Korean Job Discussion Forums

[luminousstar]

I wasn't able to find anything about this school in the forum.....Does anyone know anything about this school? Is it a good school to work at?
Thanks

[denverdeath]

Jehovah Witness, right? There's one in Suh-myuhn in Boo-sahn. I taught some former students from there. They had nothing bad to say about it other than there seems to be some kind of ceiling...meaning that they may desire to go elsewhere after some time there because the higher level material may not challenge them enough. That's what I've been told anyway. Sorry, I never worked there and also don't know anyone who has.

[some waygug-in]

I don't know if this is the same branch you are looking at, but there is a blurb on this site about one in Daejon. It's about 15 or 20 entries down.

good luck


http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~jonb/blacklisted.html

[wombat90]

I work in a SamYook school. Does anyone else? I'm curious on what your experience has been like.

[radioed]

I've been working in the Samyook school in Busan for about 5 months now on a 6 month contract.
It's been pretty good so far, small classes, paid on time, etc.
I had an argument with the co-teacher a few weeks ago, but I think she's still holding a grudge...
Anyways, it's a private, Christian elementary school and I was surprised they hired me since I'm not Christian. However, they're not renewing my contract since they failed to "convert" me and possibly because i'm not white. The SDA's sending a white Christian to replace me btw.
Which branch do you work at wombat?

[wombat90]

I'm in Gwangju. I am one of three non-religious foreigners who work at the school. I wanted to see how your experience has been so far. We are knee deep in Summer camp at the moment. I would love to know the details of your work day down in Busan.

[rhinocharge64]

It's a hogwon and a Christian one at that. Welcome to hell!!!

[wombat90]

Not a hogwon. Mine is a private school. My hours are 8-4. The parents pay BANK for their kids to go.

Do you work at one or were you just making an assumption?

[Roch]

Kang's so-called International Schools are operated by Seventh Day Adventists. The original one run by Old Man Kang and his snotty son stole my passport, transcripts, and Degree. I had to take the police from the 'hood with me to the school to get the docs returned to me. By then, the Kang family had sold the school to an equally-crooked S.D.A. architecture professor from Samyook University to concentrate on their International School in Thailand.

[radioed]

Yep, it's a private school not hogwan.
My hours were from 8:15am-4:15pm M-Th, 12:30pm on Fridays.
Just got back from my week long paid vacation in Taiwan and I start summer camp on Monday, sadly enough.
There's 3 class levels for each grade.
I teach the upper level class since i'm the newb teacher.
I like my students and it helps that there's only up to 14 students max in each class. We work off the Backpack textbooks which is too easy for my students, so i just expand or make up my own lessons after each unit.
Summer hours are from 9am-12pm-ish from what they told me.
The Busan branch is the smallest one, so there's only one other English teacher here from South Africa and she's religious.
I'm still kinda soured on the whole non-renewal because of my religious preference.
How's the Gwangju branch?

[wombat90]

Here in gwanjgu things have been good.

We have 5 foreign teachers in total (not including missionaries from the Philippines). 3 out of the 5 are non SDA. They don't ask us to do anything religous which is a plus. Our accommodations have been stellar as well as getting materials (text books, ect) when we ask for them.

We teach 1st grade. 5 classes per day (4 normal classes and one after school class). The after school classes are a bit of a drag.

Are you teaching immersion?

If you get a chance send me a PM I have a few other questions for you

[radioed]

I cant pm, i haven't reached the minimum 25 posts yet.
I teach 1st-6th grades. There's only about 30-45 students per grade since it's a small school. Average about 6-7 classes a day(3-4 norm, 3 after school) except fridays which is only 3 classes total.
I know what you mean about the after school classes, they're usually my worst.
What do you mean by immersion?

[wombat90]

We teach our students science, language arts, math, writing and child U (an online teaching program we are not too fond of).

Are you teaching over 25 classes per week?

We actually have 2 weeks of after school classes right now (even though our classes are in the morning). All of our Korean counter parts are enjoying 5 weeks of vacation right now while we have two classes every morning. pain in the ass to go in just for 2 classes.

These after school classes are a new addition to the foreign teachers yearly schedule. The school realized that they didn't have to offer us the same vacation as they give the Korean teachers.

Still 2 hours of school a day for 2 weeks isn't the end of the world.

Are you only teaching English classes?

[radioed]

Yeah, I'm only teaching English classes. The school isn't big enough to justify having English-language science,math, writing classes yet. Those are taught by the Korean teachers in Korean.
Yeah, all the other Korean teachers have the next 5 weeks off as well.
It's just the extra-curricular teachers that are sticking around, like the art, music, computer and Chinese teachers.
During the regular year, I was teaching 30 classes a week, for the summer it's now 20 classes, 4 per day M-F.
I'm thinking of joining EPIK after my contract ends, I heard it's touch and go with their summer and winter vacations, but at least there's a chance with them.

[radioed]

Haha, i just talked to my old recruiter and she said that the Gwangju branch is looking for an English teacher and I can apply for that. Do you guys need another teacher? Is that true?