Korean Job Discussion Forums

[maingman]

** http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=9kQ7whCrZ1c

As you are non- newbie, I would like to know YOUR thoughts for the new semester and specifically teaching in Korea

1 do you believe that general teaching within schools : hakwons/ or academies, Universities and the PS sector... will be better for you in 2009

2 what current changes, maybe staffing/ number of native teachers, pay through EPIK. SMOE will change the approach you have within the classroom eg do you really think it will determine what u do and your current relationship in the school/classroom

thanks !

[I_Am_The_Kiwi]

1. No, this is why I'm leaving. If 2008 taught me anything, its that no one has your back in PS and your left to your own devices.....which can be helpful, but not always - especially in trying to develop teaching skills.

2. If I were paid more I would work harder. Even though I have experience and ESL qualifications, I'm paid 2.1M, fine but it seems we are undervalued - so why should I try so hard when noone gives a dam.

You get what you pay for, and the huge lack of support and teacher training is the kicker. An increase in native teachers at my school would be useful, simply for bouncing ideas from and having someone else there to work with who understands you. The school and staff provide no useful feedback, nor support.

[afsjesse]

1. Teaching at my public schools will be the same. Hardly any support from my co-teachers or anyone else. But still better than my hagwon job in 2008.

2. I am determined to work hard just so that I gain more experience and skills. The pay will remain stagnant as Korea will continue to go the creap route of attracting people. While I enjoy working for EPIK, it is a broken chain of command that is redundant in every sense of the word. I look forward to completing my contract and moving on.

[soviet_man]

2009 is my 5th year in Korea.

Looking back, what has changed since I started is the higher level of scruitiny and paranoia being imposed on foreigners.

Including the crackdown on fake degrees, the sealed transcripts nonsense, visa regs being tightened, the health checks being introduced, the phase out of easy visa runs. This coupled with a global economic downturn and a falling currency, it all makes for a much more difficult climate - none of these above things were in place in 2004/2005.

I don't have any confidence in any improvement in the near term either.

Even public schools seemed to have drifted out of fashion recently.

When visa regs changed last year, there was an exodus of long-timers from Korean ESL.

But the market segment I think that has most suffered are those that came for a year, then went home and were thinking of coming back *one day* but didn't. I think that group was been scared off from returning.

The only people that seem available for recruitment in 2009 are those that are completely new. These people lack the experience and nous in negotiating the Korean classroom.