I normally don’t post more than once a day (or week…or more), but as you can see by the title, this was a request. And who am I to deny my fans?
Here is the email that I sent to my advisors. A good sample of what my workdays are like. Sometimes we only have scuffles like this a couple times a month. Sometimes, a couple times a week. Lately, it’s been back to the latter again.
June 13:
Kocho approaches me and wants to know why I asked to be taken off the monthly enkai fund and why I don’t go to the enkais. I told her that I send all of my money home to my mom. Then, she proceeds to bring up my salary, and has the gall to say, “But you make 300,000 a month. How can you not have money?” This was seriously out of line. Explaining to her what I do with my money was a courtesy on my part. She has no business prying into my financial matters, especially if she’s going to try to tell me how I should be spending it.
July 4:
Kocho tells me that she doesn’t want me using the Kyuudou facilities anymore. Supposedly due to liability issues while I’m on the clock. She claims that if I shoot someone, the school can’t be held accountable, and only I will be. So, she doesn’t want me using it anymore. What really irritates me about this is that I asked to use it with my friends visiting from America during spring break, the school approved, I took nenkyuu, and when we showed up the school turned us away on account of me taking nenkyuu. They told us that there are liablility issues because I’m OFF the clock. They tell me that if I had NOT taken nenkyuu, it would have been fine. And then Kocho tells me now that I can’t use it because I’m ON the clock either. If that was true, they should have just told me “no” a year ago. This whole situation just seems awfully shady to me, and makes me think that this is just another way for kocho to demonstrate her “superiority” over me in front of the office.
July 17:
This was the day in which I received the email from [peoples]. I can only assume that Kocho called them about me, as she decides to follow me to class the period after I get the email.
After the class is over, she comes to me and tells me to fix up my bulletin board. Says I have to tack the corners. I tacking the sides is not allowed. It is such an insignificant thing that it just seems like she’s looking for anything to bust my chops. If it really was a problem, she would have/should have asked me to fix it last month.
What prompted me to email you again and ask for an earlier date was due to another “chat” with her. She comes by and stands behind me for a bit, watching what I’m doing/looking at my computer screen. I happen to be studying Japanese using a flashcard program. She asks me what it is, I show her. She asks if it’s for class, I tell her I’m studying Japanese. Then she proceeds to flip out at me in front of the office.
Here is what she yelled at me about:
1. She said that studying Japanese in my downtime is a violation of the contract.
-If that’s the case, they should not promote it. What with the panels during orientations, the courses offered, and such.
2. She said that I need to be making lesson plans for the entire year instead of studying.
-She has no idea how things work in class. It’s pointless making random lesson plans that will never be used. If a JTE wants me to prepare something, he/she can tell me, and I will gladly do it.
3. She said that learning Japanese is irrelevant to ALTs and kept asking me how this is supposed to be helping me be a better teacher.
-When I tried to answer that question several times, she kept cutting me off and asking it again. Is she serious about this question? After she’s come to some of my classes where I’ve covered for teachers and taught solo? Not to mention the fact that she’s standing there yelling at me in JAPANESE!! She is totally unaware of how much she takes my basic understanding of Japanese for granted. I’ve covered for several classes just in the past few weeks. Does she really think that knowing some Japanese didn’t help?
4. She said that I make more money than my JTE.
-Absolutely irrelevant and not my fault, nor my problem. If HE has a problem with it (which I doubt), he shouldn’t be an English teacher. If SHE (Kocho) has a problem with it, she should give him a raise or something so that he makes more than me. Then, she can finally stop worrying about it. Besides, after his bonuses, he makes more than me anyway. If she has a problem with how much ALTs make, she needs to take that up with the government, not take it out on me. She also seriously needs to stop concerning herself with my personal financial affairs.
5. She said that the JTE does more work than me.
-Of course he does. He’s the JTE. I’m the ALT. She doesn’t seem to know what the “A” means. I’m here to supplement his class. ASSIST him. That said, purely speaking of the number of classes, I think I have more than him in a week.
JTE: 5 kumis x 3 per week
ALT: 9 kumis x 2 per week
6. She said that I don’t spend enough time with the kids outside of class lately.
-Well, I was eating with the kids on a regular basis of my own free will, and enjoying it (most of the time). That is, until she decided to force it on me. Let’s not forget that earlier this month, she told me not to use the Kyuudou facilities anymore. OOPS.
