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dmbfan
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
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 Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:55 pm Post subject: Well..........I think I really did it this time............ |
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Yeah, I came back from vacation with the P.V.S (Post Vacation Syndrome), but I managed to get out of it. The first couple weeks of the new semester were rocking at my public school. The kids were doing good, participating and I was seeing some actual progress..........eventhough I teach each class only once a week.
Then, this week happened. I'll skip the early, petty drama seeing as how the things that happened, happen to everyone. But, yesterday was the climax of a really bad week.
I was in my last class, and we were discussing "Our favorites". It had already been a rough day, with devil like kids (which was unusual because they tend to mind their "P's & Q's" in my class), co-teachers not showing up without word (that pisses me off), etc. Anyway, in my classes I have the the "Mr. dmbfan, I don't know" policy. If the kid does not undertand, or know what the heck is going on, they are taught to tell me this. It is the FIRST thing I teach them. It has started to catch on, but there are still many times when they just don't communicate.
So, when I have the "I'm don't want to talk, and you can't make me" student, that is when I stay with that student and keep asking the question, look at the class and say "Mr. dmbfan, I don't know". One thing I don't tolerate is kids refusing to answer. So, I sit there and I keep at it until the students finally say something........this is usually after the other students in the class get tired of this kid sitting there, wasting time, and they are shouting out the answer or telling the student to tell me "Mr. dmbfan, I don't know".
Anyway, I had this one student yesterday. I don't know his name, and quite honestly, it is pretty dam hard to learn all the names of my 700 students. But, he is doing the "I'm going to stare around, and not answer" routine. So, I sit down and spend almost 10 minutes with him, doing what I do.
Well.........eventually the kid starts to cry. Honestly, I don't have much patience for criers in class, unless it is something serious. The Korean homeroom teacher (I don't have a consistent co-teacher.........just 22 different homeroom teachers that show up......or not) really is not doing anything pro-active to help the situation either. So, by this time I've had enough. It was a horrible day, a horrible week, and I told them to just go ahead and leave.
The Korean teacher walks out, not saying a word. By this time, I know it is going to go down. I asked her to come with me, to my counterparts classroom, so that he could translate.
I asked "Why did you not intervene, or help me with this student? You saw that he was having a hard time, yet you did nothing. Why?" She goes in to this looooooong answer in Korean, but I cut her off short. I know how Korean teachers are, especially the women...............no bullshit stories this time. I asked again. The answer was that he is mentally retarted..................................................................................................................
  
Then, I shouted back "Did it not occur to you to give me this information?! This kid has no idea why I kept at him, and you let it continue?! Why did you not tell me this? I would have left him alone, otherwise! Why did you not tell me this?!
Then, she goes in to Korean mode.................................refusing to answer. Now, this is when I really start to hate Korean culture. I was fuming. I told her "I am not leaving, until you give me some sort of answer". She just looks away, and does not say anything..............
My counterpart tells her to leave...............nothing solved.........the Korean way.
So, I had a few words with my counterpart (which, he is a good guy. He helps me out with pretty much anything, so I feel bad he is in the middle).
She leaves..................... but...........I go to her classroom. I have the voice in the head saying "Don't do it, dmbfan. Don't do it. Just go back to class". NO..........Phucking........way.
I got to her class, and in front of all of her studens.............I say.............
"You can take your face saving, Korean culture, and stick it up your ass!".
So, I'll be not to be employed there for much longer. Oh well, I made it six months. And, as I have been saying................it is time to go.
Cheers.
dmbfan
Last edited by dmbfan on Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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Ha, the way schools are having trouble finding teachers, they will not fire you after just that.  |
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ChuckECheese
Joined: 20 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| "You can take your face saving, Korean culture, and stick it up your ass!". |
Did you say that in Korea? If not, I wouldn't even worry about it. 
I doubt that she knew what the heck you were talking about....
If they ask what the heck you said, just tell them that you were complimenting on her high stupidi...I mean intelligence. ....  |
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dmbfan
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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Well, if body language and looks could kill..........I'd be in jail right now. I think she knew I gave her a "nasty speech"...........in front of her class no less.
cheers.
dmbfan |
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hubba bubba
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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How do you not recognize that one of your kids is mentally handicapped????
You need a special liasion to give you that information? Who's retarted now??? |
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dmbfan
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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Well........Hubba Bubba.............................
...........I teach 700 kids every week. He looked normal, and as far as I was concerned, he was just another "Johnny Kim". I'm not able to get to each and every one of them during my one lesson with each class.......once a week.
Do the math.
Cheers.
dmbfan |
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hubba bubba
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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Fair enough, my school is about a third that size, so i guess in your situation I could see it.
But still how many retards are there? You should sort it out. |
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Pak Yu Man
Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Location: The Ida galaxy
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:53 pm Post subject: |
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Some of the ones with minor retardation are difficult to notice.
