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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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 Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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| In these situations it's just so hard to know for sure what the real reasons are. Unfortunately one thing you can be fairly certain of is that if your principal / VP really liked you, they probably could have persuaded the powers that be to let you stay. |
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bundangbabo
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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What a complete and utter arsehole...
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1) Koreans mix stuff in with thier rice all the time, so I am sure something was lost in translation there. They could have simply been trying to share a Cultural norm, Ive never seen a korean mix ( as in STIR thingsin thier rice, but i see them drop kimchi in and scoop them up together.
When i was first here I was told never to eat rice out of a bowl with chopsticks, its considered rude.
Its almost like we are in a different country or something eh? |
You are playing devils advocate or you are just really stupid and mean - I'm going for the latter. You know how this country works - You can be the worlds best qualified teacher but if you are going to be detrimental to the spirit of 'Jeong' in the staffroom then you are history (for further reference on jeong and the workplace read Michael Breen's book 'The Koreans) - It doesn't matter how brilliant a teacher you are. There are so many posts on here from excellent teachers who didn't get contract renewal.
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| 2) You arenot going to be fired or not renewed because you mix stuff into your rice......."yeah John Joe is a KICK BUTT teacher, but theres this issue with him mixing his meat with his rice, so theres no way we can keep him on staff. ( roars of applause errupt as they rid this outsider mixer of food into rice) |
I can believe that would be a good enough reason in a Korean staffroom to get rid of the waygook. Along with being too fat, too old, too male, too ugly, too black, too (insert anything you like here) Koreans get offended easily. Especially when it comes to food - I have already recounted the story from personal experience about not wanting to eat the slop at school
equating to myself 'hating Korea culture' totally ridiculous.
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| 3) he says hes gotten thrown under the bus, provides no evidence for it and then admits that he is NOT a great teacher ( hes a decent one) and that he doesnt kiss ass, or apprently look the part ( not sure what his school dress style is) I go by what he says, and he says that he sucked at a performance review and did a sub standard job of teaching. |
In our culture there is such thing as 'modesty' who do you know would come on a forum and announce they are a 'great' teacher amongst strangers?
And you seem to link the meaning of 'decent' to 'substandard' what planet have you come from to link the two meanings? Do you know what 'decent' means? I would think a 'decent' teacher in this country is worth their weight in gold - it is not like we are awash with gifted candidates over here - even in these troubled times.
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4) He should have gotten a copy of the performance review, and If he didnt, he should have known to ask for it, its one of these things called a record of your teaching, and its one of those things that will either CONTRADICT the fact that he is not a good teacher and should have been renewed, or support it.
5) hes coming on to vent, Im venting about his venting. |
No - you are just being an absolute *beep* - carry on! |
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dean_burrito
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Johnny_Bravo wrote: |
| dean_burrito wrote: |
OK, I never said that how you eat your rice will get you fired. What I am saying is that some people notice that stuff and for some reason it becomes worth mentioning during reviews.
Things for me were fine and dandy till I was hospitalized. Now no one talks about how I eat my rice because basically only one person will even eat lunch with me anymore.
The OP probably does have more than he's telling and I'd bet it's not all teaching related considering he already worked two years at SMOE. |
you became an outcast because you were hospitalized?
for what? (I'm sure they all knew)
that doesn't quite add up either.
not having anyone eat with you can be a bonus though. You don't get the ferociously stupid why don't you eat more rice questions and you don't have to fidget there and wait until everyone else with you is finished eating. |
Of course there is always more to it. I was in for six days due to a hernia operation. The English department told me I could miss school as long as I made up the classes the following week... meaning a double load in one week. The doctor said to take it easy and that if I strained myself I would be right back on the operating table. So keep in mind I could barely walk when I returned to school and maybe you've read about my classes on another thread. I have no coteacher for half they try to wrestle me and whatnot. So Like Yu Bum Suk says if the VP likes you it makes like easier. I visit his office often to talk with him. He used to be an English teacher. So anyways I explained things to him and told the staff they'd be covering my classes like it or not. The phrase free days came back to me once and I realised I was ruffling some feathers but really what could I do. Then having to go back for a couple follow ups just added to it all. Kind of the schools fault for not giving me a coteacher though is my attitude about it all.
Anyways, my original point (not directed at JohnyB) is how about a little sympathy for the OP. He has the right to know why he is being let go. We can all speculate but only they know and how can he improve if they won't tell him. |
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dean_burrito
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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I should add also that a couple of people did visit me in the hospital and some others called. Like anywhere there are some bad apples that can make things difficult. And like anywhere there are some decent people.
