Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Peter Jackson]

I am interested in working in an international school in Korea. I am certified to teach high school English/Social/History in my province and have been teaching for over seven years, mostly in Asia. I would like to get into an international school as competition is heavy here (in my subject areas).

Any info, good or bad, about working in international schools would be appreciated.

Some key questions:

1 students ENGLISH ability. I worked in an international school in Thailand and several students struggled in English.

2 Duties, etc.

3 Pay

Thanks for any help.

[insam]

The top one in terms of maturity and prestige in Korea is Seoul Foreign School. I would say with the new campus and radical restructuring in recent years Korea International School is a close second (but in some ways has better facilities). The thing is that recruiting generally occurs in Jan-Feb and often all positions are filled for the fall semester at that time (teachers must renew or not renew contracts in December). There are occasional open positions due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g. teachers leaving during the school year etc).

The pay varies tremendously. At KIS it has actually dropped for new teachers over the past few years. I believe average salaries of new teachers at SFS is considerably higher. Negotiation is therefore very critical, and your education and experience is considered. Benefits are generally great and of course put you in a much higher income bracket than the salary suggests. At both the schools mentioned the English levels of the students is fairly high, but despite English-only policies, since most students are ethnic Koreans holding foreign passports, Korean can often be heard in the halls etc (didn't bother me but some people strongly frown on it).

SFS has a foreign Business Manager, and this is a major difference between the two and provides more of a bridge between faculty and Korean employees. Other international schools vary, some are in the early stages of being accredited (usually by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and therefore still have some non-certified teachers and weaker entrance requirements for students. Some like SFS have British Schools as well; most are on a US-based curriculum. Generally participation in extracurricular activites is expected, as well as occasional professional development workshops etc. Teachers may be creative in the extracurricular programs, so the amount of work involved varies. A teacher that has an after school program that involves travel to art museums often puts in more hours due to travel etc than one that chooses after school games for example. Much of it is simply standard expectations for true professional educators who view their jobs as careers.

I am only commenting on ones with which I have direct (KIS) and indirect (SFS) experience. I have heard gossip about other schools through the grapevine. If your are interested in intuitive judgments on particular schools based on hearsay, then you may ask in a pm (There is certainly a real heirarchy. Some 'international schools' with legal status as such in Korea are questionable). The main point is that you are treated with respect and enjoy a very comfortable life. I have known teachers that complain about everything. They will never be happy, but most are satisfied and realize how good they've got it. Apartments vary but most are of good quality, and negotiation is important. Some teachers have apartments that are twice the size of others. How does this happen? Part of it is tenure and heirarchy; part of it is that some people complain more than others. At some campuses you will have a commute and at others you may not. SFS has housing on the property (I wouldn't want to live that close, but some teachers may). All in all, you can have a great life as an international teacher in Korea. You are very high on the social heirarchy, well-respected, and well-compensated.

[Peter Jackson]

Thanks Insam for the information. I figured it would be too late to apply for a postion now but I also know, from experience in another country, that last minute changes do happen and a job opens up.

I know what you mean about Koreans using Korean. I worked at an international school in Thailand (in which about 60 per cent of the students were Korean) and their language was heard all the time. The school had some lame policy about only speaking English and the teachers had to act as "police officers" during breaks, handing out yellow slips to violators. I never did. I don't know what it is about Koreans; other foreign students (Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Taiwanese, etc) would speak English a lot of the time. Koreans tend to only hang out with Koreans at international schools.

I am a teacher on call at a high school in Canada. I can STILL hear loads of Korean speaking!! They're EVERYWHERE! LOL

I will check out the schools you mentioned.

Have a good day.

[arnica]

Insam had a lot of good info, but internationally the pecking order in Korea is clearly

1. SFS/SIS tied.
2. KIS a far, far second.

Non-Christian teachers tend to gravitate toward SIS--which also offers former hagwon teachers 1 year's worth of experience on the salary scale for every two years of hagwon experience.

Ironically, both SIS and KIS are outside of Seoul, but have more convenient and more accessible locations than SFS. Living on campus with a cadre of Christian teachers my also steer some people away from SFS. Other than that, a very professional staff. Ah, both SFS and SIS are IB schools, and I think KIS has pandered to Korean parents and their ability to comprehend what will get their child into the "Aibee Leeguh" by opting to focus on AP courses.

I would like to hear more about how KIS is coming along. As I know it, they haven't had a graduating class at the high school yet, or is this not the case?

[Boodleheimer]

i thought we were done with creepy thread resurrection.

[arnica]

[Boodleheimer]

[tzechuk]

So how much do they pay?

I have one school approaching me for possibly teaching there part time on a business related course and they said I would get a percentage of the teacher's monthly salary, pro rata, so to speak.

Any info would be appreciated.

[arnica]

[Boodleheimer]

[arnica]

[Col.Brandon]

The Lord of the Swirly Things.

I think the OP is back in Thailand now...

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[tzechuk]

[garykasparov]

Rumor has it that the name "Peter Jackson," a high ranking member in the fraternal order of pedophiles, draws more traffic to this site. So, I don't think the moderators will remove ALL his posts like they should.