|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:31 am Post subject: |
 |
|
I objected because the quote has my name on it. That was not me.
Not that I necessarily disagree with it.
| Easter Clark wrote: |
Ilsanman--I was saying that--no sarcasm intended. The Koreans (at least the ones at my public school) have it in their heads that the foreigner can't do basic things like use a vending machine, make instant coffee, or remember to come to a meeting.
Prime example--they asked me Friday to come to the teacher's meeting this morning. I said I'd be there. Last night at 11:30 I get a phone call reminding me to come. I said I'd be there. This morning at 7:00 I get another phone call reminding me to come. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Easter Clark
Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:46 pm Post subject: |
|
|
^
 Oops!
I will say this for Pagoda-their textbooks don't look as bad as many others on the market. However, when I was looking at teaching adults, I talked to Ian to set up an interview. Through our emails he acted like he couldn't care less if I came in to talk to them or not. So I never scheduled an appointment. Sometimes you just get those vibes that "this is not going to be a good place to work." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mountainous
Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Location: Los Angeles
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Easter Clark wrote: |
^
Oops!
I will say this for Pagoda-their textbooks don't look as bad as many others on the market. However, when I was looking at teaching adults, I talked to Ian to set up an interview. Through our emails he acted like he couldn't care less if I came in to talk to them or not. So I never scheduled an appointment. Sometimes you just get those vibes that "this is not going to be a good place to work." |
good description. I sat down and talked to Phil then Ian. I verbally discussed contract terms with Ian, these terms were much more favorable than the contract that Phil emailed me on the following day.  I got the feeling that they were dishonest and recycled lots of teachers...no thanks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: Re: YBM worst job I ever had |
|
|
| daveweave2 wrote: |
| they don't want teachers they want preformers. |
Aha, this old adage - 'edutainers'. I suspect that what they want is teachers who don't get complaints - if that means students enjoying their lessons, then i don't see anything wrong with that.
As a teacher with a commercial institute you're a commodity which is sold at a premium, that's what you're paid for. If customers complain and they have to dish out refunds, you're not useful to them. It is simple.
| Quote: |
| I can go to a gas station and work with adults. |
Well working with children obviously suits you. I'm not trying to kid anyone, people will choose what they prefer - there are obviously lots of people who will take a lower salary to work with adults - i am no longer working in korea, but the same economies of scale exist where i am and most other places - kids schools pay more, because there is more demand for them.
Certainly there is a better experience, in my view, to be had working with adults - my colleauges generally have a more balanced perspective on the country we are working in as it is easier to make friends with locals, meet nice people to date if you're single, a ready made social life when you arrive in a country. That for me is always worth the 10-15% less pay you get, always.
If you are just in it for the money, what the f did you go into teaching for?
| Quote: |
| Much better than public school where they assume you can't wipe your own ass without someone to help you. |
Right. And in the kiddie hakwons, certainly from what i read here and the recent hoo-ha in Daejon, there seems to be a general feeling of 'ownership' of their foreign teachers in Korea. Nobody owns me, i just work there for a few hours a day and don't cause them any hassle. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ChinaBoy
Joined: 17 Feb 2007
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: YBM, Pagoda |
|
|
| Intrepid wrote: |
| Yeah, there's other stuff out there, but not that much teaching ADULTS--keep me away from the screaming hellions and their dong-chims, keep me in a "business dress environment" (as YBM sez) and I'm happy, comparatively. Working in Jongro is worth 1 million per month over working anywhere teaching children, or in the countryside... |
I've never been able to find out what a "business dress environment" is. I've emailed them about it and not received responses.
So what's that then? Jacket and tie? Or more of a "business casual" & tie kind of thing? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rebound
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:17 pm Post subject: Re: YBM worst job I ever had |
|
|
| Butterfly wrote: |
Certainly there is a better experience, in my view, to be had working with adults - my colleauges generally have a more balanced perspective on the country we are working in as it is easier to make friends with locals, meet nice people to date if you're single, a ready made social life when you arrive in a country. That for me is always worth the 10-15% less pay you get, always.
|
How do you have time for a social life teaching those crazy split shifts that require you to be off at 10 or 11pm and each night and then wake up at 6am the next morning???? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject: Re: YBM worst job I ever had |
|
|
| Rebound wrote: |
| Butterfly wrote: |
Certainly there is a better experience, in my view, to be had working with adults - my colleauges generally have a more balanced perspective on the country we are working in as it is easier to make friends with locals, meet nice people to date if you're single, a ready made social life when you arrive in a country. That for me is always worth the 10-15% less pay you get, always.
|
How do you have time for a social life teaching those crazy split shifts that require you to be off at 10 or 11pm and each night and then wake up at 6am the next morning???? |
As i remember most courses were monday to friday. free time during the day and saturday and sunday night. am not a p*** artist, so didn't need to be on the lash every night. also, i didn't always work shifts. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jkelly80
Joined: 13 Jun 2007
Location: you boys like mexico?
