RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

http://www.waygook.org/index.php/topic,105632.0.html

7 public schools in Chungnam

Yeah but the contract overlap. As much as I don't feel like this area is a good fit for me, I also don't want to be a jerk that pulls out of the contract before it's up just because I want to live somewhere I can have a semblance of a life outside of work. Feels selfish. Idk I'm in a weird mood today, even before I got the email.

Are the requirements for a public job lower in the countryside? I know I am not qualified in Seoul due to the lack of a TEFOL/TESOL cert.

Not really. I have tonnes of experience and they've put me in a rural part of town. Thing is, I teach on my own in one of the schools. So i guess it really depends what the needs of the schools in the area are.

Today when I asked a class to open their books to a certain page, a student said "Mr. Tim, we already did this!"

I knew for certain that I hadn't done that unit with that class yet, so after pressing the issue a bit, I found out that he had let his friend borrow his book, and his friend did the work in that unit. After looking around the class a bit, I discovered that that was also the case with twelve other students. That means that out of a class of 26 students, 13 of them already had the page we I had planned to do filled out.

That rustled my jimmies a great deal, naturally. It's always weak af to plan a class, only to have a wrench thrown in it like that. To make things even more annoying, I had an exchange about it with my CoT:

Me: "So what do you suggest we do about this?"
CoT: "I don't know."
Me: "What can we do to prevent this from happening in the future?"
CoT: *shrugs*


Great. Thanks for the help. Ugh.

I have no real authority, and nobody in an actual position of authority is ever willing to do anything to improve anything here. I do realize that even my CoT really doesn't have all that much authority when it comes to the system or even disciplining the students, but I wish someone would try to do something.

Today when I asked a class to open their books to a certain page, a student said "Mr. Tim, we already did this!"

I knew for certain that I hadn't done that unit with that class yet, so after pressing the issue a bit, I found out that he had let his friend borrow his book, and his friend did the work in that unit. After looking around the class a bit, I discovered that that was also the case with twelve other students. That means that out of a class of 26 students, 13 of them already had the page we I had planned to do filled out.

That rustled my jimmies a great deal, naturally. It's always weak af to plan a class, only to have a wrench thrown in it like that. To make things even more annoying, I had an exchange about it with my CoT:

Me: "So what do you suggest we do about this?"
CoT: "I don't know."
Me: "What can we do to prevent this from happening in the future?"
CoT: *shrugs*

Great. Thanks for the help. Ugh.

I have no real authority, and nobody in an actual position of authority is ever willing to do anything to improve anything here. I do realize that even my CoT really doesn't have all that much authority when it comes to the system or even disciplining the students, but I wish someone would try to do something.

   I've run across that same problem a few times too. It's irritating.
   Still, it's not a huge disaster; I just smile nicely at my coworker, give her my book, and ask her to make a few copies of that page. The kids do a quick activity while copies are being made, then close their books and work from the copies. Crisis averted!

Today when I asked a class to open their books to a certain page, a student said "Mr. Tim, we already did this!"

I knew for certain that I hadn't done that unit with that class yet, so after pressing the issue a bit, I found out that he had let his friend borrow his book, and his friend did the work in that unit. After looking around the class a bit, I discovered that that was also the case with twelve other students. That means that out of a class of 26 students, 13 of them already had the page we I had planned to do filled out.

That rustled my jimmies a great deal, naturally. It's always weak af to plan a class, only to have a wrench thrown in it like that. To make things even more annoying, I had an exchange about it with my CoT:

Me: "So what do you suggest we do about this?"
CoT: "I don't know."
Me: "What can we do to prevent this from happening in the future?"
CoT: *shrugs*


Great. Thanks for the help. Ugh.

I have no real authority, and nobody in an actual position of authority is ever willing to do anything to improve anything here. I do realize that even my CoT really doesn't have all that much authority when it comes to the system or even disciplining the students, but I wish someone would try to do something.

Years ago, we had this problem, so the students were required to simply leave their books in a cabinet at the end of each class.

No more lost books or sharing needed.

Only drawback was that it took a minute at the start and end of each class.

