...SUCKS!
There are so many hoops you have to jump through to get online banking here. Every year you have to re-issue a certificate and download all these "virus-protectors" on your computer. If you do not have these things, you cannot access your account online.
If you set up online banking with one bank, you have to use that same certificate for another bank, if you switch banks or open another account somewhere. This is a crazy hassle if you forget your ID for the first bank because finding said ID using the English site is impossible. You have to use the Korean site. I am sure it would be super easy if I completely understood Korean but I am at a babies level and cannot do business related stuff in Korean. BLEH!
Don't get me started on the amount of paperwork you have to fill out if you are a foreigner and trying to open a bank account. You need everything.
Don't mind me, just frustrated with the damn banking and the countless hours I have spent this week trying to fix said banking. I cried when the issues were finally resolved. It was that stressful. Thankfully I have a wonderful co-teacher who helped and tried really hard and a wonderful friend who figured out how to find my ID.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
NET fired for detergent and nail bitters...
It is big news here. A native teacher was fired recently for punishing her kids with detergent and nail bitters (the stuff that makes you stop biting your nails). Now I will not get into what is claimed to have happened or anything like that because you can read about it on the two sources I provided at the bottom. However, I will talk about what this might mean.
A lot of the native English teachers are up in arms here because of this happening. The Korean news has been talking about this since Friday. It is a big deal. We already face discrimination from people in this country and her doing this makes it even worse. Now, I am not saying what she did was right, in fact I think what she did was horrible and disgusting and she deserved to be fired or something worse. She is not a good human and I do not understand what made her think tasting 'toxic' things was a good punishment for misbehaving students. There are other ways to punish students that do not harm them in anyways. However, what I am saying is that her doing this makes all NETs look bad. We have been facing many issues with funding cuts and the loses of jobs recently and this is just another "reason" for those in power to look down on us. It is a really scary time to be a NET in Korea because of all the cuts.
Now, on the cuts themselves. Many people (in power positions) think that NETs are pointless and not doing an effective job. In many cases, I would agree but I think it is partially how NETs are used in the classroom and the NETs that are hired. Often schools hire fresh new teachers, who have no idea what a real job is like or how to teach. They just finished school (often with a completely different degree) and have never been on their own. They are fresh in every way and this is not conducive to teaching ESL. Korea did change some of it's hiring standards, to include all new teachers to have a TESOL or the like in order to be hired in Korea. But the fact remains, most of these kids have no idea what they are doing. If you look at places like Hong Kong, Singapore, or Taiwan, their English programs are competitive and difficult to get into without experience or a Masters Degree. These countries also have high English speaking abilities. Korea would benefit if they made their ESL job requirements more difficult and competitive. Then they might not have these strange teachers, who feed their students 'toxic' things.
Personally, things need to change and I think they might be changing. Yes the funding cuts are scary but the new requirements for hiring teachers is nice and a step in the right direction. I honestly want to see the Korean students thrive and do well and I think in order to do so they need effective NETs. Obviously all NETs are not horrible teachers. In fact, I know quite a few that are trained teachers from their home countries or very experienced and great teachers. I just wish the hiring of NETs was dealt with a little differently, because in the end it is the students who suffer, not the government or teachers.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/03/116_175581.html
htmlhttp://www.koreaobserver.com/english-teacher-fired-for-making-students-taste-detergent-27151
A lot of the native English teachers are up in arms here because of this happening. The Korean news has been talking about this since Friday. It is a big deal. We already face discrimination from people in this country and her doing this makes it even worse. Now, I am not saying what she did was right, in fact I think what she did was horrible and disgusting and she deserved to be fired or something worse. She is not a good human and I do not understand what made her think tasting 'toxic' things was a good punishment for misbehaving students. There are other ways to punish students that do not harm them in anyways. However, what I am saying is that her doing this makes all NETs look bad. We have been facing many issues with funding cuts and the loses of jobs recently and this is just another "reason" for those in power to look down on us. It is a really scary time to be a NET in Korea because of all the cuts.
Now, on the cuts themselves. Many people (in power positions) think that NETs are pointless and not doing an effective job. In many cases, I would agree but I think it is partially how NETs are used in the classroom and the NETs that are hired. Often schools hire fresh new teachers, who have no idea what a real job is like or how to teach. They just finished school (often with a completely different degree) and have never been on their own. They are fresh in every way and this is not conducive to teaching ESL. Korea did change some of it's hiring standards, to include all new teachers to have a TESOL or the like in order to be hired in Korea. But the fact remains, most of these kids have no idea what they are doing. If you look at places like Hong Kong, Singapore, or Taiwan, their English programs are competitive and difficult to get into without experience or a Masters Degree. These countries also have high English speaking abilities. Korea would benefit if they made their ESL job requirements more difficult and competitive. Then they might not have these strange teachers, who feed their students 'toxic' things.
