RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

Feeling myself about to be screwed. Put in for vacation ages ago. Apparently now it's a problem  because the times I was told I could go home early during exams actually count against my vacation hours. I've seen this come up a lot. Anyone ever tackle it? I'm prepared to take unpaid leave but consarnit.

Are you public school? If yes, do you use NEIS? If yes, did you or your manager enter your early leaving during exams into NEIS? If yes, what did they enter them as?
If you don't use NEIS, did you get it in writing with a VP or principal signature?

Did you enter your vacation times into NEIS? Was it approved? If yes, you're fine, don't worry. If no, why didn't they approve it? Or did they just ignnore it. 

Basically, if it's just a verbal agreement, it's entirely possible that an unreasonable manager or VP or principal can leave you totally boned on vacation. If all your i's are dotted and t's crossed, you're fine and they're likely fussing over nothing.

That sounds stress. I hope it works out.

Hey thanks. I don't handle NEIS unfortunately, my co-t does. Pretty sure the requested days were ignored (or put off) until now. I'm also trying to ask about my 5 renewal days, as I am essentially forced to take them during winter vacation but there seems to be a lot of confusion around that.

So, in the case of leaving early during exams -- I was always told "Oh we can leave early" and the appropriate NEIS form was filled out. But no one seemed to realize that it was counting against my vacation. I would've just stuck around otherwise. I know my VP is an utter pile of trash so I'm not expecting much mercy. However, I'm not re-signing with this school so I'm not too worried, either. 

And on top of all that one of the worst flu seasons in years. A lot of people are too sick to come in.

Just found out this awful new coteacher will be here for those awkward couple weeks in February. I'm going to try to not let this hang over my head during break and just enjoy my vacation, but I really thought I wouldn't have to see her again. I might actually start crying.

Everybody here dresses very casual, unless it's an open class or something. Even the VP wears jeans quite a bit. One of the younger teachers wears ripped up jeans, and on their PE days the teachers often wear tracksuits.

Our new principal called a meeting a few months ago to tell staff that we can't wear jeans or tight things anymore. I stopped wearing my jeans for about a week, but then saw that no other teacher had listened, and just kept wearing them all, but with nice tops.

Just found out this awful new coteacher will be here for those awkward couple weeks in February. I'm going to try to not let this hang over my head during break and just enjoy my vacation, but I really thought I wouldn't have to see her again. I might actually start crying.

Everybody here dresses very casual, unless it's an open class or something. Even the VP wears jeans quite a bit. One of the younger teachers wears ripped up jeans, and on their PE days the teachers often wear tracksuits.

PE teachers always get to wear tracksuits. Lucky bas---ds.

I brought nice-ish clothes and wear almost none of them. I can't dress quite as casually without feeling like I stand out as elementary school teachers, but I don't worry too much about what I wear each day. There are even some teachers at my school who will really blatantly wear the same thing a couple days in a row 

I teach at a poorer school in Seoul and pretty much all the teachers are young. Some dress nice but a lot just bum it. I had a coteacher that'd just wear sweatpants with a tee or leggings and oversized shirt lol. I remember one time in the lunch room, a teacher was wearing a hella short dress, so when she bent down to get something from under the table you had a clear view of her panties lol. But all the staff were women anyways so I didn't say anything. There's a couple of male teachers here, but even they dress super casual - t-shirts, slacks, jeans, and a collared shirt if they're feeling fancy. Only time people dress nice is for open class.

The first time I met my employer, I was in casual business attire (Dress pants, business shirt, and tie. I got told I was too overdressed, to wear the dress pants, but just wear a casual t-shirt instead of the shirt and tie).

And yeah, that guy sounds like a dick. I hope they didn't give him a renewal after demanding the contract.

As for the bolded part, that is why I have decided to renew (or get an extension on my contract) if I get offered a renewal. I want to stay longer, but not for a full year. One of the people who used to be in my town (who left recently), started in a June, but finished in a September, so it seems like they MAY do extensions, or something like that. She got the flight allowance as well.
If I do get moved, and my new places are really bad, I probably will give my notice.

When you say "casual t-shirt" I hope to God you mean a button up or Polo and not a literal t-shirt. I completely understand that a suit is overkill. A tie might be a little much especially if you have elementary. Regardless, it's always better to overdress than underdress.

Nope, a literal T-shirt. And I wasn't wearing a suit, I was wearing a button up shirt and tie - which they weren't happy with. Whenever I've met them in a literal T-shirt, they have been a lot happier. Which is a shame, I bought a bunch of button up shirts before coming here, thinking I'd have to wear them. But they get angry when I do because "you don't need to dress that formally here."

So all the teachers at your school wear t-shirts and dress pants?

Some wear jeans. The older male teachers (who are just about to retire) usually wear a suit. The younger male teachers (are all 10~ years younger than them) wear a casual t-shirts with 2 - 3 small buttons near the neck. I don't have any of those style of casual T's though.

