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Scott Hanson
Joined: 06 Mar 2008
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 Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:16 am Post subject: Quite a few questions from a teacher in Changwon |
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Hi! Thanks in advance for reading this.
I've been teaching in Changwon for about 7 months and am liking it here. At the end of my contract (end of August) I will be going home. Next January I plan on returning to Korea to teach for another year. Here are my questions...
First, my boss wants me to resign with the school. I'm only making 2.1 right now. He's mentioned that I would be able to get a pay raise. How much is reasonable to ask? The Hagwon is doing quite well.
Second, I've thought about trying to instead get a job teaching in a nice area of Busan. There might just be more to see and do. How difficult would it be to get a job at, let's say, a public school in Haeundae? Are public schools great to work at? How is life in Busan compared to Changwon?
I've thought about taking a course to get more certified for teaching while I'm back home. Which course would you recommend taking? I'm looking at a course that is at about one month (either online or at a school). CELTA? TESOL?
Thanks for your answers! |
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Scott Hanson
Joined: 06 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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| anyone? any of the questions? |
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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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If your going home for 6 odd months then I'd say definitely use the time to get some more training, especially as you're now considering a PS gig. Many will say that it's not worth the expense considering the demands of the typical Korean PS classroom, but I'd still say it'll make a good investment.
Regardless of which you decide to take; CELTA or Cert. TESOL (I've the latter) you'll have an excellent certificate and one that will be in your pocket for the rest of your life and you'll also be a better prepared English Language teacher for it.
You'll be starting on (roughly) 2.3 with a certificate if you do come back and take a PS gig in January and with more holiday time etc. I'd see if your hagwon boss will match that first and then decide. |
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Carlyles Ghost
Joined: 04 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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Okay. Anything for a fellow Changwonian.
1) When he gets up and leaves the room in anger, you've hit your salary ceiling. As a good yardstick, MS/PS teachers get bumped from 2.1 to 2.3 in the second contract (plus the bonus if you live in "rural" areas like Changwon).
2) I would never teach at a Hagwon again. Middle school has its challenges but nothing like a Hagwon.
2b) I believe the EPIK program operates on a first-come-first-served basis; if you want Haeundae, the sooner you get your application in, the better. Life in Busan couldn't be that much different from Changwon; it is, afterall, only 20-30 minutes away (90 minutes on Fridays).
3) Some say it's good to be TESOL/CELTA certified; others say it's useless. |
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Scott Hanson
Joined: 06 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, thank you both!
I guess then, if I resign with my hagwon, I probably won't go for the extra training (I only plan on doing one more year of teaching). My hagwon is really pretty decent. A lot of work, but nice people. Really friendly co-teachers and such.
Again, thanks! |
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agoodmouse
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Anyang
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Scott Hanson wrote: |
| I'm looking at a course that is at about one month (either online or at a school). CELTA? TESOL? |
Look, the easy way to get a TESOL certificate is to enroll online and pay $200 for a certificate. Recently, someone on another thread about TTI TEFL said it can take just two days. There you go. I'd suggest you show a different kind of care toward yourself, though, and do an on-site program to begin to develop yourself more fully.
Not sure where you live, but just Google "TEFL" or "TESL" along with the name of a major/local city near you, and you should be able to find an TEFL/TESOL at a testing center or university. For better or worse, there's not a more recognized TESOL program other than the CELTA. I took it and it was an enriching experience. It's started a revolution in my teaching and made me appreciate my job teaching students. I'm so much more effective and directed in my teaching. It's pretty emotional for me. That's how good I feel. I've taken an online TEFL course, which was too easy and in fact poorly written (e.g. too many teaching areas left uncharted in its contents, and a lot of spelling mistakes in it). A lot of holes in it.
For God's sake, take any non-online teaching course, whether it's at a university, teaching college, or teacher training center.
Use the search function on this message forum and search for CELTA and you'll find a myriad of discussions, opinions, and comments about people who've taken it. Plenty of people have taken the CELTA on this message forum. Oddly enough, some people on this forum have a lot to say about the CELTA despite not having taken it. But, hey, it's a free internet right? Some even support online TEFL courses when they haven't even taken one. |
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