Today when I asked a class to open their books to a certain page, a student said "Mr. Tim, we already did this!"

I knew for certain that I hadn't done that unit with that class yet, so after pressing the issue a bit, I found out that he had let his friend borrow his book, and his friend did the work in that unit. After looking around the class a bit, I discovered that that was also the case with twelve other students. That means that out of a class of 26 students, 13 of them already had the page we I had planned to do filled out.

That rustled my jimmies a great deal, naturally. It's always weak af to plan a class, only to have a wrench thrown in it like that. To make things even more annoying, I had an exchange about it with my CoT:

Me: "So what do you suggest we do about this?"
CoT: "I don't know."
Me: "What can we do to prevent this from happening in the future?"
CoT: *shrugs*


Great. Thanks for the help. Ugh.

I have no real authority, and nobody in an actual position of authority is ever willing to do anything to improve anything here. I do realize that even my CoT really doesn't have all that much authority when it comes to the system or even disciplining the students, but I wish someone would try to do something.

Years ago, we had this problem, so the students were required to simply leave their books in a cabinet at the end of each class.

No more lost books or sharing needed.

Only drawback was that it took a minute at the start and end of each class.

I'd happily give up a little time at the beginning of class if it meant they'd all be prepared, but in practice all that ends up happening in the classrooms I have where they're allowed to leave their books is when someone shows up without his book, he just goes and grabs a random one.

I suppose I should at least be glad they're showing up with books now, even if they aren't their own. It's been an uphill battle just getting everyone to show up with a book and a writing utensil.

Sigh. I miss the days when I didn't have to teach out of the textbook and I was just allowed to create and bring all of my own materials. The lessons were more interesting than the textbook garbage, and nothing ever hinged on students coming to class prepared.

I was making copies of the worksheet I will be using in class later today, when the copy lady comes up to the printer, cancels my job, and photocopies one page for a student. Why couldn't she have just waited? It was nearly done, and it's not like they students were in some rush, they were on lunch break still. Not a big deal, but still. Harumph.

하 지 마 라 고!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~~~~~~~~

Last week I told my main co-teacher that I don't plan to re-sign my contract. This week, her attitude has done a complete 180 and she is making my work life miserable.

We've had a great relationship for 8 months; however as of last Friday she has been extremely critical of my teaching, my lesson plans, my tone of voice in the classroom. She has even criticized my English (not for legitimate reasons, but for not understanding her weird Korean use of the wrong English words). 

On Friday, she told me that "If you mess up the lesson on Monday, I will be very mad at you." I almost laughed out loud because I thought she was joking, but she was completely serious.

I understand the frustration that she will have to work with a new foreign teacher, but her attitude is bringing me down and ruining the atmosphere in the classes we teach together. At first I was a bit sad about not staying for another year, but now August can't come soon enough.

Pretty unprofessional and makes things difficult but don't care so much. Show up everyday and do what you have been doing. They're not gonna  fire you with 4 months to go. Above all, look forward to telling her to f$#$ off in August.

I have a main school and two travel schools. Travel school A has their birthday next Tuesday, which is the day I teach there. The principal told me to stay home. When I informed my main school they said that on my travel schools birthdays' I have to go to the main school! 

I have since checked the birthday dates of my main school - I will be at a travel school that day.

Petty I know, but I don't get a school birthday day off. *sulks*

I have a main school and two travel schools. Travel school A has their birthday next Tuesday, which is the day I teach there. The principal told me to stay home. When I informed my main school they said that on my travel schools birthdays' I have to go to the main school! 

I have since checked the birthday dates of my main school - I will be at a travel school that day.

Petty I know, but I don't get a school birthday day off. *sulks*

What lesson was learned?

Keep your mouth shut and enjoy your holiday.

I have a main school and two travel schools. Travel school A has their birthday next Tuesday, which is the day I teach there. The principal told me to stay home. When I informed my main school they said that on my travel schools birthdays' I have to go to the main school! 

I have since checked the birthday dates of my main school - I will be at a travel school that day.

