Korean Job Discussion Forums

bobbybigfoot · Joined: 05 May 2007 Location: Seoul

I gotta snap out of this horrible lazy trance I have fallen into.

I would never be this way back home. Employers just don't tolerate nonsense, and yet in Korea, not only do they tolerate it, but in many ways they necessitate it.

When I first came to Korea, I made sure I did the best possible job I could. Then it soon became apparent that nobody cared what I did. I found myself getting aggravated with my lazy co-workers who did things late, haphazardly, or just wrong. At the end of my first contract, my school made no extra effort to keep me or recognize the extra work I'd given. Quite simply: we were all the same to them, and completely replaceable.

My thinking then changed overnight: Nothing matters in Korea so, in turn, I decided to stop caring.

I now have a 20-hour a week gig, with zero supervision, zero imput, zero output. I come in, I teach, I leave. Done. Because I don't get any complaints, I hear nothing from management. I'm not even sure who my manager is.

And after a year of this, I realize how incredibly lazy I have become. I don't prepare for classes, I'm not advancing myself, I'm not improving. I'm just towing the line. My appearance has even started to go downhill. I'm certainly not dressing the part of a teacher. I don't feel like a teacher.

I'm thinking of switching jobs just to force myself into a new routine. What will I be like in another year if I don't change?

Has this happened to anyone else?

Mr_Anderson · Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Location: New Zealand

Goku · Joined: 10 Dec 2008

I've always been kind of "hard working"

but lately I've been MORE hard working. However, I'm coming off meaner and nastier to my co-workers and kids.

Today I had kids make orgami, and when then were fiddling with it later (20 minuies later), I made one of the kids eat it.

After that class I realized that I'm becoming this monstrosity of a disicpline machine...

I think my obsession with work and trying to really teach this kids made me do a complete 180. When I came here I was all relaxed, spent HOURS on dave's did jack squat and was really friendly with all teachers.

Now I'm working 24/7. I have virtually no time to jack around (except when I'm on dave's) and I'm constantly planning some worksheets or lesson plan. Now I don't smile and I don't say hello and I just go about my business...

I don't know why I'm the complete opposite, I should be lazy, I mean, I'm not gettign rewarded for workign any harder.

OnTheOtherSide · Joined: 29 Feb 2008

What you are describing is what makes working in Korea so awesome. Would you prefer to have more demanded of you and have more pressure?

I say just chill out and be "lazy". This whole entire culture in the US of scrambling to the top of the corporate and financial ladder is crap, it is not enjoyable, you dont want it. You are getting paid to be a slacker, you should be loving it.

If you feel like you are not challenged enough, pursue challenge and hobbies outside of work.

poet13 · Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:41 pm Post subject:

It's not that I don't care now, it's that I'm entirely too distracted. I'm moving back to the Philippines next year to build our family farm, and I can't think of anything else. In my sleep (saturday for example) I laid blocks in my dreams. I even went back and looked at my corner ties to see how good they were. I found myself calculating how many yards of mortar I would need if the over-plaster were 3/4" versus 3/8".

Robot_Teacher · Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Location: Robotting Around the World

Easiest job in itself. Hard part is living in an Asian country and comforting yourself with Western food and beer. (expensive!) Despite my 1 to 1.5 hour a day work out, I've gained 12 pounds in 7 weeks! Ouch! At least my pants still fit, but I'm getting uncomfortable. Some is muscle, but I'm seeing stretch marks on my belly. It's my evening beer drinking and western meals as well as little physical work socking it to me. If you drink just a 6 pack, that's like 2000 calories! And then add a cheesy meaty western meal, that's like another 700 calories or more. Just after work, I'm consuming 1.5 times my daily caloric need. Add breafast and lunch, I'm consuming a total of 2X my maximum daily caloric need.

Now that's pure laziness to have became a glutton by night. This gig can make a fat lush out of you. Fo' real man.

Time for me to cut down after work most days and feel more energetic. I'm very energetic in my lessons, but that's not enough when you're consuming 3000+ calories a day; mostly at night while on the computer. Talk about one lazy robot falling into a comfortable easy routine. Wink

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

harlowethrombey · Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Location: Seoul

The instant I leave the school grounds I zap out of 'teaching mode' and into who I actually am.

Not to say that I dont enjoy teaching, but its a job and, like many westerners, I keep my social and work lives pretty seperate.

With that said, I dont think I'm getting lazier in Korea, I just have less to do. I still plan my lessons, create worksheets, do research, whatever, but I just dont have the same volume of work to do compared to teaching back home.

Since i have so much free time I'm reading more, posting on Daves (which may not actually be a sign of positive time management), doing more writing, and now I'm making my gifts for next christmas.

Free time is good. Easy jobs are good. Dont jinx yourself.

it's full of stars · Joined: 26 Dec 2007

Privateer · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Location: Easy Street.

I was born lazy. lol

Actually, first Korea made me into a responsible worker, believe it or not. Now it's making me lazy.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Actually Korea's made me a lot more disciplined when it comes to work; my students are generally great but they do keep me on my toes and I've got to be well prepared. At home, though, Korea's turned me into a real lazy slob. I never cook and can't be bothered to do much more than laundry once a week.

ekul · Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Location: [Mod Edit]

Remember peeps, you are not your fucking khakis...

This job swims in bureaucracy, misinformation, sabotaging co-teachers and numerous other pains in the arse. So the little blessing that is your lack of accountability should not be moaned at. BTW bettering yourself in most jobs just means bettering yourself in someone else's eyes. Real personal development is a complete fallacy in many jobs.

justaguy · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Location: seoul

Korea has not made me lazy. But it has made me different. I know this may sound crazy to some, but I believe it has made me a better person than I used to be.

Underwaterbob · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Location: In Cognito

Yes and no. I actually work far fewer hours here than I did back home, but here I have to put so much more into those few hours than I did back there. This is, of course, if I want to make any progress with my students at all. It would be very easy to make a token appearance in class, and sometimes when I'm sick or feeling overworked, I do, but for the most part I like to try and see that my students get something out of class.

jdog2050 · Joined: 17 Dec 2006