Phone teaching is such a joy

I was really going to try to be less negative but things keep popping up that make it really difficult. If you don't want to hear me bitch about work, then I advise you to stop reading where you come across this symbol **********. Not really one symbol but I'm sure you're intelligent enough to understand.

I woke up today at about 5. Surprise, surprise. I'm going to have to ask for AC I think. Anyways, that part wasn't so bad. I got up early and took my time getting ready in the morning. Usually, I have to rush to do everything and leave a few minutes after I should've. I'm supposed to be at work 30 minutes before my first class. I'm pushing it to 25 and 20 these days. I can't believe I used to show up 45 minutes ahead. It's not as bad as it sounds though. At most I have 2 classes in the morning so I still have time to prepare and relax for a few minutes.*************** Anyways, during my break this morning, when I was prepping for my afternoon classes, Amy informed me that Alex's mom (Alex, one of my students) had complained that I had not called for several months. Well monthces.Usually I wouldn't make fun of her but I've had unpleasantness with her today. I've only worked here for several months. I know I've talked to Alex every single month. I called him last week but he wasn't home. I hadn't gotten around to calling him again until tonight. She told me like 3 times to make sure I called him tonight. She told Alex's mom, I would be calling at 8:15. Anyways, I get home tonight around 8:20. I called. No answer. I called 3 times between 8:20 and 9:30. No answer. She had better not complain that I didn't call tomorrow. Why put up a stink about it and then bother to be home when you know I'm going to call. Maybe Amy didn't tell her.

That's not the worst part though. I was complaining about it to Renee. Oh wait, there was another part I was complaining about too. This part is on me really. There's a new boy in one of my classes. I figured I would skip him this month since my phone teaching plan is based on last month's lessons because I have to prepare it like 4 weeks in advance for some stupid monthly newsletter. I'm sounding pretty bitter aren't I? Anyways, Mia asked if I'd called the new boy (my Korean partner teacher for this class), I admitted I hadn't. I was more upset about being caught trying to get away with a small thing I guess. Anyways, I was complaining to Renee about the demanding/un-informed (with a hyphen since I accidently spelled uniformed) mother, having to do another student this month, and the futility of the whole phone teaching exercise. I understand the commercial value of it but really, what is your kid going to learn in a 3-5 minute conversation had once a month? I guess I wasn't talking low enough. It really wasn't anything that I wouldn't have minded them overhearing. I wouldn't have brought it up but if they asked my opinion I probably would've told them the same things, in a more subtle, much more polite way but still. Anyways, Amy like mid-conversation asked to talk to me about my phone teaching schedule. She brought me into the little conference window room. She brought out some schedule, I have never seen before, never even heard of before and asked why I was following it. 'You are supposed to be calling Nobel class on Wednesdays. Why haven't you called 2 of the students in this class?' I knew I'd called that class. I explained that I had called them on Thursday. I didn't have one of their numbers (because I figured I could get away with it for just this reason) and the other one wasn't home and I know, I am 100% positive or in a Maury Povich way 500% sure that I called this kid. Pull up the phone records and you can behead me if I'm wrong. Assuming the phone records are accurate or that they even have them at all. Anyways, she was really upset that I wans't following this stupid schedule. I guess it's not that stupid but if you think it's that important shouldn't you have hinted that there even was one before you just berate me like this. It was seriously like her saying:

Her: The man upstairs is upset that you never visit him?
Me: What man?
H: The man upstairs.
Me: I didn't know there was a man upstairs.
H: Well there is and he's been waiting for you to see him. I'm very angry about this.
M: Had I known about him I would've gone to see him?
H: Why don't you know about him? Why didn't you ask if there was a man who needed to be visited? Don't you think it was your responsibility?
M: WTF (not that I ever say this but seriously, it's ridiculous)

It's seriously retarded. Why would I ask if there was a schedule if you never mentioned a thing about it except that I had a week to call all these students? Anyways, it turns out there is a schedule but they only give it to the students and their mothers because the people doing the calling don't need to be told about it. They need to ask about it because it was their responsibility to assume it existed. It turns out mothers make their kids wait by the phone during this hour when they were told I would be calling. No wonder this mother thinks I'm not calling her kid.

Then she mentioned how she didn't appreciate it, well worded completely different but I don't remember how, I actually don't think there was an opener, that Renee, Matt, and I talk badly about the school sometimes in the presence of Korean teachers. I think she thought it was because we thought their English level was too low to be able to understand us. I'm guessing this because she made a big deal about how some of them have studied for seven years. It's beside the point really. It's more that I really don't care what they hear. I didn't feel like being discrete about my dislike of phone teaching and how useless it actually is. Also, Renee does the most badmouthing of anyone but she caught me and I was trouble for something else so why not make me the scapegoat for this. I've said maybe 2-3 bad things while Korean teachers were around. They weren't even that bad. Anyways, she didn't like how the foreign teachers just talked amongst themselves. Yet, it's perfectly acceptable for them to speak Korean to each other at all times and exclude us from everything that goes on. It really is hypocritical. I know that they talk about us while we're there. They even go out of their way to mask their conversation. Eunice, when she used to call and keep me on the phone for an hour every night, told me their make sure to use Korean words only. Ones that sound nothing like their English counterparts. Korean is so full of Konglish words. Don't they do this in North Korea? So I didn't appreciate that bit of hypocrisy. If you really wanted to integrate us you wouldn't speak only Korean and never try to initiate conversations with us. It happens maybe every other week. I'm not to bother to try. It's too hard to tell when a discussion has ended when it's in a foreign langauge. I apologized for that.

The funny thing was that ordinarily, I would've been so submissive and just bowed my head in shame while she lectured me. Even if what she was saying wasn't really applicable and I was completely unapologetic it's just what I would've done. I really felt nothing though. I wasn't even embarassed about being called into the little room where foreign teachers are given all kind of advices. That's right they call it advices. I just really didn't care at all.

Oh another thing. According to the schedule, I'm supposed to be calling students during the teachers' meeting. What kind of crap is that? I think Amy also thinks that crap has much worse connotations than it actually does. This based on her comment that we use bad language. Renee's the one who freaking said it, I just happened to be the nearest round-eyed person you felt like sharing this with. Amy actually apologized about not sharing the schedule but in a way that mostly said, 'I'm sorry you are such an idiot because I am truly wonderful and could never do anything wrong.' Amy by the way is the last link to old Wonderland days that you can read about at this link:

www.prisonerofwonderland.com

This is seriously the exact school where I work. They've changed a few things and it sounds like it's better than when she worked there. I at least get paid on time. I can't believe there was a time when it was worse than this. So now that the school is moving, the last links to it are all but gone to Western eyes. I didn't really want people to know the exact place where I worked but since it'll only be there until Tuesday, next week, there's no point hiding it. The move coincides with the first day of my scheduled vacation. Fantastique, non? Sarcasm really is a good coping mechanism. My BS level is near critical level. One more event or if I receive nothing when I am forced to sacrifice a day of my paid vacation, and I will have had it. I will quit and not be such a pushover about it. I am hoping to get air conditioning as a reward for my help. He doesn't even lose any money for the vacation either. The kids all pay for their 20 days a month. This is why my vacation stradles 2 weeks and 2 months. Paid vacation, my arse.

I'm feeling better now. Maybe it's time for some chicken. Smiley face, well at least an undecided face. I had better hear nothing about Alex's mother tomorrow though. Otherwise my feigned smiley face may sprout horns and a little goatee. Eyes the colour of rubies perhaps. I'm not sure.