Incompetence Abounds

My office key was taken away awhile ago and I had discussed with Agnes the possibility of having the key returned to me. She said she couldn't discuss it at that exact moment and said we would discuss it later. I knew she would think I would forget about it, so I purposely waited about a week before I asked her about it again.
I had a couple minutes before my adult class on Thursday so I thought I would bring up the "key issue." I asked Agnes if she had time to discuss giving me the office key back. She asked me why I thought I needed the key. I told her it was incredibly inconvenient to try to get all my prep work done for all my classes and use the internet to email family and friends.
I told her I didn't understand why the key was taken away in the first place. I asked her if I had used the key or the office inappropriately and she answered, "No." I said, "Well, than why was it taken away?" She answered that no other teacher had a key and she didn't think it was appropriate for me to have it. She also said she didn't feel comfortable with me being in the office without her supervision. I asked her why she felt comfortable with me being "unsupervised" for 5 1/2 months and then all the sudden she didn't feel comfortable?
She didn't have a rebuttal, so she just looked at me, smiled and said, "Sorry."
I said, "So you're not going to give me the key back." She smiled and said, "Sorry," again.
I lost it.
I told her, "You are incredibly unprofessional and immature and so incompetent, but I'm getting used to that! You are by far the WORST working experience I've ever had!"
She said, "It is?"
I answered, "YES!!!!! And I just hope the next person that comes here has a better time than I have, but I doubt it!!!!!" and I stormed off to teach my evening adult class.
As I was walking away, I was absolutely furious and then I felt like a jackass because I was thinking, "Wow, that was an incredibly immature reaction, but whatever, I don't even care!!!" (in typical immature fashion)
The adult class is a 90-minute class, so halfway through the class, we have a break time. I went outside to make a phonecall and when I came back in the building, Agnes asked if she could talk to me after class. I mumbled an answer of "yeah, sure."
After class, all the students left and Agnes came into the classroom and sat down with a notebook in front of her. Apparently she spent the previous 90 minutes compiling a laundry list of all the things I had allegedly done wrong.
She started by saying that she didn't know how many jobs I had had in the past, but she doubted this was my worst. I told her I had been working non-stop since I was 15 years old, so I had had many, many jobs in my life and this one was by far the worst. She asked me why. So I gave her the reasons I could come up with off the top of my head.
I told her she never orders the books I need for class on time, so I'm running around scrambling trying to figure out what to do with my students. I said that wasn't fair to the students or me and it was incredibly disorganized and unprofessional. And after 6 months of me being here, she should have her crap together more by now. Not to mention, she has been running this school for the last three years, so she should really know to order books in a certain timeframe.
She admitted that, yes, she was very disorganized and she would try to order the books on time. She asked, "Would that make you happier if I ordered the books on time?"
I answered, "It's a start."
I then said that she never gave me my new schedule until a couple minutes before classes were supposed to start. I get a new schedule every month and I never actually get the schedule until the day the classes start. I told her this makes it very difficult to prepare for the classes. I told her that I had asked her for a new schedule last week for the classes that started this Wednesday. She didn't have the schedule ready. So I asked her again on Monday and she said, "Oh yeah, I'll get it to you." I asked her again for the schedule on Tuesday and she said, "Oh yeah, I forgot. I'll get it to you right away." I finally got the schedule Wednesday when I came to school to start class. I told her it was ridiculous that I wouldn't get my schedule for the month until the day classes started.
She said, "Ok, if I get the schedule to you earlier, would that make you happier?"
I answered, "Once again, it's a start."
The next gripe on my list was the pay that I always had to fight her for. I told her I give her a copy of my hours every month for a reason. I do it so she has a copy of the hours I've worked and so I have a copy as well. I told her every month there is an issue because she didn't want to pay me for work I've done. I used several national holidays as an example. I told her she would always fight with me about paying me for national holidays and I said that was ridiculous. She didn't want to pay me for Christmas for God's sake because I "didn't work that day."
I told her the fact that I've had to call the Talking Club corporate headquarters to find out what I should and should not get paid for is kind of ludicrous. She said she didn't realize she had to pay me for those days.
I told her I felt like she was trying to cheat me. She got all huffy and said, "I'm not trying to cheat you!" I told her, "I sure hope not."
She then asked, "Ok, anything else?"
I told her that was all I could think of at the moment, but if anything else came up I'd be sure to let her know.
Then she started on a list of things I had apparently done wrong. She said about a month ago, one of the students came up to her and asked what crazy meant. She told me apparently I had called this kid crazy and he wanted to know what it meant. She said I shouldn't be calling kids names. I said I didn't maliciously call any of the children names(except behind their back, of course). I told her it was probably a joke in the class, because my students always say to me, "Tee-chaa, you so crazy!" and I answer back, "No, you so crazy!" It's a joke, but apparently one student was a little sensitive.
I said, "Ok, I'll try to be more sensitive and I won't call anymore kids crazy."
Then I asked her why she waited a month to tell me about this. She answered that she forgot about it. Clearly it was really important if she forgot about it.
Her second gripe was that I had let some classes out a couple minutes early and their parents were paying good money for those classes and I shouldn't let them out early. Ok, I will no longer let any of the students out a couple minutes early. No problem.
Her last problem with me was that I had been teaching the Middle School English lesson from the book. She said that all I did with them was teach them from their book that was provided to me.
I said, "So you don't want me to teach them from the book?"
She answered, "Well, yes, I want you to teach them from the book, but I don't want you to use the CD that comes with the book."
The book is primarily based on listening and the CD is the main component of the book.
I said, "Ummm, ok, so you want me to use the book, but not use the book?"
She answered, "Yes."
"Ok," I said. "I will find a way to use the book, but not use the book. Anything else?"
"No," she answered. "That's all I can think of."
She then went on to tell me that she was sure her school was definitely not the worst place to work. She said she knew of several other hogwans near Talking Club that were far worse than hers.
Uh huh. I find that hard to believe, but I'll placate you if it means I can get out of this room right now.
She said she hoped the next 6 months would be better.
I said, "Yeah, me too!"
The next day when I came in to the school, all the teachers, the school secretary and Agnes were standing around speaking rapid-fire Korean. As soon as I walked in, they all got really quiet and looked at me. Geee, what were you guys talking about? Then Agnes came over to me, pointed to a box of books that had just arrived in the mail and said those were the books I needed to teach my classes that started two days ago.
I went through the books and realized she hadn't ordered enough. She came over, counted the books and realized her mistake. I didn't even react. I knew she would not order enough. She breathed a heavy sigh and said she would order more books right away and I told her I'd make the kids share until the new ones came.
This woman is so incompetent.
Do they screen for mental illness before they allow a person to open a hogwan?