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xtchr
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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 Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:27 pm Post subject: Coming and going at lunchtime (public school) |
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I went to go to the bank at lunchtime, which is just a five minute walk away from school. My new co-tchr (he just started yesterday) saw me with my wallet and umbrella about to head out the door and demanded to know where I was going. I said "to the bank", and he looked really shocked and said that I must tell the Vice Principal. I asked why and he said that the V.P is responsible for me, that lunch time is considered part of the work day in Korea, what if I get in an accident, etc.
The V.P doesn't speak a word of English, and I really needed to get to the bank, so I just said "No, I'm not telling him", and continued on my way.
But when I returned to school my co-tchr was fuming, and said that if I don't inform the V.P, then I MUST tell him (co-tchr) every time I want to go outside the school grounds, and exactly where and when I'm going.
I've been at this school since the start of the year, and have always wandered around during lunchtime to get a bit of fresh(ish) air, as well as going to the Post Office/bank etc when I need to.
Is he just being incredibly anal, and out to make my life hell by being a complete control freak?
Should I ignore him, and just keep on doing as I always have done?
What are others' experiences? |
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marlow
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| I pity you. He's a control freak. I would tell him very clearly how you are going to act, and then ignore him. Of course if he sits next to you, it's very easy to say, "Hey, if you need me I'll be out for 20 minutes at the bank, I can help you when I get back". As for scheduling your outings like you're a baby - *beep* that! |
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lowpo
Joined: 01 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| marlow wrote: |
| I pity you. He's a control freak. I would tell him very clearly how you are going to act, and then ignore him. Of course if he sits next to you, it's very easy to say, "Hey, if you need me I'll be out for 20 minutes at the bank, I can help you when I get back". As for scheduling your outings like you're a baby - *beep* that! |
When I arrived at the school my co-teacher told me to tell the VP or the head teacher that I'm leavingl the school grounds.
So I always tell my VP when I do my monthly run to the bank. He also knows that I go home to eat lunch evreyday. If I have to leave the school for any reason I make sure that he knows about it, I mainly do it out of respect for him. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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The school IS responsible between your school hours. You have to sign a "sign out" sheet if you are leaving the school for an errand. You signing in and out on the sheet keeps the school from being liable if anything were to happen to you.
My school isn't so anal and they let me run errands. The only time I have to sign out is if I'm leaving early or if I will be gone for more than an hour.
Your coteacher is right to be worried. What would happen if you went to the bank right down the street without telling anyone and your Principal or VP needed to talk to you right at that moment.
You might think its a hassle, but you DO have a responsibility to let someone know where you are going. Teachers back home don't jump in their cars and go wherever they please during school hours.
Just ask where the sign out sheet is and just sign out when you leave, and sign back in when you come back. Lunch break is just that, a break. It doesn't mean you are off the clock and you can do whatever you please for 1 hour. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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| I've been going home for lunch and no one says anything. |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: Coming and going at lunchtime (public school) |
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| xtchr wrote: |
I really needed to get to the bank, so I just said "No, I'm not telling him", and continued on my way.
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Good for you. Sorry to hear about what followed.
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| What are others' experiences? |
I come and go as I please. Even though I doubt my school would be such tools, it's very difficult to get caught in the act of sneeking off to do something. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:02 pm Post subject: Permission |
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I'm with lowpo.
My co-teacher asked me to let her know where I'm going, if I leave the school grounds. Not a problem since. |
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mikekim
Joined: 11 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject: Re: Coming and going at lunchtime (public school) |
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| xtchr wrote: |
the V.P is responsible for me, that lunch time is considered part of the work day in Korea, what if I get in an accident, etc.
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This is total BS and you can tell him to go frack himself. You are covered by the Korean insurance (if you get into an accident wether your VP knows or doesn't know) that you pay every month. You are free to have sex with whores at lunch if you want. |
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kat2
Joined: 25 Oct 2005
Location: Busan, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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When I first started here more than a year ago, I told the VP everytime. Now I slip out and run to hte bank or post office for 20 minutes and usually don't tell anyone. I might mention something to one of my office mates, but sometiems I don't. If they brought it up, I would do it. It's just easier not to.
Go with the flow. This is a small issue. Just tell your coteacher or the VP before you run errands. |
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boyne11
Joined: 08 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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| I told my handlers from the beginning that it's very very extremely rude to ask someone everytime you leave the school premises especially during breaktime or lunch hour. Since then, they don't even bother to ask me when I slip out to run errands even during the day when I'm finished with all of my classes. |
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marlow
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| lowpo wrote: |
| marlow wrote: |
| I pity you. He's a control freak. I would tell him very clearly how you are going to act, and then ignore him. Of course if he sits next to you, it's very easy to say, "Hey, if you need me I'll be out for 20 minutes at the bank, I can help you when I get back". As for scheduling your outings like you're a baby - *beep* that! |
When I arrived at the school my co-teacher told me to tell the VP or the head teacher that I'm leavingl the school grounds.
