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ds_fan
Joined: 07 Apr 2008
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 Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:46 pm Post subject: childrens day |
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| are all schools closed? Or is it just kindergarten hagwons like mine? My place is really dragging me down, not enjoying it at the minute, all korean staff and they cant explain anything properly to me so i mess up in my classes. Plus the noise... i cant stand singing and am totally in the wrong job. Need a break and was wondering if everyone else is off work so i can go to the foreigner bar and have normal conversations. |
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Gaber
Joined: 23 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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how far in are you?
I remember my first day or two of Kindy, and yeah, the noise is a hell of a shock. After 2 weeks, I didn't even feel it anymore. Make sure you get to bed early and drink a lot of water.
Children's Day is for all schools. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject: Re: childrens day |
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| ds_fan wrote: |
| are all schools closed? Or is it just kindergarten hagwons like mine? My place is really dragging me down, not enjoying it at the minute, all korean staff and they cant explain anything properly to me so i mess up in my classes. Plus the noise... i cant stand singing and am totally in the wrong job. Need a break and was wondering if everyone else is off work so i can go to the foreigner bar and have normal conversations. |
Children's Day (May 5) is a red day (national holiday) and EVERYONE is supposed to have it off (unless they were silly enough to sign a contract that requires them to work on a national holiday. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Can't stand singing? That's rough for a kindergarten teacher. Singing is the primary method of getting the tykes to do just about anything. They have a song for lining up, another for snacks and meals, yet another for cleaning up, etc.. If you're lucky, they'll even have a little welcome song for you to announce it's the beginning of your lesson. Well, in your case, I guess that wouldn't be lucky. |
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pomegranate_grenade
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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I had a friend who taught kindy for awhile and she hated it. I can see how some people like it but it was murder for her. Her complaint was the same as yours, she just wasn't the kind of person who could act happy and sing all day. If you've been at it for two months and you still hate it, then put in notice and quit. Give them time to find someone and hopefully they'll give you a release letter so that you can get a job teaching older kids.
A year is a LONG f-ing time. My friend quit (with notice) and she never regretted it. She became a totally different person when it was all over.
Enjoy your day off! I hope its long enough!  |
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pomegranate_grenade
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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~~ yeah, almost everyone is off. the pubs should be packed!   |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| I have a long weekend (Thursday till Monday) back to work on Tuesday. Then I have the 12th off thanks to Buddha. |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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| pomegranate_grenade wrote: |
| ~~ yeah, almost everyone is off. the pubs should be packed! |
Don't count on it. Last year Children's Day was on a Saturday and three bartenders had the night off and there was hardly anyone there at the bar I went to. So no shows, etc. |
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crusher_of_heads
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Location: kimbop and kimchi for kimberly!!!!
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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| princess wrote: |
| pomegranate_grenade wrote: |
| ~~ yeah, almost everyone is off. the pubs should be packed! |
Don't count on it. Last year Children's Day was on a Saturday and three bartenders had the night off and there was hardly anyone there at the bar I went to. So no shows, etc. |
I've got a 6 pack of Hite waiting for you! |
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spliff
Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:24 pm Post subject: |
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| crusher_of_beds wrote: |
| princess wrote: |
| pomegranate_grenade wrote: |
| ~~ yeah, almost everyone is off. the pubs should be packed! |
Don't count on it. Last year Children's Day was on a Saturday and three bartenders had the night off and there was hardly anyone there at the bar I went to. So no shows, etc. |
I've got a 6 pack of Hite waiting for you! |
Yeah, drink that swill...HIPPO! |
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ds_fan
Joined: 07 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:15 am Post subject: |
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wooo, afternoon drinking time me for me. Im almost 4 weeks in, 1st while was ok, but its growing on me like a cancer. Im just not into all this singing dancing, being a general softey. Frankly im not a kids entertainer- just not in my nature, id imagine the magority of people are not the kindergarten types. I get the impression that kindergarten types are annoying twats, in your face loud mouths with little common sense.
