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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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 Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 3:17 am Post subject: |
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| suprd3vil wrote: |
| I know it is still a lot of work even without the open classes but I now feel that if I try and show her an effort she will be more understanding and that I can go to her and explain myself. |
I was going to laugh at this, but then empathy took over. Everything you've said before doesn't support your conclusion. What kind of effort is going to garner understanding if it is less than her demands? Demands which border on the delusional. I can imagine all this work been done, then your students come second again, and bang! She's off at you guys again for not working hard enough. |
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earthquakez
Joined: 10 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:49 am Post subject: |
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Um, OP, why in heavens' name did you add the proviso to your invitation for the VP to come and visit your classes? I mean the one about as long as she says Hi to the kids and tells them she's there to watch you.......... 
That's NOT the way you speak to Principals or Vice Principals in Korea. Ever. I am all for laying down the law (and not necessarily in an unsubtle way) to ars7hole K English teachers or for those deliberately trying to undermine the foreign teacher but that's different from informing your Korean superiors on which terms they will visit your classroom.
You've made a big mistake there regardless of how much I support your right to stand up against these absurd dictats of VPs and Ps who want to run you into the ground. I left my last public school on not altogether good terms because I stood up for myself against farked behaviour by a couple of the teachers but when it came to the Principal and Vice Principal I always said yes, yes and offered conciliatry statements and said I intended to do what they instructed me. Then I made some careful points about how something might be a little difficult etc.
But you just can't put terms and conditions like that on the VP strolling into your room. They have every right to watch the students, so do the parents but believe me, at public school few parents turn up when there are not demonstration classes and even then they won't come in great numbers. You should have smiled and said 'Of course the Vice Principal is welcome to watch any of my classes anytime!'. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:00 am Post subject: |
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Someone doesn't know how to play politics. I think initially all the 'observing' the VP said was just talk. Now you've painted a target on your back by confronting your VP.
Oh well, chalk it up to a lesson learned and carry on. Keep us updated. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:11 am Post subject: School Problems |
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| 'discuss it with the principal' means that 'later I can tell you the principal agrees with me and you must do it.' |
The advice I got from a senior HR manager was that you should calmly suggest (or insist, as the case may be) to the VP, "I think we should all have a meeting with the Principal", (with all parties present... you, your co-teacher, the VP & the Principal), and discuss a viable outcome agreeable to all parties, in a calm, rational manner. I had one manipulative Korean co-teacher who ran off, after failing to get agreement from me, & complained to the VP, in my earshot, using very loaded questions, to get her own way. Don't you think Chris is being unreasonable asking for more time off than the school & I consider reasonable? (Contract says 7 days, she insisted I could only have 6) What I should have done in hindsight, is instead of getting enraged, is go over to the VP with contract in hand, & ask to discuss the terms of the contract in a meeting, in a closed room, with all parties present. That way, there's no loss of face in front of the whole office, and vindictiveness later. BTW, my students won a trip to the US, for a local English speaking contest, & I STILL had problems with my unappreciative co-teacher. |
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ESL Milk "Everyday
Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:36 am Post subject: |
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The thing about Korea is that you really can't anticipate what's going to happen... people do 180s all the time. But usually, if someone is a hard case, they're not going to get better if you tackle them head-on.
Also, job performance sometimes has less bearing on how you fit in than your ability to charm and flatter and make people feel good about themselves. A good teacher buys lots of presents, is shy/humble around superiors, and always shows a lot of respect for everyone... or has a friend who can explain that what you really meant was '...'.
But yeah, sometimes your co-teacher is a racist who can't be won over by anything... that's when it's bad. |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Get out as fast as you can. The VP will make your life hell. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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| OculisOrbis wrote: |
You can try contacting the regional or provincial director and get them to try to rein in that nutjob you have for a vp. Failing that, I would just quit.
You dont really have any other options unless you do what the vp wants and you slowly kill yourself with work overload OR you refuse/ignore what the vp wants that is unreasonable, continue doing what you did before, and he makes your life at school miserable and/or he fires you. |
Best advice. Cut your losses and save your time and aggravation. Leave. |
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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Epik_Teacher wrote: |
| OculisOrbis wrote: |
You can try contacting the regional or provincial director and get them to try to rein in that nutjob you have for a vp. Failing that, I would just quit.
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LOL! Most of those directors are just glorified phone answerers with no power or authority whatsoever. The one in the province I live in is a joke! |
They will not be helpful and may even make things worse. OP, if you are willing to tough things out to the end of your contract for the flight ticket and severance, then prepare for war- document everything, keep a daily log of your work, and keep yourself under control. Don't get angry and yell. Also, don't pour your heart out to any other teachers there, no matter how friendly they may seem to be to you. They will not openly oppose the VP for a foreign teacher. That would be career suicide. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| If I ever wanted to teach in Seoul, this turns me off. This is prob much worse than usual, but it still seems like you SMOE folks are put through the wringer too much and for less pay. I actually want to find a laid back rural area that gives more money. I'll travel on the weekends. |
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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:31 am Post subject: |
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Meet with the Principal. Explain you want to go by the contract (Tom's statement). If he doesn't agree with you find another job (line it up before quitting).
I agree I've never regretting quitting a job; my regret was the time I spent trying make it work before I quit.
The second point is to say to your co-teacher that a lot of this responsibility is hers not yours. And you will follow the contract. If she wants to agree to do all this work for the VP that's not your problem. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:52 am Post subject: |
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There is no winning in this situation.
Anything you try to do to improve the situation will do more harm than good because it will be seen as disrespecting the VP's authority.
I think your best bet is to leave, sooner the better. |
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ESL Milk "Everyday
Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:30 am Post subject: |
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| There is no definite way to know for sure what is happening behind the scenes... don't act before you know the situation. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:17 am Post subject: |
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VP is on a power trip and demanding all kinds of impossible tasks. He/She is out to "make a name for his/her self" as one previous poster noted. Expecting #1 in the drama contest and saying # 2 is shameful says it all.
The VP is way out of line.
What's to figure out?
It won't get better. Seen these situations enough times to know.
How long till the end of your contract? August?
I don't think it is worth it but it's up to the OP to decide. |
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