2010… EPIK Year in Review

Over here in the land of the morning calm, the clock ticks down on 2010.  I came down with something vicious last night.  New year’s eve has been a day of chills, hot flashes, body aches and other less speakable ailments.  K’s out now with friends for a bit, she wanted to stay home with me, but really I’m likely to be asleep soon and one of us should at least have some fun.

So while I am awake why not take time and reflect on 2010?

EPIK frustrations…
Three schools, 5 partners, 20 km commute each way.   My middle school partner (who’s already been the subject of a few rants) has without  a doubt been an inspirational the source  of misery.   He’s taught me a lot about how NOT to teach.  An unlicensed teacher, but teaching in public school thanks to 2MB’s education reforms.  His title is a ‘Professional English Teacher’.  Supposedly he’s got a masters in teaching English from a Korean University.   I don’t know what they taught him, but it seems to have little to do with teaching.  Tricks like: “If I lock the doors prior to class I can kill ten minutes of class time sorting out students and turning on the computer!”
Or like pouting about having to teach a lesson I made in front of the students.   Or like opening the class with religious music  to, as he told me once “raise their spirits”.    I spoke to him about using the classroom to advertise our personal beliefs and were about to begin another one of those circular conversations when I cut it short and told him the next time, I would make a complaint.   At this point, we only speak to each other out of necessity.

At the elementary school I have four partners.  One of them is an excellent partner and I’ve really enjoyed working with him.  Two others tend to stay in back but field comprehension questions from the students.  The other usually doesn’t even bother to come to class.  He’s the head teacher at the elementary and has loads of administrative duties.  He’s taken the English classes as the best time to do these.    Unfortunately it leaves me mostly on my own and it’s been a trying year to teach the classes I have with him, since I’m trying to act as KT and NT in the classes.  I’ve spoken to him a few times about the situation to no avail.

Anyways, the end result is that next year I’m transferring to a different school.   He asked me why and I told him politely and simply that I was having a difficult time solo teaching all of the classes.  He said he understood and thanked me for teaching at his school for these past two years.  In the case of the middle school, I told my head teacher (who was my partner last year) point blank that I found my partner difficult to work with and preferred not to spend another year teaching beside him.  I’m looking forward to a fresh start in the new year.