I've never heard of anyone getting angry because someone dressed up too much. In my opinion, the button ups that you bought is what you should be wearing. I mean, you did buy them for that purpose after all. Even with jeans, a nice button up can look more professional. And if your CT is really adamant about your clothing, it seems to me like he's one of those "casual T's" with the small buttons kind of guy and doesn't want to get outshone by the foreigner.

I think it basically comes down to:

The accepted dresscode or norm seems to vary heavily from school to school. My previous schools, most everyone dressed casually, men and women, regardless of age. Some might dress it up on certain days, but this was inconsistent and never followed a pattern. They just did it because they felt like doing it sometimes.

At my current school, they dress casual to business casual based on personal comfort. Either is treated as acceptable and only three men consistently dress more formally (the P, VP and an older male teacher). The only thing they require is that you're clean and your clothes are well-kept, that's it.

Personally, I don't see the point in dressing formally as a teacher. I understand dressing up for formal events and meetings, but, generally speaking, the schools I've interacted with prefer a more relaxed working atmosphere. I have friends who work for schools that mandate business casual/formal attire, though, but most of those are for private institutes that are trying to maintain a certain image for well-to-do parents.

The only time I see my other co-workers in business casual / formal business attire, is during open classes; and in some cases, a few just wear a blazer over what they usually wear.

Personally, I don't like wearing business casual, or formal, clothes anyway. They are very uncomfortable, and enjoy that I can wear a casual t-shirt. I bought the shirts / ties thinking it would be part of the dress code. While I don't like wearing them willingly, I would have with no issues if it was required by the dresscode.
I also find that my T-shirts are good icebreakers with the students. They have a joke, or video game / anime reference on them, so it gets them trying to talk to me in English about it before the start of a lesson. Even some of my co-workers enjoyed the ones with a joke on it.

*as mentioned in the EDIT I made after you quoted me, my VP wears the same style of casual T as I do, his however are just plain colours, while mine usually has a print of some sort*

I brought nice-ish clothes and wear almost none of them. I can't dress quite as casually without feeling like I stand out as elementary school teachers, but I don't worry too much about what I wear each day. There are even some teachers at my school who will really blatantly wear the same thing a couple days in a row 

My main ct does that too and I find it really weird.  I haven't noticed anyone else does it but I don't really notice them as much in general.

I brought over dress clothes, middling nice and casual clothes. Probably 95% of the time I wear casual attire. And here I thought I'd be dressing up for work everyday 

The teachers at my elementary schools tend to dress up but I think that's because most of them are ajumma age and they just like to do so. This year some of the new teachers are younger and I've noticed they dress more casually (jeans and t-shirt).

My middle schools are overall much more casual; we only dress up for open classes, picture day, or certain special events. I enjoy the laid back dress code. The principal is generally pretty formal but some days he even wears athletic attire.

I brought nice-ish clothes and wear almost none of them. I can't dress quite as casually without feeling like I stand out as elementary school teachers, but I don't worry too much about what I wear each day. There are even some teachers at my school who will really blatantly wear the same thing a couple days in a row 

My main ct does that too and I find it really weird.  I haven't noticed anyone else does it but I don't really notice them as much in general.

I've never seen teachers do this :o

Sometimes my mind is blown by how stupid the students can be. I just caught a student smoking in class. How can you be that dumb? I may be the foreign teacher and can't really do anything, but I sure as hell can go get another teacher.

Their homeroom teacher then came and proceeded to yell at him and he yelled back at her and gave her such attitude it was unbelievable. She then had to go get someone else from the discipline office to get him out of class.

Man I am about ready to give up on this hospital business.

I finally got my MRI yesterday, nothing was amiss. After discussing the results with me the neurologist just went on again like "hmmmmm I don't know" and then told me I should go to a university hospital.

Apparently to go to the university hospital I first need to physically go to make a reservation, then physically go back to the other hospital to get the reference letter, and then finally go back to the university hospital again. And all of this apparently needs to be done within a week? With the exception of today I have literally been to the hospital every single day this week.

WHY can't I make a reservation by phone? WHY didn't they give me the reference letter yesterday at the hospital? WHY can't they just send it to the university hospital by secure email or some shit? Like this is absurd. Both my main coteacher and my boss think so too; they can't understand why at least the first hospital didn't just give me my reference letter yesterday. My boss just concluded "Well... I don't know... there must be some kind of important reason for it..."

Like I'm tempted right now to just take a few days and see how I'm feeling, because aside from just generally wanting to feel better, the reason I was trying so hard to pursue this is that it was getting in the way of my work. It's really hard to focus when you constantly feel like your head is spinning and like you're going to vomit. But I don't have that much work to do anymore, and the semester is almost over. Even if I feel sick I can just lump around or take a nap without worrying. But they told me this all needs to get done within a week. So....?????

I'm definitely not spending any of my Friday or Saturday on this though. No way.

Sometimes my mind is blown by how stupid the students can be. I just caught a student smoking in class. How can you be that dumb? I may be the foreign teacher and can't really do anything, but I sure as hell can go get another teacher.

