RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

Sorry, but wouldn't looking at the actual causes of increased lifespans be more telling?

Clean drinking water, for example?

Life expectancy has increased in India, Africa, etc., for different reasons, but not one of them is due to white flour and sugar.

Certainly, but I didn't say white flour has either contributed to or caused a decline in human health.

I was responding to this statement: "health declined when sugar and white flour were introduced."

And it's just not so.

White flour and sugar are literally poison

I live on the edge *eats donut for breakfast*

 
Brilliant graph! Checkmate, sheeple.

"White flour" dates from around 1870, when steam-driven mills came about during the Industrial Revolution.

Avg world life expectancy in 1870 was 29.7 years.  Today, it is 71.4 years. 

HA!!! You guys crack me up. Riiiight, because life span is a proxy for health. 

Internet people always say that...

Are you not also one of these "Internet people"?

Life span is absolutely a proxy for health. Who is more likely to die, a healthy person or an unhealthy person? Use some common sense.

Sugar and flour are easily produced, stored and are a decent source of energy.

He was actually hospitalized Monday night and she still doesn't ****** get it. My wife is too scared to do anything about it.

you really need to lay down the law here. what's going to happen if your son dies because of your MIL?

kick her out, make some alternative arrangements for child care. literally scream at her if she doesn't get it.

this is not the time to be nice.

^Ugh, I hear ya. 

For my elem. classes I'm not allowed to even use the book/cd so literally every class is GAMES AND FUN ACTIVITIES. 

Occasionally I do throw in some word searches and coloring sheets though.  As long as I make it relevant to the lesson at hand, my coT doesn't seem terribly affronted.  Then I can just go around and ask students questions one-on-one all chill like. 

Yeah, there are a few classrooms I walk by occasionally and I swear, every time that class is just watching a movie.

Not really a rant, but it kind of grinds my gears how native teachers are expected to always have an organized, educational, and fun class for every single class, but for Korean teachers, sometimes it's okay for them to just let students study for a few minutes and then play. Or give them the entire class to practice a roleplay. Basically all these things that are super low-demand on the teacher's energy.

Not like every time. Even the hardest working Korean teachers do that sometimes. Like, that's a normal thing that teachers do everywhere. Even in western countries. Sometimes students and teachers just need a nice, low-maintenance relaxing class period without a lot of structure.

But if a native teacher does that? Clearly not diligent and just wants to avoid making material.

I have this thought almost every day as I pass classrooms that are just watching videos or milling about doing nothing in particular. Most of the time I actually enjoy playing games with my kids but there are definitely some classes where I want to just have them all sit with their heads down but someone is always watching me. There are also days when I'm just having the sad time feelies and can't be a SHINY HAPPY PERSON.

Maybe it evens out though since our classes are routinely cancelled for dodgeball competitions and the like, which I assume the Korean teachers have to at least monitor/show up for. 

There are also days when I'm just having the sad time feelies and can't be a SHINY HAPPY PERSON.

I feel so lucky that at least three of my schools understand that idea. My main school is often a nightmare (sometimes not), but my satellites are all easygoing enough that I can branch off on different subjects other than English as long as I'm giving them new terms and grammar.

Like today, I reviewed last week's grammar lesson (comparables and superlatives), then held a quiz show for half the class that taught them a bunch of weird animal names.

Life span is absolutely a proxy for health. Who is more likely to die, a healthy person or an unhealthy person? Use some common sense.

Wrong, why don't you use some common sense?

Americans are some of the most unhealthy people in the world, even though their lifespan is double that of the Upper Paleolithic. Propping up half-dead losers with drugs doesn't change the fact that they are massively unhealthy...from the products of the industrial revolution...which are sugar, "vegetable" oil, white flour, etc.

Upper Paleolithic was peak human health, and they lived ~35 years (disputed).

No real correlation between life span and health.

There are also days when I'm just having the sad time feelies and can't be a SHINY HAPPY PERSON.

Huh?

Being kind, polite, professional, etc. doesn't take that much effort.

Mood swings aren't "normal" unless one has some sort of condition.

Perhaps I am not following your meaning, but I certainly don't agree that it is ever appropriate to let your "sad time feelies" get in the way of fulfilling your professional obligations.