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Will the big chains like YBM and Pagoda guys let you do a 3 month contract? I know I'd have to sign on for a year but will they agree to a 3 month stint with the agreement I'm quitting? I'd like to stay a little longer here but not a whole year and not really even 6 months. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mountainous
Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Location: Los Angeles
|
| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 10:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| The pay is crap at YBM no matter how you slice it....no thanks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 1:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
| mountainous wrote: |
| The pay is crap at YBM no matter how you slice it....no thanks. |
No thanks??? Nobody is begging you man, as someone stated earlier, they are the most famous commercial education company in korea and get hundreds of resumes.
Working with the kiddies is clearly your thing, cool for you. Everyone is happy.
"No thanks" funny, man. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rebound
Joined: 04 Nov 2008
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Butterfly wrote: |
| mountainous wrote: |
| The pay is crap at YBM no matter how you slice it....no thanks. |
No thanks??? Nobody is begging you man, as someone stated earlier, they are the most famous commercial education company in korea and get hundreds of resumes.
Working with the kiddies is clearly your thing, cool for you. Everyone is happy.
"No thanks" funny, man. |
Well, about the hours, with those crazy split shifts and the lack of sleep during the week, I'd be using my weekends to catch up on that sleep, but thats just me.
About "hundreds of resumes", speaking as someone who has had to hire teachers for a crap-won, even those get like 20 or 30 resumes per every single ad posted on Dave's ESL. Then you call the best 5 or so, 3 of them aren't interested, 1 of them sounds British and your boss doesnt like that, 1 of them sounds insane. Then you go back and put another ad on Dave's and you have to keep repeating the process til you get someone.
YBM and Pagoda almost certainly are successful, huge franchises because they skim some time/pay off the teachers and use it for corporate success. I'd stay away from these diseconomies of scale, personally. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
martinpil
Joined: 03 Dec 2008
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
[quote="Rebound"]
| Butterfly wrote: |
Then you call the best 5 or so, 3 of them aren't interested, 1 of them sounds British and your boss doesnt like that, |
So you don't like British teachers huh? I'm a british teacher, you Yank. Got your "Masters" did we? Why don't koreans like brits? It's the yanks who f**Ked up vietnam remember, not the brits. There must be brits working in Korea, surely....Theyre not racist or should I say English-ist about Brits are they?what 4? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:31 am Post subject: |
|
|
^ Not only are you incapable of using the quote function properly, you also post a bunch of wack shit (I've seen some of your other submissions).
Do yourself and everyone else in Korea a favor and stay home. As J-T said on that other thread, you ain't gonna make it over here. It's obvious. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
[quote="martinpil"]
| Rebound wrote: |
| Butterfly wrote: |
Then you call the best 5 or so, 3 of them aren't interested, 1 of them sounds British and your boss doesnt like that, |
So you don't like British teachers huh? I'm a british teacher, you Yank. Got your "Masters" did we? Why don't koreans like brits? It's the yanks who f**Ked up vietnam remember, not the brits. There must be brits working in Korea, surely....Theyre not racist or should I say English-ist about Brits are they?what 4? |
I'm British.
You're a moron. Try not to post here, if you can. You're embarrassing. I mean really fucking embarrassing; you bell end. Go away, i am ashamed of you.
| rebound wrote: |
| but thats just me |
You got that right.
I am in no way claiming that working with adults was perfect, sometimes it was utterly gruelling - you get tempted into having a couple of beers with your class when you finish at 9pm, you go, you have that promised couple of beers and start to feel like you're having a pretty good time when one of them, a big company executive or director, invites everyone to a room salon, nice late night restaurant, a club you didn't know about and before you know it you're trying to shuffle your key into your apartment lock at 3am and you have to be up at 5.30 to get to your 6.30 class.
Those mornings i used to curse my very existence, but looking back i wouldn't have changed anything. i remember those crazy nights on seoul, but i don't remember that many of my classes. i only remember that i was never late for any of them.
Last edited by Butterfly on Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:06 am; edited 3 times in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
John_ESL_White
Joined: 12 Nov 2008
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
[quote="martinpil"]
| Rebound wrote: |
| Butterfly wrote: |
Then you call the best 5 or so, 3 of them aren't interested, 1 of them sounds British and your boss doesnt like that, |
So you don't like British teachers huh? I'm a british teacher, you Yank. Got your "Masters" did we? Why don't koreans like brits? It's the yanks who f**Ked up vietnam remember, not the brits. There must be brits working in Korea, surely....Theyre not racist or should I say English-ist about Brits are they?what 4? |
It's his boss ( and most of our bosses ) who do not want brits, irish, etc.
Most of my friends are brit and irish. However, we understand the reality that K mothers want N. American accents. We live and work here, BTW.
No one's anti-european accent (well, us FTs anyway), it's the moms and the hagwons who prefer a N. American accent most of the time.
chill out. You'll see how crappy your hagwon treats you when you get here.
Come on over.... you'll love it.
---still trying to figure out how Vietnam got into this.... I thought the Frenchies mesed up the Vietnam first... was it the US who colonized most of the world? or was it the brits? oh no, i'm getting as childish as you...
and what's that about a masters?
have we a masters degree that the British welfare system gave you for free? That's impressive. You can get a uni job here.
If I had a crayon and some used toilet paper, I could get a uni job here too. That's what the Koreans do anyway.
Congratualtions on the masters.
BTW- your mother's on the dole.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
