Job Discussion Forums

[cmp45]

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[artemisia]

I can recall a few 'colleagues' I heartily wished had done runners. No such luck though! One was rather volatile (a polite description) and you sort of never knew what he might be capable of doing. Sometimes when I was in the teachers' room preparing for a class, he'd be getting all het up about something and I'd wonder if I should also be getting ready to take evasive action: ducking, weaving and rolling etc. This was just in case objects were suddenly hurled around the room. It never happened but I'd be a bit on edge.

[cmp45]

NCTBA my comment was intended for... Hod. Guess I should have just re-quoted him...

Yes on the surface...it is easy to write some one off as a looser because of their actions, but just maybe there is more to it...maybe

[naturegirl321]

Although I highly respect NCTBA, I have to disagree with his idea that people who pull runners are losers. For the record, I've never pulled a runner. BUt I could understand why people might. If employers don't release you, even if you say your family is sick, that could be a reason to leave. Totally incompetant bosses ( Iknow that many are a bit incompetant) could be another. Um, how about unwanted sexual advances? Being physically threatened? I'd leave if I were in those latter situations.

While there are situations that can be discussed, personally there are ones that I wouldn't want to stick around to discuss.

[Madame J]

I had a friend who left halfway through her contract because she'd been sexually assaulted and didn't feel safe in the city anymore. She broke her contract the proper way rather than running, but I wouldn't have blamed her if she'd chosen to run. She had to pay about $500 to break contract.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Points well-taken, ng123 (erm...321 )...I had the selfish in mind. I certanly see yer points...

I've had really bad experiences, but wuz able to make it out. However, sometimes, I had to anticipate and out-think my opponent...

NCTBA

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

[artemisia]

With any job you don't really know what you're letting yourself in for until you're there doing it. That includes colleagues you'll be working with as well as employers, students, conditions and so on. It's so much more the 'unknown' if you're heading overseas and possibly to a country you've never been to before and language you don't know. Some people hit the ground running for whatever reason; some don't regardless of how decent things may be. You don't always know your own capacity to cope or not cope, in particular with challenging situations, until you're 'tested'.

If you have to get out in a hurry, if you can, then you have to. It's often for a good reason but the extent to which that might annoy those left behind probably depends on how much it directly impacts on them in terms of having to pick up abandoned classes, future contract conditions, general atmosphere etc. I've always seen it through or given the required notice period but have known a few who've 'run'. I've not blamed them for it but also understand the negative result that can leave in its wake.
OP:

[Sadebugo]

[basiltherat]

[Hod]

[johntpartee]

[nickpellatt]

I have only met one runner too, I think they are quite rare really, and perhaps most dont have interesting stories either.

The runner I met was a Phd holder, who spent her training week telling me (boring me) all her ideas about language learning (although she had never actually taught language). We shared a class of 6 adult learners, and she spent her first 3x90 min classes (with the same class I should add) doing introductions.

As one might imagine ... the students didnt like that too much.

She then vanished on the third night of her first teaching week, left a really rude letter in her apartment complaining about the students, the school owner, the administration, said the apartment was too noisy and suggested all the other teachers felt the same!

Not much of a story really. I would guess 1 in 100 do a runner, and of those figures, 1 in 100 are justified. But that is just a wild guess of course

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]