Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kentucker4]

Hey, I am leaving for S Korea on Thursday. What was everyone's first day like once they arrived to Korea for the first time? What should I expect?

I have zero teaching experience and hate public speaking. So I am a little nervous.

[KYC]

Depends...what ages are you teaching?

Depends....will you be working at a public or private school?


My first two weeks were pretty easy....sat at my desk while little kids would come up and say hello to me every 5 minutes. Then I was thrown into the wolves and was watched by 2 Korean teachers. Scary..but ok I guess.

[Ya-ta Boy]

You are 'lucky' you will be leaving late in the week. This means you won't start work till Monday (probably).

Most likely you'll be taken to your apt and dropped off. You'll have Sat./Sun. to explore your neighborhood, find grocery stores, figure out the general lay of the land. You'll have a million questions and no one will be around to answer them. That sucks.

Mostly, you'll be too jet-lagged and jazzed up to sleep.

Good luck.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

I arrived at a hotel my first night because my predecessor was still in the apartment. The next day I was watching classes, and the day after that I was teaching (public school).

A word of advice: Be sure you pack enough clothes and toiletries in your carry-on in case the airline loses your luggage. My bags arrived 3 days after I did, and luckily I had packed enough in my carry-on to get me through.

One more thing, Koreans' expectations of foreigners are very high. Just don't let anyone intimidate you and act like you know your stuff, even if you don't.

[kentucker4]

[JAWINSEOUL]

I think what you'll find that all schools and hogwans are created differently. Some teachers will post horror stories, while some will paint a picture of daisies and butterflies. The differeces in the way hogwans are run are really extreme in Korea. / /

Bad things I've seen:
Teachings hitting 4 year old and seeming to like it.
Schools not paying on time and sometimes not at all.
Housing that is far from the promised conditions.
Cameras in the classroom.
Hawkish owners watching you teach.

Good things
Great teachers who really love thier students and schools
Supportive and helpful owners who will help you wiht outside school issues.
Great housing and some other benifits.
Respectful students

Good luck to you !

[kimchi_pizza]

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Fair enough, it could be case by case. But if someone is going to spend thousands of dollars to get a native speaker over here, they generally expect a return on their investment. The consensus seems to be that Koreans will throw a native speaker in the classroom and expect "English Magic."

The OP may get lucky and have a great boss who is understanding of his lack of experience. It really pays to be assertive but also show that you are flexible, but not a doormat...quite a balancing act. People skills really come into play here, moreso than public speaking skills.

[kentucker4]

[kimchi_pizza]

[Jizzo T. Clown]

If you're going to a hagwon then you don't have anything to worry about because you'll have your own textbook to work from, as well as a teachers guide to walk you through the process of planning.

That is one advantage the hagwons have over public school, where you're thrown into a classroom and told to "teach English" to 40 kids who care nothing about learning a foreign language. At least in the English academies many of the students will be somewhat motivated.

You can also check out the idea cookbook on Dave's, and there are many, many websites and books to help you out as far as classroom control and lesson plans. And you can always post your questions here--those who don't attack you will gladly offer their advice.

Good luck and have fun!

[PGF]

[kentucker4]

Hey, check your PM box.


So anyone ever here of www.koreteaching.com? That's where I found my job at.

[MantisBot]

[Jizzo T. Clown]