Korean Job Discussion Forums

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Okay so I've been given some listening courses to teach. This has to be the easiest course to teach. Give a hand out. Play a tape. Correct in class. The material is about 10 minutes shorter than the allotted class time. But no problem. Four years of teaching I can ask the kids enough questions based on the material they just heard to fill the time.

Anyway, my current schedule goes like this. I work 90 minutes on Monday. 2 hours 15 minutes on Tuesday. Three hours on Wednesday. An oppressive 5 hours on Thursday. Friday, nothing. Zero hours. I apparently don't even have to come into work on Friday. Saturday/Sunday of course is my weekend.

My boss, a Korean guy I'll call Bob, is pretty nice. Soft spoken. Went to his wedding. Put 60,000 won in his envelope. Gave him a Detroit Tigers ball cap when I came back from Canada. He plays ball.

Anyway, he confides he's been working a lot. To 11 pm every night. His wife is not happy.

You see a small disconnect here? Anyway, we started a new program this month. I've never taught listening before so Bob prepared the first weeks hand out, made all the homework tapes, and gave me the text book.

So I start asking him some production question. How did he prepare the handouts? (They use photos from the book.) How does he select what stuff from the book to put on the handouts. He tells me not to worry. He'll make them for me.

I want to kick him. I show him my schedule and the huge blank on Friday. "Bob, I think I get how to make the hand outs. I can really do it. If you notice, I have no courses to teach on Friday. I really don't mind coming in on Friday and preparing the handouts for my own classes."

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

Where do you work and are there any positions opening in January.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

sojourner1 · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 7:38 pm Post subject:

Is this a full time job with salary, flight, and apartment included? It sounds like a part time job where you are paid by the hour with no other contract provisions such as apartment, full salary, and flight. If you get all that, then you got an awesome gig, couldn't be any easier than this.

Mary-Jane · Joined: 22 Mar 2006

You'll just have to keep trying to persuade him. Say gently that you can see he wants to make sure the course is good, but he can trust you, etc. Let him check the material you make afterwards.

But what a blissful sounding job! My school leaves the teachers to compose nearly the entire curriculum. It's a good thing we're an honest bunch, or the school'd be scrwed! The prep work has definitely and frequently stampeded all over the contracted working hours, that's for sure.

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You are actually asking for more work? Wow.

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

Don't burn your chickens before they're hatched.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

The Bobster · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

I don't know your visa situation so I don't want to suggest you beak the law, but ...

Private teaching is pure teaching. You get to decide what your students need, balance it with what they want, and then go out on the 'net or into your head and figure out how to give them the good stuff. It's all on you. You gotta make your own curriculum, and if good things happen you can smile becuase it's something you did. All yourself.

There's a separate thread about this, and I don't wanna urge people to break the law if they are not that way inclined. But, hey, you are complaining you have too much time on your hands.

You could also find an orphanage and volunteer, but I've had people tell me that is also illegal. Always been curious about that ... would LOVE to see someone fight the govt for their right to help orphans, haha.

jangsalgida · Joined: 11 Jan 2006

Just give it more time. The departure of places seems to be the difficulty. Everything was going well at my public after-school program as well. I started last Sept. and have them on the back of my ARC. My 1st/original sponsor contract ended in June so I found another 1st/original sponsor, then had to make another/new contract with the same after-school program.

I was told by the agency that connected me to this school that they would be my sole sponsor but wouldn't give me permission to work anywhere else. I didn't like that since I wouldn't receive vacation or pension, so I again have them on the back of my ARC.

This past week they told me a few months ago I received complaints from parents that I sexually harassed little elementary school girl students(skinship). They gave me until the 21st of Sept. I told them that's fine but I'll expect pay through the 5th of Oct. We'll see?

dogshed · Joined: 28 Apr 2006

I don't know Bob, but I've seen this sort of thing in non-profits back in the US. Some people connect their self-worth to their job. If they delegate then they are not doing their job and they feel bad.

Alyallen · Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:17 am Post subject:

The Bobster · Joined: 15 Jan 2003