RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

OH BOY HERE WE GO

I got almost all the way to school and realized my key wasn't in my pocket. Turned around and walked the 20 mins back, got the key. My fault, it's fine.

Head to the taxi stand to save some time and as I was getting up to the last taxi, this older woman hopped in and off they went. That's fine, I can use the exercise.

Walk the 20 mins to school, rocking up 30 mins later than normal so I can't get lunch. But it's cool, I grabbed a kimbap from the corner store knowing I'd miss it. Did not expect to have rocked up smack dab in the middle of an evacuation drill. I actually have no idea what to do in case of emergency, they seemingly forget to tell me every single time we have a drill. That's fine, whatever.

Start prepping my materials, my external decided to brick itself. 1TB of data just in limbo right now. Getting to be less cool.

As I'm prepping physical materials for my youngest class, with scissors in my hand and glue on the desk, my MT breezes through the doors and drops a stack of about 50 papers on my table. She got them last week and just...forgot to tell me that I needed to hand write every single lesson plan I've done since school started and submit them. Really starting to be not that cool anymore.

Oh, by the way you need to come with me NOW and attend club meetings. Cue being pulled upstairs to be teased with illustration club and then given the ole switcharoo and tossed into traditional Korean drumming club who happen to be in the middle of their choreography for a drumming routine. Put in the middle of the room with sticks, no clue what I'm meant to be doing as my MT is playing hovering paparazzi while I flounder and take up their time with my presence.

I'm extremely embarrassed to be wasting their time, having everyone stare at me wondering why I'm there and why I can't play the drums and why the teacher is struggling in English trying to explain. My face is burning hot and I'm so embarrassed I'm almost in tears before the teacher says "you can stand, picture is ok" and I stand off to the side hiding my face as they breeze through their moves.

Because I was stuck in the club lamenting my life choices, I couldn't finish prepping materials for the next class that was a grueling 80 minutes.

How was your day?

Rookie mistake and almost everyone falls for it in the beginning.

Basically, FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING!

When you start working, many CTs and co-workers will 'test' you. They'll either act like a domineering dick,
ask you for a relatively inconvenient 'favour' or pressure you into doing something outside of your duties.
Accept and it's all downhill from there, you've solidified yourself as a doormat.
Stand your ground and you'll likely meet some resistance. As long as you remain firm, yet calm and respectful,
they'll probably give up.

Sadly, South Korean society operates on a food chain of bullying. Superiors bully their juniors as a coping mechanism for those who are bullying them.

As a foreigner, you have to assert the card that you're not part of that ecosystem. 

On different note, you should be asking, every month or week, for any schedule changes etc.

OH BOY HERE WE GO

I got almost all the way to school and realized my key wasn't in my pocket. Turned around and walked the 20 mins back, got the key. My fault, it's fine.

Head to the taxi stand to save some time and as I was getting up to the last taxi, this older woman hopped in and off they went. That's fine, I can use the exercise.

Walk the 20 mins to school, rocking up 30 mins later than normal so I can't get lunch. But it's cool, I grabbed a kimbap from the corner store knowing I'd miss it. Did not expect to have rocked up smack dab in the middle of an evacuation drill. I actually have no idea what to do in case of emergency, they seemingly forget to tell me every single time we have a drill. That's fine, whatever.

Start prepping my materials, my external decided to brick itself. 1TB of data just in limbo right now. Getting to be less cool.

As I'm prepping physical materials for my youngest class, with scissors in my hand and glue on the desk, my MT breezes through the doors and drops a stack of about 50 papers on my table. She got them last week and just...forgot to tell me that I needed to hand write every single lesson plan I've done since school started and submit them. Really starting to be not that cool anymore.

Oh, by the way you need to come with me NOW and attend club meetings. Cue being pulled upstairs to be teased with illustration club and then given the ole switcharoo and tossed into traditional Korean drumming club who happen to be in the middle of their choreography for a drumming routine. Put in the middle of the room with sticks, no clue what I'm meant to be doing as my MT is playing hovering paparazzi while I flounder and take up their time with my presence.

