Korean Job Discussion Forums

frankhenry · Joined: 13 Mar 2007

I'm in the GEPIK/Public School Progrm. When I finish this contract, I'm going back to the hogwans.

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

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

Your ability to teach is secondary to your ability to get along with others.
Be prepared to make at lot of comprimises. The odds of having a co-teacher 100% of the time is nil. Your appearance and manners are very important.

You also need to develope a no nonsence attitude when teaching alone.

frankhenry · Joined: 13 Mar 2007

frankhenry · Joined: 13 Mar 2007

nomad-ish · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject:

jennbear73 · Joined: 19 Jan 2005 Location: Tallahassee, Fl

hey sojourner1

Are you going through a recruiter? I'm looking to go in August - can't make the Feb deadline - I was looking at Footprints and I was also considering Gangwondo are also - but according to their website they filled those positions already - next choice : Seoul!

Anyway - I'd PM you - but I don't have enough posts yet - grrrr

crazy_arcade · Joined: 05 Nov 2006

OP: Why the post? It's obvious you've already made up your mind that everything will be negative anyways. I think GwangjuBoy is taking the piss and playing into your preconceived conceptions.

If you're not going to go into something with an open mind, why go into it at all?

Paddycakes · Joined: 05 May 2003 Location: Seoul

I did one year of EPIK.

I think how well you will like it depends more on your personality than the Korean school system itself.

For me it was like being in some kind of bizarre prison, but that's my personality. Other people loved it and were well suited it.

Personally, a good hogwan is better than an average EPIK school. And an average EPIK school is a lot better than a bad hogwan.

As for Korean teachers: A mixed bag. If you're really lucky you'll get one who has lived overseas for a long time.

andrew · Joined: 30 Jan 2003

.....

SHANE02 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003

that's a good post Very Happy

BS.Dos. · Joined: 29 Mar 2007

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

frankhenry, I know what you mean.

I had a great hogwan experience too. Awesome director who is still in touch with me, good working conditions, amazing kids and supportive parents, no hassles with pay (big pension issues though!) and a wonderful brand new apartment.

Now I'm in a GEPIK public school and I often miss my hogwan too mainly due to the sheer size of classes here. I like my school and adore my co-workers here but I too have considered going back into a hogwan where classes are limited to 10-15 students.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

Any job is what you make of it. You'll need to earn the respect of your co-teachers, Principal, VP, and students to do a good job - and, importantly, have a enjoyable year. Just do a good job - and be firm about your working conditions.

I started off rough and had to pull my contract in the first week, no-less (my school took my lunch hour away). A phone call to Head Office fixed that.

I also had another problem with teachers using corporal punishment on my students (in my presence) which made me move from that room (to my classroom). This was embarrassing for everyone concerned and this problem still arises occasionally in my classroom. This week I suggested one of my co-teachers prepare the students for their tests in his homeroom (as he has become increasingly violent with them as end-of-term behavior deteriorates).

I've also had the usual co-teacher problems. But, to be fair, I've enjoyed teaching with my co-teachers this year. All bar one has allowed me to teach my lesson without interference - and I feel that I've helped their kids' learn some English.

However, one co-teacher could not adapt to communicative, task-based teaching - and wrestled for class control from the beginning. After 6 weeks, I just let her go - I let her dominate the class - talk in Korean and drill in Korean English. Some days this is very frustrating (I'm still considering whether to re-sign) as I'll never be able to teach communicately with this co-teacher. And she still treats me as an 'assistant' - although I plan and deliver lessons for about 1,000 kids a week).

But, my pay's only been late twice which is much better than my hagwon where I had to take the boss to the bank every month.

I'm still waiting to see if my punishment dispute will stop the school asking me to stay another year.

My advice, go for it. My public school beats my old hagwon - anyday.

ardis · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul

My public school is really great--the co-teachers can all communicate well (one is fantastic at English--she speaks rapidly, with a great accent, and has a great vocabulary), my other co-workers go out of their way to greet me in English, my vice principal is a very sweet woman, and my principal is forever asking if I need anything else for my apartment, classroom, etc. Basically...they're really great.

There are some surprises, but they're usually just "Oh! No 2nd period today, okay? The students are behind/have a field trip/are testing." I usually get at least 2-3 classes like that a week.

The students' levels can be...frustrating, however. I work for a more low-income middle school, and there are maybe only 3-4 students in each class that can speak *decent* English (not great, not good, but decent). Half of my classes can't even respond when I ask "How are you today?" Out of the 800+ students that I teach, the teachers said maybe only 20 have ever gone to a hagwon for English. Difficult.

But like others have said, it definitely varies from school to school. Overall, I feel like I have a pretty cushy job compared to some friends at hagwons.