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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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long-term-player
Joined: 10 Feb 2003
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2003 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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Generally, after being in Epik 7 years i have to say I have enjoyed myself as i simply ignored everything they have told or asked me, mostly as it was pure nonsense, but always said "yes" then did exactly as I pleased. And that confuses them - example - they said I must come in at 09-00 every day: I agreed and still come in at 10.30 or 11.00: they said I must stay till 5.00 (they tried 6.00) I agreed and still go every day at 4.30.
So all in all, it's a good job if you ignore your supervisors in a positive way. Remember, they are all desperate for promotion, and a complaining Epik can severely harm their ambitions: thus agree with everything, they are happy, then do what you want, and you are happy. It's not the type of job to take too seriously after all. And key point, they will never ever sack you as they will have an uphill battle and they hate it when the Labor Office gets involved. That puts paid to any Supervisors promotion forever!! |
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Mosley
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:44 am Post subject: |
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As someone who has made an instant career out of criticizing EPIK(and my criticisms have been more than justified), I have to say that I'm disgusted by your contempt for the work ethic. Seven years of being a bum, eh? Are you in Seoul? I have some classes that start before 9:30-should I just waltz in at 10:30 or 11:00? Leave at 4:30, eh? Must be proud of yourself. I'm sure your Korean colleagues have nothing but the highest respect for you. In any event, this is the crux of the problem w/EPIK: qualified, hard-working teachers such as myself get the shaft while social parasites like yourself get the gravy.
Or is this a troll...? |
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long-term-player
Joined: 10 Feb 2003
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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This is no troll- just a fact: However, even though you don't like my situation, I delver the best in teacher training and thus have been requested each year to stay on as they say my lessons are exceptional: (sorry to sound big headed - that is their summation - though what I do do is pretty darned good) that my hours of work are minimal is and have been accepted by all: Why? My senior supervisor said that Epik found it almost impossible to get any one who was good these days (he couldn't understand why) and thus they wanted to keep at all costs those who were good.
Well in return I bargained for my 'cruise ship� contractual obligations.
I am sure if Epik ever started paying qualified teachers what they worth then my situation would change, but as long as their pay is akin to a medium level hogwan, they have no bargaining power. The power is with me and others like me in the same boat.
And given you are likewise skilled, your resource is in demand so why not enjoy yourself like I do - on sunny days like yesterday I sat on the beach till 11.30? and proably today I'll see a movie in the morning. -
afterall, 2.1 milion doesn't buy a qualified teacher these days. |
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Mody Ba
Joined: 22 May 2003
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 2:15 pm Post subject: Mosley and Long Term Player |
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Mosley is dead right.Obviously an EPIK who actually does his job....a somewhat rare exception in this program.
Long-term-player?Soooooo.you"delver(sic!"delver"?) the best in teacher training"?C'mon,guy.According to whom? I bet a lot of Korean officials tell a lot of EPIKs they are "the best".Why,they even told me a long time ago,lost in the mists of primeval Coretta,that I"was just as famous as a rock and roll star".Yeah,right. I am glad you think you are "exceptional".What objective basis do you have for that other than the Koreans' cajolery and your own opinion of yourself?
I do agree with you on one point,though.The general quality of "teachers" EPIK brings over is so poor that anyone like Mosley, who actually tries to do his job is a rare exception.A very unfortunate fact is that doing your job does not guarantee you fair treatment by EPIK.If anything,the Koreans are manipulative.Very nice people(well,sometimes).But very intelligent and very prone to manipulation.It is largely a control issue.
And long-termer,before you get all huffy...I am not saying you are not a good teacher.I really hope you are...God knows this program needs legitimate teachers. But be careful about tossing around superlatives like "best" and "exceptional".I think I am a good teacher,too..."best"...well long-termer....there may very well be EPIKs somewhere(?) who can teach better than us.Of course,maybe not.Do not believe all of the BS the Koreans put out.You said that yourself in your post. |
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Austin
Joined: 23 May 2003 Location: In the kitchen
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 2:25 pm Post subject: Agree... |
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Can you explain why recruits like Mosley get upset when other people have a better situation?
It really puzzles me. When I taught my first year in the U.S., I was not concerned about what other teachers throughout the country were doing or making. Why should the situation in Korea be any different?
Personally, I like to bake, and during my first year of EPIK, I would bake several apple pies for the principal and the Korean staff on random occasions. They really appreciated the thought, though not everyone cared much for the pies.
Do you think my actions affected my situation?
Of course they did, but why would some selfish sod in another province expect to be treated the same?
Our behaviors are reflective of our personality and determine much of the quality of our experiences in life.
One only has to look around and within to understand.
I never missed a single day of work, whether I was sick or not. I volunteered my time to the school and came to after school events that I was not required to attend. When I was asked to do something extra, I said "Yes!" I never said things like "That's not in my contract!" or "How much are you going to pay me?"
One would typically not say those things to an employer at home, so why is it that people say those types of things in Korea?
When I truly needed something that was important to me, they would grant it without hesitation, because I did not complain, nor burden my employer with regular requests. I was not a headache to my principal, but a blessing in a foreign disguise.
When I get all of my school breaks free and others get stuck having to teach during their school breaks, they come and complain on Dave's about how unfair EPIK is!
Wake up! I earned those days with my conduct and performance. Why should you be entitled to the same?
Perhaps the next time your supervisor asks you for help, you will think twice before you respond.
SCSA |
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Mody Ba
Joined: 22 May 2003
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 2:47 pm Post subject: SCSA,The Pillsbury Doughboy |
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Sooooo....you think you earned your breaks by baking pies for the principal and so on.How...ah...sweet!
