December, just before the Winter Holiday, I asked if I may have six dictionaries for my class, one for each table, so that the students don’t have an excuse to not do anything. They often sit back and say they don’t understand a word on the paper and then do nothing. The teacher said yes.
February, when the school started, I asked if I may have six dictionaries for my class, one for each table, so that the students don’t have an excuse to not do anything. They often sit back and say they don’t understand a word on the paper and then do nothing. The same teacher said yes.
Just before I sent to South Africa, six weeks ago, I asked if I may have six dictionaries for my class, one for each table, so that the students don’t have an excuse to not do anything. They often sit back and say they don’t understand a word on the paper and then do nothing. THIS teacher said yes.
I came back after two weeks and I asked if I may have six dictionaries for my class, one for each table, so that the students don’t have an excuse to not do anything. They often sit back and say they don’t understand a word on the paper and then do nothing. Again, THIS teacher said yes.
Two weeks ago I asked them what I have to do to get dictionaries. I was told the will look at it to which I replied that they have been looking at it for 6 months and half they school year is almost over. I showed them a nice small one with a hard cover to protect it. It is English-Korean/Korean-English and explained why I suggest that one, but something similar will be fine.
Today, three weeks later, I see someone walking around with MY dictionary that I bought with MY money. When I asked if I can have it back they said they are still looking for it in Icheon.
When I asked three weeks ago and offered to buy the dictionaries and just claim the money back they said this was not allowed. That day, after seeing my irritation at having to ask AGAIN, they frantically looked on the internet for the price at a special site they are supposed to use. NOW they are telling me they that they can’t find it in ICHEON? What about THAT SITE?! Amazon.com IN THE USA would have had it delivered two weeks ago already!
I will ask them how far they are at the end of today. I will ask them how far they are on Monday, and then I will ask again on Tuesday, and then I will ask on Wednesday. I will…
If they tell me to wait, then I will have to explain that six months is a tad bit long and three weeks between looking it up on the internet and now is a tad bit long as well, especially considering that I was in Seoul the very next day after the Internet Idea and offered to buy it for them.
I do not ask for much here. I never ask for things that cost money. When I asked, after a year, if I might have the couch mentioned in my contract, and offered to take one of the couches that the school have in storage, they insisted on buying a new one. This is not my choice, so I don’t accept responsibility for that expense.
Further more, I am asking so that I can run a more productive class. Next week I want to do a class where students will need to write a report on an episode of the Simpsons. Most of them will not have the vocabulary because, let’s face it, they are never forced to use and remember anything in a productive way. How will I have them write without dictionaries when their answer to “How do you like the movie?” is “Yes, I would like to” and when they do actually understand that I am using a phrase from the book then they want to answer me in Korean because they don’t know the English?
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