Korean Job Discussion Forums

wormholes101 · Joined: 11 Mar 2003

How would you, as a public school teacher (EPIK, GEPIK) rate your teaching job satisfaction on a day-to-day job basis.

The poll does not include factors like teaching hours, pay, holiday time etc.

1 = very unsatisfying
5 = very satisfying

Feel free to elaborate if you like.

CPT · Joined: 25 Mar 2007

wormholes101 · Joined: 11 Mar 2003

aarontendo · Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Location: Daegu-ish

Most my kids (99%) don't give a crap and now I don't either. Just go in do my job and leave. I don't even feel like making good lessons because hell, who's going to pay attention heh.

Put me down for a 1.

Cornfed · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

I'd hover between 1 and 3, with the odd 4 day now and then.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

As long as I remember to think in relative terms my job is very satisfying.

sojourner1 · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:14 pm Post subject:

I'm kinda neutral as I really am not interested in making a career out of teaching children. I'm finding job satisfaction teaching grades 1,2,3,4, and somewhat 5, but not with my 6th grade classes. I get satisfaction out of students eager to learn who listen and try which leads to results. It helps tremendously to have co-teacher support in promoting a classroom more conducive to learning as they don't listen to foreigners very well due to them not being scared of us or seeing us as authoritative figures like most of their Korean teachers.

With 6th grade, they are rude, talk all the time, mock me by mimicking, and are just downright sour, rotten, and sullen. They have their minds on pop stars and video games; not school which is normal for their age group. I remember 6th grade being a time of tremendous change where we started becoming fashion conscious, listening to teen music, and doing teen stuff while ignoring our teachers because we were too cool for school. 6th grade is a tough one to get any satisfaction out of teaching not to say it's impossible. Their Korean teacher, who they don't listen to, says to just show videos since they're not going to listen so I tried this one time and they still didn't like it as they want Korean and Japanese material. They have no interest in English due to not being able to correlate it with their personal interests. Those kids need to learn the basics early in life before 6th grade so they can have a 6th grade level class or they just get bored and disrespectful. This is a huge problem.

hari seldon · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Incheon

Otherside · Joined: 06 Sep 2007

I voted 2.

In all matters except for the actual teaching, I find a public school to be far superior to a hagwon...however the teaching is a serious let down.

Pretty much what Sojourner says applies to me; in addition, a big chunk of my classes are after school classes for grades 1 and 2. This is really just a glorified daycare for kids who are stuck at school. There's a good chunk who are keen, but that is completly ruined by an equally good chunk who either don't want to be there, are bored, or revel in making as much trouble as possible. Not to mention for grade 1 and 2 students, throwing a double english class after the school day makes for a very long day, and 1 very unhappy FT.