Korean Job Discussion Forums

[GreenlightmeansGO]

Hi, all.

I have to decide whether to stay another year at my job or to move on.

Here's the deal:
I don't like my boss. There's been outright refusal to tell parents that their children are misbehaving - which means the parents never reinforce what I am doing in class and the same kids are problems every day. As a result I am struggling to teach the classes. I really try to get results, but with these distractions the progress is super-slow.
My salary will go up next year to 2.1 million, an increase of 100K, but the classes will also be increasing. I can't recall the exact details, but each week I will be working about 32 hours (an hour's class being 40 min) and I will end up with a salary of 2.34 million each month.
If I do stay on at the school, my boss is unwilling to pay for 2 return flights to Korea (at the end of both contracts). She wants to pay me for a flight home now and not at the end of the second contract (which will end in February 2009). She has agreed, however, to give me 500K for my flight home in March 2008 and 500K in 2009. This is about...1 mil less than it would be if I got all my flights covered.
Effectively I will be earning 1.2 mil extra on my base salary and losing 1 mil on flights. I know I will be earning 240K more each month, but I would be working hours for that extra money.

Not to paint a totally negative picture, the texts are easy to teach, there is almost no prep needed for class, I work in the daytime (which I prefer) and I never have to mark papers.

My other options: I can most likely get a job at a decent hagwon that I know of and earn about 2.4 mil. I know that I want to move up and start teaching older students (university level or adults)...
I think I just answered my own question...
I'm really swinging back and forth on this decision.

Please give me any advice or just your thoughts on my situation.
Thanks.

[diablo3]

Ask for more money, it is at least something which helps you be a little happier

AND

take the ticket home now, at least you won't be losing anything then.

[ttompatz]

Move on.

Take a break between contracts. Spend a week or a month on the beach or just go home for a while.

Find a new job.

There is no shortage of them and you are being taken advantage of where you are.

With experience you should be able to find jobs at 2.2-2.3 and potentially as high as 2.6 + full benefits.

Tell her to find a replacement for the end of your contract because you have a better offer. Take your airfare, severance and chug onward.

[sojourner1]

I wouldn't sign on another year if I were you. The first part of not liking your boss already answers your question. Just make preparations to depart and then take another job when you are ready. 32 teaching hours a week and refusing to pay for flights between contracts is wrong as this is standard when re-upping in many hagwons and all public schools.

I hear you on the the lack of discipline support problem which is all too common. Some classes are nerve racking madhouses you just have deal with and other classes are well behaved and learning well. Hagwons don't usually care about you being a real teacher producing real results though they love to show it off when you do. They care about money. I don't mean to be crass. I don't even complain or say anything to my director like I did in the first 2 months as a newbie since it's better to just ride the storm than to fight it since a director or any else could care less about your bad behaved brats/classroom management problems.

[GreenlightmeansGO]

Thanks, everyone, for the help so far. I am pretty sure I'm going to seek out greener pastures. I'd gotten so used to the idea of staying at the same school and was ready for another year, but I think I was just caught up in the moment and eager to earn 340 000 more...but it's not so great when you look at all the downsides.

Maybe a holiday in Thailand and a TEFL certificate will be a better idea.