RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

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.

+1
To make it worse, emart is always stocked with 8,000 won vodka.

Following up on my rant yesterday...

Last week my main co-teacher said "You look so tired lately, and you've lost weight. Are you healthy?" I told her that I was fine, hadn't lost weight, and just get tired sometimes.

Yesterday, she asked me to go have a "talk". Apparently, telling me that I looked tired was supposed to be secret code for "I'm angry with you and you should do better at school." She went off on me for a laundry list of different complaints, from "yawning in class", to "using materials from waygook" (I used one excellent review ppt, and usually make the vast majority of my own materials), to "making boring activities".

She actually told me at one point "If you want to end your contract, I will help you do that."

This all came after I told her on Friday that I won't re-sign my contract. Before then, our working relationship was mostly excellent. Just two weeks ago, when she was drunk at a 희식 she told me I was the best foreign teacher that she had ever had.

I'm worried that she is going to make my life miserable for the next 4 months, looking for every minor mistake in order to make her feel better about me leaving.

Has this happened to anyone else when they don't re-sign?!

Just remember you can start making her life hell for the next 4 months too. Sucks, but she sounds crazy.

That's a good point. As a public school teacher, do I need to be worried about getting fired before my contract ends? Even for something as ridiculous as "looking tired" or "having a boring lesson"?

The "school playing field" is right outside my classroom window and I frequently find myself daydreaming about being a PE teacher. Responsibilities include: wearing sweatpants, holding a stopwatch, standing.

Wait that wasn't a rant was it

The "school playing field" is right outside my classroom window and I frequently find myself daydreaming about being a PE teacher. Responsibilities include: wearing sweatpants, holding a stopwatch, standing.

Ugh, you and me both. The PE teacher at our school (I call him Shaq Teacher) literally just wears wears sweat pants and tshirts all day every day. He gets sunshine and plays basketball all the time.

Wait that wasn't a rant was it

No, that is not a rant, but now you have me rethinking my career possibilities.

The "school playing field" is right outside my classroom window and I frequently find myself daydreaming about being a PE teacher. Responsibilities include: wearing sweatpants, holding a stopwatch, standing.

Ugh, you and me both. The PE teacher at our school (I call him Shaq Teacher) literally just wears wears sweat pants and tshirts all day every day. He gets sunshine and plays basketball all the time.

the PE teachers are in the same office that i'm in. they seem to have no additional responsibilities either. when they're not teaching PE they just either sleep, watch baseball on  the internet, or play pokemon go.

Wait that wasn't a rant was it

No, that is not a rant, but now you have me rethinking my career possibilities.

waygooks can dunk

Following up on my rant yesterday...

Last week my main co-teacher said "You look so tired lately, and you've lost weight. Are you healthy?" I told her that I was fine, hadn't lost weight, and just get tired sometimes.

Yesterday, she asked me to go have a "talk". Apparently, telling me that I looked tired was supposed to be secret code for "I'm angry with you and you should do better at school." She went off on me for a laundry list of different complaints, from "yawning in class", to "using materials from waygook" (I used one excellent review ppt, and usually make the vast majority of my own materials), to "making boring activities".

She actually told me at one point "If you want to end your contract, I will help you do that."

This all came after I told her on Friday that I won't re-sign my contract. Before then, our working relationship was mostly excellent. Just two weeks ago, when she was drunk at a 희식 she told me I was the best foreign teacher that she had ever had.

I'm worried that she is going to make my life miserable for the next 4 months, looking for every minor mistake in order to make her feel better about me leaving.

Has this happened to anyone else when they don't re-sign?!

this woman sounds like a complete bitch. unfortunately stuff like this is very common when koreans think they have been slighted in some way. they are an extremely petty and vindictive nation of people.

it sounds like at this stage you have no choice but to elevate things to the higher ups. speak to the VP or even the principal, or your Office of Education.

you've only got 4 months left, so have nothing to lose.

I would actually suggest sending an email to your coordinator at the MOE/POE so they at least have an official written record of your side of the story, in case your coteacher tries to get you fired.

I... feel like it's totally normal to want to stay at home? Isn't it? I always think the people who are like "OH MY GAWDDD I'M GONNA GO TO _________ FOR THE WEEKEND AND SEE ___________!!" are the weird ones.

It's totally normal to be tired all the time. I think it has something to do with not being a kid anymore.


I don't know. I feel like the stuff you guys are complaining about is just standard for life, isn't it?

Well, maybe it's normal for you but I didn't feel this way before and I didn't feel this way back home. I mean, I dread even going to the store or the mall or meeting friends... it's stuff I used to like.

STRANGER'S OPINION ALERT:

Sounds like depression to me. Before I found help, I was literally a lump Friday evening - Monday morning. Doing laundry was considered productive. I get out tons more now (albeit on my own because that's how I likes it) but I do still get the general feeling of "I have been looked at by hundreds of eyeballs this week I cannot take one more pair."

Anyway, I empathize. It's a shit way to be. Give a shout if you want, I'm a non-threatening weirdo.

Following up on my rant yesterday...

Last week my main co-teacher said "You look so tired lately, and you've lost weight. Are you healthy?" I told her that I was fine, hadn't lost weight, and just get tired sometimes.

Yesterday, she asked me to go have a "talk". Apparently, telling me that I looked tired was supposed to be secret code for "I'm angry with you and you should do better at school." She went off on me for a laundry list of different complaints, from "yawning in class", to "using materials from waygook" (I used one excellent review ppt, and usually make the vast majority of my own materials), to "making boring activities".

She actually told me at one point "If you want to end your contract, I will help you do that."

This all came after I told her on Friday that I won't re-sign my contract. Before then, our working relationship was mostly excellent. Just two weeks ago, when she was drunk at a 희식 she told me I was the best foreign teacher that she had ever had.

