RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

I, among a couple other teachers from my province, where invited to submit videos of our class and potentially win a prize, it was completely optional.
I've got a lot on my plate right now and frankly wasn't in the mood to tapdance for the damn MOE. My CT pleaded and eventually I gave in.

The reason for my hesitation was that I knew I'd be stuck with doing ALL of the work since my CT loves playing the "Oh, I'm so bad with computers" excuse every damn time! Now was no different.
I finished the entire lesson, including an original video, I created and edited in 2 days. I asked her for 4 damn sentences, as I was creating her and my bucket list for the video. It took her 4 days to Kakao the sentences to me.

We finished the lesson and it went ok-ish.

Now, she asks for my "help" to edit the recording as the lesson is 40min and we have to condense it into a 10min video.
Jokingly, but serious, I told her no since I prepared all the work, led 80% of the lesson and the potential prize money would be split 50-50. I told her to do it herself. She agreed. I just walked past her class and she's getting on of the homeroom teachers to edit it for her.

For God's sake, I had no clue how to use the iMovie app until last week when I first I used it, but since I'm not a complete retard or pathetic, I figured it out and made a simple, but professional video with a soundtrack.

This week is speaking test week. Spent a whole period last week going through the questions with a fine-toothed comb, and GIVING THEM ALL THE ANSWERS.

Today:

  Teacher test is hard?

  Did you study?

  No ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

  Then it might be difficult

   Teacher nooooooooooooo 

And I'll feel zero remorse giving you a big fat 7 out of 10 (the lowest score I can give  ) if you don't study for a test that you've been given all the answers to.

#sorrynotsorry

This week is speaking test week. Spent a whole period last week going through the questions with a fine-toothed comb, and GIVING THEM ALL THE ANSWERS.

Today:

  Teacher test is hard?

  Did you study?

  No ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

  Then it might be difficult

   Teacher nooooooooooooo 

And I'll feel zero remorse giving you a big fat 7 out of 10 (the lowest score I can give  ) if you don't study for a test that you've been given all the answers to.

#sorrynotsorry

+1

   I get the exact same thing. Kids spend 2 classes with the KETs going over the question sheet, and I still get blank look from a fair number. Luckily, I lobbied long and hard to reduce the minimum grade from 60% to 40% and finally succeeded last year. It's so satisfying giving failing grades to kids who truly deserve it. (I suspect that their homeroom teachers might meddle with the grade spreadsheets after I send them over, but so long as I don't know, I don't care.)

My middle school has speaking tests this week, too.  Students get the study guide with all the answers, yet there are still some who fail.  Some refuse to answer questions and mutely shake their head.  Others leave out words or say the answer to a different question.  Even my coT's get frustrated with them.

This week is speaking test week. Spent a whole period last week going through the questions with a fine-toothed comb, and GIVING THEM ALL THE ANSWERS.

Today:

  Teacher test is hard?

  Did you study?

  No ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

  Then it might be difficult

   Teacher nooooooooooooo 

And I'll feel zero remorse giving you a big fat 7 out of 10 (the lowest score I can give  ) if you don't study for a test that you've been given all the answers to.

#sorrynotsorry

+1

   I get the exact same thing. Kids spend 2 classes with the KETs going over the question sheet, and I still get blank look from a fair number. Luckily, I lobbied long and hard to reduce the minimum grade from 60% to 40% and finally succeeded last year. It's so satisfying giving failing grades to kids who truly deserve it. (I suspect that their homeroom teachers might meddle with the grade spreadsheets after I send them over, but so long as I don't know, I don't care.)

HAHA. I got mine reduced down to 4, too. Evidently in the kind of rule book, the lowest is actually 4 that is allowed to be given. Anyway, nicely done.

Speaking tests...jesus, tell me about it.

Like you guys, I also give the students all the questions along with example answers for each, weeks before the test.  They go through them with the KET too to make sure they understand.

I used to ask the questions in a random order.  Nope, too difficult because they'd end up giving me an answer for a completely different question (they'd obviously just memorised the answers in the order they appear on the sheet).

Ok, fair enough, from now on I'll ask the questions in the order they appear on the sheet...

Student enters and sits down (wearing a coat so I can't see his name badge).
"Hi, what's your name?"
"My favourite subject at school is..."
"No, sorry, what's your name?"
"...Um...My favourite subject at school is"

Ok kill me now.

+1

   I get the exact same thing. Kids spend 2 classes with the KETs going over the question sheet, and I still get blank look from a fair number. Luckily, I lobbied long and hard to reduce the minimum grade from 60% to 40% and finally succeeded last year. It's so satisfying giving failing grades to kids who truly deserve it. (I suspect that their homeroom teachers might meddle with the grade spreadsheets after I send them over, but so long as I don't know, I don't care.)