I would like to point out to you that your example of the US teachers being treated differently in different parts of the country is not analogous to the situation with EPIK.EPIK is one program.There should be standardization.Even though you think the "uncertainty" and the vague contract are positive points.
And if you think my posts are "laced" with errors,why didn't you even provide one example?
You are fighting a losing battle ,guy! And all of that stuff about baking pies ....does not mean "jack".
What I really want to know :What is it that the Squaffer knows? |
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Austin
Joined: 23 May 2003 Location: In the kitchen
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 3:17 pm Post subject: What is the use... |
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I am beginning to wonder what the point is in responding to you, because you are never capable of reading a person's post and understanding it. Instead, you focus on one slice of the entire post and mock it, while tossing in some emotional nonsense.
Allow me to prove my point to those that will read these posts.
I am directing the following questions to you Moda:
What type of standardizations are you referring to in your post that you think EPIK needs to adopt, and how would you go about assuring such lofty goals? Better yet, why do you think they are needed, when the recruits are completely different people?
Now, I know you are incapable of answering those questions, because by answering them, you will only be exposing the weakness in your view that EPIK needs to be standardized.
SCSA
If you truly believe my post was about pie, you really need serious help.
It was about how my overall conduct, generosity, willingness to help, etc. shaped my experience into something better than it would have been had I been a selfish, unhelpful, and complaining excuse for a foreigner in a foreign land!
You can not require people to be friendly and kind toward you. You have to foster that type of treatment with your behavior. It can not be legislated! |
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Mody Ba
Joined: 22 May 2003
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:14 pm Post subject: Doughboy Strikes Back!!!! |
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Doughboy...WHAT is it that the Squaffer knows?
Yes,it is useless for you to defend EPIK.Ah,yes,according to you,it only needs to be UNDERSTOOD.Happy baking,guy. |
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Anda
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 4:46 pm Post subject: Um |
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I work a 16 week but have a lot of time off for exams, school trips and other stuff. I'm alowed to come and go as I please as I'm always well prepared for teaching and average less than a day a year off for sickness. I mix well with staff and stuff like that. All in all I'm doing okay I think. |
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Mosley
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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Sure, I'll lie on the beach until 11:30("like, cool, dude...chill out"). To hell w/ the 9:20 class I'm supposed to teach.That concept is totally beyond my comprehension(no wonder I always felt like a fish out of water in Soviet Canuckistan). But you see, to "King Rat"(aka SCSA), I'M the "selfish sod" while Long-term is only getting what he "deserves". Actually, "King", I am no "recruit". Left the service 20 yrs. ago. The fact is I'm an experienced ESL teacher(maybe more experienced than you) who has bent over backwards for my school, school board and the EPIK overlords, and until quite recently kept my mouth shut about the whole thing.But I finally caught on that the more I accommodate my masters the more they dump on my head. If I finally say "ENOUGH!", does that make me a **** disturber? If so, I accept the title proudly.BTW, Long-term:what did you bake? Butter tarts? |
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long-term-player
Joined: 10 Feb 2003
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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Is it that we have two Epik scenarios? Those who work in District Offices of Education and thus are in schools where many(?) have very very flexible hours, coming and going, LONG holidays, and the POOR blighters condemed to the Teacher Training Centres that are more akin to Prison Life, and the Epiks there have intolerable conditions - long stertches of boredom, manning a desk from 9-5, 14 working days holiday compared to 8 weeks, whilst their collegues in the school next door (me) sit on the beach till 11.00 then go to schol for lunch! I suspect much bitterness herein is generated from Teacher Training Prisons, and who can blame them? Who in their right mind would EVER want to work for in the Castles of Wisdom? But reading the above I wonder if being nearly 2 meteres tall or baking tarts is the best way to go? |
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Mody Ba
Joined: 22 May 2003
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2003 8:35 pm Post subject: Maybe...But That's Not the Whole Story |
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Long-termer may very well be correct in his assertion that some of the bitterness arises from the difference in conditions between people who teach at schools and those who teach at Teaching Training Centres.I am not really familiar with the latter,since I teach at a school(incidentally,I have VERY few problems with the people at the school...it is EPIK and the provincial officialswho cause the problems)
However,Long-termers' assertion is not the whole story,by any means.In my opinion,other reasons for the bitterness felt by some EPIKs:
1.Provincial and local ed. bureaucrats feel no qualms about breaching the EPIK contract,although they expect(of course!) the EPIKs to follow it.
2.Some EPIKs are given deplorable housing,not fit for a dog.
3.Some EPIKs are not paid on time.Often,the local officials show very little concern.
4.The level of plain old ARROGANCE of some of the local bureaucrats is unspeakable.It has to be seen(and heard) to be believed.This probably arises(at least in part) from a resentment of foreign teachers,although part of it may be "hot-dogging" by newly hired or promoted \bureaucrats to show they "can control the foreigners."
Is EPIK a good program? Maybe for a few lucky souls.No matter what the apologists say,there is also a deal of unhappiness due to breached contracts,poor treatment,arrogant officials.....God help us all! |
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Mosley
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 3:37 am Post subject: |
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Gotta resurrect the thread. After being insulted by a young school board big shot pencil pusher today, I, an EPIK, who has done a HELL OF A JOB for the school board despite obstacles being put in my way at every turn, was denied pay(on payday) for the second time in 3 months. |
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Anda
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 4:57 am Post subject: Um |
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My school wasn't able to pay today because of some mix up with a computer program. I don't think this problem was my school's. My vice principle said sorry and the office staff I know were trying their best to get me paid. These things happen and there is no point in making it difficult for anybody at your school. I expect that I will probally get paid by midday tomorrow!
Last edited by Anda on Wed Jun 25, 2003 6:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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adventureman
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 6:20 am Post subject: |
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..
Last edited by adventureman on Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:13 am; edited 1 time in total |
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