RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

300 students in my school and the teacher responsible for cleaning says there aren't 1 or 2 free to clean the English room at cleaning time. Was fine last year and the year before that. Strange.

I mean I can see 6 students sitting in the classroom outside the English room now doing nothing but that's non of my business.

I'm not a fan of the whole students cleaning the schools thing in the first place. I mean, I get that it's supposed to foster a sense of responsibility and the feeling of being a part of a group or whatever, but they're students. They don't give a sh!t how good a job they do, so I just end up thinking of that Mitch Hedberg Joke: "This shirt is dry clean only. That means it's dirty." This school is cleaned by the students. That means it's dirty.

I think it'd be nice to use it as an employment opportunity and hire adult janitors to come clean the school outside of working hours, so it'd be cleaner around here, more locals could find employment, and the students could have more time to go be kids. Then again, if the janitors end up cleaning as effectively as most of the ajummas who cleaned my schools' bathrooms do/did, then the schools wouldn't be any cleaner than they are after the students clean them. 

300 students in my school and the teacher responsible for cleaning says there aren't 1 or 2 free to clean the English room at cleaning time. Was fine last year and the year before that. Strange.

I mean I can see 6 students sitting in the classroom outside the English room now doing nothing but that's non of my business.

I'm not a fan of the whole students cleaning the schools thing in the first place. I mean, I get that it's supposed to foster a sense of responsibility and the feeling of being a part of a group or whatever, but they're students. They don't give a sh!t how good a job they do, so I just end up thinking of that Mitch Hedberg Joke: "This shirt is dry clean only. That means it's dirty." This school is cleaned by the students. That means it's dirty.

I think it'd be nice to use it as an employment opportunity and hire adult janitors to come clean the school outside of working hours, so it'd be cleaner around here, more locals could find employment, and the students could have more time to go be kids. Then again, if the janitors end up cleaning as effectively as most of the ajummas who cleaned my schools' bathrooms do/did, then the schools wouldn't be any cleaner than they are after the students clean them. 

I always wondered what the point of the kids cleaning was. The place is usually just as filthy as when they started. Teamwork and responsibility over hard work and actual effort, I see.

Yeah the old ladies just use the same cloth to wipe everything down anyway. Clean the toilets with it then wipe down the taps afterwards 

Oh, no doubt they do a terrible job but still when in Rome.

FML... My breaks were malfunctioning this morning. I couldn't press them in much on the pedal. Then after taking a cab to work I was late and while running into work my phone falls out of my pocket and the screen cracks. Icing on the cake.... my slippers broke also before first class.
Today is not my day.
Also found out problems with my pay last night. Keeps getting better!

I almost lost my **** today. I was trying to play a game with my low level students and when I got around to Team 4, the ENTIRE team ignored me. Even when I shouted for their team louder than I've ever shouted in class before (they had responded during their last turn too). What's funny is the class saw my frustration, and did a group apology. Guess who didn't apologize? Team 4...

Trying not to explode from the accumulated frustration of being treated like garbage, despite everything that we sacrifice to be here.

Trying not to explode from the accumulated frustration of being treated like garbage, despite everything that we sacrifice to be here.

'we'

I think you mean 'I'.

Trying not to explode from the accumulated frustration of being treated like garbage, despite everything that we sacrifice to be here.

'we'

I think you mean 'I'.

I think it's safe to say that I'm not the only person on this site who left their families, friends, homes, cultures, to teach here.

Trying not to explode from the accumulated frustration of being treated like garbage, despite everything that we sacrifice to be here.

'we'

I think you mean 'I'.

I think it's safe to say that I'm not the only person on this site who left their families, friends, homes, cultures, to teach here.

I don't really know about that - I feel like there's a pretty big difference between 'sacrificing' and 'voluntarily leaving by choice completely of your own free will.'

Sacrifices have to be involuntary?

No, they don't.

Then why would voluntarily leaving preclude it from being a sacrifice?

I almost lost my **** today. I was trying to play a game with my low level students and when I got around to Team 4, the ENTIRE team ignored me. Even when I shouted for their team louder than I've ever shouted in class before (they had responded during their last turn too). What's funny is the class saw my frustration, and did a group apology. Guess who didn't apologize? Team 4...

Trying not to explode from the accumulated frustration of being treated like garbage, despite everything that we sacrifice to be here.

