We got a new teacher at my school last month. A Korean-Canadian, or rather a Korean who moved to Canada when 18, spent 10 years there, got citizenship and is now back in the motherland for some reason or another on an F visa. (The reason ... well maybe in another post. I don't want to digress too much. Oh but to digress a little more they are going to TRY and pass her off as a native-speaker to the parents.)
Her first day of work and she was already bitching like a pro about Korea. The rude people. The smells. The drunk taxi driver hitting on her. Made me think I may not be such a cynical bastard after all. Then she asked about her schedule. I shrugged and said "You will probably get it 10 minutes before your first class if you are lucky. At the bell if you aren't." She wasn't lucky.
This last minute bull shit usually happens no matter where you work in Korea. Even when they have weeks to plan and prepare things get left to the last minute. From what I have heard from others this isn't limited to hagwons or foreigners.
It used to drive me crazy and would see me blow up at whoever was in charge. Then I guess I just got used to it, and the fact it would always happen no matter how much I tried to avert it. Like death and taxes this too is inevitable. I don't know when it stopped bothering me. Actually it never really stopped bothering me, I just got good at ignoring it and saying "What the fuck?"
Take today. We were doing level tests. Basically, as busy work, I had to give a short speaking test to all the kids. Pull them out of the main test. Ask 5 questions and record their pronunciation and such stuff. When was I told about "my duties"? 1 hour before the tests started. I was gobsmacked! In real work place time that is like having a weeks notice!!!
When told what I had to do I thought no problem. Ask some basic questions and the higher the level the longer their answer should be. Easy peasy. Then I fumble the ball and ask "So, is there a form? Where do I do the testing?"
Bad Flint! Bad! Never ask, just do. I was told to ask a Korean teacher who (and this is 30 minutes before the start now) wasn't there yet. I slough it of and say "Tell her to let me know what is up when she gets here." Ah, passing the buck.
Of course no one came to let me know anything and the bell went. I just kept reading Korea Rum Diary and killing time. Someone noticed the bell went and "Oh Flint teacher you must go do the tests."
"Ok. You have the forms I put everything on?" Uh oh. Bad question. I already knew the answer. :) They didn't have them.
After about 10-15 minutes of farting around. I was given a report card all in Korean and told to use the parts of it that apply. I was also given questions that they had pre-made and forgot to mention. None of this late notice or lack of preparedness bothered me. In fact I had to chuckle at it. The Korean teachers were scurrying around like chickens with their heads chopped off.
I found a room. Got the attendance sheets to make notes on. Ignored the report card. Ignored the questions I was given. (As the office manager would say himself an hour later "These questions are no good for what we are doing. How should we do it Flint?") And I did it Myyyyyyy way! (Salut Frankie.)
No frustration. No stress. No stroke. Once you accept that this bizarre way of planning and doing things is always going to happen and that it is easier to bend with it you can just muddle on. It still amazes me, considering my temper, that I actually learned this lesson. The new teacher is having trouble learning it.
Does your new co-worker speak English like a native? Ten years is a long time and I'd accept them as a 'native' speaker if they'd adequately mastered it in that time. But try explaining that to the parents - if she looks Korean she in for a tough time.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't speak English like a native. Close most times, but not always.
ReplyDeleteIt is the parents that made me say "pass her off as a native speaker". Most Korean parents won't accept her as a native speaker. Even if she had been born and raised in Canada because she looks Korean many would not be able to accept her as a native speaker.
It should make things interesting at work. We just had 2 "real" native speakers leave. The way the school works only a fool would sign on. If I get jerked around I am out of there. (The problem is the owner. He is your basic money hungry wanjangnim piece of shit.)
It looks like she is a quick study ... of the Koreans. She handed me some report cards to fill out and says she needs them for 6. This was just before at about 2:40. First class is at 3 and I have no breaks before the 6 class. So of course I had to make a comment about lack of notice. :)
ReplyDeleteMind you it is no problem. Report cards are a joke. Write three sentences, don't give anyone less than a C. Blah blah blah. I pounded them out in about 10 minutes. :)
It really only takes one-hogwon-after-another 13 year old Korean kid to expose her as a fraud. It's be much worse if you get one of these kids who spent years overseas, gets sent to the hogwon by his parents even though he is too advanced not to be helped, and rips into the woman. I had such a kid who viciously laid into my co-teacher by laughing histerically and repeating the mistakes. I liked the kid immensely. He'd sit there carving sayings into styrofom(sp) art supplies with a penknife like "muthafuckin' kids.
ReplyDelete1994:
ReplyDeleteThat is true.
I remember one woman who taught at my old school. She had NO English. Asking her to do something simple required 10 minutes and she would still not understand. Yet she was teaching phonics to the youngest kids.
It wouldn't have been that bad if she just pressed play and let them listen to the CD. She had to try pronouncing too. The LITTLE kids would call her on her bad pronunciation, and then their parents complained.
Never understood why they hired her.
try http://www.esltool.com/ it is a report card generator
ReplyDeleteMike
ReplyDeleteThanks. That is fantastic. :)