion.
Kim Teacher: Menlyn, a student wrote this, is it correct?
Menlyn: No, I'm afraid not.
KT: Are you sure? There's no way it can be correct?
M: Yes, it's definitely wrong.
KT: (In Korean to other teachers) We're still going to mark it correct.

I've had the opposite

Cot: Could this sentence be grammatically correct?
Me: Yes, it's not common, but it's not strange either.
Cot: But we didn't teach them this
Me: Ok.
Cot: I don't think it's correct
Me: Ok
Cot: I'm going to mark it wrong, is that ok?
Me: You're the one who wrote and gave out the test, it's up to you
Cot: Are you sure?

 

AFAIK they can't run more trains because they are still on strike. they don't have the capacity to do it. they've severely curtailed train service in my city. trains to Seoul used to run multiple times per hour and now it's only once every 2-3 hours 

but i've had the same experience as you. even before the strike you used to have to book tickets a full week in advance to go to Seoul on the weekends, and come back on Sunday evening. now since the strike it's been almost impossible to book tickets in advance. i don't even bother with the train anymore.

but even before the strike you'd think they would run more trains, since they used to sell out so often.

Oh wow I didn't know they were still on strike!  I thought it just lasted the one holiday weekend!  That's actually good news, since I interpret it to mean that the strike could end and they could get more trains running.

I take the train every single day to get from my house to a more populated area.  It's a super short journey and AFAIK there aren't any buses.

Unless it's totally unreasonable or I can't understand what they're saying 90% of my interaction with my cots is "OK"

I think this also speaks to how insufferable jerk boss is haha

Edit: sometimes they won't stop though unless I give my explicit approval for something, that gets pretty annoying

Cot: I'm going to mark this wrong
Me: Ok
Cot: Are you sure it's okay to mark it wrong?
Me: It's up to you. it's your test.
Cot: Do you think I should give them half points?
Me: If it were me, I would, but it's up to you
Cot: I want to mark it wrong though
Me: That's fine
Cot: I'm going to mark it wrong
Me: Ok
Cot: (continues sitting next to me expectantly)

 

Does anyone pay for the monthly milk delivery?

If so, how much does it cost you?

Holy jeez I have the most useless co-teacher. I would rather there be a group of stray cats in heat than have her dead-faced in the back doing fuck-all. Nothing new in this thread but it gets so bad I sometimes just want to stop everything I'm doing (that no one is listening to anyway) and walk out of the room and let her deal with something for once.

Anyone feeling that? Anyone ever live that dream?

If rants these days are about milk, then it seems like all is rosy in the land of the morning calm.

Holy jeez I have the most useless co-teacher. I would rather there be a group of stray cats in heat than have her dead-faced in the back doing fuck-all. Nothing new in this thread but it gets so bad I sometimes just want to stop everything I'm doing (that no one is listening to anyway) and walk out of the room and let her deal with something for once.

Anyone feeling that? Anyone ever live that dream?

At my first school, I had a coteacher who was always saying she was too busy to come to the class. So one day, I did a big no no and left the kids alone in the class (they were high school kids, so it's not like they were helpless or anything being unsupervised for a minute) and went to her office and she was napping, so I woke her up and asked her to come to class and help me with the lesson.

Brilliant.

I used to teach an online class for extra $ and we had a Korean co teacher on the other end. Anyway, we got 35k for a 40 minute lesson which was tidy. Trouble was though I was making the lesson and presenting it and managing these 6 munchkins over Skype. The Korean co teacher that was supposed to be with us managed to show his face in week 9. Yes, that's 9 40 minute lessons later that he bothered to turn up. Anyhow this prick was getting paid the exact same 35k as me and he was doing **** all. Week 10 rolled around and he was no where to be seen. This bloke made w525,000 without lifting a finger or bothering to turn up 90% of the time. Nice work if you can get it. I jacked it in this year cos I can't be arsed putting money into lazy Korean teacher's pockets even if I have to spite myself in the process.

I'm trying to sign up with iPorter, but the darn site won't send me the confirmation email.

Holy jeez I have the most useless co-teacher. I would rather there be a group of stray cats in heat than have her dead-faced in the back doing fuck-all. Nothing new in this thread but it gets so bad I sometimes just want to stop everything I'm doing (that no one is listening to anyway) and walk out of the room and let her deal with something for once.

Anyone feeling that? Anyone ever live that dream?

At my first school, I had a coteacher who was always saying she was too busy to come to the class. So one day, I did a big no no and left the kids alone in the class (they were high school kids, so it's not like they were helpless or anything being unsupervised for a minute) and went to her office and she was napping, so I woke her up and asked her to come to class and help me with the lesson.