I guess you dont know if its for you or not untill you try it.
Kids are cute, for 5 minutes, after that you get mega fed up with them pissing, crying, screaming, running round and grabbing your rude parts.
If i was to want to stay here, but jack in the kindy job how do I go about this? I assume they will get assy about release letters, not to mention the 3rd degree from my rude boss......
Koreans need to learn some discipline, those kids are bad as hell, and seem to be encouraged to scream as loud as they can- my ears are actually ringing at present.
I like korea, and want to hang around seeing the sites and experiencing the culture, though i seriously dont know how long I can last in this job........ |
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xtchr
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:53 am Post subject: |
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| ds_fan wrote: |
Koreans need to learn some discipline, those kids are bad as hell, and seem to be encouraged to scream as loud as they can- my ears are actually ringing at present.
I want to hang around experiencing the culture, |
The first sentence above is you experiencing the culture. |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:53 am Post subject: |
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| ds_fan wrote: |
wooo, afternoon drinking time me for me. Im almost 4 weeks in, 1st while was ok, but its growing on me like a cancer. Im just not into all this singing dancing, being a general softey. Frankly im not a kids entertainer- just not in my nature, id imagine the magority of people are not the kindergarten types. I get the impression that kindergarten types are annoying twats, in your face loud mouths with little common sense.
I guess you dont know if its for you or not untill you try it.
Kids are cute, for 5 minutes, after that you get mega fed up with them pissing, crying, screaming, running round and grabbing your rude parts.
If i was to want to stay here, but jack in the kindy job how do I go about this? I assume they will get assy about release letters, not to mention the 3rd degree from my rude boss......
Koreans need to learn some discipline, those kids are bad as hell, and seem to be encouraged to scream as loud as they can- my ears are actually ringing at present.
I like korea, and want to hang around seeing the sites and experiencing the culture, though i seriously dont know how long I can last in this job........ |
Think about your 1st year in Korea as character building. It will help in the long run. If I didn't have a shitty hagwon in my first year I would never have had the motivation to work hard and get the hell away from it. I studied and worked hard in the CELTA (got the best score) and moved on to a much better paid job. Less hours (3 hours teaching a week = 3 million won a month), examining (extra bonus), housing, allowances the lot. So if you stick at it, pick yourself up and work hard you can achieve anything. Try to last a year, like I said it's character building and something to reflect on when things aren't going smoothly. "Remember my 1st year? It was a crappy old job but things are better now even though I hate the office politics in my current job" sort of thing. Good luck and try to get a hobby for the mornings/evenings. |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:55 am Post subject: |
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One more link to look at if you have time is to improve your classes and to reflect on your own teaching methodology:
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/
Some great ideas there and some good lesson plans as well as teaching tips for kids. It was great resource for the kids I taught in the 1st year. |
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moosehead
Joined: 05 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:36 am Post subject: Re: childrens day |
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| ds_fan wrote: |
| are all schools closed? Or is it just kindergarten hagwons like mine? My place is really dragging me down, not enjoying it at the minute, all korean staff and they cant explain anything properly to me so i mess up in my classes. Plus the noise... i cant stand singing and am totally in the wrong job. Need a break and was wondering if everyone else is off work so i can go to the foreigner bar and have normal conversations. |
my first year here I was not in Seoul, out in the boonies, not many foreigners around and I did not know Children's Day was a National Holiday hence my director pulled a fast one on me and kept the hakwon open 
Hardly any students came, and on the way in the morning before I saw ceremonies outdoors at the nearby elem school. I remarked to her about what a great display it was and how I didn't know Children's Day was such a big deal and she smiled all the time realizing I was supposed to get the day off (I got all the other holidays off)
so whatever you do - if it's in your contract (it was mine) be sure and remind your director you do intend on having that day as a holiday because sure enough, I would bet money even as I type this there are directors out there planning on screwing the newbie FT out of the holiday!! |
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