I keep seeing Chris Guillebeau's new book about finding your purpose all over my facebook feed. And interestingly enough, I may not need to buy it, because Korea clearly has a purpose for me: it wants me to start picking off hagwon owners. I will be the TEFL community's Robin Hood.
Naturally, I've been inspired to start at my own Ground Zero, where Hetty's insanity is starting to be more and more visible, and visited upon, other people.
Earlier this week, I asked Hetty if we could move up my official end date from June 17 to June 1. I lied and said I had a job offer. She said no, no, she just couldn't give me an end date because she hasn't found anyone. The first recruiter told her they couldn't guarantee her anyone; the second said this just isn't the hiring season. Both sounded like bullshit, to me & other teachers here. I asked if they even posted to Dave's ESL cafe, which of course she's never heard of & doesn't know. Sure, it's like a craigslist personals section for the amount of sheer ads of bs, but that's still where people look.
I said that most places only require 2 months' at the most, and that Korean LAW only requires that much, which is true. But whatever, these are hagwon owners, the laws are not here to be obeyed. So finally I pointed out we're almost at the 1.5 month mark, and she has nothing. I offered to post the job to facebook, knowing full well no one would take it because the hours suck. But in the meantime, I said, we're past the 2 months it'll take to get an American here from abroad, so is she going to do if they haven't found a replacement for me by my last day? She had absolutely no answer. But Tausha & I might.
We suspect (stop reading if I'm repeating myself) that June 17th will arrive, and Hetty will say, "I would LOVE to give you a letter of release, but we still haven't locked in your replacement. Let's see about the end of June." And on, and on.
But Hetty's starting to slowly display her true colors to others. We had a meeting with Hetty to discuss the Big Assessment Tests we'd sent her for review. (Interesting note: MY tests that kept restarting at 1 for a new section last time were part of why I'm a disapointment. When Sara does that and leaves it for her replacement, it's FINE.) She addressed all of us in generalities, and Kiara was deftly able to tell her why her assumption that if 3 classes are being tested on the same stories, they can't be asked the same questions, because my class has a higher English level than Kiara's, who can't write as much, for example.
But Kiara couldn't get past the fact that the one correction on her test, so that she'd have to reprint 2 pages, was that she had an extra space between the number and the question. And I had to redo a cover sheet because the story titles didn't show up on the pre-produced test sheets we have in a binder and have to copy, so now instead of the story titles as the cover sheet (and formerly she used to) demand, some tests must only have the name of the book.
This is important shit, people! These 8-year-olds and 6-year-olds, they will notice and be confused!
We suspect (stop reading if I'm repeating myself) that June 17th will arrive, and Hetty will say, "I would LOVE to give you a letter of release, but we still haven't locked in your replacement. Let's see about the end of June." And on, and on.
But Hetty's starting to slowly display her true colors to others. We had a meeting with Hetty to discuss the Big Assessment Tests we'd sent her for review. (Interesting note: MY tests that kept restarting at 1 for a new section last time were part of why I'm a disapointment. When Sara does that and leaves it for her replacement, it's FINE.) She addressed all of us in generalities, and Kiara was deftly able to tell her why her assumption that if 3 classes are being tested on the same stories, they can't be asked the same questions, because my class has a higher English level than Kiara's, who can't write as much, for example.
But Kiara couldn't get past the fact that the one correction on her test, so that she'd have to reprint 2 pages, was that she had an extra space between the number and the question. And I had to redo a cover sheet because the story titles didn't show up on the pre-produced test sheets we have in a binder and have to copy, so now instead of the story titles as the cover sheet (and formerly she used to) demand, some tests must only have the name of the book.
This is important shit, people! These 8-year-olds and 6-year-olds, they will notice and be confused!
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