RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

I know it's bad to rant about the ability of our students but I don't know how much more dumbing down of my classes I can do.

I'm literally down to phrases like "He is tall" and even that's too much for them.

I've mentioned it before but it blows my mind how they can happily work through a textbook with the most convoluted, long sentences and paragraphs in their classes with the KET, then come to my class and struggle with "She has short hair".

This is high school 

Yikes... that's balls.  I was really taken aback during one of the first classes this semester-- I was starting out easy with the one of the new grade 4 classes and asking "Who's he/Who's she" but they had already forgotten that from the previous year and needed the coT to step in and translate... 

If this is any indication of how things are in general, I wonder how much is ever retained at all.  Like, there are enough students that are fine and remember things and I know these are elementary kids but we used that simple phrase so much their 3rd grade year and the entire class was just flummoxed

I know it's bad to rant about the ability of our students but I don't know how much more dumbing down of my classes I can do.

I'm literally down to phrases like "He is tall" and even that's too much for them.

I've mentioned it before but it blows my mind how they can happily work through a textbook with the most convoluted, long sentences and paragraphs in their classes with the KET, then come to my class and struggle with "She has short hair".

This is high school 

Yikes... that's balls.  I was really taken aback during one of the first classes this semester-- I was starting out easy with the one of the new grade 4 classes and asking "Who's he/Who's she" but they had already forgotten that from the previous year and needed the coT to step in and translate... 

If this is any indication of how things are in general, I wonder how much is ever retained at all.  Like, there are enough students that are fine and remember things and I know these are elementary kids but we used that simple phrase so much their 3rd grade year and the entire class was just flummoxed

That's what happens when you rote memorise something you don't understand or care about.

English words might as well be random numbers to the Korean education system;
fill the correct sequence of numbers in the space, during the test, get your score and
that's it.

I know it's bad to rant about the ability of our students but I don't know how much more dumbing down of my classes I can do.

I'm literally down to phrases like "He is tall" and even that's too much for them.

I've mentioned it before but it blows my mind how they can happily work through a textbook with the most convoluted, long sentences and paragraphs in their classes with the KET, then come to my class and struggle with "She has short hair".

This is high school 

Yikes... that's balls.  I was really taken aback during one of the first classes this semester-- I was starting out easy with the one of the new grade 4 classes and asking "Who's he/Who's she" but they had already forgotten that from the previous year and needed the coT to step in and translate... 

If this is any indication of how things are in general, I wonder how much is ever retained at all.  Like, there are enough students that are fine and remember things and I know these are elementary kids but we used that simple phrase so much their 3rd grade year and the entire class was just flummoxed

I have a 6th grade elementary boy who still needs to be spoonfed "My name is ...." It's the very first lesson grade 3 gets. My actual 3rd graders can do it well without the book now too. I feel sorry for the grade 6 girl, as my grade 6 is 1 boy and 1 girl. The girl has pretty decent English, and actually wants to improve. Games are VERY 1 sided in class.

1 thing I have been trying, is to do listen and repeats with him with the sentences, doing it 1 word at a time, for 3 - 5 times, then 2 words at a time, for a few times, then gradually speed up. Then I'll try get him to do it on his own. Then, the next time the sentence comes up in the lesson, he has already forgotten everything >.<

It's a pretty laid back class, but the girl understands things really quickly, the boy doesn't understand / remember much, if anything at all. If I go too quickly, the boy gets bored due to not understanding, and the girl is happy; If I go too slow, the girl gets bored and unhappy, cause she has to wait for the boy to understand and do the work. It's kind of a lose/win-lose/win situation in that class >.<

I partially ruptured the ligaments in my ankle this week during warm ups for staff volleyball. Today I am wearing a splint that is uncomfortable as heck, on pain and swelling meds.

Today's goal do my class while sitting down as the important people know I have to wear the splint.

What happens. I have to get up and go into discipline mode.

By my last class I was like please please please do not make me stand up! I am not even supposed to be walking much on this foot.

I know it's bad to rant about the ability of our students but I don't know how much more dumbing down of my classes I can do.

I'm literally down to phrases like "He is tall" and even that's too much for them.

I've mentioned it before but it blows my mind how they can happily work through a textbook with the most convoluted, long sentences and paragraphs in their classes with the KET, then come to my class and struggle with "She has short hair".

This is high school 

I have the same issue with some kids in my high school. One student couldn't even understand "Go." Just go. It can be quite baffling.

Why is it that, if they are teaching at a secondary school Korean teachers are allowed to go to the main school when they finish but us foreign teachers are not??

Why is it that, if they are teaching at a secondary school Korean teachers are allowed to go to the main school when they finish but us foreign teachers are not??

Because you are their prized possession. They have control of you for so many days a week and they intend to get their money's worth. Like today, there was a safety and health demonstration all morning. I was trotted over to the gym to stand around so that I could appear in the background of promotional pictures for my school. Love it.

Why is it that, if they are teaching at a secondary school Korean teachers are allowed to go to the main school when they finish but us foreign teachers are not??

i teach at one other school, and after lunch i'm allowed to go back to my main school.

Why is it that, if they are teaching at a secondary school Korean teachers are allowed to go to the main school when they finish but us foreign teachers are not??

Because you are their prized possession. They have control of you for so many days a week and they intend to get their money's worth. Like today, there was a safety and health demonstration all morning. I was trotted over to the gym to stand around so that I could appear in the background of promotional pictures for my school. Love it.

