RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

Ok so I am actually looking for some guidance and clarity. I have a school that is insisting that they need my stamp. I have advised that I dont have a stamp, and I have been told that I must get one., because everyone has a stamp and that my signature just isn't enough. I have been here 3 years and this is a first for me. But before I argue, I just want to know if there is something I am missing, perhaps I truly am being the ignorant foreigner.

You can stick your thumb in the ink and use your fingerprint instead.

This is accurate. I did this years ago when signing my first housing contract.

Or you could just go buy a stamp. They're like 5,000-20,000 won. They're dirt cheap.

I asked to use my stamp and they said no. hahahaa

You see this confuses me, it's a dirt cheap stamp that anyone can get and I assume replicate, so how is this more official than my scrawl signature which cannot be replicated unless you are a skilled forger?

I'm gonna listen to Pecan here and just not get one.  Thanks everyone.

On a side note though - if they are that cheap I might get a bunch made up as gifts for when I go home.

Take a gander at some of the nicer ones if you feel like splurging on a fancy one for yourself or someone!  When my brother studied abroad in Korea he brought me back a nice carved one that's pretty cool.  It did cost like 30 or 40 man won but I was the only one he got one for, hahah. 

Ok so I am actually looking for some guidance and clarity. I have a school that is insisting that they need my stamp. I have advised that I dont have a stamp, and I have been told that I must get one., because everyone has a stamp and that my signature just isn't enough. I have been here 3 years and this is a first for me. But before I argue, I just want to know if there is something I am missing, perhaps I truly am being the ignorant foreigner.

You can stick your thumb in the ink and use your fingerprint instead.

This is accurate. I did this years ago when signing my first housing contract.

Or you could just go buy a stamp. They're like 5,000-20,000 won. They're dirt cheap.

I asked to use my stamp and they said no. hahahaa

You see this confuses me, it's a dirt cheap stamp that anyone can get and I assume replicate, so how is this more official than my scrawl signature which cannot be replicated unless you are a skilled forger?

I'm gonna listen to Pecan here and just not get one.  Thanks everyone.

On a side note though - if they are that cheap I might get a bunch made up as gifts for when I go home.

Take a gander at some of the nicer ones if you feel like splurging on a fancy one for yourself or someone!  When my brother studied abroad in Korea he brought me back a nice carved one that's pretty cool.  It did cost like 30 or 40 man won but I was the only one he got one for, hahah.

I've been wanting to get one of those for a while now, but never seriously looked into it and I only saw them at Insadong.

I think he had to place an order and pick it up a few days later, if I recall correctly.  It was some time ago!

I think he had to place an order and pick it up a few days later, if I recall correctly.  It was some time ago!

I have a sizable coupan at 11st, I should look and see if they have them there~

Take a gander at some of the nicer ones if you feel like splurging on a fancy one for yourself or someone!  When my brother studied abroad in Korea he brought me back a nice carved one that's pretty cool.  It did cost like 30 or 40 man won but I was the only one he got one for, hahah.

 

I can fly to Tokyo for that much.

Take a gander at some of the nicer ones if you feel like splurging on a fancy one for yourself or someone!  When my brother studied abroad in Korea he brought me back a nice carved one that's pretty cool.  It did cost like 30 or 40 man won but I was the only one he got one for, hahah.

 

I can fly to Tokyo for that much.

Lol, my bad.  I was thinking in dollars then for some reason threw in man won.  Strike the zeroes!

Or you could just go buy a stamp. They're like 5,000-20,000 won. They're dirt cheap.

Beware. I spent 70'000won on a nice one hand carved out of stone and local city hall would not accept it because English names on a dojang must be printed in a specific font for certain documents. I had to get an uglier, cheaper one printed in all capital letters in some generic PC font deemed acceptable.

My anxiety is so bad today I wasn't able to plan the second half of my elementary 3/4 double-lesson.

Getting real sick of this shit.

I am so sorry to hear this. I can relate.

Thanks, I just wish I was in a location where I'd be better equipped to deal with it. The little stresses add up fast.

