Korean Job Discussion Forums

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

Now that I have given my 30 day notice my Korean coteacher who has been pretty insufferable at times is trying so so so hard to be nice to me.

It makes me wonder.

I have made it clear to more than a few people that he is my biggest problem with the place. He has heard as much and now is pushing me to tell him why, the reasons are many. I don't want to spill my anger out until I leave, which may be a quite a few more days... but he keeps pushing me.

A great example of why he bothers me... I am trying to prepare for my lessons and he won't leave me alone.

Anyway, is there any chance that my opinion of him when I leave will damage his career. I fully intend to put it all down and have it translated into Korean by a friend... the letter will then be mailed to the school headmaster and anyone else in authority.

The guy is an arrogant and tactless sack. The other people at the school "beneath" him in the food chain have really experienced his shite... not just me. They can't speak out, but I can... so...

In the Confucian food chain he really ain't much, he is 32 with an MA but he really uses it... maybe this is a cultural thing, I should just realize he is superior and let it go... ahahahaha.

I just found out I have been teaching English longer than him and I have only been here a year, yet he insists on dominating the class and correcting me. hahahaha

It was awesome to see his face when I handed him my letter of resignation though. He couldn't understand me at first. Then he told me I couldn't do that... hahaha. He was the guy that worked with the recruiter to get me... apparently he never read the contract. Hahaha.

He still talks smack about me at the lunch table to the other teachers in Korean, the guy is a f*cking child.

I am sooooo happy to be leaving that place. If I can damage this guy's career I really really want to, he shouldn't be teaching. If he does continue teaching he really needs to have some strict unscheduled observation time from someone in authority... the way this guy does his classes is an absolute farce.

poet13 · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:17 am Post subject:

By all means, write a letter. But I would try my very best to be as objective as possible. I wouldnt under any circumstances name another person there as witness. You letter may be received well, or it may not. I think the tone in which it is written will hav a lot to do with it being taken seriously.
good luck wherever you end up.

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

Allso, keep in mind deflamation is a serious offense in Korea.

chaz47 · Joined: 11 Sep 2003

I have some sympathy for his plight but the guy has no professionalism.

To top off the list I saw him strike a learning disabled kid. A good solid one, with his hand, not his stick, because the kid didn't want to get his scissors and cut out some little card from the back of the textbook. Totally inappropriate. The teacher looked hungover that morning.

He also has never once prepared for a lesson. Every lesson he enters the class clueless and asks the kids what page they are on? After which he plays the CD-ROM and surfs for some lame ass supplemental material.

My attempts to prepare are often viewed as a threat to his supremacy and usually disregarded as "too boring".

I lost all respect for him after he wanted the 6th graders to do the "Hokey-Pokey". They weren't singing, they were only shuffling around like gimps... yes, they do know their "left" from their "right"... they do know "hand" and "foot".

Big Mac · Joined: 17 Sep 2005

Keep in mind that writing a flaming letter might actually backfire and be a reflection on you and your level of professionalism rather than on him. The tone and objectivity of the letter will be most important.

You might want to think about how this may play out in the future when you go looking for references. Perhaps you'll be looked upon as someone who couldn't work well with others...even if the guy was a total dick.

Sometimes we have to work with people we don't like. It's the people who grin and bear it the best who are the most professional.

xtchr · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

[quote="chaz47"]
He also has never once prepared for a lesson. Every lesson he enters the class clueless and asks the kids what page they are on? After which he plays the CD-ROM. quote]

Are you in a public school?
You just described 4 of my co-teachers. This is exactly what they do.

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

Man, don't be spiteful. You gave the 30-days. now take the reccomendation and walk.

twg · Joined: 02 Nov 2006 Location: Getting some fresh air...

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

Agreed.

Ok, you had a raw deal. I have had to work with some really awful people too. You are an adult, things happen.

You have stuck it out for as long as you could and now you are doing the right thing by submitting you letter of resignation.

Now you can forget about it and start thinking to the future. Think about where you'd like to go next and what you would like to do.

Don't dwell on things which have already happened.

ilovebdt

foystein · Joined: 02 Jun 2006

Why do you want to wreck the guy's career? I mean why do you care? Geez Louise, move on and get another job.

babtangee · Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject:

I also think you don't need to attempt to tarnish the guy's rep. He's an English co-teacher in a Korean public school, no? That is like the worst position you could possibly have. Usually the youngest, freshest out of college teachers get lumped with that gig and they hate it.

When I worked in a public school I taught an inter-school English course for teachers. I Spoke to many Korean teachers there, all of whom had excellent English ability. None of them were English teachers. None of them wanted to be English teachers. Why? Because the other teachers look down on the English teachers. It's the lowest rung.

Pity your co-teacher. Okay, he's is an arse, but he's also got a really sucky position (as far as he and his whole school is concerned). And it seems he will resent it, and who ever replaces you, forever. Which means his life will continue to be miserable. You win.

Sidenote: I had two Korean co-teachers in my year at public school. Both were top blokes whose company I enjoyed very much.

pest2 · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada

pest2 · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada

God, isn't there something else you could do to fix the situation? Ask for a new co-teacher? Or, maybe if you tell them he's the reason you're leaving now instead of waiting, they'll try to resolve it with you and him together. Since it's a public school, my guess is they probably dont want you to go but if you didnt tell them why, there's nothing they can do to help you... confucian food chain or not, they still lose money and a teacher if you leave.

In my opinion, you should either fight now or not at all. And if it were me, Id fight now.

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

frankly speaking · Joined: 23 Oct 2005

Actually, slander is verbal. Liable is written. Either way it is defamation of character if he insults the person without proof. If it is true, then it is not slander or Liables.

You still shouldn't have written the letter. Move on and realize that he has his own demons to fight.