I'm extremely embarrassed to be wasting their time, having everyone stare at me wondering why I'm there and why I can't play the drums and why the teacher is struggling in English trying to explain. My face is burning hot and I'm so embarrassed I'm almost in tears before the teacher says "you can stand, picture is ok" and I stand off to the side hiding my face as they breeze through their moves.

Because I was stuck in the club lamenting my life choices, I couldn't finish prepping materials for the next class that was a grueling 80 minutes.

How was your day?

I'm sorry that you're being treated so badly. You really need to find it withing yourself to just say NO to the teachers at your school. Their constant demands are ridiculous.

Bingsu,

You need to grow a backbone.  This whole culture is built on stronger vs weaker.  The weaker you appear, the more shit they will give you.  You just need to say no.  They won't know what to do with that answer cause every one of their "inferiors" has said yes!....Fight for your right!!  Don't stand for bullshit!

Everyone is right. Just say no, and stand up for yourself. But you also have to be able to accept that the whole "Nobody tells me anything, I'm unprepared!" thing is just part of working with many Koreans. Pick yourself up, we believe in you!

My favorite thing EVER is when I have a game prepared that involves groups, and I when I tell my students to group up, there's the awkward pause. And then my co-teacher says "I don't think they want groups because they don't like each other." There goes my lesson.

 

Can you imagine if these kids had jobs? You can't choose your co-workers, better get over it 

My favorite thing EVER is when I have a game prepared that involves groups, and I when I tell my students to group up, there's the awkward pause. And then my co-teacher says "I don't think they want groups because they don't like each other." There goes my lesson.

 

More like "I didn't ask them to like it, I told them to group up."

It's nuts that just not listening to the teacher seems so commonly accepted here.

Last week there was a student who wouldn't stop sleeping. My CoT told me the kid was feeling sick, so I asked if he had been to the nurses office. He asked, and the kid said no. I told the kid to go to the nurses office, he said no. My CoT told him to, he said no. CoT was like "Welp, he doesn't want to go." I said "He's a child. We're his teachers. It doesn't matter what he wants to do." CoT was just like "Oh well, we can't do anything," and that was the end of it.

CoT was just like "Oh well, we can't do anything," and that was the end of it.

  Can you not do that? Stop that.

  Kevin Teacher, they're only children.

  Yes, that's why you correct behaviour now, so they don't turn into a 개저씨.

WTF is it with people thinking native speakers are the weakest link that they can take advantage of?

The cupboards for slippers were reorganised such that I didn't have one. As a result, I got to work on Tuesday to find another teacher's slippers on top of mine. I immediately found a Korean English teacher and let her know how pissed I was. That worked, because the shoe cupboards were rearranged so that I had one by lunch.

Today, I get to work to find them rearranged again, although this time I do have a cupboard. However, there is already a pair of women's shoes and guest slippers in there. They are now on the floor, and they are going to be moved ever increasing distances from the shoe cupboard each time I find them in there. Or maybe I'll just wear my shoes.

Too many foreign teachers act like pathetic little mice in Korea. I wish people would make Koreans realise they can't screw us around just because we don't fit into their retarded 10th century hierarchy.

when they rearranged the office this year someone took it upon themselves to throw out both pairs of my slippers (one pair was a birthday gift)

so i took it upon myself to wear my sneakers both inside, outside, walking home, to the store etc. you threw out my shoes, so what choice do i have...right? definitely not buying a new pair for them to throw out again. take my passive aggressive wrath.

When did the term "rock up" become interchangeable with "arrive?"  It really takes away from the descriptive strength of a word or phrase when it's used for something mundane like showing up at school.  Unless, you screeched up in a souped up muscle car and hopped out with the top down flicking a butt towards onlookers, you just arrived. 

so i took it upon myself to wear my sneakers both inside, outside, walking home, to the store etc. you threw out my shoes, so what choice do i have...right? definitely not buying a new pair for them to throw out again. take my passive aggressive wrath.

