Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tideout]

I found out last week that I, along with a co-teacher will have to do the EPIK online training.

One person I know has apparently refused this "extra" training. Are we getting paid to do this or are we just screwed with an out of the blue requirement that requires more work?

Sorry if I missed a previous post on this

Why do they make teachers go to trainings when the school doesn't support any of the activities or approaches that you get in the training?

[dbtm]

you have an easy public school job just suck it up.

your korean coteachers have to sit through bs training seminars all the time.

[tideout]

[dbtm]

[ThingsComeAround]

GEPIK had the same deal last year. All newcomers had to watch an online "orientation" done by some dude with funky argyle vests.

Normally, I'd agree with you but dbtm is correct. What is this new task preventing you from doing, OP?

[ippy]

Its a requirement of your job i believe. You have to undergo X-hours of training.

You just have to do it. If you dont do it and dont have a valid reason as to why, (we were told) you CANT (not wont) be recontracted.

If its that nonsense we had to do with the online vids, let me tell you, they take about ten minutes a pop, you answer some multiple choice questions on the information (which you can get from the bullet points they list and not the dude whittering on at you for twenty minutes about his jumper).

If you get the answer wrong YOU CAN REANSWER UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT!!!

This means you spend about 5 minutes scrolling through for the important info, answering (and reanswering) the questions until you pass the section, then its on to the new section.

At any time after the fourth or fifth vid, you can take the final test. There is a specific passing grade required but youd REALLY have to be an idiot not to hit it. Then its just a case of "watching" the rest of the clips until you hit the 70% mark or whatever it is to "complete" teh course.

It teaches you nothing, youre absolutely right, but the point is to cover OTHER peoples backs, not yours at the end of the day. You are a "trained" assistant teacher now! youve done a whole 70 hours of training! and even though most of that was utterly useless, the only thing people care about is that youre now trained, and thus hit the qualification to assist in teaching.

So dont get all annoyed because its a waste of time. Just jump through the hoop, get it done when you can, and carry on safe in teh knowledge that next year you can help explain to another NET just how pointless it is to fight it and that they should just get it done because its not really something youd want to pick a fight over. Someone ordered someone who ordered someone who ordered your boss' boss, boss, to tell your boss' boss to tell your boss to tell you to do x-hours of training or not to be let back in the classroom. You telling your boss that you arent going to do it is going to be a gigantic storm in a tea cup since even if they tell their boss, their boss is just going to tell them to tell you it has to be done and thats all there is to it.

If you subscribe to the theory that you pick your battles wisely, you should realize that this wouldnt be one youve got any chance of winning.

[ssuprnova]

Yes indeed, woe is you... with the paltry 4 weeks vacation a year and another 2-4 weeks of deskwarming, how could you ever find the time to do an online training course?

[tideout]

Things come around - thanks for your response and I'll try to address your question which goes with a post or two above yours.


I realize that there's an image out there that all public school teachers are slipping into comas while desk warming. In fairness, this was the case with another public school job I had so I get the perception. This is not the case this round and for what it's worth, not the case with several other teachers in my district I've talked with prior to this.

Deskwarming is few and far between so this "training" will be on my own time. I won't go into all of the details for obvious reasons but suffice it say it has something to do with massive inefficiency and communication problems. I'll leave it there.

Ippy - Thanks for taking the time to read the post for its intention and rspond the way you did. I really appreciate it as well as some insight into
what's actually going on there. Humor appreciated as well and I'll pass on the "news" next year as you suggest.

After talking with another more knowedgable (than me) NET today, they agree that this is nothing more than a cover everyone's butt exercise.

Sorry to see there are so many people out there who are apparently bitter about not having a public school job.

[nathanrutledge]

To give a bit more info on Ippy's post - it's not a job requirement, it's the law. They passed a law that went into effect within the last 2 years or so that says that PS teachers must have 60 hours of training per year (I believe it's 60). They count the overnight trips as time, so if it's 24 hours of your time, then it's 24 hours of training. The online stuff is part of it too.

So yeah, if you don't do it, you're going to lose your job.

[tideout]

[runthegauntlet]

[nathanrutledge]

[tideout]

[runthegauntlet]

[runthegauntlet]