I was told I am not on that school's payroll my main school bears full financial responsibility of me. This it is a double standard oh the Korean teachers can go home or to their main school but the foreign teacher can't?

Why is it that, if they are teaching at a secondary school Korean teachers are allowed to go to the main school when they finish but us foreign teachers are not??

I think it depends on your school.  Some may be lenient and allow you to go back after classes.  Others will not.  Stricter schools may be concerned about insurance issues should you die en route though I don't know why there's no concern for the Korean travel teachers then. 

If your requests in NEIS for a travel school are for a full day though, then you are technically supposed to be at said travel school for the requested time period.  It is entirely possible the Korean teachers only request a certain time frame to be at the travel school.  Some teachers even work more than one school in a day. 

Not sure If I understand the OP on this issue, but when I used to go to my travel school on Fridays (not my main school), I would finish at 1:50 in the afternoon.

Did I stick around?  No. I would bounce.

Usually, I would go back to my main school to tidy up and finish prepping for Monday, but there were other times, when I would simply go home or get a head start on my weekend.

Are they saying you need to stay at your travel school?

That is nuts.

Teach your classes and go.

I know it's bad to rant about the ability of our students but I don't know how much more dumbing down of my classes I can do.

I'm literally down to phrases like "He is tall" and even that's too much for them.

I've mentioned it before but it blows my mind how they can happily work through a textbook with the most convoluted, long sentences and paragraphs in their classes with the KET, then come to my class and struggle with "She has short hair".

This is high school 

I remember I had a very low-level 3rd year middle school boy at my ex-hagwon who never understood (and could never remember) "How are you?" and his classmates always had to translate it for him every single class...

Not sure If I understand the OP on this issue, but when I used to go to my travel school on Fridays (not my main school), I would finish at 1:50 in the afternoon.

Did I stick around?  No. I would bounce.

Usually, I would go back to my main school to tidy up and finish prepping for Monday, but there were other times, when I would simply go home or get a head start on my weekend.

Are they saying you need to stay at your travel school?

That is nuts.

Teach your classes and go.

I can't leave my satellite schools til day's end. Today, for example, I'm here til 5:20 because clock off is 4:40, but the bus home is hourly, 20 after.

I'm provincial, though.

When did the schools in the provinces start being so ridiculously punitive towards their foreigner staff?

It sounds like things have really turned for the worse out there.

I mean, if the bus is hourly, you should be allowed to catch the earlier one, if not simply leave after your classes are done.

What is the purpose or benefit in them being so silly?

When one wants the best of others, being reasonable is a pretty good start, no?

I know my province really cracked down on teachers staying until 4:30. EPIK teachers are suppoooooooosed to be in school for 8 hours a day. Some schools don't care/know. But its generally not something you go bragging about because not everyone's really your friend and can rat on you if they're jealous. That's why people complain about deskwarming.

Why is it that, if they are teaching at a secondary school Korean teachers are allowed to go to the main school when they finish but us foreign teachers are not??

So I was talking to my district coorodinator the other day and this topic came up.  According to him, once you finish teaching classes at your travel school you're supposed to go back to your main school.  I think that's the "official line", but it's not like anyone pays attention to the official line here. 
 It all depends on what arrangement your schools have agreed upon. For example, my travel school's VP is quite adamant that I show up 2 days a week.  Regardless of whether I have classes or not.
I also think they have us stay the whole day to avoid any confusion with NEIS or different start times etc.

Not sure If I understand the OP on this issue, but when I used to go to my travel school on Fridays (not my main school), I would finish at 1:50 in the afternoon.

Did I stick around?  No. I would bounce.

Usually, I would go back to my main school to tidy up and finish prepping for Monday, but there were other times, when I would simply go home or get a head start on my weekend.

Are they saying you need to stay at your travel school?

That is nuts.

Teach your classes and go.

I can't leave my satellite schools til day's end. Today, for example, I'm here til 5:20 because clock off is 4:40, but the bus home is hourly, 20 after.

I'm provincial, though.

at least you get paid an hour of non-teaching overtime every time you are at that school then 

Well, I understand the 8 hours a day, official line, but I think the plot has been lost along the way.

We are compensated for the stress and hassle of having to travel to rural schools, but the P and VP have the discretionary power to allow their foreigner to return to their main school or to simply leave the school at a time that will allow their foreigner to catch the hourly bus at a "reasonable" time (it costs them NOTHING).

When you have things better than others, you need to keep your mouth shut (hopefully all know that).

If my P or VP were treating me poorly, I don't know...

It would make me feel like they were NOT interested in getting the "best" out of me ;)

Considering all of the cuts that have been made and the reductions, etc. one would think they would seek to utilize these free perks to retain people that they would like to keep around.

Is this an obvious sign that they do NOT want you?

Ugh.

Enjoy your weekend all!  Sun is out and air is in the green level :)

Who knows, but it does mean I'm that much less motivated both at the school and to get out of town immediately afterward.

Which, right now, is completely eating me alive in terms of feeling isolated.

Who knows, but it does mean I'm that much less motivated both at the school and to get out of town immediately afterward.

Which, right now, is completely eating me alive in terms of feeling isolated.

Clicked on your profile and it says you are living in Sangju right? One of my friends lived there for 2 years and she said it was the best time ever, there were a few foreign teachers but mostly they hung around with the young Korean population who spoke surprisingly good English. I know at the time she said she really had to put herself out there in order to meet people but once she did she had a great time.

I know this isn't great advice but I guess you have to really really make an effort to meet people there. I hope it gets better and this gives you a little hope!