Korean Job Discussion Forums

[expat2001]

There other day I was talking to my co teachers and I was told something interesting. None of them want to be teaching English.(I didnt really get into the "why" cause I thought one of hte reasons could be they dont like expats.)

Do others have the same situation with their korean co teachers?
How does this affect work?

In a way , I can see that they dont want to be there.To add , the teachers and myself arent clicking

[poet13]

Are you by any chance fromtheuk's sock?

And is it possible for a sock to have a sock?

[aalais]

Neither of my co-teachers want to be teaching English, either. I think in public schools, the principal basically orders somebody to do it, and they're stuck.

My co-teachers don't want to teach English because 1. They're nervous and embarrassed about their English skill, 2. They hate the texbook as much as the students do, and 3. They make less money than homeroom teachers do. I'm not sure how much less money; I've heard both 100,000 a month and 300,000 a month.

My co-teachers are cool about it, and don't take it out on me or the students, but I can see how it might be a problem for you. Sorry you're in a bad situtation.

[fromtheuk]

My co-teacher told me they don't like to be English teachers because their pay is reduced, just for being an English teacher. In my case the co-teacher has to regularly see the Principal, which she hates, because the Principal is a stern individual.

It's nice to now I am not the only one who can sense the misery some Korean teachers feel, as English teachers. And they are unhappy due to their job and not because of me!

[expat2001]

[Fishead soup]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[pkang0202]

Some people are forced to be 1 subject teachers. The principal will call them to their office and say, "You are the new English teacher."

then again, I know teachers that deliberately switched to being a 1 subject teacher because being a homeroom teacher was too much work (paperwork, dealing with parents).


Here are the main reasons KT become English teachers:

1. they majored/studied English.

2. Forced to become English teacher by principal

3. Just to escape the workload of being a HR teacher

4. Just wanted to try something new.


Just like how teachers rotate schools, they also rotate positions. One year you could be a 6th grade teacher, the next year you could be teaching 3rd grade. One year you could be the art teacher, the next year a science teacher.


If you got a coteacher that got forced to be an English teacher, you should cut them some slack. How would YOU feel if your principal told you, "You aren't teaching English this year. You are going to teach Math. So you had better learn Korean by the new school term"

[Fishead soup]

[crazy_arcade]

Elementary is different from middle and high.

A lot of elementary school English teachers don't have a specialty in English education, they were just chosen by the principal.

Also, homeroom teachers make more than single subject teachers at the elementary level.

[riley]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[fromtheuk]

Yes, I am silly, but I'm not going on anything. Simply stating what my co-teacher said to me, I'm at an elementary school.

I'm not saying this is true nationally, but all I can say is it may well be true at my school.

[schwa]

A good many Korean secondary school english teachers are in fact now regretting their choice of major. They are under far more pressure than any other subject teachers to continuously upgrade their skills & many mid-career & old-school teachers are feeling tons of stress & are thinking about changing subjects or taking early retirement.

Its not about us. (Except in a few cases where K-teachers get stuck repeatedly with difficult foreigners). The stress emanates from government policy.