Yep, nothig wrong with decent. |
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Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like you have a pretty bad relationship with the staff....even the ones who has schools who hated them, wanted the NT to re-sign. I guess the head office will ***** at them or something. |
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hamlet712
Joined: 16 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| bundangbabo wrote: |
What a complete and utter arsehole...
| Quote: |
1) Koreans mix stuff in with thier rice all the time, so I am sure something was lost in translation there. They could have simply been trying to share a Cultural norm, Ive never seen a korean mix ( as in STIR thingsin thier rice, but i see them drop kimchi in and scoop them up together.
When i was first here I was told never to eat rice out of a bowl with chopsticks, its considered rude.
Its almost like we are in a different country or something eh? |
You are playing devils advocate or you are just really stupid and mean - I'm going for the latter. You know how this country works - You can be the worlds best qualified teacher but if you are going to be detrimental to the spirit of 'Jeong' in the staffroom then you are history (for further reference on jeong and the workplace read Michael Breen's book 'The Koreans) - It doesn't matter how brilliant a teacher you are. There are so many posts on here from excellent teachers who didn't get contract renewal.
| Quote: |
| 2) You arenot going to be fired or not renewed because you mix stuff into your rice......."yeah John Joe is a KICK BUTT teacher, but theres this issue with him mixing his meat with his rice, so theres no way we can keep him on staff. ( roars of applause errupt as they rid this outsider mixer of food into rice) |
I can believe that would be a good enough reason in a Korean staffroom to get rid of the waygook. Along with being too fat, too old, too male, too ugly, too black, too (insert anything you like here) Koreans get offended easily. Especially when it comes to food - I have already recounted the story from personal experience about not wanting to eat the slop at school
equating to myself 'hating Korea culture' totally ridiculous.
| Quote: |
| 3) he says hes gotten thrown under the bus, provides no evidence for it and then admits that he is NOT a great teacher ( hes a decent one) and that he doesnt kiss ass, or apprently look the part ( not sure what his school dress style is) I go by what he says, and he says that he sucked at a performance review and did a sub standard job of teaching. |
In our culture there is such thing as 'modesty' who do you know would come on a forum and announce they are a 'great' teacher amongst strangers?
And you seem to link the meaning of 'decent' to 'substandard' what planet have you come from to link the two meanings? Do you know what 'decent' means? I would think a 'decent' teacher in this country is worth their weight in gold - it is not like we are awash with gifted candidates over here - even in these troubled times.
| Quote: |
4) He should have gotten a copy of the performance review, and If he didnt, he should have known to ask for it, its one of these things called a record of your teaching, and its one of those things that will either CONTRADICT the fact that he is not a good teacher and should have been renewed, or support it.
5) hes coming on to vent, Im venting about his venting. |
No - you are just being an absolute *beep* - carry on! |
Its not just Koreans who are offended easilly.
You wanna beleive that a givernment run organisation wants to fire people because of the way they eat their rice, or for looking too balck, that your right, I chose to follow a more logical train of thought that keeping a liked and respected teacher who knows the job and has a rapport with the students is better than bringing in a stranger who may suck terribly.
Its not being immodest to say " I am an excellent teacher and went above and beyond the call of duty and got the shaft." He didnt say that, he said he was "a decent teacher"
Wel ive never met a single one who says "I suck" or " i dont give a crap about my job" But the ones who are excellent say, Yes Im an excellent teacher. Yes, I equate "decent" with sub par, (given the context, and the outcome) something lacking, and clearly his school saw this too.
Try reading what he writes again, he hints that he is a sub par teacher, I even said it was a judgment call, and that this was how he struck me, I have made comments equating the two, and until HE comes on to refute the comment thats how I think of him.
You have a really low opinion of the teachers here,
a great deal of us are excellent, caring and giving teachers, and we do a very good job educating within the system. Theres a minority of teachers who are absolute crap, and theres a great deal of standard, sub par paycheck teachers.
Im not playing Devils advocate, nor am I being a dick, I am saying that I REFUSE to believe that he was simply "thrown under the bus" for no reason. |
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samcheokguy
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
Location: Samcheok G-do
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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You've never met the guy, and you are taking valuable time you could be using as an excellent teacher to call him a lazy, useless, slacker?
Maybe Korean Logic has started to rub off on you. And SMOE teachers are all full of it anyway. Try working out in the country. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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| I gonna help the OP. You still have a good shot at a tranfer. Contact your POE. Try to find out what you did wrong. It might be minor like not eating the food or bad teaching by guess it's a combination of both. Contact some English speaking Koreans in the POE they can help. From their prospective its easier and cheaper to help you improve than hire someone fresh off the boat. |
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samcheokguy
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
Location: Samcheok G-do
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| Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Douple post |
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hamlet712
Joined: 16 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:58 am Post subject: |
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| samcheokguy wrote: |
You've never met the guy, and you are taking valuable time you could be using as an excellent teacher to call him a lazy, useless, slacker?
Maybe Korean Logic has started to rub off on you. And SMOE teachers are all full of it anyway. Try working out in the country. |
I did it for 2 years, does that make me more qualified? |
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