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]