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Would help another teacher pull a runner?
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What would you do?
I'd help at the drop of a hat.
32%
 32%  [ 28 ]
The circumstances would have to be pretty bad.
25%
 25%  [ 22 ]
The circumstances would have to be VERY bad.
14%
 14%  [ 13 ]
I'd offer information, not action.
18%
 18%  [ 16 ]
I would not get involved at all.
6%
 6%  [ 6 ]
I'd inform the hagwon. How dare they betray their master!
2%
 2%  [ 2 ]
Total Votes : 87

Author Message
Barking Mad Lord Snapcase



Joined: 04 Nov 2003

PostPosted: Sat Nov 29, 2003 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A teacher having a genuinely hard time has at least three options:

1: Do a runner.

2: Stay on and let out his frustration on message boards like this.

3: Go through all the proper channels, then stay on for another month working for a hagwon owner who knows full well that he is going to leave at the end. The owner thus treats the teacher like sh!t for making him "lose face", thereby forcing the teacher to pull a runner anyway.
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blanco



Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Location: Just outside your house trying to burn it down with a pack of wet matches.

PostPosted: Sat Nov 29, 2003 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Pink wrote:
I would prolly stay out of it, and if they were crap teachers who gave me a hard time I would report them asap to my director.


Man, what a guy. This place is just filled with princes.
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Bulsajo



Joined: 16 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

blanco wrote:
Mr. Pink wrote:
I would prolly stay out of it, and if they were crap teachers who gave me a hard time I would report them asap to my director.


Man, what a guy. This place is just filled with princes.

Rather than just flinging a flame Mr. Pink's way perhaps you'd care to take the time to explain what it is you find so objectionable about his post.
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dogshed



Joined: 28 Apr 2006

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 12:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

batman wrote:
I did help a guy do a midnight run. His director had cheated him on his pay and threatened to kill him to boot. The guy had only been in Korea for a couple of months and the experience had thoroughly shaken him.
Something about being told "I know where you live. I could kill you while you sleep." which really, really upset the teacher. I helped him buy his ticket. I helped him cart his luggage to the terminal. I gave him help in filling out his departure card and carried some of his luggage to the security desk. The teacher in question is a nice guy and did not deserve the treatment offered by his director. Would I help anyone else run? It would depend on the situation. Some teachers do have legitimate complaints against their hogwans. And some do cry, whine and complain at the drop of the hat. I have never pulled a midnight run (and with three days left on my final contract, I doubt I will have to) but I do believe that they should be viewed only as a measure of last resort.
I have fought against a bad hogwan twice and I have won. I think if more people dug in their heels and fought back against some of the bastards who rule their institutes in the name of Satan then things might change around here.


I would just laugh and say, "I doubt it." -Jeff
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Grotto



Joined: 21 Mar 2004

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In a heartbeat.

If someone approached me and asked for help doing a runner I wouldnt hesitate.

I wouldnt ask why...because its none of my business.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TUM wrote:
Quote:
To you people who say you would help the runners. Would you be as wiling to help the next time, if the director took the cost of hiring a new teacher out of your pay? Even if you claimed you knew nothing about it? Directors just might start doing this, in order to entice teachers to "rat out" other teachers. One thing I have noticed about teachers here. They would never "rat out" another teacher...unless paid to do so. Then they fall over themselves trying to get to the director first.



First of all they couldnt do that legally.....if they did try doing that then they would just end up with another runner on their hands Laughing
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wylies99



Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
One thing I have noticed about teachers here. They would never "rat out" another teacher...unless paid to do so. Then they fall over themselves trying to get to the director first.


Boy, I found that out the hard way.


Oh, and if someone trusts me enough to ask me to help them leave- yeah, I 'd do it. Chances are, the school would be so rotten, anyway, that I'd certainly understand what's up. Even the "honest" hogwan owners don't treat everyone fairly and feel free to work good teachers into the ground.

HOPEFULLY they'll keep their mouth shut AFTER leaving.
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JeJuJitsu



Joined: 11 Sep 2005
Location: McDonald's

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would help even if the teacher was a complete lunatic--as I have no way of knowing that his time spent in Korea did not drive him to "lose it."
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kermo



Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was at a school with a teacher (former poster here) who pulled a runner. He didn't tell anyone that he was leaving, though we should have guessed by the way he was getting rid of his stuff.

I appreciated the fact that he didn't tell me, because I don't like being put in a position where I have to lie. I really value my integrity and lying makes me feel dreadful.