So I always tell my VP when I do my monthly run to the bank. He also knows that I go home to eat lunch evreyday. If I have to leave the school for any reason I make sure that he knows about it, I mainly do it out of respect for him. |
Do you tell him everyday before you can leave for lunch, or did you just tell him once? I'm sure the OP can tell the school that he has to leave the school for fresh air and rest and lunch and possibly banking EVERY day, and then no one will be confused. If the OP is never late getting back from lunch break, there shouldn't be a problem. The whole repeated permission thing is insulting. |
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Jizzo T. Clown
Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Location: at my wit's end
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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Why do so many of you go home at lunch? Way to integrate into the culture, people. Makes us look bad--"The foreigner doesn't like eating in the cafeteria with us. How typical."
Anyway, I was told to ask the VP when I had to leave when I first got here, as that's what Korean teachers have to do. So of course I obliged since I wanted to make a good impression on my boss (imagine that!). So now if I need to leave (45 minutes) early to go to the bank, my coteacher says it's no problem.
And there have been several occasions where a group of us have gone to lunch at a restaurant in town. Then it's not a matter of asking to leave, but who is going to pay.
I tell ya, a little ass-kissing in the beginning has made all of the difference now. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:54 pm Post subject: Permission to leave |
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| Why do so many of you go home at lunch |
Because the school cafetaria meals were sometimes revolting. I never had to complete any paperwork though, or see the VP. If my co-teacher was unavailable, I told another Korean teacher where I was going, & when I'd be back. I never missed any classes & was always back on time. |
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vox
Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Location: Jeollabukdo
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: Coming and going at lunchtime (public school) |
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| xtchr wrote: |
Is he just being incredibly anal, and out to make my life hell by being a complete control freak?
Should I ignore him, and just keep on doing as I always have done?
What are others' experiences? |
I laid out this issue on the first day of school (or first week.) They told me and I said, 'but many times I have to go to the bank, pay bills, get medicine, what am I supposed to do?' And they asked something like, 'for lots of things?' and I answered 'yes' and they dropped the policy.
But if they HADN'T....
I would walk in on every closed meeting and insist on disturbing it, walking up and shaking the VP's hand, and telling him where I was going and continuing in broken Korean-English until they decided it wasn't necessary anymore. I could do that for hours if I had to. Glad I didn't have to resort to that.
Getting back to relevancy, you can tell him/her that many public school teachers have understandings with their schools that errands such as bank/post office/doctor/pharmacy (fill in) do not require notice and why is he different? But you do it with an English-Korean speaker around.
Every blue moon when I'm in a good mood I come in with fresh baked goodies and share them around the admin staff office in the morning. Takes the edge off all that suspicion about whether I'm raping people on break, presumably because Paris Baguette cashiers are fair game.
| chris_J2 wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Why do so many of you go home at lunch |
Because the school cafetaria meals were sometimes revolting. |
Ditto. I just can't eat the goucho jang anymore and they smear it on everything. My principal and I have a good understanding about my inability to eat the cafeteria food.
In the beginning I did the cafeteria program. And then I gradually got sicker and sicker until I started making monthly visits to a bowel specialist for endoscopies, tissue sample removals and inconclusive results. Nobody questions my need to go home for lunch. I only let it go that far because I always thought it was something else.
And my school staff give no concern to my ability to integrate culturally. They're all totally supportive of my little departures for various reasons.
OP if reasonable Koreans are presented with reasonable information, usually they'll come to similar conclusions as you. Just don't keep them in the dark with their superstitions and hyped media reports and their 3rd drawer copy of bad things foreigners do in Korea. Involve the important person in what's going on. That's the other key. Don't go through your co-teacher. Mine's a schmuck. She's all about grooming herself for vice-principalhood. Every request is calculated into the equation of likeliness to bring her closer to or farther from that goal. So I said screw it and went straight to the principal with these requests. He's a good man (if a bit country) and I know he appreciates having an accurate picture. And he hands down the new policy to my co-teacher. Much better arrangement. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Yikes what rubbish. If the teacher is younger than you then it's especially WAY out of line. Do Korean teachers check with the VP or sign out when they go on a short errand? If a school feels a need to be so controlling with you it's probably an indication of huge problems. If a new English teacher tried that with me I'd pull rank and if the seniors teachers sided with him over me I'd be looking for a new place to work. |
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