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Everyone VENT away!!!
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Margot73



Joined: 16 Feb 2007
Posts: 145
Location: New York City

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:38 pm    Post subject: Everyone VENT away!!! Reply with quote

What is something about your school which gets on your nerves? I'm not talking about the big things like they pay slave wages or beat teachers, but those little annoying things which irritate you to no end. I'll start: the teacher's "room" in my school is actually a closet. There is no where to SIT. Just one tiny stool. I also HATE the chalk... I swear it dries out my mouth.
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mondrian



Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Posts: 658
Location: "was that beautiful coastal city in the NE of China"

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Everyone VENT away!!! Reply with quote

Margot73 wrote:
What is something about your school which gets on your nerves? I'm not talking about the big things like they pay slave wages or beat teachers, but those little annoying things which irritate you to no end. I'll start: the teacher's "room" in my school is actually a closet. There is no where to SIT. Just one tiny stool. I also HATE the chalk... I swear it dries out my mouth.


This thread reminds me of the famous Monty Python sketch: "When I were a lad....."
I have NO teachers room and usually have to provide my own whiteboard marker for lessons. I sit on the corner of a desk as there is NO chair.
I reserve my pet hate of hates for the toilets though. Dirty, smelly, broken tiled squat variety, which has given me constipation!
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Gordon



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Everyone VENT away!!! Reply with quote

Margot73 wrote:
I also HATE the chalk... I swear it dries out my mouth.


Then don't eat it.
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Sheikh Inal Ovar



Joined: 04 Dec 2005
Posts: 1208
Location: Melo Drama School

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is that Gordon's first joke in almost 5,000 posts ...
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Perpetual Traveller



Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 651
Location: In the Kak, Japan

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 2:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Everyone VENT away!!! Reply with quote

mondrian wrote:
Margot73 wrote:
What is something about your school which gets on your nerves? I'm not talking about the big things like they pay slave wages or beat teachers, but those little annoying things which irritate you to no end. I'll start: the teacher's "room" in my school is actually a closet. There is no where to SIT. Just one tiny stool. I also HATE the chalk... I swear it dries out my mouth.


This thread reminds me of the famous Monty Python sketch: "When I were a lad....."
I have NO teachers room and usually have to provide my own whiteboard marker for lessons. I sit on the corner of a desk as there is NO chair.


Whiteboards! Desks! Ooooh we dream about owning a whiteboard or a desk. We have to use slates (and naturally we mine for the stone ourselves) and as for a desk we go out each morning to chop down a tree so that we can use the stump for a desk!

Razz

PT
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Justin Trullinger



Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As I'm the director, I suppose that I should complain about the teachers here, right? But I haven't the heart- we've just had a really hard week, and I'm too thrilled with our team to complain...

On the admin front, though- Photocopy request forms. I have to fill out a form every time I need copies. And as a matter of admin policy, if anyone in the English department needs copies, I have to initial their request. Pointless, pointless, pointless...

Instant coffee. Why, oh why, could we not get real coffee?!

Other places I've taught, though...

Rationing of markers. It's not like I'm taking them home for personal use, but shouldn't I get as many as I need.

Unpaid cancellations. I KNOW they were charging the students anyway...

Dress codes.



Best,
Justin
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basiltherat



Joined: 04 Oct 2003
Posts: 952

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

actually, nothing much. that's why i am where i am. mayb im just fortunate or ...... a sucker for putting up with nonsense that most others wouldn't. i think its the former, tho.
best
basil Smile
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Guy Courchesne



Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I also HATE the chalk... I swear it dries out my mouth.


That's enough to make me quit...I'd refused a class once in an Acapulco classroom after a chalkboard was brought in temporarily to replace a whiteboard.

But, whiteboards mean markers and an endless chase around the school for one that isn't on its last legs. I could leave my wallet, my laptop, or a stack of cash unattended in the classroom and it wouldn't disappear, but leave a working marker for 5 minutes and it's gone.
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wildchild



Joined: 14 Nov 2005
Posts: 519
Location: Puebla 2009 - 2010

PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think I'd rather have a chalk board right about now;
The fumes from the white board markers are toxic!

The teachers' room is in a huge, old bank vault; it's cold!

Not a single classroom has a window that gives to natural light.
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denise



Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Posts: 3419
Location: finally home-ish

PostPosted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mosquitos in the bathrooms.

A photocopy room that is locked more often than not, so if you're counting on getting something copied more often than not, you can forget about it...

d
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billybuzz



Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 219
Location: turkey

PostPosted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to say materials and facilities wise no complaints . Everything you need for the classroom is pretty much there including access centers and smart classes . My biggest vent spleening issue is that the whole place is flat ,people go about their duties in a semi vegative zombie like trance and some gather in corners make cliques and gossip about each other .It seems everyone has their own agenda from the top down and the whole regime is driven by fear .I may stay a while but I know a number who have had enough after only a year ,some even less than that .
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gaijinalways



Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279

PostPosted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Access to pc rooms is the biggest problem.,Though one school we did finally got a video/dvd player, but I have to bring it in each time and cable it up. That and the staff room copiers cannot be used until 8:30 usually, so it means if you have anything to copy before a morning class, there is often a big line of people.
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ilaria



Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 88
Location: Sicily

PostPosted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm the DoS (for my sins) and nothing sets my teeth on edge more than emails from head office... 'It has come to our attention that expenditure on board markers in all schools is excessive. We are therefore recommending an alternative ink delivery system. Prior to lessons, teachers should slice off part of their index finger and use the resulting liquid emission to create any necessary visual effects on the whiteboard. We know you will be happy to support this ground-breaking initiative, which is to be rolled out across all regions forthwith.'
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mondrian



Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Posts: 658
Location: "was that beautiful coastal city in the NE of China"

PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ilaria wrote:
I'm the DoS (for my sins) and nothing sets my teeth on edge more than emails from head office... 'It has come to our attention that expenditure on board markers in all schools is excessive. We are therefore recommending an alternative ink delivery system. Prior to lessons, teachers should slice off part of their index finger and use the resulting liquid emission to create any necessary visual effects on the whiteboard. We know you will be happy to support this ground-breaking initiative, which is to be rolled out across all regions forthwith.'


In reality, the management of one place I worked at decided that too much was being spent on board markers, so we were each issued with one marker (black) and a bottle of ink. We were supposed to leave the tip of the marker in the ink overnight for it to soak up. Needless to say the artistic effect of ink dripping down the board first thing every morning destroyed all lesson continuity.
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John Hall



Joined: 16 Mar 2004
Posts: 452
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

PostPosted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 1:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

...AND MY UNIVERSITY DISCONTINUED SUPPLYING WHITEBOARD MARKERS THIS YEAR TOO!!!!!!!!! Evil or Very Mad
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