Who's the retard now? |
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dmbfan
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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Some of the ones with minor retardation are difficult to notice.
Who's the retard now? |
.....c'mon, lets be nice.
Although, some of the ones I have suspected riding the short yellow bus to school have turned out to be quite normal.................hard to tell sometimes.
Cheers.
dmbfan |
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rhinocharge64
Joined: 20 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Two things: don't waste 10 mins waiting for an answer. With or with out special needs it doesn't make for good teaching practice, one reason being time wasted. Secondly, in the UK we have a specials needs register, and you would know which child needed additional support. Obviouslt in Korea it appears to be a no, no, which I find rayher tragic. Your support teacher was completely unprofessional, but so was you. That is not the way to conduct yourself in a place of education, you are after all supposed to be leading by example/ These are some of the basic principles of an 'educator'. You'll no doubht disagree, and I don't give a momkeys, but I had the opportunity, and the privelege to be trained by some great educators. Curious to know, have you? |
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Voyeur
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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edit: wow. just wow lol
Last edited by Voyeur on Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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dmbfan
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Two things: don't waste 10 mins waiting for an answer. With or with out special needs it doesn't make for good teaching practice, one reason being time wasted. Secondly, in the UK we have a specials needs register, and you would know which child needed additional support. Obviouslt in Korea it appears to be a no, no, which I find rayher tragic. Your support teacher was completely unprofessional, but so was you. That is not the way to conduct yourself in a place of education, you are after all supposed to be leading by example/ These are some of the basic principles of an 'educator'. You'll no doubht disagree, and I don't give a momkeys, but I had the opportunity, and the privelege to be trained by some great educators. Curious to know, have you? |
Ahhhh..........I feel the enlightenment working through me already.
I don't mind spending ten minutes with a student, trying to teach something. A little one on one time can, and often does work wonders...........I wonder if your educators metioned that to you? If I wanted to treat each class as heard of cattle, I would so. But, that is not the way I conduct my classes. Unfortunately, I don't have the time factor in my corner, and there are students that will undoubtedly be left behind. But, if I can get one student, who seriously has no clue and get him/her to communicate "Mr. dmbfan, I don't know", that is fine.
1. It is an English sentence.
2. The student is making an effort to communicate back to me.
3. Once that initial fear is gone, it is all gravy from then on.
Do I consider myself an "educator"? NO. I am an ESL instructor, in country that considers us to be less then the cream of the crop in our respective countries. If I were a true "educator", I would not be here. And, you will undoubtedly disagree...............or will you?
I do what I can. If that means sacrificing 10 minutes, so that I can spend that time with one kid, who seems to not have clue, in order to give him even the slightest amount of confidence.............I will do it. Unfortunately, it does not always work.
Thank you for pointing out the obvious fact that I was unprofessional in handling the situation afterwords.......................if I had thought otherwise, I would not have posted with concern of being fired on Monday.
So, take your self righteous persona, and stick it up ........well, you know the rest.
Cheers.
dmbfan |
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rhinocharge64
Joined: 20 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:09 am Post subject: |
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Sorry, misread the classrom situation...rest of class was busy with an exercise. Yep, I do the same, and find it to be most beneficial, logical my friend. So, I would disagree about your actions with the Korean teacher, but sure I would have bitten my tongue. I had a problem with a co-worker yesterday, and I felt like dropping him like a bad habit, he's a waygoo as well. I didn't due to the fact of my professional integrity, and I have to continue working with this person, and didn't even discuss the point. Yep, I was pissed off for that day, but finally let it go after a few drinks last night whilst out with my girlfriend. You my friend still seem angry, let it go and have a few drinks tonight. In regards to sticking 'it' up my rectum, I've tried, and highly recommend it to all, and sundry!!
Cheer up fella
The Charge |
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dmbfan
Joined: 09 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:13 am Post subject: |
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In regards to sticking 'it' up my rectum, I've tried, and highly recommend it to all, and sundry!!
Cheer up fella
The Charge |
LOL! Ok, man. No worries. Sorry for that last comment.
Cheers.
dmbfan |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:13 am Post subject: |
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| dmbfan wrote: |
Thank you for pointing out the obvious fact that I was unprofessional in handling the situation afterwords.......................if I had thought otherwise, I would not have posted with concern of being fired on Monday.
dmbfan |
Worry not. You may get a "lecture" from your babysitter sometime next week but they won't fire you over it (assuming it is not a recurring problem).
They will just store it and may use it as an excuse to not recommend you for a raise next year but they won't can you for it.
You are an expensive asset and if you are past 6 months and they fire you they just have to bite the bullet and find a new foreigner with all the attendant costs (they can't hold your airfare and settlement money over your head any more).
Too expensive and difficult to replace you for one small thing like yelling at a staff member who is not management. They think you are leaving in 6 months anyway. They will keep their whitey and hope the next one is "better". |
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