Korean Job Discussion Forums

[egrog1717]

This looks like it is from a past year (8.25 is a Monday this year, not a Sat.) however I know quite a few people have asked what is involved with this one week training session and this looks to be a decent overview... Why they would have Mr. Holland's Opus as a flick on cinema night is beyond me though (good movie nonetheless, lol)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/238205/SMOE-orientation-Yong-In

[climber159]

Yep...looks like the schedule from last August's orientation. Be prepared for boring and seemingly irrelevant speakers and presentations. I wonder if they are still taking attendance for "Cinema Night." If it's still at the Hyundai Learning Center, then at least you have some decent accommodations for a week while you get over your jet lag. Take a walk into the nearby village for some food and drinks; the rot that comes out of the cafeteria isn't anything to look forward to. Oh, and as for the movie selection...I think they chose Mr. Holland's Opus to get you excited and pumped up about teaching. I wonder if they think the we (English teachers) view teaching as "something to fall back on" like Mr. Holland did. Dead Poet's Society is far better than Mr. Holland's Opus when it comes to movies about teaching.

[Creeface]

ill see you there

[MollyBloom]

See you there too.

[MollyBloom]

See you there too.

[Bibbitybop]

In previous years, they told the hotel not to serve alcohol to any foreigners. You are not supposed to leave the compound. You are not supposed to drink. You must wear your school uniform, bow to your superiors, do you homework, pray nightly and clean the restrooms every other day. There's also lights out at 10:30pm. Mandatory exercise starts at 5:30am.


The first three are no jokes.

[Creeface]

i dont care about drinking or anything like that. I am just happy that I will get to meet some people in the same position as me as well as have a little time to adjust to the situation at hand.

[egrog1717]

[Clemmens]

[tob55]

I assisted at the last two fall orientations, and it really isn't a bad gig. Sure people have their own personal likes and dislikes, but all in all, it makes other orientations pale in comparison (not mentioning names).

Hopefully, I will be asked to assist again either now or in the futre, but if not, it was a pleasant time while I was involved.

[esetters21]

[hossenfeffer]

allow me to briefly share my experience from February 2008.

Arrive at Seoul, Incheon at 6:00am. Meet a disgruntled looking Korean guy with my name misspelled on a sheet of A4 paper. Wait two hours for other people to arrive at the airport. Eventually 5 people and all our luggage are crammed into a van for the hour and a half long ride to the Hyundai Learning Center.

Arrive at Hyundai Learning Center at 12:00. Missed Lunch. Starving. Assigned room. Told to meet downstairs in one hour for a tour of the facilities. Three people (and all our belongings) crammed into room. Our own shower....yes! Are those our towels??!?

Tour is fine. Nice place. No pool? Ping pong, Tetris, free washer and dryer, a small store.... Told to meet in the Harmony Room at 3:00pm.

Harmony Room 3:00pm. A Korean man in Hanbok greets us with a warm smile. He has a helper with him. We spend the next two hours making total asses out of ourselves by chanting and flailing about, toe dancing and twirling, beating drums and crashing cymbals. So hungry, must eat.


Dinner....fish heads...hmmm. Bones? Yuck. Kimchi and rice and a bowl of that fish soup.

Orientation at 6pm. Everyone meets in the conference room and is welcomed. A survey is given to us to fill out. The Korean SMOE representatives look at everyone suspiciously. I feel like Hunter S. Thompson at the casino in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas minus the white blotter, pills, and copious amounts of reefer.

Fall asleep immediately after the meeting. Awake at 6:30 am to my roomate unzipping and zipping his bags and rummaging through his stuff, all of which is wrapped in plastic bags. Roll out of bed and stagger downstairs for breakfast.

Fish Soup again!?!? Give me a break! Ah...stale cornflakes too...phew. I pour the warm one percent milk over my cornflakes and find a seat. Coffee....must have coffee. I find the coffee machine and to my dismay.. the coffee isn't coffee...it's hazelnut. God, get me outta here.

9:00am: another meaningless meeting...something about Korean culture...traditional cultural historical national treasure.... very sad history....very accepting people.....is that a hair piece he's wearing?

11:00am: the man's diatribe ends. Lunch time. Please no fish heads.

Lunch: Rice, fish soup, kimchi and bulgogi. I can hang with this.

1:00: Another meeting in the conference room. Movie: Lame White Guy Teaching in the Korean Public School System followed by an unremembered movie. Are they taking attendence????

4:00: We are given temporary release and told to come back to the lecture center at 7:00pm. Why is that guy carrying around a rugby ball all the time?

Dinner: Rice, fish soup, kimchi and the bulgogi that we didn't finish at lunchtime.

9:00: More of what I already know....something about a poster....children are the future.....global society.......future leaders......oh God, another movie?!?!? They really aren't taking attendance, are they? Hmmmmmm

Repeat for five more days with an occasional meeting with your poster group.

The last night everyone is told that our schools have been assigned and are posted on a wall in a classroom near the SMOE representatives' office. A frenzy of half crazed and curious NSET's (this is what we are now called) proceed to elbow, step on, gouge, push, and budge their way to the tiny sheets of paper posted on the blackboard. Why couldn't the SMOE representatives cut the information into strips and hand them to us?

Last day: Meet the public school officials. Awkward lunch. My gu's representative sits at our table and makes no eye contact with anyone. Great food, though. What's this??! A free SMOE t-shirt?!? WOW!

That was longer than I expected. Sorry.

Hoss

[Creeface]

HAHAHAHA

THAT SOUNDS SO AWESOME I CANT WAIT

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSs

[egrog1717]

Thanks Hos

On the bright side its a week of basically free pay

Oy, and anyone else notice on their contracts that people coming to the SMOE for the first time (or at least who are not in Korea and are not renewing their contract with the SMOE) are entitled to a 300k resettlement payment... I thought that was pretty cool

[pkang0202]

I've been to a few workshops, orientations and SMOE's is hands down the most organized, professional, and helpful.

My only gripe is that its a week long. The whole thing could be done in 3 days.

You get out of it what you put in. You have to leave your perceptions, expectations, and fears at the door. A lot of newcomers show up to orientation and they expect to be teaching English like they learned it growing up.

NO. That is not the way. You will NOT be doing reading, writing, composition, book reports, etc...

I think the title "English Teacher" is misleading in that the perception is that we are teaching English like how ol Mrs. Smith in 7th grade taught English.

Yes, we are teachers, but I'd say we are more "English Motivators". We aren't teaching these kids to pass SAT's, write 5 paragraph essays, and analyze the contents of books. We are trying to get the kids to converse in English. To be able to convey thoughts and messages to others through English.

Frankly, I don't care if the kids don't get their grammar 100% correct, or if they mispell some words. All I care about is that they are trying. In fact, I prefer the students make mistakes so that they learn from them.

Once you go into the orientation with that mindset, the presenters will show you many different tools and techniques to help.

I would love to be able to present my thoughts and view on teaching at the orientation. Fortunately for you, there are much more experienced and qualified teachers that will be presenting.


A last bit of advice for your SMOE newbies. Every school is different. Questions like, "Will my school ....." or "Can i expect ..... at my school" can NOT be answered. Please don't ask the presenters a question like "Will my coteacher be a man or a woman". How the hell are they suppose to know that?