Korean Job Discussion Forums

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I met one of the other elementary teachers waiting for the bus this morning. He informed me that he had given notice and was heading back to work in a hagwan. He said he just couldn't stand being next to useless in the public school system and felt that he was much happier working in his hagwan.

I told him I feel the same, but I couldn't go back to not getting paid, and getting the shaft on things like pension and health care and possibly having to share housing etc.

He replied that he knew the hagwan, had worked there before and had had no problems.........so for him, the decision was easy.

I am not sure if I am ready for that yet, even if I knew it were a good hagwan.... Confused

I am feeling a bit depressed about my work situation, but am not sure what I should do.

My question is...for those of you who have spent more than a year in the public school system:

Does it get any better after a while, or do you still feel like a useless 'tit'
most of the time?

Please explain..

Thanks.

Alyallen

icicle · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Gyeonggi do Korea

I haven't spent more than a year in Public schools but I have spent 2 1/2 months in a Middle school and I don't feel useless ... Not that I don't think some things could be better ... but I do feel like I have a role and responsibilities ... and feel like it is getting better as well.

I am basically responsible for the lessons that I teach so planning and teaching ... including at the moment deciding what to include. I feel like I need to get some more input from my CT's but more in the sense of planning ahead .. planning broadly ... and perhaps linking it more to their lessons. My lessons don't use the texbook which is used with all of the otehr classes ..

I think that it has been said before that there are definitely differences between schools ... and it seems to me that most of the people who really have problems with their schools ... and somewhat limited roles seem to be from Elementary schools rather than Middle Schools or High Schools ... Is that true?...

Icicle

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

Somedays yes somedays no.

I now have one good CT
One reasonable one.
One useless one but nice
One replacement one for the preggers one who was shite. He is ok and new so I will give him a chance.

bosintang · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:00 pm Post subject:

I don't think a public school job is perfect, but because of the stability I prefer it to a hagwon. Kind of half-miss the hagwon dramas and half don't. A hagwon is better place to be a story teller, a public school is a better place to be if you're laid back and just want to do your thing at work and go home and not worry about it.

I won't be doing either again, in the same role, if I can help it.

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Thanks for the responses.

I guess what you are telling me is hang in there, and try harder .... to find ways to be more effective.

It's not that I don't know how I could improve things, it's that I'm given very little lattitude from my K-teachers.

Every time I come up with something that I think will just knock their socks off, my co-teacher always seems to manage to sabotage it ....
or at least make it so boring that the students all hate it.

Thanks for the encouragement anyhooooo...

Cheers.

bosintang · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:03 pm Post subject:

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Affirmative captain. Confused

bosintang · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:14 pm Post subject:

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

Sarcasm?

I didn't mean to be sarcastic. Sorry if it came across that way.

I was trying to be "witty"...... oh well.

I guess I'm just a useles twit after all. Wink

The_Conservative · Joined: 15 Mar 2007

Bear256 · Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Location: Anacortes, Washington USA

I teach in a small public Elementary school. I co-teach 6 classes and teach 19 classes K-6th all by myself. My co-teacher wants me to cover about 80% of the class and he will do the rest. He usually does an intro in Korean about what we are going to cover and the game at the end.

There are several other teachers in my area with similar work situations. I am about 16 kms west of Kimpo City and about 25 from Seoul so it's not like I am really out in the sticks. I saw an advertisement for a teacher at a school about 10kms from mine. 60 students total K-6 and class sizes of 6-8 children and all the perks of public schools.

I like teaching on my own without mommies looking over my shoulder and scared owners changing the drill every day to appease the latest whiner. I like never worrying about whether my pay will show up or not. My biggest complaint, strange as it seems, is that I don't get ENOUGH feedback and direction from my school.

All public schools are not the same. If you want something different there are undoubtedly many small schools who would love to have you come teach.

As a point of reference I am completing my 3rd year here and my 4th teaching in Korea. Their funding has changed and although I intended to head back to the real world this September, they talked me into a six month extension until their new funding kicks in next March. What's six more months at this point.......

hubba bubba · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

I didn't feel useless when I started. I feel pretty worthless nowadays. I'm starting to feel like extending my contract was a mistake.

dmbfan · Joined: 09 Mar 2006