I have a particularly useless CT who just never teaches and if she absolutely has to she does Simon says for as long as humanly possible.  She knows she is useless, and after I once asked for help explaining that I would like her help with prepping materials for class she lost her sh*t. Told me I was a useless teacher, demanded I be more like the last teacher who apparently was also a simon says fan and didn't need to do any prep EVER. and Apparently she was the perfect teacher. (my Grade 2's and 3's are a prime example that she was not - started them from phonics again this year). But I oblige like the foreign slave that I am, and I change my lessons, only to be told every time I bend to her will and want how terrible my lessons are etc.... I have decided not to stay with this school and as luck would have it, I need to apply to EPIK again. I ask the English head for a reference,..... which I cannot send to EPIK because she pretty much took my CT at her word and said I didn't know how to teach or do lesson plans or activities.  Yet, this is what I have done all year. In accordance with and to the specifications of my CT, as much as I could, who has never planned a lesson. My 6 open classes per semester, which I insisted on doing the same way I do all my classes, had one complaint, that I don't give enough homework. But yeah , I am useless and awful apparently, even going so far as to speak to another teacher at one of the schools I could have transferred to.... because she felt it was her duty to inform them that I was useless. (straight from the horse's mouth). My CT last year said I was the best teacher he had ever worked with.

So F*%k it. Will do one year at a hagwan then I will go home.

a coT is frustrating me lately. She'll randomly decide that something I'm doing or have already done isn't appropriate for class even though she never said otherwise when I told her prior to class about the lesson plans. But suddenly no, it's not okay anymore.

This is also the teacher who nearly threw a fit when I happened to have a picture of Park GeunHye in a ppt about famous people. I knew the students would know who she was and it was an easy way to explain the word "president." But coT was basically furious because she detests PGH and doesn't "want her in her classroom." I never indicated any personal opinion toward PGH in class, it's not like I was advocating for or against her-- is neutrality in the classroom not a thing here? Would it have been so hard to just be like "I don't like PGH, please don't use her in class as an example" instead of being so angry about it and making me feel like I personally wronged you?

So at the end of Oct. I showed some classes a few horror shorts in the spirit of Halloween (nothing gory or even horrifically frightening, just some jumps. Some of the Ponysmasher ones people have recommended here). coT was totally on board with it (or didn't indicate otherwise). One class was dragging their feet and was late so we didn't get around to actually watching any scary horror shorts. So I figured I'd just plug them in later classes if there happened to be like 3 minutes left at the end. Today was one of those days. At the end of that class, she asks me what the video meant because she didn't watch it. I explain it to her (it was the demon in the picture that swaps places with the woman). She then goes on to say that she thinks I should only show "heartwarming" or "cute" videos in class and asks why the kids were scared (I told her she should ask them, I can not speak for them) and why I would show that. This also from someone who planned on showing the kids a PETA level video about animal cruelty; yeah okay, so you don't have to stick to heartwarming/cute but I do. 

Then for summer camp (for which I submit an approved list of supplies before ever purchasing anything), I had gotten a few decks of playing cards to teach the kids some American games. Some time later, when I want to use the cards for a travel school, I notice that all the decks are missing. I assume maybe the kids borrowed them so I ask coT about it. She doesn't know what I'm talking about. I literally google a picture of playing cards and then she goes all quiet and suddenly is of the position that those kinds of cards are "inappropriate for class" because they symbolize "gambling." I LITERALLY SHOWED HER ONLINE WHAT I WANTED TO ORDER BEFORE SUMMER CAMP. But, months later, and only because I brought it up, she gets all stern about how they are not appropriate for class. Well if you really thought so, why didn't you say so when I showed you online exactly what I was wanting to order??!!   

For the record, my coT at my other middle school has had no issues with any of the aforementioned. So I feel like this coT is just being conservative and stuff.

I'm teaching numbers today. 13-20 for the grade 4s.

My CT has this odd habit of repeating all the key phrases and vocabulary I say in Korean. I typically don't care too much.

But come on when I'm showing the numbers 13 and saying thirteen I'm sure even the really low level kids can figure it out.

But it's over so meh.

On the bright side, lunch was good.

a coT is frustrating me lately. She'll randomly decide that something I'm doing or have already done isn't appropriate for class even though she never said otherwise when I told her prior to class about the lesson plans.

This is also the teacher who nearly threw a fit when I happened to have a picture of Park GeunHye in a ppt about famous people. Would it have been so hard to just be like "I don't like PGH, please don't use her in class as an example" instead of being so angry about it and making me feel like I personally wronged you?