The Illness that's had kids dropping like flies has finally gotten to me, despite my best efforts. No one is at school today because of a field trip so I thought: this means I can sneak out and go back to my jammie jams.

And, as if to suggest we're telepathically linked, my principal comes in right at the moment I'm debating how many of my things to leave behind as to give the impression that I'm still there and invites me out to lunch with him and his wife. Super wonderful guy. But...my jammie jams. 

I got told I have to do an afterschool class for my last 2 - 3 weeks :(
However, it got me out of the illegal kindergarten class my travel school was trying to get me to do, but they are still trying to get me to do the class >.<

Me: My main school wants me to go back to doing afterschool classes, so I need my non-class time to prepare for it.
Co-T: I don't believe you *calls my main school*
Co-T: Okay.. you have afterschool classes, but I still think you should do the kindergarten class... it's not fair on the kindergarten teacher if you don't go...
Me: So you're saying, that I should do an illegal kindergarten class instead of preparing for one of my contracted classes???
Co-T: Yes.
Me: Sorry, I'm not going to do that. If there is a replacement teacher, they won't be able to do that either.
Co-T: .... *walks away*
Co-T: *comes an interupts my next class* "I still think you should go to kindergarten tomorrow...*

(The co-teachers English was lower than I wrote, but I said what he meant).

it's not fair on the kindergarten teacher if you don't go...

translation: the kindergarten teacher wants an extra free period, and the dancing english monkey must provide! 

i would strongly encourage you to contact your MOE/POE about this. they are just gonna try pull the same shit with your replacement unless the MOE/POE puts them in their place.

it's not fair on the kindergarten teacher if you don't go...

translation: the kindergarten teacher wants an extra free period, and the dancing english monkey must provide! 

i would strongly encourage you to contact your MOE/POE about this. they are just gonna try pull the same shit with your replacement unless the MOE/POE puts them in their place.

I don't know the difference between the MOE / POE, however, the only guy who speaks English at mine stopped taking / blocked my calls and emails once I started asking about renewing / getting transferred. :\

However, the new teacher - if there is one (I still don't know if my job got cut or not, every week I get given a new reason why I wasn't able to renew / get transferred) shouldn't have time to do it anyway. They'll need that spare time to prepare for the afterschool class. It usually takes me Monday - Wednesday to prepare for my normal classes (I get a lot of free time on Wednesday's, on Thursday, I get about 2.5 hours of free time, however, the school only has 3 computers to use between all the staff members, so I can only use an hour of that time for prep. Friday, which is when they want the kindergarten class, has lunchtime - until end of the day available to prep).

I'll probably leave it in my note to tell the MOE / POE if they get asked, if there is a replacement. A lot of schools in my area lost students this year, so I'm not sure if they are cutting a NET, just want a fresh new body that doesn't know how the Korean school system works - to try get more out of them, or if I generally didn't do a good enough job - however, I worked hard and wasn't told anything if I wasn't doing well enough. :\

I am at my the of my rope. I have been working in the ESL field for 5 years and I've never experienced this type of work stress in my life. I am working at an after school company and I have ****** monsters as children. Whenever I try to do any sort of discipline, the co-teacher that works with me instantly tries to stop it by saying they are only children and they don't know better. Of course they know better. Children in grade 3 and 4 shouldn't be making animal noises. Children in grade 1 know they shouldn't hit each other. I can't even argue with my co-worker in class since she doesn't speak English and I am not allowed to speak Korean in the classroom. Every time I bring this up with her out of class, she insists that they really don't know better. It's been a long time since I was in elementary school in America, but I don't remember anyone acting like this.

It's just so god damn frustrating. Additionally, the classes are supposed to be fun, but I was told to not give homework while simultaneously being told that the book we are studying should be finished to completion. So they want a fun class where a difficult textbook must be finished to completion within 3 months while not being allowed to give any homework.

I know I repeated myself here a bit, but I am just stressed as hell.

I have no classes today. So here I am in my office (which is attached to my English classroom) nice and cosy with my fever and chills but grateful for the break.

Apparently they need my classroom for something. Which I don't mind at all ... except...