I'm worried that she is going to make my life miserable for the next 4 months, looking for every minor mistake in order to make her feel better about me leaving.

Has this happened to anyone else when they don't re-sign?!

this woman sounds like a complete bitch. unfortunately stuff like this is very common when koreans think they have been slighted in some way. they are an extremely petty and vindictive nation of people.

it sounds like at this stage you have no choice but to elevate things to the higher ups. speak to the VP or even the principal, or your Office of Education.

you've only got 4 months left, so have nothing to lose.

I would actually suggest sending an email to your coordinator at the MOE/POE so they at least have an official written record of your side of the story, in case your coteacher tries to get you fired.

She sounds awful!  Hope it gets better before it gets worse.

Could it be that she realises if you leave, she'll have to do a lot more work?  I wonder if at some schools they get told by the office of education "Ok, you won't be getting another native teacher after this, so when they decide to leave, they won't be replaced".

I sometimes get the feeling my colleagues only want me to stay because I do all the planning and teaching for our extra English Program and if I leave, one of them will have to do it.

sisususi,

It sounds like you might have missed something.

It's not always easy to read certain situations, especially when things aren't spelled out for you, but there is definitely more going on here.

I hope you are able to figure it out and soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGardUiWjR4

That guy needs a Middle Eastern Holiday, but no..............

PRESSURE

PRESSURE

PRESSURE PRESSURE PRESSURE

Following up on my rant yesterday...

Last week my main co-teacher said "You look so tired lately, and you've lost weight. Are you healthy?" I told her that I was fine, hadn't lost weight, and just get tired sometimes.

Yesterday, she asked me to go have a "talk". Apparently, telling me that I looked tired was supposed to be secret code for "I'm angry with you and you should do better at school." She went off on me for a laundry list of different complaints, from "yawning in class", to "using materials from waygook" (I used one excellent review ppt, and usually make the vast majority of my own materials), to "making boring activities".

She actually told me at one point "If you want to end your contract, I will help you do that."

This all came after I told her on Friday that I won't re-sign my contract. Before then, our working relationship was mostly excellent. Just two weeks ago, when she was drunk at a 희식 she told me I was the best foreign teacher that she had ever had.

I'm worried that she is going to make my life miserable for the next 4 months, looking for every minor mistake in order to make her feel better about me leaving.

Has this happened to anyone else when they don't re-sign?!

this woman sounds like a complete bitch. unfortunately stuff like this is very common when koreans think they have been slighted in some way. they are an extremely petty and vindictive nation of people.

it sounds like at this stage you have no choice but to elevate things to the higher ups. speak to the VP or even the principal, or your Office of Education.

you've only got 4 months left, so have nothing to lose.

I would actually suggest sending an email to your coordinator at the MOE/POE so they at least have an official written record of your side of the story, in case your coteacher tries to get you fired.

She sounds awful!  Hope it gets better before it gets worse.

Could it be that she realises if you leave, she'll have to do a lot more work?  I wonder if at some schools they get told by the office of education "Ok, you won't be getting another native teacher after this, so when they decide to leave, they won't be replaced".

I sometimes get the feeling my colleagues only want me to stay because I do all the planning and teaching for our extra English Program and if I leave, one of them will have to do it.

She's actually told me this many times. That she's worried the next native teacher won't be good and that she'll have to do a lot more work. She used that to try to guilt me into staying here for another year.

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.

TBH it's not like one mounted to the walls or anything. It's one of those little bottles you can buy at the supermarket. But it looks like it was recently bought, as it is really clean (no mould on it) and it's still pretty full. :p

My school just did a health day where nonprofit groups came in to tell the students about hand washing, not smoking, eating healthy etc. They gave out liquid soap. Maybe that's what happened in your case. The only other liquid soap I've seen in my school is from last year's presentation when they gave us a bottle as well.

I'm not sure TBH, if it was that, it happened on one of the 3 days I'm not there. It's also the same brand that I buy for my place. :O

The "school playing field" is right outside my classroom window and I frequently find myself daydreaming about being a PE teacher. Responsibilities include: wearing sweatpants, holding a stopwatch, standing.

Ugh, you and me both. The PE teacher at our school (I call him Shaq Teacher) literally just wears wears sweat pants and tshirts all day every day. He gets sunshine and plays basketball all the time.

the PE teachers are in the same office that i'm in. they seem to have no additional responsibilities either. when they're not teaching PE they just either sleep, watch baseball on  the internet, or play pokemon go.

Dang.  PE teacher at my main school is the head teacher so he's usually pretty busy and often stays late. 

Annoyed at one of the new teachers.  She giggles whenever I toss out some butchered Korean at my desk neighbor.  I don't laugh at her imperfect English    I'm well aware of my minimal level of Korean and I'm sure I've studied it far less than she's studied English.  At least nobody else in the office cares.

Then there's another new teacher who severely overestimates my Korean just because I can pronounce "hello" properly.     Much better to be underestimated 

This is supposed to be the easiest day on my schedule and I was looking forward to it, but I forgot that a few classes had been rescheduled for today as a makeup for canceled classes last week.

It's over now, but I'm pretty sure I've suffered some brain damage.

This is supposed to be the easiest day on my schedule and I was looking forward to it, but I forgot that a few classes had been rescheduled for today as a makeup for canceled classes last week.

It's over now, but I'm pretty sure I've suffered some brain damage.

Did those re-scheduled classes put you over your weekly 22 hours? They tried to pull that crap with me, and I told them "I don't think I can teach those classes without being paid overtime." Not defensive, just casually. They insisted I teach them without overtime pay. I insisted I'd have to contact the school board to see if it was OK for me to teach over my hours without being paid overtime. Classes canceled.