Korean Job Discussion Forums

interplanetjanet · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Location: Bundang

I have read alot already about public vs private schools. My biggest concern and question is, what is more suitable for a first time teacher with no experience or training? My gutt is saying hogwan, after reading on this topic, but I could use a few extra words of wisdom on this.
I am currently considering a public or hogwan in Changwon, or a couple hogwans in Seoul, including ECC.

(One day I will finally get to Korea and stop asking all these questions!!)

hubba bubba · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

It depends too much on the actual school/hagwon to give you a good answer.

Scouse Mouse · Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Location: Cloud #9

First timer here and just completed my first day of lessons at a public school. Go for it!

The support I have had is amazing. To say every member of staff has been helpful is selling them short - I have been made to feel that they are ecstatic to have me here and the feeling is mutual.

As well as them buying me anything (and I mean anything) I have requested, they also paid me a chunk of cash on landing and made sure I met foreign teachers from other schools in the province.

They are sending me on an induction course next month to give me a better clue about teaching in Korea... so training and benefits that a hagwon would never offer!

vanland · Joined: 27 Feb 2007

I was wondering the same thing as I start in a few weeks time. Seems there just isn't enough experienced teachers around.

Any of the more experienced teachers in Korea got any advice for us newbies re being first timers without experience in a public school?

lulu144 · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Location: Gwangju!

you can do it. I did. 6 months in to public school - no experience prior- mind you i did take TESOL- but really it doesn't do that much, except you make more money...

Anyways my first few weeks were totally overwhelming because I had NO idea what level the kids were at. How do you plan when you don't know the level of the kdis?? You just have to try something with them may work, may not, might be to hard, or could be bored. Now i have a general feeling of what works and what doesn;t.

I didn't want to go to a hogwan for a second- as the hours are so much longer. ( usually), and public school seemed to fit me.
anyways it's all good and there are so many resources on the internet. the only downside is working with no other foreigners.....
and there are soo many resources and lesson plans on the internet it's not even funny.
hope that helps

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I would strongly recommend trying to find a six-month hagwon gig. Three months honeymoon, three months crap, and then you see what works and what doesn't and if you really want to teach here.

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

vanland · Joined: 27 Feb 2007

While I would love to have the experience that comes with enduring a Hogwan, the large amount of negative feedback is a huge turn off, so it is hard to turn down a public school job when different recruiters are keen to give the jobs away.

I understand where you are coming from with that point of view, though it does sound a bit like; 'learn what not to do from the personal experience rather than learning from what other people say not to do through their negative experiences'.

Thanks though, appreciate the thoughts.

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

interplanetjanet · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Location: Bundang

Thanks everyone,
I am still undecided. So I think I am just going to go with whatever school feels right for me, hogwan or public. I just need to make a decision and get OUT OF TOWN!!! Mad

fizban · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Location: Bucheon

Saw your thread,

I just started at a public high school. No prior experience. I don't teach until next week, this week being an orientation week. At first I was kind of panicking. There was no real set material for me and everything seemed daunting.

But like another said, the support I've gotten from the faculty has been amazing. They are patiently answering my questions and doing their best to help me feel at ease.

The hours are reasonable and unlike a hogwon there's little chance that there will be anything "shady" about your pay and benefits. But from my research, the pay is a bit lower but you get more vacation time, less hours but bigger class size, freedom to create your lessons but no real guidance on lessons. If you can find a good hogwon, it could be a better "virgin" ESL teaching job because the lessons are mapped out for you but "good" seems to be a relative crapshoot.

venus · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: Near Seoul

I don't want to put any downers on your coming to Korea, but will just tell it how I see it.

Either way you are going to encounter lots of stupidity, absurdity and genral disorganisation, confusion and incompetence to enable you to do a great job of teaching whether it's a public or private school.

Actually the private school will have smaller, more managable classes and BETTER, yes better materials (in most cases.)

However, there will still be enough problems from paragraph two to make this point moot.

Basically you'll get more time off, less teaching hours and admin hours at a high school, likely a better apartment, better treatment by your principal and the feeling of working at almsot a 'real' job.

Another IMPORTANT thing to consider is the fact that at the pubic school you will most likely be the only foriegner at the school. this can make for a lonely work week. I am in this situation and it was tough at first as I was used to working at private schools which had at least five or more other waeygooks to talk to and bitch to all day, go drinking after school, eat lunch with etc... Now as I have a decent social life after school and at weekends though, I've got used to it and it's fine, I have my own office, computer etc and just do my own thing when not teaching.

That's in my experience of having had worked at both private and public schools.

My only issue though would be living in Changwon.

I'm not sure how far this is from Seoul, but if you're like me, you'll want to be at most an hour by subway or bus from Seoul in order to socialise, go out shoping and doing touristy stuff etc... I live in a rural area now but it's only a 35 minute bus ride to Seoul, so it's fine... Also there may not be many or any other foriegn teachers living there which could make for an isolated experience. I know that having other foriegn friends to go out have dinner and drink with in the week is what has kept me going here a lot of the time...

On the other hand, if you're looking at a more rural area and are the kind of quiet person who has a simple lifestyle etc, doesn't need the city then I'd say go for the public school job.

Good luck.

Colorado · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:45 pm Post subject:

Contrary to popular belief, there is life outside of Seoul. Changwon is a perfectly liveable mid-sized city with all the Western amenities you could ask for. It is not a rural area and is in fact a wonderful place to live and work. A public school job in Changwon would be an excellent choice.

passport220 · Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do province

This is my first ever gig teaching, I am at a public school. I am pleased with my choice to start at a public school in that I teach the same lesson over and over again to many classes. This may be boring to a more experienced teacher, but it gives me a chance to work out the bugs and end up with an effective lesson that is interesting to the students that I can deliver with a lot of confidence.

Also with a lighter teaching schedule that I would likely have in a private institute I have time plenty of time to prepare for class, a plus for an inexperienced teacher.

I live in city of about 250K about 4 hours from Seoul. I suspect clerks in banks, shops, etc. would have better English skills in Seoul than here. Other than that I don�t feel like I am missing out on anything. There is a wide array of modern Western amenities here.

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

It can vary greatly depending on the school/hagwan in question.

So far, my first week in an elementary school has been...

Well, good and bad depending on the class/level etc.

It seems that each K-teacher has different expectations of what they want me to do. Some want to lead the class and have me as a pronunciation puppet.... others want to let me run the show and they only step in if there are control problems and or misunderstandings.
I have a different co-teacher for each level, so I have a full range of experiences. Confusion is normal, but I think I am getting the hang of it.

The teaching seems pretty simple and straight forward compared to a hagwan, but the BS factor is pretty high. Meetings every day for the first two weeks.....nobody else I've talked to has to do this, but I am not sure I can get out of it.