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Snowkr
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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 Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 3:44 am Post subject: 6 weeks left and I'm really getting mean... |
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So I finish my contract at the end of July. I've turned into such a shrew. I lose patience but don't really react except to do something shocking and mean to the kids rather than shout at them.
Today while my 12 year olds were getting a drink right at the time they were supposed to start class after having a 15 minute break to do this, I just walked up and pulled the water bottle out of the machine while they were drinking and took it to the office. They got wet. I laughed. My director thought it was a riot and they were still "thirsty" when I left the school.
I also gave one girl 100 sentences to write over the weekend for not bringing her English diary to school. A repeated offense with her but still... am I cruel now?
I just feel like since I'm about to leave, I have no desire to be nice and if they percieve me as such, then I'm not doing my job properly.
Any thoughts?
by the way, my boss totally backs me up and wants me to be even more harsh. |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 4:35 am Post subject: Re: 6 weeks left and I'm really getting mean... |
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| Snowkr wrote: |
So I finish my contract at the end of July. I've turned into such a shrew. I lose patience but don't really react except to do something shocking and mean to the kids rather than shout at them.
Today while my 12 year olds were getting a drink right at the time they were supposed to start class after having a 15 minute break to do this, I just walked up and pulled the water bottle out of the machine while they were drinking and took it to the office. They got wet. I laughed. My director thought it was a riot and they were still "thirsty" when I left the school.
I also gave one girl 100 sentences to write over the weekend for not bringing her English diary to school. A repeated offense with her but still... am I cruel now?
I just feel like since I'm about to leave, I have no desire to be nice and if they percieve me as such, then I'm not doing my job properly.
Any thoughts?
by the way, my boss totally backs me up and wants me to be even more harsh. |
Snowkr, I'm in awe. I doubt most people would be as candid as you are here. I've vowed to stay away from this Job-related forum, where I can't contribute much. But your thread title and OP were simply too much of a draw and I couldn't resist.
Part of you probably wants to hear that others have felt and behaved just like you are, and that you're not freaking out. You're acting badly and out of character, and you know that, and this... job of yours, the work environment, it's turning you into something you're not and into someone you don't like. I've so been there, and I'm sure many others have as well.
I've left a few jobs that I'd grown to really despise, and those last few weeks when I knew I'd be out of there, my behaviour was a bit erratic. As my days there were winding down, I think I sometimes actually made myself unpopular, intentionally creating ill-feelings, speaking my mind and settling some old scores without the worry any of it would boomerang back at me. In a way, it made leaving feel better or "righter" to me.
But there were always people who I really liked and knew I'd miss, plus in once case a real need to remain on good terms because it could screw me down the road if I was an a-hole toward everyone. So there was a competing desire to play nice & sweet, along with the "just eff 'em" attitude. Anyway, as I say, I was moody and my behaviour was erratic.  So, might any of this pertain to your situation? |
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stakay
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 7:34 am Post subject: Re: 6 weeks left and I'm really getting mean... |
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| Snowkr wrote: |
| So I finish my contract at the end of July. I've turned into such a shrew. I lose patience but don't really react except to do something shocking and mean to the kids rather than shout at them. |
| Snowkr wrote: |
I just feel like since I'm about to leave, I have no desire to be nice and if they percieve me as such, then I'm not doing my job properly.
Any thoughts?
by the way, my boss totally backs me up and wants me to be even more harsh. |
What are you planning to do after you leave? Maybe deep down in that subconscious of yours you are crapping yourself because your life is going to change soon. Change can be a big stressor for us humans. I don't know you, but it's possible. You can't go on like that though - taking it out on the kids. It's much more of an effort to be a good teacher ALL of the time than to be a crap teacher some of the time. Do the right thing and deal with what you're going through in a more healthy way, those kids don't deserve that, and it's not going to make you feel any better. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:04 am Post subject: |
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She's not putting them into degrading positions and giving them an ass beating with a paint mixer in full view of the other students... like the Korean teachers. And really, the parents write the checks. What she does to them is punk stuff compared to what a Korean mother will do if she thinks her kid is wasting her hard earned money. She'll beat every inch of his exposed skin.
Last edited by mindmetoo on Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:07 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Dan The Chainsawman
Joined: 05 May 2005
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:06 am Post subject: |
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| YOU NEED SOME BOOM BOOM!!!! |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:41 am Post subject: Re: 6 weeks left and I'm really getting mean... |
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| Snowkr wrote: |
So I finish my contract at the end of July. I've turned into such a shrew. I lose patience but don't really react except to do something shocking and mean to the kids rather than shout at them.