Really bad idea. Suck it up and buy a new pair.

so i took it upon myself to wear my sneakers both inside, outside, walking home, to the store etc. you threw out my shoes, so what choice do i have...right? definitely not buying a new pair for them to throw out again. take my passive aggressive wrath.

Really bad idea. Suck it up and buy a new pair.

Why? It's not as though the indoor/outdoor shoes does a whole heck of a lot, considering that the kids run around outside in their slippers each and every break-time and then return to track all that crap in halls.
    And she has a reasonably good explanation that will deflect blame if anybody ever notices/points it out.

And passive aggressive wrath feels *awesome*. You should try it sometime!

That's petty. Better to behave in a professional and dignified fashion.

That's petty. Better to behave in a professional and dignified fashion.

At the end of the day, there's no real reason to be professional here. Let's be honest 

That's petty. Better to behave in a professional and dignified fashion.

It was petty and unprofessional to throw away her personal slippers without her knowledge and consent. If they want her to wear slippers, then it's their responsibility to provide her with new ones. That's only fair.

I'd have personally made sure everyone knew that my slippers had been tossed, though. That way there is no possible way that anyone would not know why I'm wearing my "outdoor" shoes in the school. Would have played up my sentimental attachment for the gift slippers, too. I wouldn't accuse anyone of anything, either, I would just be asking others for their opinions on how they would have felt in my situation and what they personally feel would be the best solution for it.

I've guilted solutions out of people that way.

OH BOY HERE WE GO

I got almost all the way to school and realized my key wasn't in my pocket. Turned around and walked the 20 mins back, got the key. My fault, it's fine.

Head to the taxi stand to save some time and as I was getting up to the last taxi, this older woman hopped in and off they went. That's fine, I can use the exercise.

Walk the 20 mins to school, rocking up 30 mins later than normal so I can't get lunch. But it's cool, I grabbed a kimbap from the corner store knowing I'd miss it. Did not expect to have rocked up smack dab in the middle of an evacuation drill. I actually have no idea what to do in case of emergency, they seemingly forget to tell me every single time we have a drill. That's fine, whatever.

Start prepping my materials, my external decided to brick itself. 1TB of data just in limbo right now. Getting to be less cool.

As I'm prepping physical materials for my youngest class, with scissors in my hand and glue on the desk, my MT breezes through the doors and drops a stack of about 50 papers on my table. She got them last week and just...forgot to tell me that I needed to hand write every single lesson plan I've done since school started and submit them. Really starting to be not that cool anymore.

Oh, by the way you need to come with me NOW and attend club meetings. Cue being pulled upstairs to be teased with illustration club and then given the ole switcharoo and tossed into traditional Korean drumming club who happen to be in the middle of their choreography for a drumming routine. Put in the middle of the room with sticks, no clue what I'm meant to be doing as my MT is playing hovering paparazzi while I flounder and take up their time with my presence.

I'm extremely embarrassed to be wasting their time, having everyone stare at me wondering why I'm there and why I can't play the drums and why the teacher is struggling in English trying to explain. My face is burning hot and I'm so embarrassed I'm almost in tears before the teacher says "you can stand, picture is ok" and I stand off to the side hiding my face as they breeze through their moves.

Because I was stuck in the club lamenting my life choices, I couldn't finish prepping materials for the next class that was a grueling 80 minutes.

How was your day?

Like another user said, just say no.  If the club activities are part of your 22 hours, do them.  If not, you're busy and can't go especially if you are given no notice.  As for lesson plans, I only have to write one for a special class.  I discuss with my teachers what we are going to teach if I am at elementary.  If I am at middle school, they know my routine and don't care to discuss with me as long as I show up with something to teach.  I wouldn't write 50 lesson plans especially if I don't remember what I taught.  I wouldn't do it if other schools in Korea aren't making their foreign teachers do it.  Sounds like your school is just being @r$eh0les because they want paperwork that no one will actually ever read.  I'd put my foot down on that one.  (They probably are just power tripping on you.)  Maybe, I'd write a weekly title or topic in excel and print it off.  This is what I am teaching every week for the semester.  (...and you're lucky to get that from me.) 

