Korean Job Discussion Forums

Gollum · Joined: 04 Sep 2003 Location: Japan

Ok, first of all... please spare all of the "Private" links.

If any of you see someone post a list of links in this thread, please stand up on your computer chair and scream, "WHAT AN IDIOT!! That person can't read!"

I've scanned through them, and can't find an answer to this question. If you legitimately know where the exact answer to this question is, then you can post a link.

Second: Spare the "DON'T DO IT -- IT'S WRONG" posts. Again, if someone posts about this, we can all call them an idiot and think they are a bad teacher because they can't read the material posted in front of them.

My question: I got asked by parents to teach a few kids privates from my hagwon this week, and I am not going to do it, but I am really curious if other teachers do this?

I mean -- they're kindy age -- isn't that a heck of a risk?

As the parents were asking me to teach their kids, I couldn't help but think, "The little Dong-Chim is going to tell all his buddies that his teacher comes to his house."

So my question is: Are the privates many of you are lining up coming from adults and not kids at your own school? I'm assuming such a thing as teaching rug-rats from your own school would be committing job suicide?

Juggertha · Joined: 27 May 2003 Location: Anyang, Korea

I know someone who does it IN their school. I persoanlly wouln't recomend it but I guess their boss must be cool with it.

Heh, shouldn't we all be so lucky.

But yeah, IMO I wouldn't chance it. Not anywhere near your Hogwons customers.

sayangamber · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Location: Bundang

ratslash · Joined: 08 May 2003

apparently, someone wrote this on a post not that long ago (but i am not allowed to supply a link) that you can teach privates, but you have to do so in the hagwon, so, therefore and theoretically, they wouldn't be a private, just a one student 'class'. of course, your director has to agree to do this, and, of course, probably no director would.

i've taught a few privates, but the students are never from the same school that i work at. risk, hmmmm, for boosting your income a little i don't think it is too bad. i mean, there is risk in everything you do in life. although you can get caught, and recently there was a post saying someone had got caught, the chances are slim. people agree with doing them, others are strongly against it. someone said that when someone is doing something illegal and they do get caught, it is an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend that reports them! so, if you don't have any spiteful ex's perhaps you might be ok. but perhaps you might get caught. who knows.

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

I had some friends who had a pretty good referal system going. That way, the clients never knew where the teachers lived or worked. I wouldn't teach privates from my students because it's way too much leverage for my boss.

shawner88 · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

I always thought to ask my boss if I can use the hgwon on saturday for some classes, but he's so tight I'm sure he'd want to control it and take more than half the income. He tried to get me to teach an extra adult class of 10 students, but only wanted to increase my pay 200,000/month. I said forget it.

Dr. Buck · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Land of the Morning Clam

It depends on the power and influenece of the parents. There is always a "super-ajumma." This well-connected lady usually adds other kids to the hogwon roll-call, and thus, making money for the school. No hogwon owner wants a bad situation with this woman because it could equal a loss of students. If you're doing privates for this woman, probably no worries.

Likewise, if the privates involve parents of police, immigration officers (yes, its been done), judges, and politicians--then you are set as long as you provide top quality lessons to their kids and make an effort to be cool and friendly in the ultra-polite Korean way.

If you encounter any problems with teaching the privates with the boss, then these influnce-mongers will protect you from harm's way by a couple phone calls to the hogwon owner who will most likely bend under the other's higher social/political/financial position.

So it goes, and play the game.

Austin · Joined: 23 May 2003 Location: In the kitchen

Proof?

If you do not work with any other foreigners and you do not admit to any other person what you are doing, who is to say "what" it is taking place behind closed doors?

Think about it?

You get paid once a month in advance for the illegal lessons, so once the money (cash, not "soupyows," as they can be traced) has changed hands, who is to say that you are not volunteering your time?

It would be perfectly natural for you to have dinner and to have other "social" gatherings with the parents of your students.

Again, if you are quiet and the parents are quiet (they do not want to get into trouble either), you have nothing to fear.

The reality of people actually getting "busted" for true "privates" is very different from what gets portrayed here. Typically, the people that get busted are either those that work illegally through a recruiter or those that get turned in from a coworker or a former "friend." Obviously, there are exceptions, but I would challenge an user to explain how the "mindful" and "careful" get busted.

Be safe.