Their homeroom teacher then came and proceeded to yell at him and he yelled back at her and gave her such attitude it was unbelievable. She then had to go get someone else from the discipline office to get him out of class.

Middle or High? That's so dumb 

The discipline office sounds good, wish i had one of those.

Sometimes my mind is blown by how stupid the students can be. I just caught a student smoking in class. How can you be that dumb? I may be the foreign teacher and can't really do anything, but I sure as hell can go get another teacher.

Their homeroom teacher then came and proceeded to yell at him and he yelled back at her and gave her such attitude it was unbelievable. She then had to go get someone else from the discipline office to get him out of class.

Middle or High? That's so dumb 

The discipline office sounds good, wish i had one of those.

High school. This is one of those students whose basically only redeeming quality is that he almost always skips my class.

And its good in theory, but nothing ever really happens. The same students always get in trouble for usually the same things but it never stops them.

Man I am about ready to give up on this hospital business.

I finally got my MRI yesterday, nothing was amiss. After discussing the results with me the neurologist just went on again like "hmmmmm I don't know" and then told me I should go to a university hospital.

It's really hard to focus when you constantly feel like your head is spinning and like you're going to vomit. But I don't have that much work to do anymore, and the semester is almost over. Even if I feel sick I can just lump around or take a nap without worrying. But they told me this all needs to get done within a week. So....?????

Have you gone to see a dentist? I spent a year in agony going from doctor to doctor, to specialist to specialist and getting scan after scan done. Each referral took me closer and closer to Seoul and to bigger and bigger hospitals. The university hospital I went to put me on epilepsy medicine with the diagnosis being possible TM Neuralgia because nothing else came close to matching. That medicine was something else and then some. I decided I wanted my mommy before I stabbed myself in the head to stop the pain and flew home. Went to the dentist while I was there and found out I needed a root canal and had 7 additional holes.

Apparently to go to the university hospital I first need to physically go to make a reservation, then physically go back to the other hospital to get the reference letter, and then finally go back to the university hospital again. And all of this apparently needs to be done within a week? With the exception of today I have literally been to the hospital every single day this week.

Moonbrie where are you located? Feel free to PM me if you want. I went to a uni hospital in Seoul recently and did not have to make an appointment in person. That just sounds ridiculous. Hope you can get this sorted soon.

Apparently to go to the university hospital I first need to physically go to make a reservation, then physically go back to the other hospital to get the reference letter, and then finally go back to the university hospital again. And all of this apparently needs to be done within a week? With the exception of today I have literally been to the hospital every single day this week.

Moonbrie where are you located? Feel free to PM me if you want. I went to a uni hospital in Seoul recently and did not have to make an appointment in person. That just sounds ridiculous. Hope you can get this sorted soon.

Ah, just saw you're in Busan. Call some of the University Hospitals International Clinics and see what they say. I've found them to be surprisingly helpful.

The accepted dresscode or norm seems to vary heavily from school to school. My previous schools, most everyone dressed casually, men and women, regardless of age. Some might dress it up on certain days, but this was inconsistent and never followed a pattern. They just did it because they felt like doing it sometimes.

At my current school, they dress casual to business casual based on personal comfort. Either is treated as acceptable and only three men consistently dress more formally (the P, VP and an older male teacher). The only thing they require is that you're clean and your clothes are well-kept, that's it.

Personally, I don't see the point in dressing formally as a teacher. I understand dressing up for formal events and meetings, but, generally speaking, the schools I've interacted with prefer a more relaxed working atmosphere. I have friends who work for schools that mandate business casual/formal attire, though, but most of those are for private institutes that are trying to maintain a certain image for well-to-do parents.

Don't take this as pretentious or shallow, but I've always believed that the motivation to dress smart and look good should be intrinsic rather than an obligation or burden. You should enjoy looking good and slowly learn the arts of style and grooming. Every morning, it's fun playing with colours, patterns and textures, deciding what to put together and discovering what works, what's bland and what's a bit too bold. I don't care if the other teachers are going to wear wife beaters and crocs, I'll always dress smart, it's just part of my character.

Furthermore, learning how to dress (more so for dressing smartly) takes practice. If you're only going to get the practice on special occasions, you'll pretty much come off as awkward, uncomfortable and unconfident when you dress up to appear the exact opposite.

The party's over 

My wonderfully quiet neighbours have moved out and the noisiest people I've ever heard in my life have moved in.  Yay.

They're your textbook shout-talkers.  In the same room as one another, a foot apart but still talking like they're in a nightclub or something.  If something can be dropped on or scraped along the floor, it will be.  If something can be slammed shut, it will be.

Shout and bang around until 3am for the past three nights in a row?  Yep!

Merry Christmas 

I'm sorry about that. I remember my days of shout-talk neighbours.

I picked my new place based on size and floor. No one is above me and there is only one other apartment on the floor.

I'm a vindictive person, so I did what one would expect. A lot of tit-for-tat. Hopefully things improve.