RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

maybe made a little mistake in telling one of my co-teachers I was angry with her.
She didn't come to a 4th grade class which lead to me having to send students to get her when two boys started fighting. She had been dealing with a student from I previous class I had instructed her to help but refused to do anything but she needed to be in that class doing her job - assisting students and reprimanding these boys since I don't have the Korean to do that.

The mistake wasn't really that I told her I was mad but I went on to explain that if she's going to hold a student to do work, she should do it on her time not mine, reiterated why she's actually needed in the classroom even if I can run a class without her (I don't have the Korean ability or the class time to deal with the low-level reluctant learners) and that I was angry with her through the year because she fell asleep at the back of the class in four lessons this year.
She apologised and said that I should tell her problems I have immediately (which I should have been I don't feel comfortable doing since I learned in my first year here you need to suck up to your co-teachers if you want a renewal. I've already got my renewal for next year and don't intend on staying after completing my 5th year here so I no longer care).

I also told her she needed to show more initiative and should be assisting certain students without my direction, which she started to argue that she does and I told her fairly bluntly that I don't think she assists the students effectively. In that, she doesn't quite prioritise students the way I wish she would. There's a couple of students in the class I just can't effectively assist while also leading the class (reluctant learners), she will go to students that are low-level but I could assist while she's dealing with someone who needs her specifically. And...well...she seems a bit insulted. I don't want her to feel like I'm picking on her because she's by far not the co-teacher who annoyed me the most this year (even though it's no coincidence the classes I have with her have the worst behaviour. She cares far too much about the students liking her.)

I tried to soften the blow by telling her repeatedly that she is not the only co-teacher I've thought hasn't been doing a stellar job this year but I think that's might just lead to the 5 of us having a sit-down meeting about why they've annoyed me this year when I have other things to do.

I have heard it before from a co-teacher that I 'just don't seem to need assistance' but that just irritates me further because...do they not get that when I'm leading classes they are there for the students? Not for me? I don't need help, but the students do.

Haha. Oops.

I'm over my KTs this year. It wouldn't have bothered me so much since I've been here long enough to expect next-to-nothing from co-teachers but after a disagreement in the summer that included one KT saying a was 'unprofessional' for not doing something she had told me multiple times they would prepare. It really made their lack of professionalism jump out at me.

I honestly wouldn't mind leaving this school but you never know how cr*p the next one will be.

w3k for a tin of Heinz beans.

I'm still annoyed about that ridiculous week in Jan/Feb where we have to come to school. Why does that school week even exist? Why can't we just tack an extra week on to the end of the school year instead of leaving for a month then coming back? I could have had nearly a full month for vacation, but nope, it's split in two. 

Hey at least you don't have to desk warm

Except I only have three classes that Jan/Feb week, so my vacation is cut in half because I have to deskwarm. 

Whenever I bring in some fancy bomb game or choose your own adventure PPT, my CT tells the children that I made it even though I'm sure she knows I didn't. They all go "ohhhh!" and clap for me and it's so awkward because I don't want to make a big deal about it but I also don't see the need in taking credit for someone else's work. Is this why K-teachers often remove the credit from the PPTs they download from waygook? So they can impress their students?

Just tell them 'Pororo made it' (or whatever theme character is involved, if they're older, just tell them whatever parten company of the character made it) and then pick out some random kid to scold for being slightly distracted and move on.

Time's a wastin and the class don't need to know the provenance of the PPT.

I was told that yesterday was my last day at my travel school.  I was happy about that because it means I don't have to wake up earlier and wait at the cold bus stop.

I was told today that I need to go there one day next week.  Now I need to prepare more lessons.

I hope it's too late for them to change their mind about me doing a winter camp there. I've already made my vacation plans.

I hate it when I refresh Waygook for more forum goodness, only to see that the only recent thread bumps were bumped by gogators.

