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MacLean
Joined: 14 Feb 2011
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 Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 5:13 pm Post subject: Re: Huge Argument with coteacher |
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| tanklor1 wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
| tanklor1 wrote: |
I think you should buy a bottle of soju and drink it with him. |
I actually thought about that. At least it was a male co-teacher because we talked about it a couple of hours later, shook hands and just let it go. I apologize if this sounds sexist, but I don't think a female co-teacher would have got over so it quick. Some women know how to harbour a grudge for a long time. |
I agree 100%. |
Politically incorrect as it sounds, I must say that I agree with that too. I've always gotten along well with male co-teachers. Any disagreements, it was parched up the next day or just forgotten about. The female teachers never forget and never forgive. Currently I have three co-teachers, two men and a woman. I get along great with the men, but my relationship with the woman is in deep freeze. Not that I'm terribly concerned, as she does absolutely nothing in class. Absolutely nothing at all. Not interpreting, not controlling the class, not ensuring they've opened their books. Nothing whatsoever. I think she enjoys seeing me struggle with a class. Actually thought I caught a smirk on her face the other day when I was trying to control a difficult class. But the men are great. Not sure what's up with Korean female teachers when put in a classroom with a foreign male teacher.  Just my experience. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: Huge Argument with coteacher |
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| methdxman wrote: |
Shouting at a 50 year old teacher who has no interest in teaching.
You have a lot of growing up to do, seriously.
What, you're trying to become this guy's professional/life coach all of a sudden?
The guy is a tool who doesn't care about his job (but that's a lot of people anywhere) but you certainly handled the situation in the absolute worst way possible. There isn't a way that you could have handled the situation any worse.
And teachers here wonder why they have a hard time in Korea? Jesus Christ. |
Despite the patronising tone of this post, I kind of know what you're saying. I felt bad for losing my cool. If you actually read it properly, you'd know that I didn't lose my temper until he started waving his stick in my face. I think that action would have upset most people. I tried to reason with him in a firm and straightforward manner, but he didn't like it. |
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West Coast Tatterdemalion
Joined: 31 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Yet another reason that I am thankful that I will never work at a public school in Korea. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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| West Coast Tatterdemalion wrote: |
| Yet another reason that I am thankful that I will never work at a public school in Korea. |
This is my 4th consecutive year, and I'm getting to the end of my tether. The idea of 'co-teaching' is nothing more than a buzzword most of the time. |
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lowpo
Joined: 01 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:32 pm Post subject: Re: Huge Argument with coteacher |
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| methdxman wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
Last week I managed to get into a blazing shouting match with one of my co-teachers - in the classroom in front of the kids.
He is late 50s and has been at this school for over 25 years. I guess he's just cruising towards retirement age because he doesn't really seem to have much interest in teaching. His idea of co-teaching is sitting at the back of the class, sleeping or surfing the net - while I do all the actual work.
There is one class of low-level 3rd graders who are quite bad, and frankly I cannot control alone. He says he can't do anything to discipline them because he is not allowed to beat them.
Anyway, long story short, the class was misbehaving and I asked him to do something about it while I tried to teach. He then told me that it was my class, therefore my responsibility and not his problem. I was so frustrated at this point, that I reacted by pointing out it was actually his class and he was ultimately in charge.
He went nuts and started shouting at me in English and then in Korean. I asked him to calm down and we could discuss it later. This just aggravated him further and he started waving his stick in my face. I lost it when he did that and shouted at him to do his job. All this in full view of the kids.
Anyway, the point of this story is; was he right? It is actually up to me control the class, while he sits idly by. I always plan the lesson and teach without assistance, which I'm fine with, but I always assumed crowd control was his duty. |
Shouting at a 50 year old teacher who has no interest in teaching.
You have a lot of growing up to do, seriously.
What, you're trying to become this guy's professional/life coach all of a sudden?
The guy is a tool who doesn't care about his job (but that's a lot of people anywhere) but you certainly handled the situation in the absolute worst way possible. There isn't a way that you could have handled the situation any worse.
And teachers here wonder why they have a hard time in Korea? Jesus Christ. |
Then how should he have handled the sutuation? |
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MacLean
Joined: 14 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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Dude, completely ignore Methxd's post. I can assure you that 99% of the people reading it are giving it a big 
You've nothing to apologize for. Good that it's patched up though, cuz a disgruntled co-worker (however in the wrong they are) has easier access to the principle's ear than you do. And if he/she is determined to do you harm for making them lose face, they'll likely do it by trying to mess up your reference for your next job. |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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Not good dude.
Yes, the class is his responsibility. But this is a Confucius society and he's right up at the top of the ladder. You are bottom rung. You have a very slim chance of being re-signed.
For future reference, you need to realize that this job is NOT about education. It's not about fairness. It's not about quality. It's not about substance.
Your job, in order, is threefold:
* play nice
* babysit
* teaching
The system of English Education in Korea is SEVERELY flawed (I would actually argue the entire Education system is flawed). The Powers That Be want it this way.
It has taken me a few years to realize and accept this. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:53 pm Post subject: |
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| If any of my co-teachers were to ever shake their damn whipping stick in my face as the OP described, I'd walk right out of the classroom, go to the principal's office, and camp out there until I'm satisfied that the principal has taken care of the jerk who threatened me. This is supposed to be a professional environment, not Escape From New York. And if the principal declines to do his job, then I'd take it up the support chain all the way to the POE, if need be. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:04 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="CentralCali"]If any of my co-teachers were to ever shake their damn whipping stick in my face as the OP described, I'd walk right out of the classroom, go to the principal's office, and camp out there until I'm satisfied that the principal has taken care of the jerk who threatened me. This is supposed to be a professional environment, not Escape From New York. And if the principal declines to do his job, then I'd take it up the support chain all the way to the POE, if need be.[/quote
I totally agree with you, but it's easy to say this in hindsight. When you are there in the heat of the moment, it's not always easy to be so rational. |
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