Personally, things need to change and I think they might be changing. Yes the funding cuts are scary but the new requirements for hiring teachers is nice and a step in the right direction. I honestly want to see the Korean students thrive and do well and I think in order to do so they need effective NETs. Obviously all NETs are not horrible teachers. In fact, I know quite a few that are trained teachers from their home countries or very experienced and great teachers. I just wish the hiring of NETs was dealt with a little differently, because in the end it is the students who suffer, not the government or teachers.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/03/116_175581.html
htmlhttp://www.koreaobserver.com/english-teacher-fired-for-making-students-taste-detergent-27151
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Exhausted
So tired as of late. I am teaching 23 hours a week and it is crazy. I feel like I have no time to do anything. I get home and I don't want to do anything. It is pathetic. Not saying it is super hard but at the same time bleh. I barely have any class-prep time. I feel like I am working more than I ever did as a sales-associate or anything. Even when I had 8 hour days there. Bleh. Bleh. Bleh.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Things Students Say...Part 1 (2015 Edition)
After introducing myself the following two situations happened in two different classes:
Class 1:
Student: Teacher, do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Yes, I do.
Student: Is he Korean?
Me: Yes he is.
Student: When will you get married?
Me: When he puts a ring on it. (Pointing to my ring finger.)
Student: You must marry him.
Class 2:
Student: Teacher, when will you marry your boyfriend.
Me: When he puts a ring on it.
Student: He better hurry. I want you to marry.
I really have no idea why they are so ready for me to marry the boyfriend. The boyfriend and I have only been dating for 8 months. Yes, I can see myself with him but man is it fast here. Ha. I am sure if I told them that I had met his parents, they would be all over the marriage train. Because meeting the parents means marriage here.
Last year in my advanced English classes I taught the kids slang terms. I honestly think it is the only thing they learned from class. Ha. Anyways, the following happened.
Student: Teacher, he is crazy.
Student 2: Teacher, I am bananas. Yes.
Class 1:
Student: Teacher, do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Yes, I do.
Student: Is he Korean?
Me: Yes he is.
Student: When will you get married?
Me: When he puts a ring on it. (Pointing to my ring finger.)
Student: You must marry him.
Class 2:
Student: Teacher, when will you marry your boyfriend.
Me: When he puts a ring on it.
Student: He better hurry. I want you to marry.
I really have no idea why they are so ready for me to marry the boyfriend. The boyfriend and I have only been dating for 8 months. Yes, I can see myself with him but man is it fast here. Ha. I am sure if I told them that I had met his parents, they would be all over the marriage train. Because meeting the parents means marriage here.
Last year in my advanced English classes I taught the kids slang terms. I honestly think it is the only thing they learned from class. Ha. Anyways, the following happened.
Student: Teacher, he is crazy.
Student 2: Teacher, I am bananas. Yes.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Crazy Schedule
The new school year started yesterday, and I was on vacation when they were putting together the timetable for the year. Which means I came into school on Monday with no idea as to when or what I was teaching. This year has had a lot of changes to it. First, I got three new co-teachers, all of whom seem really nice and wonderful. The school made the English department bigger, instead of 5 teachers (including myself), there are now 6 teachers. Which also means I have more classes. As most of you know, I teach 18 classes a week (5 classes of first years, 5 classes of second years, 5 classes in the college, and 3 special classes) or I used to teach that. With the addition of the new teacher, I now have 5 new classes of third years. So I am teaching a total of 23 classes a week, which is unheard of at the high school level. Most High School teachers average about 12 classes total, with almost none teaching above grade 2. Me teaching the college is why my classes were above average before but with the addition of the third years, I am way above that.
Now, these averages are only for High School teachers. I know many elementary school teachers and middle school teachers who teach upwards of 22+ a week. Elementary schools being the worst work load out of them all. The difference being, in elementary school the teachers generally don't create their own curriculum for their normal classes. The only time they create their own stuff is for their after school classes, which can be tough. Elementary is one of the hardest to teach, because of the variety. Middle school isn't that bad, from what I have heard. Just a bunch of hormones. High schools generally have to create their own curriculum and run the classes but they get a lighter load. Generally, high schools are supposed to be the easiest job out there. But they are hard to find anymore.
Anyways, these new hours does give me overtime, because I am teaching more than I am supposed to teach in a week. Which is nice. Not going to say no to extra money, especially when I only have to create one new lesson plan a week. The thing that is going to be not so wonderful is when I have to teach on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those days have 6 classes total out of 7 classes in the day. Those days are going to be long and hard.
On the bright side, I get to see my lovely third years. I have been with these kids since they were first years and I have seen them grow with their English over the years. Yes the extra classes will be hard but at the same time, I am genuinely happy about being able to teach these kids.
Now, these averages are only for High School teachers. I know many elementary school teachers and middle school teachers who teach upwards of 22+ a week. Elementary schools being the worst work load out of them all. The difference being, in elementary school the teachers generally don't create their own curriculum for their normal classes. The only time they create their own stuff is for their after school classes, which can be tough. Elementary is one of the hardest to teach, because of the variety. Middle school isn't that bad, from what I have heard. Just a bunch of hormones. High schools generally have to create their own curriculum and run the classes but they get a lighter load. Generally, high schools are supposed to be the easiest job out there. But they are hard to find anymore.
Anyways, these new hours does give me overtime, because I am teaching more than I am supposed to teach in a week. Which is nice. Not going to say no to extra money, especially when I only have to create one new lesson plan a week. The thing that is going to be not so wonderful is when I have to teach on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those days have 6 classes total out of 7 classes in the day. Those days are going to be long and hard.
On the bright side, I get to see my lovely third years. I have been with these kids since they were first years and I have seen them grow with their English over the years. Yes the extra classes will be hard but at the same time, I am genuinely happy about being able to teach these kids.
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