February 1985

2-2-85

          My wife has made many hours of classes for me over the Lunar New Year vacation. I will be making an extra $800 during this time, a good thing, but I am crazy with going from one school to the other. This Sunday will be my last day at Guo Ding. I have a chance to make more money and travel less through private classes and more local schools, one in walking distance from home. I thought I would have a lot of free time until March 5^th when Fu Jen classes begin again but it now seems that it will be the other way around with more free time when the kiddies go back to school. Tomorrow will be a killer with 8 ½ hours of classes! I still have not had time to finish grading for Fu Jen. There will be a writing-teacher meeting Monday morning so I will bring in the exams at that time. Too bad I cannot get my pay then, too.

2-4-85

          I wish I could say goodbye to Fu Jen. I know what will happen. I hope I can start a school by next fall. It would be a good idea to start it by this spring to catch the summer crowd and build up steam for the winter doldrums. Meanwhile, I am halfway through more than sixty cassette tapes of the phonics final I gave. All other finals have been marked. I was going to mail them in by last Friday when I was told to attend a writing-teacher meeting but the meeting was postponed until Monday so I have not finished marking them. I will work on them before class at the Universal Language Center, a few blocks from home. I feel like I have never been set at Guo Ding so now that I have left, I feel nothing. It is a sorry excuse for a school as most of the countless bushibans are, like Ding Hao and Universal. In fact, I only know of two schools that have programs; JJELS and Jordan’s, but I hear ELSI has a program, too.

          Mr. Nash is coming over Tuesday to throw around ideas for a conversation program for Fu Jen. I will help him if I can. It is not his fault that Helena likes him better than me. It is also not his fault that he was the only one around anywhere near qualified to be the director of the writing lab and the writing teacher supervisor. I think I could do a better job but Fu Jen does not deserve me and I will not have the chance to waste my time without compensation. I know the feeling from Bill Communication [the trade magazine I worked for in New York]. Authority without reward is like being a superintendent in an apartment building. I cannot deny I would rather have it and not want it. I guess, finally, I would not want to be in his shoes.

2-6-85

          I taught a hell of a class at Guo Ding on the last day. I had the kids jumping around, turning on lights and closing doors in between natural TPR [Total Physical Response.] The kids and parents loved it. When I told them I had to leave, they went to the boss to tell him losing me was his real loss. One parent called up home a few days ago and spoke with my wife. She wanted her child with others to have a class with me if I was not returning to Guo Ding. The boss called up my wife the day before and offered 400 NT per hour; a 50 NT raise; $1.25. I thought of accepting it but my wife, with a mind of her own, wanted to bargain for more since she thought I really did not need them anymore. I will have at least two new private classes and Ding Hao and Universal. I hope the mother from Guo Ding comes through with that class.

2-9-85

          There were meetings all day at Fu Jen for writing teachers but I only had to attend the sophomore meeting from 1:30 to 3:30. I felt good and meaningful and expressed my opinion although I thought I would keep silent. Mr. Epstein and Roach do not want anything to do with planning so I will collect their ideas to write a syllabus for sophomores and meet them on Friday, February 15^th when I pick up my salary. Helena seemed more hospitable and agreeable and listened through or agreed with many of my comments, and I did hers. I felt good and would have enjoyed the bus ride home if not for that jerkoff Epstein.

          I cashed two checks from JJELS; I had forgotten to pick up one three weeks ago. They totaled 20,000 NT-$500.

2-13-85

          As if they did not already know it, indeed, brought it on themselves, I told my 104-1450 class what I thought of them. It was uncalled for and unprofessional of me. Furthermore, they do not deserve my honesty. There are two days left in the class. By this time, we should know if we are going to have a party but the class said nothing. I thought I would break the ice [and mention it]. It was a defense mechanism. I will not refuse to teach them again and certainly will not alter their grades. This is the Lunar New Year; a time to put affairs in order. On the other hand, my old 102 class invited me to dinner this Saturday. I would be honored to go and I would have a good time there, too, but for 400NT a person, I might not go.

2-26-85

          Here we are, the eighth and last day of our trip to Nantou [for the Lunar New Year]. I will not teach until Friday when I will be a substitute for three hours At JJELS. I will have Saturday and Sunday private and Universal classes. I hope I will have a new class at JJELS to start next Monday. Classes at Fu Jen also start on Monday but I do not have classes until Tuesday in my new schedule. I will teach two hours Tuesday afternoon, four hours Thursday, and three hours Friday; a total of nine hours. I will not teach freshmen “Reading Appreciation” which is their boss’s class. I will man the Writing Lab eight hours a week. Mondays and Wednesdays will be off days.

2-28-85

          Steve Drake called to offer a 106 class at JJELS beginning Monday.