Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poeticjustice]

Just had a horrible experience (again).

After a few days of tests, the schedule changed. Nobody told me about the schedule change or the time change (classes now start/finish earlier).

I went to the class on my schedule and found out it was the wrong class. Fine. Then I went to the class I was supposed to go to and found out I had them only a few days before. I had no lesson plan for them and because of the other issues I showed up ten minutes late.

Of course, this is entirely my fault and I should bow my head in shame.

Whats annoying is that my school has been doing shit like this for the entire time I've worked here. It took me almost a year to force them into giving me a schedule. They won't tell me if things change.

All of last year I would show up to class on test days because no one told me it was a test day. Sometimes I'd even show up at school on a vacation day because no one told me that either. I poked, prodded and insisted on getting some form of early notification and some teachers who aren't in any way related to the English department have felt sympathetic towards me about it.

Still! Nobody tells me. I just have to go through an embarrassing incident such as this again and again and again. I'm a nice guy so I know this isn't a personal slight... I don't even know whats so hard about telling me. Just a tap on the shoulder will do.

[stevelad_83]

I feel your pain! I've been at my school for just over a year and this is an almost daily occurence. Being expected to teach a lesson you didn't know you had, ten minutes in and with no lesson plan, really makes my day!

[bcoral99]

Yes it happens all the time. Although, sometimes my co-teachers get the schedule change that day and they may forget to tell me so I can't blame them all the time. But for the most part I usually just ask them or they tell me in advance. At my school they have a calendar of important events, ie. national examination days, sports day, vacation, etc. maybe if you can have someone give that to you it will help.

[Bloopity Bloop]

Isn't that just how Korea works? It's unfortunate, but I think it's true. Nobody seems to know anything until someone at the top freaks out and every single person down the line does the same until it reaches us.

Gotta roll with it, I guess.

I tried talking to my co-teachers about getting me important info early, and they told me it's often just as much of a surprise to them.

[Fishead soup]

Most school teachers teachers communicate schedule changes via computer. If you get yourself hooked into their system they will be happy to send messages in English too you. They might not have told you about this. Sometimes you are expected to read people's minds.

[cruisemonkey]

I used to get upset when I wasn't told of schedule changes (my co-teachers have been pretty good, but sometimes they haven't known until the last minute). I don't now... because I just walk into class and say "Free time!"

[Hightop]

Very rarely. In fact yesterday my first class was at 9.50, 3rd grade students that I teach every second week. I walked into the class at 9.45 and my co-teacher says "Hightop I am leaving now you will teach alone today." I said "Where in the book did you finish the last class?" She said "I dont know. Ask the students" and left. She could have told me at 8.40 when I arrived at school or from 9.00-9.45 when we were our office. But she chose to tell me as she was leaving.

Or two weeks ago my other co-teacher's father died so she did not come to school that week. On the Monday I went into the class and there were no students so I waited untill 9.10 then went to their homeroom, they were not there either. This continued untill lunch time when someone told me the co-teacher would not be there that day. The next day first class I went to the class room and no students again so I went to my office. Then at the 3rd class the VP somes into my office and in Korean asks me why I am not in the classroom. We walk up together and....oh still no kids. Aparantly the 6th grade teachers had decided not to have English class that week cause the co-teacher was not there. They just did not tell me or the VP.

[highdials5]

Yeah happens a lot at my workplace too. At first it used to annoy me, but now it simply baffles.

[Draz]

Haven't had these kinds of problems since I quit PS. PS is all about petty displays of power. The problem is that you, as the foreign assistant teacher, are at the bottom of the hierarchy so you must be told everything AFTER everyone else knows about it. If they really want to put you in your place, you will not be told at all.

How important they get to feel about knowing first depends on how much time passes between them finding out and you finding out. This is why they will delay telling you something for no apparent reason, though sometimes they really didn't know because the person above them was enjoying their turn to play this little game.

[Countrygirl]

In 3 years I have never ever been notified about picture day in advance. And everyone else is always in their Sunday best. In fact, the 2nd year my co-teacher didn't even bother to get me for the photoshoot ... told me she plain forgot

But other than the above, it hasn't been bad. Some days I'm told, and some days I'm not. Normally as much as the Korean teachers are told. But who the Korean co-teacher is does make a big difference and I'm informed of things more often this year.

[detourne_me]

poeticjustice, does your school use Cool Messenger? it's the IM/fille sharing program we use at my school. My schedules had been constantly changing too, so i learned that while using Cool Messenger you can check the revised school schedules. Usually I will see today's and tomorrow's, as well as all past schedules.

The schedules are sorted into a different tab than the standard messages and announcements.

Other than that bit of advice, all i have to give is my sympathy.

[poeticjustice]

[Faunaki]

[detourne_me]

That's ridiculous dude, of course you should have an account. seriously, go up the chain of command until you get on it. It really does help out. I get messages about class changes, talk with my co-teachers about grammar problems etc. even share powerpoint files and whatnot.

If they tell you that it's only in Korean so you wouldn't be able to use it, well that's untrue too. And although it isn't a full translation into English, most of the menu options are changed so it's easy like MSN or whatever you use.

[littlelisa]

Wow, that puts things in perspective. I was GOING to say that my school is generally excellent at giving me notice, but it's been getting worse lately. I was a little annoyed this week that they only told us on Monday that in two weeks we have skating lessons for a week and English class times will be rearranged. It was on the calendar, but they said they will probably cancel it and only told us on Monday that it was actually still happening. They still don't have a finalized schedule, but I've seen the tentative one and there probably won't be any changes. So I was going to say my school is not great but not bad. But compared to some of these stories, they are wonderful!

Actually it's even happened that I've heard about things before my Korean coteacher did, and if there's anything, they'll always tell me at least a little in advance.