Korean Job Discussion Forums

driftingfocus · Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA

Is anyone else here at a PS stuck twiddling their thumbs for 8 hours a day while the kids are taking their exams this week?

I mean, it's nice to not have to teach, but they are accomplishing nothing by having me here, other than keeping me inside, and while sitting at the computer for a couple hours is fine, after 3-4 I start to run out of things to entertain myself with. I already have 2-3 months of lesson plans done ahead of time, and my camp lesson plans are done, so...yeah. I see this as mostly an irritating waste of time.

One of my schools let me go after lunch, but the others... Why do they do this?

spliff · Joined: 19 Jan 2004 Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

I come and go when I want.

I_Am_The_Kiwi · Joined: 10 Jun 2008

cos they can and cos they are the boss.....

mine were nice enough to let me go home after lunch.....was useful time to let me prepare classes for after summer holidays.

take earphone, some movies, book, game....anything...or a pillow and have a nap...

have you asked if u could just go home early, or not go to school....

lohengrin · Joined: 16 Mar 2008 Location: Loompaland

they have the same rule here: foreigner has to sit at his desk even days when not teaching, and I only get the 14 days leave as per the contract, whilst the Korean teachers who are not teaching at the summer camp go home for the whole vacation. Furthermore, as I'm taking my whole 2 weeks they have already told me this means I'll have to come to school every day during the winter vacation, even when there are no classes / winter camp. I have to be at school every day or I don't get paid...

driftingfocus · Joined: 08 Feb 2007 Location: Boston, MA

cruisemonkey · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:49 pm Post subject:

It seems it's all up to individual principals...

sojourner1 · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:05 pm Post subject:

Yes, it's up to the principals. Too bad my main school makes me sit and won't even let me walk to the bank or anything by myself. If I need to do anything during business hours, my liaison co-teacher is to take me. My other 2 schools do let me come and go as I please which is a nice break to be able to get outside some when not teaching. Now they too are going to be closed until September 1st so I have to go sit at my main school and then sit a lot more, but will do some camp(s).

I guess their logic is if they have to sit in public office, regardless of no need, then you do too. A teacher field trip or something would be good while students are not in school. My school staff are going to Seoul this weekend as a staff field trip, but I'm not going as they had booked many months ahead of time and I didn't want to go anyhow.

I wonder if there's a time when the schools are closed and no one is present outside of holidays such as Chuseok and Sundays?

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

Do some trolling it's fun.

nomad-ish · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:47 am Post subject:

you can burn some time on facebook (either stalking people or playing scrabble and other various game applications), bring in some dvds to watch, if you want to learn korean or you are taking a course- study there, sleep, start a blog, msn with other people stuck at their schools Wink

Czarjorge · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject:

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

my advice on this has always been "you want me to come here and do nothing? that is strange. so why will i want to teach here for a second year then?"

they have the power of the contract, you have the power of not returning. use it.