This gig is pretty easy.

Have you ever thought about seeing someone about your condition?

Life span is absolutely a proxy for health. Who is more likely to die, a healthy person or an unhealthy person? Use some common sense.

Wrong, why don't you use some common sense?
Americans are some of the most unhealthy people in the world, even though their lifespan is double that of the Upper Paleolithic. Propping up half-dead losers with drugs doesn't
change the fact that they are massively unhealthy...from the products of the industrial revolution...which are sugar, "vegetable" oil, white flour, etc.

Upper Paleolithic was peak human health, and they lived ~35 years (disputed).

No real correlation between life span and health.

That's not a fair comparison. There's no way to discover what their life span would have been if they died of natural causes. Today's Americans have modern medicine, and no natural predators (besides each other). And we have the technology and available information to measure the average lifespan of just those who live long enough to die of natural causes.

Pecan, i have to say that judging from the vast majority of your posts on this forum it sounds like YOU are the one with a condition that you should get seen to.

complete lack of empathy; always blaming the person for their misfortune whilst completely failing to take into account situational factors and/or that other people might be involved/contributing to a situation; inability to see things from someone else's perspective; making suggestions based on 'facts' that you imagine that are not described anywhere in people's posts.

sounds like narcissism mixed in with a bit of psychopathy.

or perhaps you've just been in korea for so long that you've become completely isolated and socially awkward?

Not really a rant, but it kind of grinds my gears how native teachers are expected to always have an organized, educational, and fun class for every single class, but for Korean teachers, sometimes it's okay for them to just let students study for a few minutes and then play. Or give them the entire class to practice a roleplay. Basically all these things that are super low-demand on the teacher's energy.

Not like every time. Even the hardest working Korean teachers do that sometimes. Like, that's a normal thing that teachers do everywhere. Even in western countries. Sometimes students and teachers just need a nice, low-maintenance relaxing class period without a lot of structure.

But if a native teacher does that? Clearly not diligent and just wants to avoid making material.

Holy shit this.

Thanks Kobayashi.

Though I've been in Korea far too long, I've always been socially awkward (no shame here).

I mentioned "Perhaps I am not following your meaning" but it sounds like you and cowboy are better able to "read between the lines" and follow her meaning.

I don't know what the "sad time feelies" are describing, but simply stated that it isn't acceptable to bring one's emotional baggage to school.

Leave that mess at home, where it belongs.

Thanks Kobayashi.

Though I've been in Korea far too long, I've always been socially awkward (no shame here).

I mentioned "Perhaps I am not following your meaning" but it sounds like you and cowboy are better able to "read between the lines" and follow her meaning.

I don't know what the "sad time feelies" are describing, but simply stated that it isn't acceptable to bring one's emotional baggage to school.

Leave that mess at home, where it belongs.

Are you kidding me? Being thousands of km away from home, away from family, and everything familiar will lead to some bouts of sadness. Especially if there was a major event such as a death in the family or not being able to see a major life event such as a siblings wedding. People get sad at times. I'm not saying you should yell at kids when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, but shit does happen.

Not really a rant, but it kind of grinds my gears how native teachers are expected to always have an organized, educational, and fun class for every single class, but for Korean teachers, sometimes it's okay for them to just let students study for a few minutes and then play. Or give them the entire class to practice a roleplay. Basically all these things that are super low-demand on the teacher's energy.

Not like every time. Even the hardest working Korean teachers do that sometimes. Like, that's a normal thing that teachers do everywhere. Even in western countries. Sometimes students and teachers just need a nice, low-maintenance relaxing class period without a lot of structure.

But if a native teacher does that? Clearly not diligent and just wants to avoid making material.

Holy shit this.

God yes, so with you on that #basedcowboyshirt.

Mid terms are next week and this week is full of interruptions like field trips, sports day etc so I thought I'd ease the workload on myself a little bit and let the students use my classes as self study time.  Everyone wins.

Also, just in case Pecan jumps on me for not "fulfilling my contractual obligations", let's remember that for the past three years I've done 100% of all the planning and teaching with no help from anyone.  So I feel like having a few days of self study classes isn't the end of the world.