A small bit of advice for a new teacher - shouting is a almost always very ineffective means of making students listen to you. Keep in mind, those are (according to you) low level students, so they likely don't have a lot of intrinsic motivation to study English, and they game is probably a little confusing or uninteresting to them if they're really low level.

Anyways, try to practice some non-shouting classroom management. You're new, so it won't come immediately, but try to avoid letting students frustrate you. If they see you getting flustered, they're not going to take you seriously.

Don't worry - it gets easier with practice.

I don't want you to get the wrong idea here. It's not like I'm constantly yelling at the top of my lungs. It was just this one instance. I learned well enough early on that that doesn't work. But these are students who've participated well enough in the past, so to see them just flat out ignore me was just baffling.

I almost lost my **** today. I was trying to play a game with my low level students and when I got around to Team 4, the ENTIRE team ignored me. Even when I shouted for their team louder than I've ever shouted in class before (they had responded during their last turn too). What's funny is the class saw my frustration, and did a group apology. Guess who didn't apologize? Team 4...

Trying not to explode from the accumulated frustration of being treated like garbage, despite everything that we sacrifice to be here.

punish the entire class for their behaviour. they'll (hopefully) start to self-police each other

Somehow gained points with other teachers, they're making conversation with me now.
And somehow lost points with kids, they're even more disrespectful. Even the nice ones are pushing boundaries every single time I see them. They went through my bag and took out my v expensive planner and started trying to take the stickers out of it, I had to snatch it away because they wouldn't stop.

What is with these kids??? When I was 10-11, I'd have never thought to do half of what they do. My mom would have whooped my butt if I even thought about stealing things from a teacher's bag, or even touching it at all. Or talking back and flat out insulting my teacher when she asked me nicely to stop playing dodge ball in the classroom.

On another note, I'm getting super stressed about my money situation. I've got $40 in my account and I won't get paid until the end of the week. My contract says the 25th, but they haven't paid up yet. They first said the 23rd, (since the 25th was a Sunday) then the 26th, 27th, maybe the 28th but most likely late on the 30th.

I wish I could make them understand I've got bills and the landlord to pay.

Even the nice ones are pushing boundaries every single time I see them. They went through my bag and took out my v expensive planner and started trying to take the stickers out of it, I had to snatch it away because they wouldn't stop.

Dang, that's not OK at all. I'm at middle school, but my kids would never touch my personal stuff.

On another note, I'm getting super stressed about my money situation. I've got $40 in my account and I won't get paid until the end of the week. My contract says the 25th, but they haven't paid up yet. They first said the 23rd, (since the 25th was a Sunday) then the 26th, 27th, maybe the 28th but most likely late on the 30th.

I wish I could make them understand I've got bills and the landlord to pay.

Are you EPIK? Because if you are, go talk to one of the EPIK coordinators.

Somehow gained points with other teachers, they're making conversation with me now.
And somehow lost points with kids, they're even more disrespectful. Even the nice ones are pushing boundaries every single time I see them. They went through my bag and took out my v expensive planner and started trying to take the stickers out of it, I had to snatch it away because they wouldn't stop.

What is with these kids??? When I was 10-11, I'd have never thought to do half of what they do. My mom would have whooped my butt if I even thought about stealing things from a teacher's bag, or even touching it at all. Or talking back and flat out insulting my teacher when she asked me nicely to stop playing dodge ball in the classroom.

On another note, I'm getting super stressed about my money situation. I've got $40 in my account and I won't get paid until the end of the week. My contract says the 25th, but they haven't paid up yet. They first said the 23rd, (since the 25th was a Sunday) then the 26th, 27th, maybe the 28th but most likely late on the 30th.

I wish I could make them understand I've got bills and the landlord to pay.

Your kids are out of control. Is your Co-teacher with you in the class? You should consider making stronger classroom management (if it's even possible to tame these kids).And you should definitely talk to whoever's in charge of your contract about your pay. It's unacceptable to get paid so late

Are you EPIK? Because if you are, go talk to one of the EPIK coordinators.

I'm TaLK, the baby brother of EPIK. I haven't gotten a real reason as to why I'm not being paid. They said I wouldn't get the $300 housing settlement yet because the PoE hasn't paid them and I can understand that much, but my MT just kind of says they don't have money/there's an issue and I won't be paid yet for my paycheck. She hasn't been real clear on it.