As for club activities, the foreign teacher is not suppose to be doing those.  I did them one semester for extra pay.  The education office found out and put their foot down and said I could not do them.  I could do other after school classes though on other days.  But not the Friday club activities when I was in Middle School.  I don't mind walking around and saying hi to some of the kids in the classroom for a few seconds each class.  But, then it's back to work. 

Make 1 lesson plan. Change title and dates on copies. Hand em in. !00% not gonna even get looked at.

Exactly, as long as your lesson plans contain the Roman alphabet after one page of an actual lesson plan they will not notice.  Or they'll look but be embarrassed to admit they can't understand it.  Just copy and past sections of Wikipedia.

Make 1 lesson plan. Change title and dates on copies. Hand em in. !00% not gonna even get looked at.

yes. i did this when i worked at public school

Just copy and past sections of Wikipedia.

  Don't tell em all the secrets. 

When Korean dudes at the gym walk around like they're the sh*t with those skin-tight adidas clothing.
Aw hell, who am I kidding?! I'm just jealous of their gainz!!! Gotta lay off soju. 541 calories a bottle. ddayum..

Yeah, I did bring it to attention that my slippers were missing (as nicely as possible). Actually, I did buy a pair of nice shoes to wear only in school as replacements, but my inquiry was met with a lot of shrugging and sweeping it under the rug (per usual). It was more problematic because many of my things went missing during this time. I don't believe it was done out of maliciousness, but that's just unfair. At least tell me why my things are gone or replace them.

My favorite thing EVER is when I have a game prepared that involves groups, and I when I tell my students to group up, there's the awkward pause. And then my co-teacher says "I don't think they want groups because they don't like each other." There goes my lesson.

 

More like "I didn't ask them to like it, I told them to group up."

It's nuts that just not listening to the teacher seems so commonly accepted here.

Last week there was a student who wouldn't stop sleeping. My CoT told me the kid was feeling sick, so I asked if he had been to the nurses office. He asked, and the kid said no. I told the kid to go to the nurses office, he said no. My CoT told him to, he said no. CoT was like "Welp, he doesn't want to go." I said "He's a child. We're his teachers. It doesn't matter what he wants to do." CoT was just like "Oh well, we can't do anything," and that was the end of it.

I tend to do a little role play with every lesson, and I always make it so they have to: practice with a partner, write down their partners reply, and switch partners (after doing both A and B - this is what my co-teachers won't in my lessons). But, the other day, 1 boy done it 1 time, very reluctantly, then flat out refused. Then other students saw him refusing and joined in: They tried telling me why they won't do it, after telling my co-teacher in Korean, he translated it to: "I'm / we're in the soccer team, we don't have to study English because it is beneath us."

So for the first time ever, I had to discipline students (My co-teachers don't let me do discipline, because that is part of their responsibility in the way we do things), I punished everyone, including the good students, as the good students kinda of joined in on it too, before I stepped in with discipline. However, I was a bit more forgiving of the good students. The good thing is, my co-teacher had my back with my discipline.

I made them write lines for the last 5 - 10 mins of class, and the bad students had to keep writing for 5 minutes after class, while I let the good students go on time. I was going to do the full 10 minutes, however, I had to prepare something special for another class, so I didn't have time to stay the full 10 minutes - I told them, they took their punishment well, so they could leave early, but next time they won't be so lucky (which my co-teacher translated to them haha). My co-teacher told them in Korean: Why they were being punished, and what they are writing means. They also had to write it in both in English and Korean to count as 1 line.
They came back and apologized to me later, which was good. I was nervous about doing discipline as 1: I'm not used to doing it here in Korea, and 2: It's not the part of the job I enjoy (though, I know it needs to be done at times, and most people don't enjoy doing it either haha).