My CT Just Had A Complete Mental Breakdown In Class

[Rusty Shackleford]

This class is particularly difficult and I have basically refused to lead the class, though I am happy to assist. I spelled this out to my CT last week. So, today I entered the E-Zone about 1 minute after the bell to find the students in their traditional general dis-array. They did give me some candy though. I went about trying to get them all seated and on the correct page. This took about 5 minutes, though there was still a lot of general chatter and misbehavior.

So about 5-10 mins after the bell, my CT shows up and instantly changes the book and page they are studying today. Fine, I go about getting them there. She immediately starts shouting at the students to be quiet, at 2 second intervals. "EEEEPPPP" *locomotive* "EEEEPPPPP"*locomotive* "EEEEPPPPP"*locomotive* "EEEEPPPPP"*locomotive* "EEEEPPPPP", for the better part of two minutes. When that didn't work she started slamming MY text book on the podium. That went on for a couple of minutes. I left the room and stood outside at this point. Then she started slamming the book on the students desks. When that didn't work she started biffing the electronic blackboard marker onto the floor as hard as she could. That annoyed me because they are really useful and I don't know where to buy new ones.

So after a few more minutes of hysterical screaming, she went about "teaching" them. Which consisted of her speaking into a microphone whilst 35 thirteen y.o girls generally go about their business. The weird thing was her going from utterly spazzing out to calmly uttering a monologue into the mic.

I have 7 classes a week with this woman. All of which are awful to varying degrees. The rest of the year could be very interesting.

[teachermc]

'Particularly difficult' is quite an understatement.  I visit a school once a week with classes like this, in the sense that Korean teachers cannot even manage them.  This one school alone has often made me realize that if I had this kind of day every day of the week, I would probably not stay at my school an additional year.

There seems to be a lot of self deprecation among the foreign teacher crowd here, which in my opinion is a positive thing; however, teachers should also feel empowered to determine when a teaching environment is toxic.  Big classes in schools without any uniform discipline policy teaching subjects (with materials) that the students do not find necessary are terrible learning environments for any teacher.

The best of luck to you in this situation and with this teacher.  I cannot imagine being in this situation and not beginning to look for new, more meaningful opportunities for the next year.

[kiwikimchi]

Are you getting more pepero than her? She might be jelous,   :)

Sounds exactly what happend a couple of weeks back at my school.
my co teacher threw her mp3 player on  the desk and smashed it.

You know things are serious when Koreans start breaking electronic items.

[flasyb]

 :o

Wow! There are some battles you can win and some battles you can't. Usually, it's best not to fight at all. Who in their right mind would go to war with 35 wilful teenage girls?

There are some classes that you can bend into submission and some classes that you can't. I'd consider videoing the next class, not because of your co-teacher but because of student behaviour.

[teachermc]

...teachers should also feel empowered to determine when a teaching environment is toxic.  Big classes in schools without any uniform discipline policy teaching subjects (with materials) that the students do not find necessary are terrible learning environments for any teacher.

This sums up my situation so perfectly. However it is only true of about 40% of my classes. The other 60% are beyond awesome. So let's say 8 of my 21 classes suck. That is 6 hours a week of pure hell. Whilst approximately 10 hours a week of mostly good, sometimes slightly annoying classes. The other 20 odd hours are taken up by eating my lunch and posting on here.

If you asked someone back home if they only hated their job 6 hours a week, what would they say? The other 34 hours are mostly relaxing if not a little boring sometimes. So, that is why I keep re-upping at this school. It is mostly good, just that 15% of the time it is batshit insane. I can live with those numbers.

I think that I can relate to your math.  My proportions are a little different but, as I said, if I had the difficult classes every day (even if it was just one period a day) I would be preparing for my exit.  Changing schools/locations just once in Korea has shown be how much of a gamble the whole process is.

Take, for instance, two under-qualified yet interested recent college graduates applying to EPIK here.  They are both excited about bringing their guitar/paintbush/extraordinary interest with them as a teacher.  Even assume that they both get placed in the same city here.  Though both of them could have potentially walked into the beginning of a new career (either abroad or when they return home), both are at the mercy of whatever school environment they are walking into, as neither of them has had any significant previous experience that would remind them of the variety of teaching situations out there. 