I'm with you, if you meddle with my grading, fine, just don't tell me about it. Please let me enjoy the tiny amount of power I think I have.

And thank goodness that usually the teachers leave alone for the actual speaking test itself. But one busybody CT always wants to do the tests with me to "help". He logs the grades while I administer the questions. OK. But last semester I saw him writing in some students' grade before they had even answered the questions. Once I caught on to him though I would "innocently" call him out on it by voicing my opinion of the grade right in front of the student. Hopefully that at least pushed the grade altering out from under my very nose and into the teachers' office wher it belongs. 

Jeezus what a farce this all is at times 

Talked to the boss about next year (whether I was staying or not). Asked for a raise. Boss came back and asked if there was any wiggle room in the amount? If the raise can't be given, what will I do? Leave? Yup. Because I was promised a raise two years in a row and then didn't get one. That amount is the culmination of what I should have been already getting. Honestly, I'm on the fence about staying anyway, but I wanted to give them the chance to do the right thing. At least I had "the conversation", now I can ask for references, that's always a huge pain.

Second semester 6th graders. Coteachers who can't answer simple questions and insist on interrupting my punishments for massively unruly students when they (the coteacher) haven't even been in the classroom except for the last five minutes of class.

Just generally annoyed with Korea and school and students today.

I hate the nasty, greasy, oily mess of shredded mystery meat they serve us every single week. How can it be so oily and dry at the same?

I think you've discovered a new paradox.

FU NH.  So I mistakenly thought (should have remembered that this is Korea after all) that it would be a simple thing to get a bank statement showing my account balance (I have to prove I have adequate funds to the school I want to apply to).  The school wants an original statement and the local bank can only provide me with a copy that the school won't accept.  Because apparently only my original bank back on an ISLAND can produce an original copy.  Dafuq???

They're mailing the original to me but it may not arrive in time by the deadline (which, honestly, is my own issue because I decided to dive in and apply for the upcoming semester instead of waiting for the spring one).  On the bright side, I found a go around by opening up a new account at a different bank and transferring the necessary funds so I could then request an original bank statement from the new bank. 

Geezus

FU NH.  So I mistakenly thought (should have remembered that this is Korea after all) that it would be a simple thing to get a bank statement showing my account balance (I have to prove I have adequate funds to the school I want to apply to).  The school wants an original statement and the local bank can only provide me with a copy that the school won't accept.  Because apparently only my original bank back on an ISLAND can produce an original copy.  Dafuq???

They're mailing the original to me but it may not arrive in time by the deadline (which, honestly, is my own issue because I decided to dive in and apply for the upcoming semester instead of waiting for the spring one).  On the bright side, I found a go around by opening up a new account at a different bank and transferring the necessary funds so I could then request an original bank statement from the new bank. 

Geezus

Scam alert!

Why should you have to prove to a new employer that you have money?

Original prevents you from redacting the account number.

FU NH.  So I mistakenly thought (should have remembered that this is Korea after all) that it would be a simple thing to get a bank statement showing my account balance (I have to prove I have adequate funds to the school I want to apply to).  The school wants an original statement and the local bank can only provide me with a copy that the school won't accept.  Because apparently only my original bank back on an ISLAND can produce an original copy.  Dafuq???

They're mailing the original to me but it may not arrive in time by the deadline (which, honestly, is my own issue because I decided to dive in and apply for the upcoming semester instead of waiting for the spring one).  On the bright side, I found a go around by opening up a new account at a different bank and transferring the necessary funds so I could then request an original bank statement from the new bank. 

Geezus

Scam alert!

Why should you have to prove to a new employer that you have money?

Original prevents you from redacting the account number.

Oh sorry, I mean a school I want to attend.  For language study.  Not for employment!

FU NH.  So I mistakenly thought (should have remembered that this is Korea after all) that it would be a simple thing to get a bank statement showing my account balance (I have to prove I have adequate funds to the school I want to apply to).  The school wants an original statement and the local bank can only provide me with a copy that the school won't accept.  Because apparently only my original bank back on an ISLAND can produce an original copy.  Dafuq???

They're mailing the original to me but it may not arrive in time by the deadline (which, honestly, is my own issue because I decided to dive in and apply for the upcoming semester instead of waiting for the spring one).  On the bright side, I found a go around by opening up a new account at a different bank and transferring the necessary funds so I could then request an original bank statement from the new bank. 

Geezus

Scam alert!

Why should you have to prove to a new employer that you have money?

Original prevents you from redacting the account number.

Oh sorry, I mean a school I want to attend.  For language study.  Not for employment!

