RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

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.

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'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?

People spending their money on travel, I'm sitting here with my shiny new guitar like "Enjoy your dysentery and stolen passport."

It just comes across as making fun of friends who have chosen a different path. 

Ha ha you're stuck at home with a baby while I'm free to travel the world.  Congratulations on your little bundle of joy by the way 

Generally it taps into my annoyance at people who think they're better than everyone else because they "travel".

It just comes across as making fun of friends who have chosen a different path. 

Ha ha you're stuck at home with a baby while I'm free to travel the world.  Congratulations on your little bundle of joy by the way 

Generally it taps into my annoyance at people who think they're better than everyone else because they "travel".

I feel like the sentiment is more like:
We all make different choices in life. I really like mine though, and wouldn't trade it for yours.
This is just my opinion, but I would say that if you're getting all that negativity out of so few words, doesn't it just sound like you regret which choice you made?

It just comes across as making fun of friends who have chosen a different path. 

Ha ha you're stuck at home with a baby while I'm free to travel the world.  Congratulations on your little bundle of joy by the way 

Generally it taps into my annoyance at people who think they're better than everyone else because they "travel".

I'm gonna choose to agree here. It's condescending and kind of reeks of insecurity. I am about as childfree/pro-travel as they come but the whole point of choosing that balance is that I'm thrilled with my position and don't feel the need to combat some invisible argument that I should be having children.

Yeah, yeah I know it's a meme and who cares but ugh, this coupled with the excessive use of ~wanderlust~ just puts a bee in my bonnet.

It just comes across as making fun of friends who have chosen a different path. 

Ha ha you're stuck at home with a baby while I'm free to travel the world.  Congratulations on your little bundle of joy by the way 

Generally it taps into my annoyance at people who think they're better than everyone else because they "travel".

I'm gonna choose to agree here. It's condescending and kind of reeks of insecurity. I am about as childfree/pro-travel as they come but the whole point of choosing that balance is that I'm thrilled with my position and don't feel the need to combat some invisible argument that I should be having children.

Yeah, yeah I know it's a meme and who cares but ugh, this coupled with the excessive use of ~wanderlust~ just puts a bee in my bonnet.

Eh. It's not really an invisible argument though, is it? I mean, I'm still in my twenties, but people are already questioning my choices to travel, and asking when I'm gonna settle down. The answer is, maybe never! I don't think this is an attack on people who make that choice, but more of a declaration of rejection of that choice.

It just comes across as making fun of friends who have chosen a different path. 

Ha ha you're stuck at home with a baby while I'm free to travel the world.  Congratulations on your little bundle of joy by the way 

Generally it taps into my annoyance at people who think they're better than everyone else because they "travel".

I'm gonna choose to agree here. It's condescending and kind of reeks of insecurity. I am about as childfree/pro-travel as they come but the whole point of choosing that balance is that I'm thrilled with my position and don't feel the need to combat some invisible argument that I should be having children.

Yeah, yeah I know it's a meme and who cares but ugh, this coupled with the excessive use of ~wanderlust~ just puts a bee in my bonnet.

also agreed. a lot of people who are really into traveling act like they are so much better than those who stayed back home and it's incredibly obnoxious. you get that even when it's just literally within your own country - I come from a small town in a small state, and people who stayed there rather than moving to a move "interesting" state are seen as failures. why? 

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?

So I guess I'm on the losing side of this argument. But as a sidenote. "To their faces" is the only appropriate way to throw shade at your friends. If you do it behind their backs, that's not friendship. But this is not me conceding that this is an offensive meme. I still think it's only that if you are not traveling and you regret your own choices.