Today while my 12 year olds were getting a drink right at the time they were supposed to start class after having a 15 minute break to do this, I just walked up and pulled the water bottle out of the machine while they were drinking and took it to the office. They got wet. I laughed. My director thought it was a riot and they were still "thirsty" when I left the school.
I also gave one girl 100 sentences to write over the weekend for not bringing her English diary to school. A repeated offense with her but still... am I cruel now?
I just feel like since I'm about to leave, I have no desire to be nice and if they percieve me as such, then I'm not doing my job properly.
Any thoughts?
by the way, my boss totally backs me up and wants me to be even more harsh. |
A boy raised his hand today while I was teaching somehing important. Just before this, I was teaching about raising your hand (a little). Anyway I said, "Yes?" He then asked, "What time is it?" I went on for about 5 minutes asking him if he was stupid and taught the class "Stupid is, stupid does." I went upside him army style.
So, in short, I don't think what you did was out of hand.
As far as punishing the girl who never brings her diary, some students just need to be ignored. It's hard to ignore them, but if they aren't doing what they're told, they're wasting parents' time and money and making life difficult for you. When doing the accountable learning with the question answer thing between students, I give the students some time, but if they are just being total arses, I have to wonder why they're there. Maybe just so they can listen. And that's how I treat it. I leave them out of the back and forth questions and answers.
I'm not a fucking magician. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:50 am Post subject: |
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I'm just curious why you're being mean with just 6 weeks left. Were you too nice before? Do you feel a need for some sort of revenge? Does it feel good to be mean? I think most of us get mean now and then anyway.
Anyway good luck. The next six weeks will soon be done. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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When you set your mind to leave, maybe just being there is a bother?
No worries though, I felt a similar way. |
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Snowkr
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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Great comments everyone.
THanks
I teach preschool too and would never treat them this way. The older kids did have it coming. Yes, I've been accused of being entirely too nice. To make it even more memorable, after I got my pre teens soaked (which I didn't mean to do), I dashed into the office to preserve the moment on my boss's digital camera. The poor kids just stood there dripping and appalled.
I guess I worry that I'm turning into one of these unfeeling Korean teachers who humiliates kids and treats them like slaves just because I can. That is not the kind of teacher I want to be.
My plans after this...
I came here to earn graduate credit for my Masters in TESOL. I'll be going back to the states to finish the course in August. I will NOT teach kids again in ANY country unless I am desperate. I already have a job working with multi lingual students ages 17 and up in San Diego. Looking forward to it... doubt I'll try to drown them. What kind of impression would that give of our wonderful American teachers? |
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SirFink
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 12:50 am Post subject: |
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I've been here 6 weeks and am already feeling the same way.  |
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Snowkr
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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that's not good. If I'd felt that way after just 6 weeks I'd probably be looking for another job.
It helps that I work in a good hogwon where the boss doesn't put up with crap from kids or their parents. If they don't like it, he politely shows them the door but there is no refund given for withdrawn or expelled students.
It's all about tough love. Sometimes a little too tough.. I think. |
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seoulsista
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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I really like my boss and she treats the foriegn staff and Korean staff ( to a lesser extent) quite well. Although I would nearly anything to see get tough with some of the students. In fact she even calls them consumers. Which is quite telling.
As far as being really tough with your kids. I don't think that stuff you mentioned is too too bad. I probably wouldn't waste my energy though. If you have had a good relationship with the kids up until this point - why not keep it that way? I tend not to burn bridges if I can help it. Even if they are only kids. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2006 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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My last month of hogwan was sure interesting. I gave up on about half my classes and put the extra energy towards my good classes. I wasn't supposed to let them go use the toilet but I started letting them go individually, then in pairs, then the whole classes at once. Roughly half my classes got a goodbye party with ice cream, cookies, and pop, and the point I was trying to get across was a bit too obvious for even Koreans to miss. In some classes we were all exchanging emails and taking photos, and in a couple I just sat there and read the newspaper. In my one and thankfully only kindie class I let the kids run wild, colour the floor with crayons, and cut up their books with scissors.
I can't imagine how emotionally gripping it would be to leave my current job. Every class is dominated a majority of the good.  |
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