12.06.2010

Stupid business trips and stubborn head teachers.

Oh em gee! Tumblr's down! Apparently it's back up in some parts of the world now, but not here. We have to wait for movies. We have to wait for Tumblr. Luckily, I had a busy-as day at work today, anyhow. Because apparently no one cancels classes for finals prep anymore. Which would be fine, if they weren't all on their "we played a game last week for the second time ever in the weoneomin's class, therefore we ALWAYS play games ONLY ALL THE TIME in the weoneomin's class!" kick. The BOOK? Open the BOOK? What is this madness of which you speak, Teacher?

I know. Studying. In school. It's a cruel, cruel world boys.

Hmph. Did get one period off to chat with The Kid a bit, but was busy reorganizing a lesson plan for the B boys, because I wasn't convinced I could pull off what I had without translation, and didn't get to do much in the way of legwork for planning this vacation. Mainly just grumbled about the fact that I found out I have to go on a "teacher's training course" next week. For what, you ask? To learn how to plan camps and make PPTs. From whom, you ask? From teachers who have more than likely been here the same amount of/less time than I have. Until when, you ask? Until thirty minutes after my timeclock cuts off.

Why, yes. I am excited. How could you tell? I'm really excited that, after having completed five series of camps entirely on my own with no guidance whatsoever, I now get to go sit in a room for three hours and have people who are my juniors explain how it's done to me.

It's a good thing. It's a really good, really necessary thing. For the new teachers. For me, and all the other teachers who have been here for over a year and came in under the old sink-or-swim guard, it's an utterly condescending complete waste of time.

But whatever. I'm big on reminding myself that life is full of tradeoffs, and you suffer some things so that you can enjoy others. That's the way that the world works. Nothing is perfect. Gotta sing for your supper, and whatnot. So after getting riled up about it, I took a spin around the hallways and chatted with my brilliant students, took a long hard look at their hilarious, cute little faces, and calmed the fuck down. Because in order to teach them, I have to sometimes endure stupid ass bullshit such as a one hour presentation on how to make PowerPoints which will put me getting home approximately two hours after I normally do.

As for the rest of the day, Co and her entire homeroom class got dogged out by the head teacher for complete bullshit reasons. Two weeks ago, Chanyeol, Hyeonjin and Minseok got caught in the classroom with their shoes on. The head teacher gave them after school cleaning duty as punishment. They cleaned well, but left before the head teacher had a chance to check their work and dismiss them. Dumbass move, yes. Even dumber was what Chanyeol decided to say to the head teacher when she called to tell him that he should have done things correctly and waited for her dismissal, which was that she should have done things correctly and informed them that they were to wait for her dismissal.

Last week Chanyeol broke his leg in several places. By doing something completely stupid, I'm sure. Because of this, he has a hard time removing his shoes before entering the classroom. This morning, he asked another head teacher if he could wear his shoes in and remove them once he had sat down. The head teacher gave him permission. Just at the moment Chanyeol took his seat, the previously mentioned head teacher walked past and saw him in the classroom with his shoes on. She flipped her shit and called him a lying little bastard when he said the other head teacher had given him permission.

Now the entire class has been banned from the end of the year third graders soccer tournament, which they all look forward to for three years. And, to add insult to injury, they have to sit in class and study while everyone else is outside watching the matches. Co explained the situation to the head teacher, and confirmed that Chanyeol had been telling the truth, and a group of students from her homeroom class even went to formally apologize, but all the head teacher did was inform Co that she needs to learn to control her class and refuse to admit her mistake.

Lovely. Poor Co. Poor Co's homeroom. Lucky me, that I don't have to deal with nonsense such as bullheaded head teachers.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Just reading about her makes my blood boil, ew, could I be in the same room? Sigh this is why i dont hve a job... ;.;

3gyupsal said...

Three hours of teacher training is nothing. Last year I learned I had to go to a four day course. I would have been okay with that if I weren't married. Again, I only learned about it one week before it happened.

What made things worse was that I was originally told that the thing was supposed to be in Seoul, but later they changed their minds and had it in Kyungju. I hate that kind of shit.

The Realistic Optimist said...

...must...save...face...