Still, the dichotomy you describe in your work week is chilling. 

[Yu_Bumsuk]

There are times with my MS classes when I think, I could really use a Korean CT to help explain this; however, stories like that make me feel like I'm much better off without one than taking my chances. I wouldn't even take a class like that to the English room - I'd keep them in their classroom and borrow their HR teacher's stick.

[JABU NXAU]

give her a hug!

[flasyb]

:o

Wow! There are some battles you can win and some battles you can't. Usually, it's best not to fight at all. Who in their right mind would go to war with 35 wilful teenage girls?

There are some classes that you can bend into submission and some classes that you can't. I'd consider videoing the next class, not because of your co-teacher but because of student behaviour.

I have outright refused to "teach" (teaching implies learning, right?), as the total rudeness and disregard for manners was more than I could bear. Usually, I would just stand at the back of the class, but from time to time I would leave all together, rather that than have a mental break down of my own.

Last Friday we had a discussion where she said I mustn't leave the class. I told her that I wasn't going to make a fool of myself by talking at a group of completely non-communicative and rude girls for 45 mins. In the end I agreed not to leave the class, but that I wouldn't be teaching if they were being loud and obnoxious. So, yesterday was a day off, so no classes with her. Today is our first class back together and the first thing she does is fly off the handles.

As teachermc said. The situation is completely toxic.

A classic example of the pitfalls of having no discipline structure in Korean schools. At my school we still have the mistress of pain who lives in a building on the school grounds and doles out physical punishments (slaps the girls mainly - you see them queuing up to get slapped). Every now and then there is a clamp down on bad behaviour and kids are running up and down the halls trying to put their cell phones away or hiding their make-up because the mistress of pain is out the rampage. I think she teaches social education or something. Sometimes it's disruptive to have that going on but I'm also quite glad she's here. Not that I've ever sent a kid to her - my CTs are absent but I can always go to them with behaviour problems at the end of the day.

Since my classes are untested and irrelevant, I see no reason to waste time on discipline and tend to wait for classes to stop talking even if it takes several minutes. I do a really good disappointed face too which seems to tug at the heart strings of the more empathetic students who hush the rest of the class up (eventually). I'm glad I'm not in your situation.

[Yu_Bumsuk]

There are times with my MS classes when I think, I could really use a Korean CT to help explain this; however, stories like that make me feel like I'm much better off without one than taking my chances. I wouldn't even take a class like that to the English room - I'd keep them in their classroom and borrow their HR teacher's stick.

I've tried this (well...not the stick part). This CT stonewalls all of my attempts at imposing discipline. My original plan was to send the worst offenders back to their regular class and have her teach/babysit them, as she wasn't doing anything, anyways. In the beginning there was only 2 or 3 kids who caused a ruckus, the rest were attentive and polite. Of course that hardcore kabal of trouble makers has tainted the well. However, she put the kibosh on this, as it is my "job to teach them" apparently. So, now instead of 2 or 3 kids a week not learning (as it would have been under my plan) anything in my class 35 aren't learning anything.

My second-years this year have been typical second-years (that is to say, incredibly interested in everything except studying English) and I find that despite all the technology, the English room just doesn't work with them for most lessons. Unless the main activity is something like a running dictation or something specifically revolving around group work, I find things are just much more orderly if they're seated in rows in their classroom. One of me simply can't monitor six tables of potential chatterboxes at once. My third-years, the best year of students I've ever taught, are a completely different story and I usually have them in the E-Z unless there's something for which I really need a blackboard. But for less attentive classes a change of venues can make a really big difference.

[flasyb]

One of me simply can't monitor six tables of potential chatterboxes at once. My third-years, the best year of students I've ever taught, are a completely different story and I usually have them in the E-Z unless there's something for which I really need a blackboard. But for less attentive classes a change of venues can make a really big difference.