When I told my CT that the students can just self study, she looked at me like I'd just set fire to the Korean flag in front of her.  She was genuinely stunned at my proposal.

"I think it's better if you prepare something for the class". 

Yea, thanks mate 

Not really a rant, but it kind of grinds my gears how native teachers are expected to always have an organized, educational, and fun class for every single class, but for Korean teachers, sometimes it's okay for them to just let students study for a few minutes and then play. Or give them the entire class to practice a roleplay. Basically all these things that are super low-demand on the teacher's energy.

Not like every time. Even the hardest working Korean teachers do that sometimes. Like, that's a normal thing that teachers do everywhere. Even in western countries. Sometimes students and teachers just need a nice, low-maintenance relaxing class period without a lot of structure.

But if a native teacher does that? Clearly not diligent and just wants to avoid making material.

Holy shit this.

God yes, so with you on that #basedcowboyshirt.

Mid terms are next week and this week is full of interruptions like field trips, sports day etc so I thought I'd ease the workload on myself a little bit and let the students use my classes as self study time.  Everyone wins.

Also, just in case Pecan jumps on me for not "fulfilling my contractual obligations", let's remember that for the past three years I've done 100% of all the planning and teaching with no help from anyone.  So I feel like having a few days of self study classes isn't the end of the world.

When I told my CT that the students can just self study, she looked at me like I'd just set fire to the Korean flag in front of her.  She was genuinely stunned at my proposal.

"I think it's better if you prepare something for the class". 

Yea, thanks mate 

Walk through the school one day and peak into the K-classes. I swear to god, each class has a video playing or the kids are crawling all over the desks/running around like monsters. Coming from a hagwon, I've never seen such a shit show before. For you to want to have a study day isn't some huge problem. The Korean teachers get paid when they do it.

There are also days when I'm just having the sad time feelies and can't be a SHINY HAPPY PERSON.

Huh?

Being kind, polite, professional, etc. doesn't take that much effort.

Mood swings aren't "normal" unless one has some sort of condition.

Perhaps I am not following your meaning, but I certainly don't agree that it is ever appropriate to let your "sad time feelies" get in the way of fulfilling your professional obligations.

This gig is pretty easy.

Have you ever thought about seeing someone about your condition?

There are also days when I'm just having the sad time feelies and can't be a SHINY HAPPY PERSON.

Huh?

Being kind, polite, professional, etc. doesn't take that much effort.

Mood swings aren't "normal" unless one has some sort of condition.

Perhaps I am not following your meaning, but I certainly don't agree that it is ever appropriate to let your "sad time feelies" get in the way of fulfilling your professional obligations.

This gig is pretty easy.

Have you ever thought about seeing someone about your condition?

Yeah, I didn't pick up "mood swings" from that post either. There does seem to be an expectation of the foreign teacher to have to constantly be a goddamn ray of sunshine. For example, this week I have had a severe sinus thing going on, which created a migraine like headache, nausea and vomiting. I was ill and not getting much sleep. I went to school, smiled, was polite etc, BUT instead of doing my run around jumping happy unicorn activities, I had to tone those down to word searches and other quieter, calmer activities. Would I have loved to be able to just show a movie during classes. DAMN STRAIGHT.

There are a multitude of situational factors that without a doubt will affect someone's mood and affect, also energy levels. I am a high energy teacher, but I have my days, this is completely normal. Also.. I don't know.. LIFE happens to some of us which may affect the amount of upbeat positive energy one might bring top the classroom. Not everyday is a farting rainbow unicorn day.

@Pecan - Empathy- it's a thing. Changes in affect- that's a thing too.  I also think that if perhaps, just for a second you were to climb down off your pedestal, you may see the world quite differently. Perhaps you may think you are the same upbeat teacher EVERY SINGLE DAY and that you never bring "emotional baggage" or "feelies" to school, I can assure you that you probably do, I would ask others around you. Perhaps you have not been able to see that in yourself.

Sometimes it is difficult to acknowledge and empathise with others when one fails to acknowledge the same in ourselves. Or you just struggle with empathy, which you may want to work on, I have people in my life that struggle with the socially awkward situation too, they normally ask more questions before putting out rash statements, they have had to learn to do this though, you can too. Perhaps someone can help you with your condition.