Korean Job Discussion Forums

[I-am-me]

I downloaded the GEPIK contract and several clauses just sound ridiculous such as "teaching other teachers and parensts" and" performing other duties as assigned by employer" which could mean scrubbing school floors. Has anybody had these clauses rewritten? I dont think the korean teachers stick around to teach math or social studies to parents! Why should we?

[Easter Clark]

I had a similar issue with my new contract.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=120897&highlight=

It does seem like GEPIK is trying to give the school more ways to exploit ("utilize") their foreign teacher by including clauses like these. I think it will still be up to the school what the FT will have to do. However, I also think we will see a decline in the quality of life for PS teachers if this trend continues--especially from schools that have never had a FT before and will follow the contract to the letter.

I may be wrong, but haven't GEPIK teachers always had to teach parents' or teachers' classes?

[Sody]

Hi, don't worry about those clauses. Those are the type of things that do not usually come into play about 99% of the time. They aren't going to ask you to do anything but teach. They might ask you to help with something fun like sports day, but they won't ask you to clean the toilets.

[KYC]

The clause about performing other duties as assigned by employer has never come into question for me either. When I first read it, it sounded ridiculous as well.

One teacher asked me to help gift wrap the presents for sports day adn that was the exent of that.

[Cerriowen]

I teach 2 adult classes for the community. They are fun and fairly relaxing, because I can do what *ever* I want to teach them, and they are delighted to be there. It's a nice change of pace. I also proctor exams on days when I don't have classes. Sometimes my co-teachers ask me to proof-read their tests.

Keep in mind though... all of that "extra" stuff they want is up to you. And they have to pay you at an overtime rate, AND it cant amount to more than 28 hours a week. (22 contract +6 overtime). They tried to get me to teach on Saturdays. I very politely explained my situation, without actually saying "no", about 10 times before they gave up.

Even with the two adult classes, I am only teaching 19 hours a week. The rest of it is prep.

They just want it in the contract as a vague "just in case", so if they need you to proctor a test or proof read or help cut out smiley-faces... there's more room to negotiate.

[Ramen]

Once you submit to all of their demands, you'll soon realize that you'd successfully become their English biatch. So when in doubt say no.

[Scouse Mouse]

Last year, I was asked to teach parents of mixed abilities once a week. I wriggled out of it by pointing out that the low ability parents would find it too difficult (and so think the school was bad), or the high ability parents would find it too easy (and think the school was bad).

If they wanted the school to look bad, I would do them, but if they wanted the school to continue looking good they would have to do seperate ability classes (and pay me overtime - ha!), or simply not offer the classes. They never offered.

This year, my school picked up on the "other duties" clause, and combined it with the clause that says we should conduct ourselves in the same manner as the Korean teachers. Their interpretation involves me using downtimes to prepare classes for the K teachers to deliver when I am teaching my own classes, developing materials and activities for a school website, and delivering "complimentary classes" outside of school hours without pay.

I shot these ideas down as soon as they came up with them, and had a meeting with them explaining why I would not / could not do most of them (I don't know the first thing about creating websites, I do not work for free, etc). The day after the meeting I found out that they had another meeting right after I went home, and decided that I could do them after all.

I found another job!

[nomad-ish]

^ next time (if it comes) you should tell them that you have no problem conducting yourself like a korean teacher.. if it gives you all their holidays

[mnhnhyouh]

I am in GEPIK, just started this year. I do 22 hours, 15 year one classes, 4 hours with teachers and 3 optional 2nd grade classes to fill my 22 hours (high school).

Cleaning? Forget it, the students clean the school 3 times per day.

I will be asking for some during school overtime as I have some large lumps of time with nothing to do.

My co-teachers sometimes ask me for small jobs, like to edit some class material, or to spend 15 minutes talking to their 3rd graders. The editing is short and easy, so I dont mind. Talking to the 3rd graders is fun. There is never any set stuff, so I go and do some stand up comedy, they have fun, and so do I.

h

[Scouse Mouse]