Been using some crappy old laptop from the Joseon dynasty at my second school for the past 3 months, randomly turns off during classes etc and takes ages to do anything. Anyway, it finally decided to die and leave me alone so I told my co-teacher the sad news and then she scurried off to the office and got this fancy new Windows 10 laptop out the cupboard that's just been sitting there collecting dust for who knows how long. So now I'm 50% ecstatic that I've got a laptop that functions as a laptop and 50% 'why the f*ck didn't you give this one to me in the first place?'
Happy Friday y'all 

I hate it when I refresh Waygook for more forum goodness, only to see that the only recent thread bumps were bumped by gogators.

Haha so true 

Also, I wish there could be just one Trump thread.  Do we really need five on the front page?

On the other hand I feel good when I see four or five threads bumped by AvecPommesFrites 

I hate it when I refresh Waygook for more forum goodness, only to see that the only recent thread bumps were bumped by gogators.

Also, who proceeds to set their alarm for 6am in the sleeping room and then sleep thorough it for at least 2 or 3 minutes. That happened at least twice.

I sleep through at least 4 alarms out of the 10 have set for the morning..... 

Wow. You must be a heavy sleeper. I always seem to wake up on the first ring of my alarm. I am programmed to hear it and it wakes me up.

And buh bye! See you never 

the behavior of my 6th grade students this year is one of the things that's made me finally pack it in wrt public school teaching in korea. i've had to see these dickheads twice per week, and i've never had such blatantly rude and disrespectful behavior from a group of students before.

some of the things i've seen them do:
- two students using the corridor as an olympic sprinting track to see who could run the fastest
- two students who regularly wrestle each other in the corridor, and who have almost knocked me over on numerous occasions and spilt my coffee all over my clothes on numerous occassions
- a student counting her coins on top of her english book in the middle of class, while she's supposed to be working
- students blatantly and openly reading comic books on top of their english books in class
- students violently (not playfully) punching and kicking each other while the homeroom teacher stands 2 meters away grinning like a moron
- students sitting on the floor and playing games as the bell rings, and even after, because the useless AF homeroom teachers can't even get them seated with their books out in time for class to start (i teach in the homerooms).
- students just getting up and walking out in the middle of class without saying anything to myself or my coteacher
- students throwing their shoes at each other in the corridors outside the classrooms

and that's just what i can remember off the top of my head. i'm sure there's more that will come back to me.

And buh bye! See you never 

the behavior of my 6th grade students this year is one of the things that's made me finally pack it in wrt public school teaching in korea. i've had to see these dickheads twice per week, and i've never had such blatantly rude and disrespectful behavior from a group of students before.

some of the things i've seen them do:
- two students using the corridor as an olympic sprinting track to see who could run the fastest
- two students who regularly wrestle each other in the corridor, and who have almost knocked me over on numerous occasions and spilt my coffee all over my clothes on numerous occassions
- a student counting her coins on top of her english book in the middle of class, while she's supposed to be working
- students blatantly and openly reading comic books on top of their english books in class
- students violently (not playfully) punching and kicking each other while the homeroom teacher stands 2 meters away grinning like a moron
- students sitting on the floor and playing games as the bell rings, and even after, because the useless AF homeroom teachers can't even get them seated with their books out in time for class to start (i teach in the homerooms).
- students just getting up and walking out in the middle of class without saying anything to myself or my coteacher
- students throwing their shoes at each other in the corridors outside the classrooms

and that's just what i can remember off the top of my head. i'm sure there's more that will come back to me.

This sounds like a normal Korean elementary school, to be honest. You must have worked at some really good schools in the past.

This sounds like a normal Korean elementary school, to be honest.

and you don't think this is a problem?

This sounds like a normal Korean elementary school, to be honest.

and you don't think this is a problem?

I think the world has a lot of problems.

I don't like it when students have a rude and lazy attitude towards my class, but playing around in the corridor, even playfighting, is OK as long as nobody is getting hurt. Better for them to let off steam there than in the classroom.

