The good the bad and everything in between

God, when was the last time I posted?
It has been a while, but I've been working and under stress.

the bad is that I fear my head teacher is losing it. She really really wants me out. I am not going out without a fight. I have goals, and they are both short-term and long term and I'm not about to let her get in my way. The situation: As you know, I've been scolded for: not circling an attendance sheet correctly, forgetting once -a month ago (and that makes me a lair)- to put a journal prompt on the whiteboard, changing a journal prompt, making photocopies of my students test results (it is wasteful)--it is also easier to read for if and when they do the online homework and the online book quizzes, they should do both-. I should also read the book before doing the workbook, something I usually do, but .. I am a liar again because, get this, I asked my students where we were in the book before reading the next chapters-- I kid you not-- It makes for some serious stress.

Thursday, she asked me to do a debate topic worksheet, she needed feed back. Well, she didn't say when she needed feed back and I have these same students for two different sessions. On the first session I couldn't get to the debate topic worksheet because we didn't get finished with the book work in time (mind the presentation and monthly tests were coming up) so I asked her if she wanted me to do it in the next session or next week. She said - give it to Steve - he will get it done. I said "Fine" Then she gave the worksheet back to me to do for some other class. I asked, photocopies? she said it's ok, I'll just print it from the computer. Ok. I did the debate (which to my mind is about talking not writing) and did the worksheet from the board-- Well, I should have made copies, they weren't supposed to speak, and they should have written sentences. This information would have been nice at the beginning.
Friday: we have a meeting. I am a bad teacher because I am not following her instructions exactly. "I have too much experience, and my experience is not suitable for Reading Town" "My ideas are not good Reading Town ideas" -- etc.

Good news, when I went to headquarters on Saturday, they did like my ideas, and they were pretty sympathetic. I don't know what is going to happen, but the headquarters will be sending me an electronic voice recorder to record my classes. This will, I hope, protect me. I also got to work on some good supplementary materials and working at head office is good because I get to do something completely different. I wish there was a way I could teach two days a week and work in the office three days a week, or vice -versa. I don't know if that would go over in my current school, but maybe another would be up to it next year. I just have to finish this contract.

The good: (and there is a lot more of it than bad)- I met up with a friend of mine and laughed so hard I thought my lungs would burst. We met in Gumi several years ago, and kept in touch, but I haven't seen him since then. He worked for a school that wasn't a good fit, but now is in a good place. I really had a good time, but I missed toastmasters because we were talking and laughing and then, I checked the time, and toastmasters was almost over. I hope toastmasters will forgive me. We ate Vietnamese, and it was really good, thin rice noodles with chicken and vegetables fried in a spicy nutty sauce. Then later we had street vendor food. Chicken in spicy sauce on a stick, rice cakes in spicy sauce, and fried vegetables. Spicy is the popular flavor here.

Sunday night as I was walking home, I met a few Americans who had just arrived about a month ago. They seem nice and one is interested in my Taek kong mu sul class, so I might not be the only adult. It could be fun.

My taek kong mu sul class is going very well. At least for me. Monday night I was doing a circle kick thingie and I slipped and landed flat on my back. I missed the pad too. Then we were doing a low circle kick and let's just say I'm not co-ordinated. Tuesday night we learned some punching kick combinations. I accidentally kicked my teacher. He was ok, it was just practice and I didn't kick properly anyway, but ....I must admit that I was a bit more hesitant after that. He was pretty cool about the whole thing.

The in between: My weekend plans to Deagu have been canceled, so I have a three day weekend with nothing to do. This is a good thing, because I really need to get some things for the apartment, and I need to get a haircut.
And so it goes.