Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hank the Iconoclast]

I am probably going to re-sign here in Buyeo because I am quite happy here with my schools and my students. However, I am getting a bit tired of teaching at four different middle schools because it is really difficult for me to organize and the commute to that many schools is beginning to wear on me. It will be fine for the remainder of my contract but I am always trying to improve my situation.

I know why I teach at four schools because three of them have between 60-80 students. I am just wondering if during the contract renogtiation, if it would be possible to reduce the number of schools to two or three.

[pandapanda]

There's no harm in asking, just be ready for them to say no.

[Dome Vans]

What you might find Hank is that they are trying to reduce the number of schools that a teacher teachs at.

Last year I taught at 4 schools. This year it was reduced to 3. All the other teachers in my area have had theirs reduced to three. More teachers are being hired to spend more time at less schools. A lot of the elementary schools are getting their own native teachers to spend more hours teaching the grades. Rather than have the likes of me teaching for one day and each grade only once a week.

The new government has put English at the top of the list so expect to have less schools.

From what I know when you come up to re-new with EPIK they'll give you a form to fill out. You put in whether you would like to re-new, what you would like (salary increase, more bits for your apartment etc) When they get this form they'll look at what you want and then you can negotiate. (My co-teacher said that the Office of Education will look at the figures for incoming/outgoing teachers and base their answer on that) Saying you want to teach in less schools is not being unreasonable and if there are more teachers coming then I can't see it being a problem.

One bit I think is a little tight is the transporting yourself. I'm picked up and dropped off by all my schools. I used to have to take a taxi t one of my elementaries in the afternoon but they changed my schedule so I spent all day there. Speak with them, fill out the form and see what they say. Good Luck!