Close the door!!! Close the frakkin door!!!!! CLOSE THE MOTHER FRAKKIN DOOR!!!! Aaaaarrggghhhhhhhhhhhhh



*woosah only 6 weeks until vacation, only 6 weeks until vacation, only 6 weeks until vacation, you can do it, you can do it*

And buh bye! See you never 

the behavior of my 6th grade students this year is one of the things that's made me finally pack it in wrt public school teaching in korea. i've had to see these dickheads twice per week, and i've never had such blatantly rude and disrespectful behavior from a group of students before.

some of the things i've seen them do:
- two students using the corridor as an olympic sprinting track to see who could run the fastest
- two students who regularly wrestle each other in the corridor, and who have almost knocked me over on numerous occasions and spilt my coffee all over my clothes on numerous occassions
- a student counting her coins on top of her english book in the middle of class, while she's supposed to be working
- students blatantly and openly reading comic books on top of their english books in class
- students violently (not playfully) punching and kicking each other while the homeroom teacher stands 2 meters away grinning like a moron
- students sitting on the floor and playing games as the bell rings, and even after, because the useless AF homeroom teachers can't even get them seated with their books out in time for class to start (i teach in the homerooms).
- students just getting up and walking out in the middle of class without saying anything to myself or my coteacher
- students throwing their shoes at each other in the corridors outside the classrooms

and that's just what i can remember off the top of my head. i'm sure there's more that will come back to me.

This sounds normal/not that bad considering what I have experienced in some of these schools.

But the constant disrespect and wild behaviour does wear on you. Every time I have class with my 6th graders it makes me more and more happy to buy my ticket home for February. They are just so damn unpleasant and it's like these Korean teachers don't realise it doesn't have to be this way.

I had some of these problems while working with 6th graders in the bigger cities but out in the countryside (their label for the company I work for, not mine) the students are much more well behaved for the most part. The biggest problem I have is students using "새끼야" constantly in class, which to be honest doesnt bother me that much considering that I was a horrible shite when I was their age. I use a military like discipline scheme that involves the other members of their group to help control their peers. "Oh, Jihoon you wanna continue acting up? Well then all of group 5 members can come to the English room after lunch and owe me that 5 minutes of class time that you just wasted."

Works every time.

Definitely answered at least 2 questions entirely wrong on today's writing portion of midterms because I couldn't remember the meanings of the specific terms that needed to be conjugated.  All I could recall is that they were definitely irregular words that I apparently neglected to give proper attention to while studying.   

Indulging in a doughnut.  Because you are what you eat?  And my mind feels thoroughly glazed.

On the bright side, one of the Korean teachers (not mine) consistently thinks my choices of lip colors are "섹시" and makes a point of telling me so every time she sees me.

Y'aint rid of me yet, Korea.

#Koreateaching2018

Y'aint rid of me yet, Korea.

#Koreateaching2018

Dare I ask how your vacation went?

More Korean logic: 

Made an inquiry with immigration [last month] about the documents necessary to get a student visa.  Acquired list.  Cool.
Made an inquiry with my school [last month] about the documents necessary to get the student visa. 

School:  It's too early to apply for the visa.  Come back next month, x days before your current visa expires. 

I returned to inquire again. 

School:  Oh by the way, here's a list of additional documents you need in order to get the documents that immigration wants from us. 

...there is honestly zero reason why they couldn't have given me that list LAST month, so that I could have had ample time to prepare/obtain them.   
Thankfully I happen to have most of the necessary documents on hand but I still had to bug folks back home to notarize/scan send a few things.  I don't mind so much about hurrying to gather things myself but when I have to impose on someone else, that peeves me.  I'm also confused as to why I need to produce all these documents when I'm already currently enrolled.  Literally all I'm trying to get from the school is proof that I registered and a receipt of tuition payment.  That's all immigration needs from the school. 

Also, why on earth do I need to provide evidence of my parentage when I'm not relying on them whatsoever for financial purposes? Whatever, Korea. 

Y'aint rid of me yet, Korea.

#Koreateaching2018

What??

#timeCO2left!