Is it for the school or for a student visa? I've been looking into studying in Japan, and if I want to sponsor myself, I'll have to offer proof I can afford to live and study there for the duration of the study period. Or where you already on an F visa? I lose track around here.   

FU NH.  So I mistakenly thought (should have remembered that this is Korea after all) that it would be a simple thing to get a bank statement showing my account balance (I have to prove I have adequate funds to the school I want to apply to).  The school wants an original statement and the local bank can only provide me with a copy that the school won't accept.  Because apparently only my original bank back on an ISLAND can produce an original copy.  Dafuq???

They're mailing the original to me but it may not arrive in time by the deadline (which, honestly, is my own issue because I decided to dive in and apply for the upcoming semester instead of waiting for the spring one).  On the bright side, I found a go around by opening up a new account at a different bank and transferring the necessary funds so I could then request an original bank statement from the new bank. 

Geezus

Scam alert!

Why should you have to prove to a new employer that you have money?

Original prevents you from redacting the account number.

Oh sorry, I mean a school I want to attend.  For language study.  Not for employment!

Is it for the school or for a student visa? I've been looking into studying in Japan, and if I want to sponsor myself, I'll have to offer proof I can afford to live and study there for the duration of the study period. Or where you already on an F visa? I lose track around here.   

Just for the school itself.  I'm wanting to apply for a F4 visa but immigration gave me shite about requiring documents from the deceased parent instead of allowing me to use documents pertaining to the parent that's alive 

So my plan now is to switch to a D10 or something to give me more time to suss everything out.  Ugh headache. 

Just for the school itself.  I'm wanting to apply for a F4 visa but immigration gave me shite about requiring documents from the deceased parent instead of allowing me to use documents pertaining to the parent that's alive 

So my plan now is to switch to a D10 or something to give me more time to suss everything out.  Ugh headache.

Yeah, I know someone (a foreigner) who went to grad school in Korea, and he said when he was applying for his student visa, immigration wanted to check his bank book (and actually update it at a nearby ATM) to make sure that he had sufficient funds to pay for grad school. I know universities in Korea also require proof of sufficient funds.

As for the F4 visa, honestly, if you don't plan to stay in Korea for more than a couple years, don't bother -- it's not worth the hassle, in my opinion.

Just for the school itself.  I'm wanting to apply for a F4 visa but immigration gave me shite about requiring documents from the deceased parent instead of allowing me to use documents pertaining to the parent that's alive 

So my plan now is to switch to a D10 or something to give me more time to suss everything out.  Ugh headache.

Yeah, I know someone (a foreigner) who went to grad school in Korea, and he said when he was applying for his student visa, immigration wanted to check his bank book (and actually update it at a nearby ATM) to make sure that he had sufficient funds to pay for grad school. I know universities in Korea also require proof of sufficient funds.

As for the F4 visa, honestly, if you don't plan to stay in Korea for more than a couple years, don't bother -- it's not worth the hassle, in my opinion.

It does seem like a stupid, stupid, hassle but I want to at least try because it could be lucrative as well as allow me to legally tutor privates (I'm too paranoid to try doing so under the table, honestly) or get like a part time gig somewhere.  Otherwise, I'm gunning for the language study visa which is like a D4 I think; but it doesn't seem to allow me to work for the first 6 months and after that I have to get permission from my school/supervisor apparently. 

I'd be okay financially without a job for a while if it came down to it but I would prefer to have some form of income. 

Gyeonggi Messenger won't allow me to send files over 20MB large (or a collection of files totalling that amount).

  Why are you giving me this USB?

  The files for tomorrow are on there, I can't send files larger than 20MB, remember. Gyeonggi Messenger is stupid (and IT IS. It's an internal messenging system, it only uses the bandwidth WITHIN THE SCHOOL. Korea has no bandwidth caps anyway! Just let me send whatever the f I want!)

  Don't say like that.


Why? Is your brother personally responsible for the development of this program? Do you love it? Probably not. So why take offense at this? It doesn't mean our school sucks, it doesn't mean Gyeonggi sucks. The program has a stupid............. feature? It's not even a feature. I HATE poorly designed things, especially when there's no real discernible reason.

OI VEY

@CO2 Gyeonggi messenger does suck. I  miss Cool Messenger.

Rant: Golden Bell. They keep making me dumb down the questions so now all the students are being spoon fed the answers. Heaven forbid the students actually have to think about anything. At this rate the entire class is going to win.

@CO2 Gyeonggi messenger does suck. I  miss Cool Messenger.

Rant: Golden Bell. They keep making me dumb down the questions so now all the students are being spoon fed the answers. Heaven forbid the students actually have to think about anything. At this rate the entire class is going to win.

On this point, where did the idea of Golden Bell even come from? I asked why they call it Golden Bell and they just sort of looked at me like, "What? You don't know?"