Or as it's otherwise known, catching all of you up.
Honestly, it's really just Friday that gave me ample writing material. Friday was Sara's last day, and her replacement's first. It was also Anna's last day (vice principal/head teacher), and Alisa's (Korean teacher whom I liked). Nathalie, the replacement, is 35, from Texas, and seems cool. Hetty is treating her extremely well. She couldn't move into Sara's apartment until Saturday but arrived Thursday, so Hetty found and paid for a hotel for her. The hotel didn't have towels or pillows, so Hetty took her shopping and Hetty's sister gave her a bunch of stuff. Then Hetty took her out to dinner.
But what surprised all of us American teachers was that Hetty TOOK NATHALIE TO THE CLINIC FOR HER HEALTH CHECK. During school hours, no less. So, no need for us teachers to get up early and somehow gesture & garble together enough Korean to indicate what was needed once there. This is a far cry from the old policy of, you Americans take care of each other, period.
I spent the day so jealous of everyone having their last day. And still wondering what the HELL was going on with my replacement. As I've said, I have been HIGHLY DOUBTING they're REALLY looking, even though I know that they notified the recruiter the Monday after I gave my notice, and have heard that they're using 3 recruiters now. Nevertheless, ALL of us American teachers are rather surprised it is taking THIS LONG.
Meanwhile, I can't look for another job because I don't know when my last day is.
So I determined I'd have a "come to Jesus" meeting with Hetty. I want out by mid-May, period. 2 months is a reasonable amount of time to find someone, and 2 months is the most common notice foreign teachers are required to give. Legally-required is either 30 or 60 days.
If I leave before they're ready, and thus not in fulfillment of the terms of my contract, no letter of release. No letter of release, I cannot work in Korea. So I've been researching jobs outside of Korea. I figured I'd let her know that the only thing keeping me there is wanting to do the right thing, but the right thing continually grates on my sanity, I have friends in other countries, and I have nothing to lose by just up & leaving except the flight of the plane ticket.
I really want to stay in Korea, but if it means being miserable everyday until June, well, I left the US and my job there so I wouldn't be miserable at my job all day anymore. This defeats the purpose of my heading off to the other side of the world. I like teaching, or at least I did. And I do like teaching the elementary kids.
Which brings me to the other big news of Friday. First, I THINK the new head teacher is Emma, who started on Monday. She has been observing my language arts class with Clifford, the preschoolers. I found this rather odd, as I assume it's for evaluation purposes and I'm already leaving. But then what really sucks is that SOMEHOW, I am able to be the cheerful, trying-to-get-them-to-talk teacher Asians want in that class. I kind of want her to see me as the non-passionate teacher I've been hearing I am, particularly if it'd help get me out of there sooner.
Even odder was that Anna chose to sit in on my favorite class, M4A. I think they're all around the age of 8-10. They're a bit rambunctious, fun-loving, love to joke with or make fun of me (Teacher-draw- time is especially popular and requested, as it means I try to draw something to illustrate the word in English, and the kids start yelling out that my island looks like a hat, or an elephant, or, God this one kid, EVERY CLASS, a PUFFIN. A PUFFIN!!), and I have a great time with them. She was in for around 10 minutes, laughing as I tried to get some non-nonsense answers on what people carry in trucks per the reading, while being called a lemon and a lion, which I was happy to accept as my new identity. They landed on my being a lemon-lion, which sounded like a great concept to me.
I have 1 break in the late afternoon before the last class, when everyone hightails it out of there, and that was when I was planning on talking to Hetty. But before I could go to her office, Anna asked if she could talk to me.
Now, please recall, Anna had a talk with me, when, the start of March? about older students complaining I teach without passion.
In THIS meeting, Anna told me that I was amazing with M4A. I was exactly the kind of teacher they want. She said the kids were having a great time, and that it was such a good atmosphere SHE wanted to raise her hand to answer my questions! She also told Hetty that I was amazing. She talked to another middle-school class I have, and they all liked me and had fun with me. So she wanted to urge to me reconsider leaving ILS. I said no. She asked why. I started off with kindergarten. She said, "Well, of course, you have Elmo." Couldn't I just soldier through? No. No, because they drain me, and the day seems interminable, and makes me feel like I have far less for the older kids (though that's obviously not a problem with M4A, at the least).
Yes, I've considered that leaving means leaving these particular kids that I've already built a rapport with. Kids that I already know I like. But I wanted to leave even knowing all of that.
She said I could talk to Hetty and ask her if I could stay. Again, I said, no. I then mentioned that Hetty and I don't get along that well. She said Hetty's new, she's still figuring stuff out, and needs time to get me. As for not liking my style, she's really only seen me with Elmo, and no one looks good or happy with them. Lol.
I then told her, finally, that I was on anti-anxiety meds to deal with the stress of being there, and then she seemed to understand. But she just wanted to help me out, that's why she wanted to talk to me and try to get me to reconsider.
We talked a bit more, joked around, laughed at the fact that when I don't have lunch duty, I sit in dark classrooms alone. And that she doesn't want her friends to tell her any of their problems, and doesn't want to share hers at all.
And then I had 10 minutes before the last class, which is when Sara and the Americans decided we should go out for dinner. So I canceled the wine and yoga pants night I so enjoyed a couple weeks ago, obviously couldn't talk to Hetty, and had a nice time with the girls.
Oh. And interestingly, or not really, but I sent my resume to a teacher posting for a job she would be vacating that opens in July. It's in Seoul. She had good things to say about the school and everything, and I'm just super sensitive to that coupled with it being only elementary and older kids. So I sent my resume, even though it kind of means I HAVE to stay at this job 'til June for money. Though there is the additional problem of the school in Seoul of course wanting to interview in person, and I have no flexibility in my schedule for leaving for a few hours during week days. Never mind that going up to Seoul on a week day would really be at least a 1/2 day event. So, yeah, not sure how that'll work. The teacher's going to give my resume to her boss on Monday. Obviously won't need to worry if they're not interested in whatever reason, but doubting that'll be the case.
So!! Christ on a stick, here we are. Me just as uncertain of wtf is next as ever.
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