I voted "only if they are having a REALLY HARD time" because I believe in keeping promises (including contracts.) Unless the director is also breaking the contract and the situation can't be dealt with along the proper channels, runners are unethical in my book and I don't want to be involved.

A midnight run not only costs the school thousands, but it leaves behind an atmosphere of mistrust between admin and teachers. In our case, the admin suspected that we had known about the run and lied to cover it up. Our relationship was rocky enough without more sketchy behaviour, and it gave the admin an excuse to get even more controlling and resentful.
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babtangee



Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Location: OMG! Charlie has me surrounded!

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

kermo wrote:
Our relationship was rocky enough without more sketchy behaviour, and it gave the admin an excuse to get even more controlling and resentful.


Run, Kermo, Run!
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kermo



Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

babtangee wrote:
kermo wrote:
Our relationship was rocky enough without more sketchy behaviour, and it gave the admin an excuse to get even more controlling and resentful.


Run, Kermo, Run!


No worries. I ran (with a letter of release) a long time ago.
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=48823&highlight=last+slimy+straw
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OiGirl



Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would do it if I did not share a workplace with them. Only because I'm a really, really bad liar.
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bosintang



Joined: 01 Dec 2003
Location: In the pot with the rest of the mutts

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The whole expression "pull a runner", or "midnight runner" makes me cringe everytime I hear it.

I mean, it's so unprofessional isn't it? Hearing the word is like looking into a mirror, and saying to myself, am I really a part of this?!? Do I really belong to a part of something where people can't/won't trust their bosses enough to give them a couple of weeks notice before quitting?
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JeJuJitsu



Joined: 11 Sep 2005
Location: McDonald's

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bosintang wrote:
The whole expression "pull a runner", or "midnight runner" makes me cringe everytime I hear it.

I mean, it's so unprofessional isn't it?


Yes, but this (integrity) assumes both actors in a given situation are what they purport to be, and carry out what is agreed upon in good faith. A failure of one party (usually the Hagwon Director) to adhere to what is agreed upon, is a breach of ethics/contract/integrity, therefore, if the boss truly screwed the teacher, you cannot lose your integrity/professionalism for returning his breach by running.

That's like saying you're evil for punching a guy who first punched you out of the blue, for no reason.
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bosintang



Joined: 01 Dec 2003
Location: In the pot with the rest of the mutts

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

JeJuJitsu wrote:
bosintang wrote:
The whole expression "pull a runner", or "midnight runner" makes me cringe everytime I hear it.

I mean, it's so unprofessional isn't it?



That's like saying you're evil for punching a guy who first punched you out of the blue, for no reason.


I'm not really claiming anything. I've met about ten or so people who have taken off from their jobs in Korea without giving notice. A few of them were genuinely concerned that their boss was going to rip them off money and make life difficult for them, so they didn't give notice. I've also met people who just took off without giving notice because it was just easier. One person I met who did it got a cash advance from her boss just before going, another boyfriend/girlfriend had a party and gave away or destroyed everything in their apartment just before taking off. My supervisor told me a story about how someone he used to work with called in sick and took off, but not before selling everything in her apartment. Months later, the replacement for her was still getting phone calls from people looking to buy things.

Whoever is at fault, it's still disconcerting to be a part of industry where this is commonplace.
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laogaiguk



Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea

PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bosintang wrote:
JeJuJitsu wrote:
bosintang wrote:
The whole expression "pull a runner", or "midnight runner" makes me cringe everytime I hear it.

I mean, it's so unprofessional isn't it?



That's like saying you're evil for punching a guy who first punched you out of the blue, for no reason.


I'm not really claiming anything. I've met about ten or so people who have taken off from their jobs in Korea without giving notice. A few of them were genuinely concerned that their boss was going to rip them off money and make life difficult for them, so they didn't give notice. I've also met people who just took off without giving notice because it was just easier. One person I met who did it got a cash advance from her boss just before going, another boyfriend/girlfriend had a party and gave away or destroyed everything in their apartment just before taking off. My supervisor told me a story about how someone he used to work with called in sick and took off, but not before selling everything in her apartment. Months later, the replacement for her was still getting phone calls from people looking to buy things.

Whoever is at fault, it's still disconcerting to be a part of industry where this is commonplace.


This site's residents tend to overlook (or downright attack anyone) who posts about bad foreigners. There are a massive amount of bad Korean bosses, but the Koreans aren't the only problem with the industry here.
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