Korean Job Discussion Forums

[humanuspneumos]

1. I wonder how long people here think they would stay or have stayed at the same school before they started flying apart at the seams.

By saying "flying apart at the seams" I mean:

a.) a large part of your time is spent being angry at your boss
b.) a large part of your time is spent being angry at other teachers
c.) you find yourself snapping at the students more often rather than the same number of times or less
d.) you have actually gone so far as to have given notice and then after recovering the situation you stayed-on
e.) you are bored to the bone
f.) you spend the larger part of your time thinking of what you will/would be doing if not teaching as a job/career


2. Many or perhaps most of us had parents who stayed at the same jobs 10-30 years. What do you think is the primary driver that keeps the percentage of TESLers microscopic who have hit the 10 year mark with the same school?

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1. I think I'm happiest 6 months to a year at the same place. I do admit I wish there were 6 month contracts (apart from the letter-of-release pain in the _________).

2.

a. I think that what keeps people from staying at the same school year in and year out are the expectations that grow (they don't usually shrink).

b. Also- the E2 suggests/throws the brain into one-year thinking.

c. The raises/pay scale isn't spectacular. So- people come and go in hopes to launch themselves into a ever growing pay-scale, white-fence and yard, and happy family situation back home.

d. The Korean government doesn't exactly encourage foreigners to stay long-term as we do foreigners who land in our countries.

[Mody Ba]

H.S. is right...some of our parents stayed in jobs for ten,thirty(or even forty) years.But....they were NOT working at hakwons,obviously.

it is one thing to have a fairly stable(eg you know you will alwys get paid on the designated payday) job in your home country and working at a hakwon.There is really no comparision.
Guy on the old board claimed to have worked at one hakwon for twenty years.Sure it is possible,but highly unlikely.And how could you find out if he is telling the truth?

[humanuspneumos]

Twenty!? Can't imagine. I'm looking at the KOTESOL up at the top flashing at me even as I post- it says- 11 years. I wonder how many people have been at the same school for even 10 of those years who are part of KOTESOL.

The only person I know in all of Korea who went past the 10 year mark is Lenny E at BCM- 14 years. He's either an incredibly sedate person or his boss is or some other factors are at play.

I met an old-timer in Thailand- not at the same school but in Thailand teaching for over 20 years now. Still borrowing money from other teachers though. I asked him why and he just has no desire to ever go back home- interestingly he didn't like one of his family members- so - never had anything to draw him back.

[BTM]

I've been an expat from Canada in various places for about 15 years now, with occasional visits back home. I find I get seriously antsy at about 2-3 year intervals. Sometimes less, depending on the job.

I've been two years at the current job. Not too much of the flying-apart-at-the-seams, really, just bored and ready for new people and new stuff in general (which probably is good, since they're not renewing my contract! )

[Morning Calm]