So at the end of Oct. I showed some classes a few horror shorts in the spirit of Halloween (nothing gory or even horrifically frightening, just some jumps. Some of the Ponysmasher ones people have recommended here).At the end of that class, she asks me what the video meant because she didn't watch it. I explain it to her (it was the demon in the picture that swaps places with the woman). She then goes on to say that she thinks I should only show "heartwarming" or "cute" videos in class and asks why the kids were scared and why I would show that. This also from someone who planned on showing the kids a PETA level video about animal cruelty; yeah okay, so you don't have to stick to heartwarming/cute but I do. 

Then for summer camp (for which I submit an approved list of supplies before ever purchasing anything), I had gotten a few decks of playing cards to teach the kids some American games. Some time later, when I want to use the cards for a travel school, I notice that all the decks are missing. I assume maybe the kids borrowed them so I ask coT about it. She doesn't know what I'm talking about. I literally google a picture of playing cards and then she goes all quiet and suddenly is of the position that those kinds of cards are "inappropriate for class" because they symbolize "gambling." For the record, my coT at my other middle school has had no issues with any of the aforementioned. So I feel like this coT is just being conservative and stuff.

I've worked with more coteachers than I can count (literally, I can't remember how many. It's a lot) and the absolute worst are the ones like you're describing, who just pick arbitrary things to be fussy about and then blame you, when they had so many chances to voice their opinion earlier but didn't, and are just having a bad day (read: life) and decide to vent their spleen on you because honestly, in some cases, even if you're the most rockstar fantastic teacher on earth, as a foreigner, we're still an easy target as a punching bag sometimes.

I hope you don't have too many more problems with her. She sounds like a trash human.

I shortened your quote a tad to just include what I'm gonna comment on. A lot of people will tell you to just suck it up, but at some point I think you're gonna have to talk with this teacher about respect.
In the first case, it's not okay for her to yell at you or fuss at you like you're a child, and I agree, I don't see why she blew up at you. But even if she had an emotional reaction (like I do when I see pictures of Trump), I still think she should have spoken to you with respect.
In the second case, I probably would have shown her the videos before class in the first place. I'm not sure it's really appropriate to show the kids scary or gory stuff, but if it is, I would say the halloween lesson might be the only time for it.
In the third case, I'm pretty sure she just took the cards home lol.

IDk but she just seems really rude. I hope you get through it alright since I can't offer much advice. Try Uno cards perhaps?

hah that sounds a lot like jerk boss at my school...maybe they're related?

I'm sorry. Honestly there's nothing you can do to change a person like that. My strategy has just been to play yes-man to reduce the likelihood of her going totally berserk on me when I bring up some totally reasonable objection to her words or actions. Just "ok, ok, ok, ok"

If you feel comfortable, though, do talk to the principal about it. I told mine about the constant nagging about tiny things, changing her mind on things without telling me, interrupting in the middle of class instead of talking to me before or after class about something minor, and she was sympathetic.

Another strategy I've added to my arsenal is "message all of my plans on coolmessenger but don't attempt to discuss plans in person because it can get ugly." Even if it's tiny, I just say "this is my plan, if you have an opinion or suggestion please tell me." She never does. And if she gives you a hard time for something in the future she can't pull "I didn't hear" or "I forgot" - you have a record.

Good luck. I'm just waiting until I can leave hah

It just seems completely random. Like she's polite enough to not do it in front of the kids but the way she talks to me, it does feel like she's treating me like a child or something.

Honestly, after that incident with PGH (which was pretty early on in my contract) I made a point of being careful around her because I had no idea what else might set her off.

Except for these handful of bizarre incidents, I thought we generally got on pretty well, so these instances are particularly frustrating. I've done UNO with my students, which she was totally fine with. I still want to teach them more card games so if I have time I might make Ace/King/Queen/Jack cards so that my UNO decks can double as regular playing cards. Which, she's apparently totally fine with because the cards look different and aren't "trump cards" as she says they're called in Korea.

About gory/horror-- for a previous lesson regarding SFX Makeup, I had images of some stuff that was more extreme than anything in any of the videos I showed to class. I did show her these photos beforehand and asked if she thought it was okay and it was all totally fine. And all the kids were going on about "Train to Busan" and zombies so I thought I had good judgement regarding the videos I chose.  Sigh.

*shrug* I mean except for when she's being completely terrible (which does seem to be more often than your cot) jerk boss is friendly and smiley and laughs at silly jokes with me like any normal human would

I'm just gonna plug in my headphones and chill the rest of the day since classes are finished. Continue with the saga of Harry Potter and co.

Soon will be done with the last audiobook! Then I gotta find the Stephen Fry versions somewhere, somehow