Korean Job Discussion Forums

[driftingfocus]

So, I'm trying to decide between two jobs I have been offered, and I'm hoping that you all who have more experience with this might be able to help. Here are the rough details:

Position 1

Public High School in a rural location, 1hr outside Seoul.
Salary 2.1 + 100,000 monthly rural allowance
300,000 Settlement allowance
22 Classes/week, overtime is 20,000 and available
4 weeks vacation
Working hours: 8:30-4:30
(+ normal stuff like severance, airfare, housing, etc)
1 Year Contract with GEPIK


Position 2

Hagwon in Daegu
Elementary and Middle School Students
Salary 2.2
30 classes/week, overtime is 20,000 and available
1 week vacation
Working hours: 2:30-8:30
(+ one way ticket, half severance, housing, etc)
6 month contract, renewable to 1 year.


Now, normally I'd just jump right at the public school (seems like a no-brainer), but I am unable to email with any of the teachers currently at that school. I was looking for 6 month contracts initially as a way out if things sucked, but are public schools generally a good enough bet than it's better to choose a year commitment to one of them than a 6 month at a hagwon?

For what it's worth, I've worked with both age groups before, though not in Korea. I also have TESOL certification and have experience with lesson plan creation, etc. Also, the rural location of the public school is not a problem for me.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Have you taught in Korea before? If not a good hagwon might be a better introduction, though if you have no way of knowing whether it's good and are going in blind the PS would be a much safe option. You might also want to consider what ages you work better with. Contrary to what many Koreans think, you can't just stick any white person in all kinds of classrooms and expect the same results. Mid- to late teens learn in very different ways from elementary-aged students.

If you can get a six-month contract you know you can terminate at six months, and have never taught in Korea before, I'd suggest going with that. Six months to learn the ropes at a bad institute is tolerable. A year at a bone fide crapwon is just too long.

[driftingfocus]

[kprrok]

[driftingfocus]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[yingwenlaoshi]

The 6-month thing seems suspect. But the hours rock. Much better than the public school's. I'd think you'd want a year contract with the regulations being as they are.

Like a previous poster said, teaching 10 or less students is a much better situation than 30 plus.

But like you said, you're not able to check the hagwon out.

Working at a hagwon is less stressful if you're getting paid. 30 hours/wk is fine. But your public has 4 weeks of vacation. Whether you actually get that or not is a good question.

Both salaries are pretty low.

[driftingfocus]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[BS.Dos.]

In all honesty, I'd say spend another week or so on daves browsing the threads dedicated to Hagwons Vs. PS, then you'll be in a much better position to answer your question yourself. I'd personally say go for the PS, but then I would as I'm working in one myself and having a great time.

Additionally, like you, I also have a TESOL, but as YBS points out, some of the skills you acquired will be fairly redundant over here. However, while it's near on impossible to gain language instruction experience in the West that can successfully replicate a typical Korean classroom, both in terms of class size and in gaining experience teaching monoglot students, it's not to say that those other skills you acquired: an appreciation of learning styles, developing your own materials, lesson structure and planning etc, will be wasted.

As you've both the TESOL and teaching experience, I'd say that you're much better prepared than most newbies who are contemplating a PS route and given that, I'd say you shouldn't really have too much to fear in terms of teaching in a PS over here.

One thing you also need to consider is the unspecified 'perks' that many PS FTs enjoy over here, which if you luck out, fit it and get your head down, can be significant.

[esetters21]

Preparedness is a little overrated. It is a different beast here than what you are accustomed to. Experience is always a good thing, but expectations and teaching criteria aren't necessarily the same. Good luck to you, regardless.

[majolica]

as far as i know, the ONLY reason to teach at a hagwon (other than the few gems that no "newbie" is going to find) as a newbie is so that you can later fully appreciate how wonderful your PS contract really is.

you'll definitely get your PS vacation time... a week of vacay for a hagwon is low and in my opinion too low for happiness (unless your only goal is to make money for a year).

i think it's generally better for new teachers to take PS jobs, get their feet wet in a pretty comfortable situation. and anyway, 30 isn't that much harder than 10, and you legally are supposed to have help, and you can demand it from your school if discipline is tough in a large class.

take the PS, once you know the ropes (not teaching, but Korea-specifc, contract ropes) you are in a position to handpick a really good hagwon position if you want one.

[KYC]

Take the ps high school position. No need to worry about class sizes because it's rural. I work at a rural public elementary. My biggest class size is 15. And do read the public vs. private sticky thread.

Most ppl think you should start with a hogwan to get your feet wet but I think ps are safer & better.

[Otherside]

Hagwons are great for getting your feet wet. Take the Hagwon position.
After a year (in your case, 6months) of hagwon hell, you will really appreciate your PS position far far more. Reminds me of that joke about when the woman goes to visit the rabbi...