Your kids are out of control. Is your Co-teacher with you in the class? You should consider making stronger classroom management (if it's even possible to tame these kids).And you should definitely talk to whoever's in charge of your contract about your pay. It's unacceptable to get paid so late

No CoT was given to me and none in the near future that I can see, I've got 16-17 kids in the class with 0 English ability.

All the other teachers have class at the same time I do, and I've already had to pull 2 out of their classes to help me get them under control. I've tried so many tips from other teachers both on Waygook and that I've spoken to outside, and I've even expressed that I cannot control the kids and desperately need help but my MT and other staff just kind of laugh and go "yeah they're hard to control :)"

My 4-6th are lovely kids and want to learn. It's 3rd that has me wanting to sit down on the floor and cry. Out of 7 classes we've had 1 good day. I'm half tempted to tell them I flat out refuse to teach another class without a CoT.

I worked out too late and now I can't sleep.

I'm TaLK, the baby brother of EPIK. I haven't gotten a real reason as to why I'm not being paid. They said I wouldn't get the $300 housing settlement yet because the PoE hasn't paid them and I can understand that much, but my MT just kind of says they don't have money/there's an issue and I won't be paid yet for my paycheck. She hasn't been real clear on it.

None of that sounds right to me at all. As I understand it, the schools receive the funds for NETs well in advance.

Either way, being paid this late is completely unacceptable, and, while I hate going over people's heads, this is your livelihood here, and they're not giving you any clear answers.

I'd contact someone with the TaLK program, see if you can get some answers or at least a name.

I was only able to find the number for applicants residing in Korea, but if you don't have a region coordinator's contact info, you may be able to get relevant contact info from that line:

http://www.talk.go.kr/talk/talk_new/content/content.jsp?menuId=010404

I worked out too late and now I can't sleep.

I'm TaLK, the baby brother of EPIK. I haven't gotten a real reason as to why I'm not being paid. They said I wouldn't get the $300 housing settlement yet because the PoE hasn't paid them and I can understand that much, but my MT just kind of says they don't have money/there's an issue and I won't be paid yet for my paycheck. She hasn't been real clear on it.

None of that sounds right to me at all. As I understand it, the schools receive the funds for NETs well in advance.

Either way, being paid this late is completely unacceptable, and, while I hate going over people's heads, this is your livelihood here, and they're not giving you any clear answers.

I'd contact someone with the TaLK program, see if you can get some answers or at least a name.

I was only able to find the number for applicants residing in Korea, but if you don't have a region coordinator's contact info, you may be able to get relevant contact info from that line:

http://www.talk.go.kr/talk/talk_new/content/content.jsp?menuId=010404

Yeah, TaLK is through the government, so you definitely get paid on time. The school/your coteacher is bullsh!tting you. Contact your TaLK coordinator. Even if it might not be the correct person to talk to, they should be able to give you the correct information.

And you definitely need to have a coteacher. Even if it's just the homeroom teacher in the classroom with you. You are never supposed* to be alone in the classroom with the kids. (*This actually totally happens all the time, but if you are clearly struggling and no one's doing anything about it, that's wrong).

Yeah, TaLK is through the government, so you definitely get paid on time. The school/your coteacher is bullsh!tting you. Contact your TaLK coordinator. Even if it might not be the correct person to talk to, they should be able to give you the correct information.

And you definitely need to have a coteacher. Even if it's just the homeroom teacher in the classroom with you. You are never supposed* to be alone in the classroom with the kids. (*This actually totally happens all the time, but if you are clearly struggling and no one's doing anything about it, that's wrong).

So good news and bad news regarding this topic.

I got paid! I check my account every day after work just hoping and wishing, and today it was there like magic. I was so shocked I was absolutely calm. So much stress vanished at once that I was 100% at peace with life lmao.

But the bad news. I actually begged my MT for a CoT today, I pleaded and begged and brought her in to see how bad the class was. What used to be my worst student snitched on the ones causing issues because even HE was annoyed by it. She just made them apologize and then told me something I'm not sure makes sense.

All I could gather was that I need to give them a worksheet every day and collect it at the end and hand them over to my MT so I can get paid..?? Her English is as good as my Korean, which is barely anything, but I guess I'll do what they want me to.

I know legally I can't grade papers so I'm confused as to why I need to give them one every day and give them over.  But eh, when it doesn't fly with the kids then maybe they'll finally see why I've been begging for help.