Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ozerik]

I've got three children between the ages of 5 and 1. My wife and i did the hagwon thing for a year and a half, way back in '97 when the Asian financial crisis cut our pay in half in a month.

We'd like to come back to Korea. Is there any possibility that we'll find a situation that would work for a family of five? What if we convince one of our couple friends to come as well, and they have three kids? Are we INSANE???

As i said, we've both got experience teaching English in a hagwon setting, we've been working with troubled youth for eight years, so classroom management will be absolutely not a problem, my wife will probably be able to work on a limited basis...

[tzechuk]

Public schools may be your answer.

[Roch]

[ozerik]

So public schools might hire us? Does anyone know a family working in Korea?

And... this TEFL certificate on Dave's frontpage - http://www.teflonline.com/ - scam or read deal? Would it increase our chances of getting a job in a public school?

[Ya-ta Boy]

You might want to consider doing separate jobs...one in a public school (because they start work at about 8:30 and finish around 4:30 on a regular schedule) and an adult hakwon (which has early morning classes and evening classes--split shift), thereby reducing the need for daycare.

[Bondrock]

check your pm's

[Missile Command Kid]

I'm here with my wife, my three year old, and my two year old - in a hagwon. It's entirely possible.

[jmbran11]

My concern would be for your 5 year old. How do you plan on educating him/her in Korea? Korean public schools are difficult for foreign children and private schools are expensive.

[ozerik]

We're already home schooling (not because we're right wing religious fundamentalists, but because we want to provide even more variety and exposure to the real world for our kids) so that's not going to be an issue. Even if we never cracked open a book, he'd be learning more from a year in Korea than he'd be learning in public schools.

So... good thought, but no problem.

I taught two classes per week in a little public school a mile or so up the mountain east from Pusan University when we were there. I have no doubt my kids would be quite out of their element in that milieu.

[Hollywoodaction]

[awalk2remember]

Yes,

Totally possible. I am here with my son for the second time. As long as you can alter your schedules so that 1 of you can work while the other is watching the kids, you should be fine. And I think who ever mentioned the public school/adult hagwon idea is great !!!

And yes, your 5 year old will be treated like a star. My is like a celebrity at his Korean public school. Its hard at first, of course, but I really think these experiences will benefit later on in life.

I grew up a shy and very sheltered girl. Now my son has traveled around Asia with me and is very confident.

But, he is now eight and soon I will be moving back to a "westernized, english speaking country."

Its time now for some roots for him and perminant friends. Once your kids start getting older, which they seem to do earlier and earlier these days, the idea mom and dad teaching abroad with them in tow will not be so cool.

Anyhow, I hope this helps !!!

Good Luck !!!!

[luvnpeas]

[jazblanc77]

I would suggest a third option altogether: try finding a job in a private "foreign" elementary. In otherwords and international school. If you are qualified to get in, one of the benefits of working at such a school is that they will enroll your 5 year old for FREE. This would be a really good way for him/her to have their own Korean experience while here, and it would be economical for you.

I don't remember names of a lot of the schools, but there are several in Seoul and Busan (Daegu, I'm not so sure about).

THIS is the type of school that I'm talking about.