Korean Job Discussion Forums

[AsiaESLbound]

Ever had a co-teacher you knew quite well have a sudden change in personality? She was consistently happy, fun, and talkative for a month straight, but since Monday she's been clammy, withdrawn, sad, and saying things like, "I think students are not interested in English. I think you are not good teacher. I think I'm not a good teacher. I think I'm not pretty. I think you are not handsome due to fat. I think students will be confused if I am not here." When I talk to her she says, "I can not speak English," yet she is very good at speaking. She then says, "I am not interested in English." "Of course you are, you are very good at speaking," I replied. And when I talk to her, she always changes the conversation to, "you need to prepare lesson plan." Yet, I prepared many materials and lesson plans which are working out well. I tell her at the day today, "You are so sad and not yourself for the past 4 days, what is wrong?" She says, "I think you need prepare lesson plan." I said, "uh, we are not talking about lesson planning right now."

Instead of being the co-teaching team we were, she now tries to teach our classes all by herself in Korean without allowing me to teach. She changes how we teach by telling me what to do in class, the things I already know, which is creating friction. Honestly, it's awkward to just stand there listening to her teach in Korean and spend lots of time correcting her own mistakes such as taking 5 minutes to write out all this stuff on the white board only to erase it all due to there not being enough room for the last two sentences. When I teach anything about the lesson or from the lesson, she tells me we don't have time. She won't even let me conduct listen and repeat exercises as of this week. When I talked to her today about the situation, she just changes the conversation to, "you need prepare lesson plan." "Yes, I know that and do that, you keep changing the subject, Why?" Fact is, she teaches 95% in Korean now and doesn't give me a chance to do anything until she specifically requests something during a class. We were doing really well up until last Friday.

During the first month she asked me many times up until last Friday if she is beautiful and pretty so I said yes each time. She always asked me if her English is good and I honestly said yes, but this week she is just so down on herself to the point she is about to shut down. When I said yes to her questions, it's always, "really?" where she doubted my answers. With this sudden dramatic change in personality and outlook over the course of one weekend, I suspected on Tuesday they decided they don't like me and are preparing to fire me, but now it's become apparent she is blown away by something in her life outside the classroom. It's clear it didn't have anything to do with me, but is now negatively effecting our relations. We didn't have any issues or conflict, but now we are beginning to rub against the grain as I'm losing my patience with her stupid immature behavior. She knows she is being irrational, but won't snap out of it. I tried to cheer her up, but she just keeps going against me for no apparent reason. It's not only me, she quit being an English teacher, but yet is making more effort in vain to teach in Korean. She won't tell what bothers her and just lies that nothing is wrong, but is withdrawn when she was friendly and outgoing. Maybe she has issues and that was a honey moon front she put on for the 1st month straight?

Maybe she lost a beauty pageant last Saturday? I guess I'm dealing with a mental case here. I'd like to do the right thing to get her back on track, but I really don't know how to go about it. Is this an impossible situation or is there something else I should saying and doing?

[southernman]

Yup it sounds like you're onto it, something probably happened last weekend.

Maybe try reverse psychology, next time you ask her how she is and she says she doesn't want to teach English just Korean.

Agree with her that she shouldn't be teaching English (be very supportive and kind, god knows what happened to her) and suggest you go and see the Vice-Principle togeather about her no longer teaching English.

Obviously she wont want to do this, so you might actually be able to find out what the real issue is... Or, if she's being geniune with you now and the last month was an act, then if you do go to the VP with her and explain her not wanting to teach English anymore then at least you're covered when the everything goes pearshaped

[Seoul'n'Corea]

[ChilgokBlackHole]

[oskinny1]

I think 이모 may be visiting.

[lukas]

Sounds to me like she's depressed. Is there anyone else in the school that can speak English? Maybe ask them for advice or ideas as to why she is in a funk. There are at least 3-4 other people at my school that can speak decent English, so I am thankful for that. I might go crazy if the only other person I could speak English with was my CT, since my CT has been in sort of a funk as well (although no where near as bad as you've mentioned).

A lot of Koreans, unless their married, live with their parents. (which would make me depressed). Not only that, my CT tells me that parents are relentless when their son/daughter is approaching 30, and still not married. I could imagine this might be the case with your CT, as it happens to be the case with mine.

Right now, i'm doing all the lesson planning with no help, like you are. Also, I see my CT staring off into space most of the lesson, and only puts her 2 cents in when I ask her to translate bits of foreign culture I put into the lesson.

My advice to you is to do your best with the lesson plans, and document everything you do like the above poster mentioned. If you feel you're getting burnt out, take a break and don't sweat it. I have another teacher (the one responsible for afterschool classes) nagging me for typed lesson plans since Tuesday. Well, she can wait until I get a free minute, since I'm planning 26 classes all by myself, as well as doing 95% of the teaching in class.

Oh and my last 2 cents, how about giving me an English MS-word program intstead of that Korean Hangeul Word Processor. I've only been studying Korean since I got here 4 months ago.

I'm crossing my fingers for some better morale once the weather is warmer.

[Hawkeye Pierce]

[CentralCali]

I have two copies of OpenOffice.org running at work, one in English and one in Korean. I do everything I can using that program. If my co-teacher needs to change anything, she uses the Korean version. That's been working out well for the last few years.

OP: There's no reason to tolerate insults about your appearance. You can politely interrupt her with, "That has nothing to do with teaching. Let's discuss actual teaching issues, okay?"

[ThingsComeAround]

OP

Your co-teacher is down. Maybe she got dumped. Or rejected from some guy she likes. It isn't your fault.

Another thing I have noticed, Korean people believe that their feelings/emotions are unique only to themselves. By this I mean, you couldn't possibly understand the hurt and trauma she feels now, could you? (kidding ) but seriously, she won't want to explain to you since you are a co-worker and a foreigner

[Ramen]

Don't worry OP. Just kick back and relax. Enjoy the free ride. Do something productive like self-improvement course.

[Banana_Man]

[reactionary]

Kinda sounds like she was waiting for you to ask her out!

[AsiaESLbound]

[ChilgokBlackHole]

[mateomiguel]

Dude, make the freakin lesson plans already, geez!