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eac02
Joined: 23 Jan 2008
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:21 pm Post subject: SMOE Vacation Time... someone please explain |
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Sorry if this has been asked before or is a stupid question but I'm new to this.
I just read on the ETIS site the following,
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Hello SMOE Teachers,
Everyone will have 21 days (not including weekends) off for summer and winter break. Usually you can take your vacation days before the English camp starts or take your vacations days after the English camps end. Please work it out with your school. Plan wisely and plan ahead of time with YOUR SCHOOL so your vacation days does not over lap the English camps.
Also, It is not wise to use all your vacation days at one time.
You may work without a co-teacher at this time. They can help but most of the schools will ask you to come up with a program of your own. If you need help please ask your co-teachers and school for guidance. You should also be planning ahead.
You are working under the contract so you will still be working 22 hrs per week, and required to stay at school for 8 hrs a day reguardless of summer or winter break.
I hope this will clearify any confusion that you may have during your Summer and Winter breaks. |
1. Do the summer and winter breaks equal our vacation days or are the vacation days separate from the breaks?
2. How long are the summer/ winter breaks and how long do the camps run for?
3. It says,
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Everyone will have 21 days (not including weekends) off for summer and winter break. |
and then
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You are working under the contract so you will still be working 22 hrs per week, and required to stay at school for 8 hrs a day reguardless of summer or winter break.
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Can someone please clarify this for me.
4. If I am required to go to school and sit there by myself for 8hrs a day during the break who else is going to be there? Why would other teachers spend their break at school? |
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Bibbitybop

Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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1., 3. and 4. The students' and Korean teachers' vacation times are different than your 21 official days. You have to get your vacation approved. If you are not on vacation but there is no class, you have to go into school. You may see another teacher or two, or a principal. You don't work, but you might do a lot of writing, a lot of TV and movie watching, a lot or reading, some sleeping or whatever you decide to do. At least you are getting paid, right? Some school are cool and let the foreign teacher off work. Some teachers just require half-days.
2. Breaks differ between elementary school and middle school. Middle school vacations are from around Christmas to the beginning of March, except for 1 week of school at the beginning of February. Isn't that stupid? Elementary schools are off a week before Christmas, but have 2 weeks in February, not 1. Once again, stupid system.
Camps usually run for 3 weeks, but some schools do 1 or 2 week camps. It's up to the school or district. In middle school, during the winter, a foreign teacher usually teaches a camp the first 3 weeks in January, then takes vacation after this. It is common for a school to exempt the foreign teacher from the odd week of class in February in order for the foreign teacher to be able to take an appropriate amount of vacation.
Summer is trickier. The school semester ends around July 20-25, camps start the next week. But the school semester starts the last week of August. Foreign teachers are often, but not always, exempt from this week. The summer vacation is shorter and if the school doesn't consider official vacation days and camps in the summer, they often end up having a 1-2 week camp, especially if the foreign teacher's contract is ending and the foreign teacher must get all his/her vacation. This is happening now. People with 14 days of vacation can only teach at 1 week camp before they are on official vacation before the contract ends. Schools are super pissed about this, but its their own fault for lack of foresight. |
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esetters21

Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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Bibbitybop wrote: |
1., 3. and 4. The students' and Korean teachers' vacation times are different than your 21 official days. You have to get your vacation approved. If you are not on vacation but there is no class, you have to go into school. You may see another teacher or two, or a principal. You don't work, but you might do a lot of writing, a lot of TV and movie watching, a lot or reading, some sleeping or whatever you decide to do. At least you are getting paid, right? Some school are cool and let the foreign teacher off work. Some teachers just require half-days.
2. Breaks differ between elementary school and middle school. Middle school vacations are from around Christmas to the beginning of March, except for 1 week of school at the beginning of February. Isn't that stupid? Elementary schools are off a week before Christmas, but have 2 weeks in February, not 1. Once again, stupid system.
Camps usually run for 3 weeks, but some schools do 1 or 2 week camps. It's up to the school or district. In middle school, during the winter, a foreign teacher usually teaches a camp the first 3 weeks in January, then takes vacation after this. It is common for a school to exempt the foreign teacher from the odd week of class in February in order for the foreign teacher to be able to take an appropriate amount of vacation.
Summer is trickier. The school semester ends around July 20-25, camps start the next week. But the school semester starts the last week of August. Foreign teachers are often, but not always, exempt from this week. The summer vacation is shorter and if the school doesn't consider official vacation days and camps in the summer, they often end up having a 1-2 week camp, especially if the foreign teacher's contract is ending and the foreign teacher must get all his/her vacation. This is happening now. People with 14 days of vacation can only teach at 1 week camp before they are on official vacation before the contract ends. Schools are super pissed about this, but its their own fault for lack of foresight. |
Do you work for SMOE directly (not as a teacher)? You always seem to have something to say about any question regarding this organization. Is your input based on your experience as an E2 teacher with SMOE? |
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Bibbitybop

Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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esetters21 wrote: |
Bibbitybop wrote: |
1., 3. and 4. The students' and Korean teachers' vacation times are different than your 21 official days. You have to get your vacation approved. If you are not on vacation but there is no class, you have to go into school. You may see another teacher or two, or a principal. You don't work, but you might do a lot of writing, a lot of TV and movie watching, a lot or reading, some sleeping or whatever you decide to do. At least you are getting paid, right? Some school are cool and let the foreign teacher off work. Some teachers just require half-days.
2. Breaks differ between elementary school and middle school. Middle school vacations are from around Christmas to the beginning of March, except for 1 week of school at the beginning of February. Isn't that stupid? Elementary schools are off a week before Christmas, but have 2 weeks in February, not 1. Once again, stupid system.
Camps usually run for 3 weeks, but some schools do 1 or 2 week camps. It's up to the school or district. In middle school, during the winter, a foreign teacher usually teaches a camp the first 3 weeks in January, then takes vacation after this. It is common for a school to exempt the foreign teacher from the odd week of class in February in order for the foreign teacher to be able to take an appropriate amount of vacation.
Summer is trickier. The school semester ends around July 20-25, camps start the next week. But the school semester starts the last week of August. Foreign teachers are often, but not always, exempt from this week. The summer vacation is shorter and if the school doesn't consider official vacation days and camps in the summer, they often end up having a 1-2 week camp, especially if the foreign teacher's contract is ending and the foreign teacher must get all his/her vacation. This is happening now. People with 14 days of vacation can only teach at 1 week camp before they are on official vacation before the contract ends. Schools are super pissed about this, but its their own fault for lack of foresight. |
Do you work for SMOE directly (not as a teacher)? You always seem to have something to say about any question regarding this organization. Is your input based on your experience as an E2 teacher with SMOE? |
I won't reveal my current or previous capacity with SMOE for confidential reasons, but my advice is stems from the contract, the teacher handbooks, the laws in Korea and communication with people in SMOE.
If I see someone in need of information, I help them out. |
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esetters21

Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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Bibbitybop wrote: |
esetters21 wrote: |
Bibbitybop wrote: |
1., 3. and 4. The students' and Korean teachers' vacation times are different than your 21 official days. You have to get your vacation approved. If you are not on vacation but there is no class, you have to go into school. You may see another teacher or two, or a principal. You don't work, but you might do a lot of writing, a lot of TV and movie watching, a lot or reading, some sleeping or whatever you decide to do. At least you are getting paid, right? Some school are cool and let the foreign teacher off work. Some teachers just require half-days.
2. Breaks differ between elementary school and middle school. Middle school vacations are from around Christmas to the beginning of March, except for 1 week of school at the beginning of February. Isn't that stupid? Elementary schools are off a week before Christmas, but have 2 weeks in February, not 1. Once again, stupid system.
Camps usually run for 3 weeks, but some schools do 1 or 2 week camps. It's up to the school or district. In middle school, during the winter, a foreign teacher usually teaches a camp the first 3 weeks in January, then takes vacation after this. It is common for a school to exempt the foreign teacher from the odd week of class in February in order for the foreign teacher to be able to take an appropriate amount of vacation.
Summer is trickier. The school semester ends around July 20-25, camps start the next week. But the school semester starts the last week of August. Foreign teachers are often, but not always, exempt from this week. The summer vacation is shorter and if the school doesn't consider official vacation days and camps in the summer, they often end up having a 1-2 week camp, especially if the foreign teacher's contract is ending and the foreign teacher must get all his/her vacation. This is happening now. People with 14 days of vacation can only teach at 1 week camp before they are on official vacation before the contract ends. Schools are super pissed about this, but its their own fault for lack of foresight. |
Do you work for SMOE directly (not as a teacher)? You always seem to have something to say about any question regarding this organization. Is your input based on your experience as an E2 teacher with SMOE? |
I won't reveal my current or previous capacity with SMOE for confidential reasons, but my advice is stems from the contract, the teacher handbooks, the laws in Korea and communication with people in SMOE.
If I see someone in need of information, I help them out. |
Just curious about your investment/relationship with them. You seem to know a lot. That is good indeed. I have seen some inconsistencies in your information regarding them, and it is not always the way things are absolute, but you usually are helpful with your info. |
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pkang0202

Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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Well, he's not Kelly Ye or Lois, thats for sure. |
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Bibbitybop

Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:41 am Post subject: |
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pkang0202 wrote: |
Well, he's not Kelly Ye or Lois, thats for sure. |
Are you implying I'm more or less helpful?
esetters
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I have seen some inconsistencies in your information regarding them, and it is not always the way things are absolute, but you usually are helpful with your info. |
Nothing in Korea is absolute. Feel free pointing out anything you feel isn't correct. I'd ask your capacity in SMOE, but anonymity is often valued on this site. |
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