The teacher walks in opens all the windows, opens my office door and the wind is blowing straight into my office. I get up to go to the loo. Closing my office door behind me. i get back and it is open. I enter my office and close the door behind me, and a few minutes later the teacher opens it again and smiles at me. I have just closed it again and I swear that if this teacher opens it again, I will lose my shit!!!! 

I will get an official warning if I whistle in class again.

Japchae sauce stains on my shirt. I'm so upset at myself for not being more careful.

it's not fair on the kindergarten teacher if you don't go...

translation: the kindergarten teacher wants an extra free period, and the dancing english monkey must provide! 

i would strongly encourage you to contact your MOE/POE about this. they are just gonna try pull the same shit with your replacement unless the MOE/POE puts them in their place.

I don't know the difference between the MOE / POE, however, the only guy who speaks English at mine stopped taking / blocked my calls and emails once I started asking about renewing / getting transferred. :\

However, the new teacher - if there is one (I still don't know if my job got cut or not, every week I get given a new reason why I wasn't able to renew / get transferred) shouldn't have time to do it anyway. They'll need that spare time to prepare for the afterschool class. It usually takes me Monday - Wednesday to prepare for my normal classes (I get a lot of free time on Wednesday's, on Thursday, I get about 2.5 hours of free time, however, the school only has 3 computers to use between all the staff members, so I can only use an hour of that time for prep. Friday, which is when they want the kindergarten class, has lunchtime - until end of the day available to prep).

I'll probably leave it in my note to tell the MOE / POE if they get asked, if there is a replacement. A lot of schools in my area lost students this year, so I'm not sure if they are cutting a NET, just want a fresh new body that doesn't know how the Korean school system works - to try get more out of them, or if I generally didn't do a good enough job - however, I worked hard and wasn't anything if I wasn't doing well enough. :\

MOE = Metropolitan Office of Education - these are what the offices of education are called in the major metropolitan cities (Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, etc.)

POE = Provincial Office of Education. Same as above except for the provinces.

they are the same thing, the name is just different depending on whether you live in a major metropolitan city or province.

It was wholly unprofessional for that guy to stop taking your calls. I would actually contact EPIK about it.

I will get an official warning if I whistle in class again.

One of my principals once asked my CoT to tell me to stop whistling in the halls, because it's "inappropriate in school." My CoT assured me that Koreans think whistling is very rude. None of the other Koreans I've talked to about it since then knew wtf they were talking about, but oh well. I stopped doing it at that school.

I'm a whistler, though, so I do it and have done it at all my other schools  . I'm reasonably good at it, too, so some of my students think it's neat.

I will get an official warning if I whistle in class again.

One of my principals once asked my CoT to tell me to stop whistling in the halls, because it's "inappropriate in school." My CoT assured me that Koreans think whistling is very rude. None of the other Koreans I've talked to about it since then knew wtf they were talking about, but oh well. I stopped doing it at that school.

I'm a whistler, though, so I do it and have done it at all my other schools  . I'm reasonably good at it, too, so some of my students think it's neat.

I don't even realise I'm doing it. My grandma just............... ..... does it. My Co-T thought I was slighting her, because she's asked me to stop a couple of times. I have no idea I'm doing it. I'm trying to be more conscious of it now.

The best part is, she was kind of laying into me yesterday about it and how the VP knows now, and she said, QUOTE.

"You've been dating (EX-GF NAME HERE) a long time and I thought she would have told you about Korean culture and what to do and not to do..........."

Cue the waterworks......... ...... 

"We broke up last week. (EXPLAIN VAGUE DETAILS HERE)"

Oh................. .. 

She was much nicer to me for the rest of her rant about my whistling and clothing choices.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAH

I don't quite follow...

How/why are you whistling?

Are you whistling a harmless tune or are you whistling to get the attention of other teachers/students?

I whistle softly on my way to and from school sometimes, but I never whistle to get someone's attention or while walking the halls, especially if classes are being held (no sound proofing).

Are you saying that you whistle during your class?

I don't quite follow that, but surely you can see how/why that is completely inappropriate and a distraction to your students, not to mention modeling "harmful" behavior.