Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crazylemongirl]

I have these stupid meetings from my principal once week. Apparently he wanted to practice his english so my partner teacher suggested I bring down my first year lesson for him. Of course he has yet to speak a work of english in these meetings.

Now my principal has decreed that I ahve to take a brief english lesson once a month for 3 minutes during staff meeting infront of all the teachers in the school on monday morning during a busy time for homeroom teachers.

Everytime I see him he tells everyone around me to talk to me in english. Now I could understand this if I was a newbie who doesn't even know anyeong haseyo but I've been here two years and had about 150 hours or so of formal instruction in Korean so my skills are passable to be able to conduct my day to day life in the school (eg. small talk and telling teachers why their students are doing hearts in the classroom). Hell I even talk to my students mothers!

The unfourtante thing is that because my principal speaks at 100miles in hour in a very thick accent i can't understand a word he says (this despite the fact that evey time I meet him I ask him to speak slowly). Even the Korean teachers have trouble understanding him at times so i don't know why he would expect me to understand him when he talks to me like I'm a native speaker.

So what stupid ideas does your principal engage in?

[JacktheCat]

My principal is actually a pretty cool guy. He has been very welcoming to me and leaves me alone to do my English thing; giving me great leeway in setting up the whole English Program at my school. He has also exempted me from the staff meetings and "team building exercises." Very strange for a Korean boss.

I think some of it has do with having his life (and his family's) saved by American GIs during the Korean war. Because of this he has a great love for America and Americans.

As I've said before in another thread, this high school job is a little too good. Kind of freaking my out. It's just not normal for jobs in Korea to be enjoyable and bosses to be sane. Most likely things will start going bad in a month or so.

[hellofaniceguy]

[quiksilver]