Petty I know, but I don't get a school birthday day off. *sulks*

What lesson was learned?

Keep your mouth shut and enjoy your holiday.

Heheh, basically.

I have a main school and two travel schools. Travel school A has their birthday next Tuesday, which is the day I teach there. The principal told me to stay home. When I informed my main school they said that on my travel schools birthdays' I have to go to the main school! 

I have since checked the birthday dates of my main school - I will be at a travel school that day.

Petty I know, but I don't get a school birthday day off. *sulks*

What lesson was learned?

Keep your mouth shut and enjoy your holiday.

Heheh, basically.

  Will I never learn?

Melodica hasn't arrived yet.  I'm sure there's probably just a mundane delay but each day it doesn't show up the slightly sadder I get 

Melodica hasn't arrived yet.  I'm sure there's probably just a mundane delay but each day it doesn't show up the slightly sadder I get 

Play free bird.

I've never been in a truly well-kept or clean school. The only thing that really varies is "bad" or "worse".

They always use dirty mops to clean the floors, too, so it always smells bad for about an hour right after.

Floors are not supposed to be dirtier after you've mopped them. xD

There are a lot of genuinely well-educated and intelligent people (I know those two don't always correlate, so I italicized 'and' so that people don't get it twisted) working in these schools.

How does nobody get the fact that those mops aren't lifting the dirt anywhere. They're not being dunked in buckets and having fresh water used to clean the floors. They're literally just pushing the dirt around a little bit. And a vacuum cleaner that has zero suction because it's never been cleaned because nobody knows how to open it where it says to open it and shake the filter out once every month or so doesn't have any utility or function when you're turning it on and just pushing it around on the ground because it isn't sucking up dirt oh my god.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHH WHY!??!?!?

I have seen only one teacher who bought new mops for her students AND SOAP. She has them using fresh water/soap on her floors everyday. I see them running back and forth to the bathroom to clean their mops after lunch. My other coworkers comment on her being "too clean" 

Other than this one anomaly, it's dirty mops and water tissue under shoes for cleaning the floors.

At my travel elementary, there has been a mango on the floor of the mens bathroom for so long, that the mould growing on it, has already spread to the walls and floor around it (it's in a corner of the room), the taps are covered in mould; they do have a fresh, new,  liquid soap container that is full too. I have only seen cleaning happen there once, and all they did was pick some paper scraps off the floor. If they own a mop and bucket, I've never seen it.

Yea sevenpm, I feel exactly the same.

I know what you mean about never wanting to leave the apartment.  By the time Friday afternoon rolls around I don't want to do anything or see anyone, I just want to hibernate until Monday morning!

If I had to sum up how I feel these days:  perennially tired 

they do have a fresh, new,  liquid soap container that is full too.

Interesting -- I've never seen liquid soap containers (let alone liquid soap) in any of the restrooms in the public schools in Korea where I used to work.

I should have left when my last contract ended. I made a mistake staying.

You have my sympathies. I'm starting to feel this way too.

When I first got here, I loved it. Then slowly I started to see the bad sides of things. This coupled with the judgmental and rude things some Koreans around me would say about foreigners had me pretty much seething about this place for a year. Something about people being unable to admit their own faults made those same faults even more unbearable to me. I'm around much nicer people now and so those feelings have simmered, but instead of feeling invigorated again I just feel done.

I've lost interest in the country, the food, the people, the language, the job... I don't even want to leave my apartment half the time because I'm always so happy to get home! I feel bad because I've met some really nice people this year, but I'm a dud now. I don't even want to go to my favorite places anymore. I have to force myself to be nice to students.

It's disappointing because even when I couldn't stand Korea, I still enjoyed things like traveling around on the KTX or seeing some new sight. Now it's like "been there, done that" even if I haven't actually been there. I'm hoping this is just a phase but it doesn't seem like it.

I feel EXACTLY the same way! Last year was hell on wheels, and this time around I have great schools, great CT's, but it's just not working for me and I am really trying to be positive and active and I just seem to be stuck in flat mode. I am also hoping it is just a phase but I am not sure I am going to make it through the year.