RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

cough cough cough sneeze sneeze

my head feels like lead and I'm headachey but I'm pretty sure I can't take any painkillers because of the meds the internal medicine doc gave me. I'm super drowsy and I don't know if it's due to the cold or the dramamine.

I only teach two classes today, should I tell my cot I need to use early sick leave?

The memoir I'll write about my year in Korea: Constantly Sick and Miserable

sniffle

I just lost an arm wrestling match to a grade 6 boy.

Where is my life going? 

I just lost an arm wrestling match to a grade 6 boy.

Where is my life going? 

Lol. One of my 4th graders wanted to arm wrestle me but they don't understand using just the arm to wrestle and use their whole bodies so I declined.

I just lost an arm wrestling match to a grade 6 boy.

Where is my life going? 

No shame in that. Some grade six kids are huge and have youth on their side.

Not that I've ever lost to a sixth grader.

I just lost an arm wrestling match to a grade 6 boy.

Where is my life going? 

I used to love arm wrestling my students because when I would inevitably win, it would establish my dominance in the classroom.

Now I work with mostly high school boys and I stay waaaay out of it.

Parents are jerks. Our after school English program is getting cut and the parents found out yesterday so half the kids are weeping around the school today because their parents are pulling them from this school to go elsewhere. Somehow the kids decided its my fault that they have to move even tho I'll be at the same school one day a week next year and I would have prefered to stay teaching after school classes! GAH!

The kids didn't decide it was your fault, the school probably threw you under the bus to save face.

My CTs gone full cookoo.

She's decided teaching the boys is too much work. She's moved all of them to the back of the room and placed all the girls directly at the front because they deserve it or some such nonsense.

As you can imagine, chaos ensued.

Then, I'm making a big pot of coffee for the afternoon after lunch. I'm putting a filter in she runs up has a lil bicker about the filter removes it and makes coffee without the filter. Spared slightly by the fact that I put a ton of water in and she for some odd reason decided one scoop of coffee beans was good. It looks like water from a ditch.

This is the first mixed coffee I've had in like 2 years.

Shut.  The.  Door.

She's decided teaching the boys is too much work. She's moved all of them to the back of the room and placed all the girls directly at the front because they deserve it or some such nonsense.

Nice. I didn't know we could do that~

She's decided teaching the boys is too much work. She's moved all of them to the back of the room and placed all the girls directly at the front because they deserve it or some such nonsense.

Nice. I didn't know we could do that~

I wish I could kick the boys out of my class and just teach the girls. My shoulder is sore from when I pulled a muscle earlier stopping a knock-down drag-out fight between two 4th grade boys.

I do have a few poorly behaved girls but most of the boys are bad. Why are the boys so much worse than the girls? Is it like this in other countries? I really think they need recess, and having to wait until 1:15 to each lunch doesn't help either.

Rant: My new coteacher is treating my like an ornament. I'm hoping it will get better in the 2.5 weeks we have left, but it's frustrating when I'm trying to explain something or ask the kids a question and she talks over me and pretends I'm not there.

Edit: Why are things so unchangeable here. The 6th graders have a writing test scheduled for the end of next week (one of those easy and tiny tests that they could probably do with their eyes closed), but we haven't even started that lesson yet. So we're just going to jump into the writing part of the lesson and tell them what they need to know for the test. Teaching for tests and not for understanding is one of my pet peeves. And of course we can't change the date for the test because it has already been submitted to the principal.

I think today is one of those weird days where trying to understand the different culture is getting on my nerves and I have to keep quiet, smile, and say "OK," or else I'll just get more annoyed with everything.

The male teacher who shares my office has been listening to tennis matches on his cell phone for the past hour. No headphones. I honestly cannot fathom his complete disregard for everyone else in the office.

In other news (completely unrelated, I swear!) I've managed to whittle a shank from a colored pencil.

I just lost an arm wrestling match to a grade 6 boy.

Where is my life going? 

Lol. One of my 4th graders wanted to arm wrestle me but they don't understand using just the arm to wrestle and use their whole bodies so I declined.

Do ya'll even lift?

Admin. creep continues to be an arse. Yesterday on our fishing trip some teachers of course brought drinks (makgeolli & soju) and when they offered me some he felt the need to interject and slowly/loudly pronounce each word like I was a developmentally challenged person.

"MAK-GO-LEEEEE. SO-JUUUU."

Okay.  We've only had these drinks EVERY hwesik ever since I started working here over a year ago. But just continue to make an arse out of yourself in front of everyone.

About the open window in winter situation. My strategy would be to use preconceived notions to get what you want.

1) China creates all the (extremely bad) levels of pollution in Korea.

2) School windows protect us from this.

3) We cannot be diligent if we are sick from China. China. China.

Please don't try this at school.

cover letters

The admin woman who processes the wages has just come back from maternity leave. While she's been away I've been paid on time every time. Now she's back there is 0% chance of me getting paid on the 23rd of December because she's ****** useless and always forgets that if pay day (25th) falls on the weekend it should be paid the working day before.

Everyone is all happy and welcoming her back and I'm sat here like, 

A couple students came to class forty minutes late this morning. I teach middle school, which has 45 minute classes. Honestly, why even come at that point?

I asked them why they were so late. Working on something in another class, maybe? Perhaps some Sports club activities (some of my students are in a wrestling club that practices in the morning)? Mandatory  administrative requirements?

"We slept in late."

I looked over at my CoT.

CoT: Shrugs


In the office after class, I asked my CoT if there are going to be any consequences for their extreme tardiness. She said "Yes, they will have to talk to their homeroom teacher."

Sigh.

I'm really tired of seeing this RIDICULOUS picture on Facebook.  Are people just being dicks to their friends in public now?  Not even behind their back, literally to their faces?

A couple students came to class forty minutes late this morning. I teach middle school, which has 45 minute classes. Honestly, why even come at that point?

I asked them why they were so late. Working on something in another class, maybe? Perhaps some Sports club activities (some of my students are in a wrestling club that practices in the morning)? Mandatory  administrative requirements?

"We slept in late."

I looked over at my CoT.

CoT: Shrugs


In the office after class, I asked my CoT if there are going to be any consequences for their extreme tardiness. She said "Yes, they will have to talk to their homeroom teacher."

Sigh.

UUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH I have students that do that too. A few of them have done it multiple times. I have gotten a few excuses, usually it's sleeping, but I have also gotten playing basketball or making a sign.

Then they get mad at me for marking them absent. Like heck I'm going to mark them as present in my class when they come in with >5 minutes left.

I'm really tired of seeing this RIDICULOUS picture on Facebook.  Are people just being dicks to their friends in public now?  Not even behind their back, literally to their faces?

I don't see how this is offensive.