Have you ever had a class sit on the floor? It made a remarkable difference for me.

[plchron]

get to your class early. remove thier desks and chairs from the room before the bell rings. Make them stand until they start behaving. Pick the worst offender or offenders out and tell the whol class that it is thier fault and that sitting down is a privilige, etc.

[Yu_Bumsuk]

One of me simply can't monitor six tables of potential chatterboxes at once. My third-years, the best year of students I've ever taught, are a completely different story and I usually have them in the E-Z unless there's something for which I really need a blackboard. But for less attentive classes a change of venues can make a really big difference.

Have you ever had a class sit on the floor? It made a remarkable difference for me.

No, I've never tried that. I've seen a KT make them all kneel on their desks.

[Yu_Bumsuk]

I totally know where the OP is coming from.  So frustrating.  I seriously hate 60% of my all girls classes.

60%? Where are you teaching? I have one out of 17 regular classes I'd rather have off my schedule, but even then I wouldn't say I hate them.

[Peekay1982]

Damn. K-teacher meltdowns can kind of hilarious. Pretty unprofessional to watch, but funny. I had this total **** of a co-teacher in my first year who went Chernobyl on, to be fair, a vile little toad of a boy. She slapped him in the face with her stick about six or seven times, screamed and ran out of the room sobbing. Then in the teaching room I offered her a cup of steaming mugwort or whatever it is they drink and she slapped it out of my hand! The next day I brought her in a cake and little bottle of orange juice (typical Korean ass-kissing behaviour, I was just trying to fit in). I bought her baby son this amazing dancing chicken soft toy thing for Christmas, too (no thank-you, needless to say).

She still told loads of lies about me on her end-of-year evaluation form. "Peekay often comes to school late and goes home early". This was literally utterly untrue! I should have known what to expect when she told me "I don't like foreigners". (I think you may have chosen the wrong career, love.)

[Jrong]

Wow. There's more stress in this topic than clothes on an Ajumma at the beach. It's interesting to hear the advice. I don't have any issues with the girls (they just stare at me) but some issues with 6th grade boys...not to the extent that you do, though, Rusty. I'm sure most of us genuinely try hard to "teach" the students but when it comes down to it, the main thing I want is no stress -- life is way too short. It'll be interesting to see if anyone gives you advice that works and if others like me can tweak that advice to apply to our own situations.

[Peekay1982]

Wow. There's more stress in this topic than clothes on an Ajumma at the beach.

Ha, classic!

[bb]

Teacher meltdowns are pretty funny to watch ...in a lil' bastard voyeuristic sort of way.

At my last job the music and gym teacher got into it heavy in the teachers room screaming at each other at the top of their lungs, the music teacher waving his conductors baton in the gym teachers face.

At that same school during an arguement a male teacher pulled a female teacher's hair (thought he'd push her off the swing after that) sending her out of the building in tears and him home unemployed...

[Peekay1982]

Teacher meltdowns are pretty funny to watch ...in a lil' bastard voyeuristic sort of way.

At my last job the music and gym teacher got into it heavy in the teachers room screaming at each other at the top of their lungs, the music teacher waving his conductors baton in the gym teachers face.

At that same school during an arguement a male teacher pulled a female teacher's hair (thought he'd push her off the swing after that) sending her out of the building in tears and him home unemployed...

He actually got sacked? Good on the school, but surprising. Normally they just sweep violence under the carpet. A parent came into our (sorry, my) school and kicked his kid's homeroom teacher - a woman! I wish I'd been there because I would have loved restraining him* (this was during class). The police were called and... just escorted him off the premises.

*I know intervening in Korea can get you in serious trouble, but twice in my time here I've picked up fighting kids and removed them from the theatre of combat. Even got thanked for it afterwards.

[Yu_Bumsuk]

He actually got sacked?

He must have been low down on the totem pole or already on someone's !@#$ list.

[bb]

He actually got sacked?

He must have been low down on the totem pole or already on someone's !@#$ list.

He was. And he didn't play Wednesday volleyball so..... was asking for it really.