Korean Job Discussion Forums

[misher]

Hi all,

I'vr posted a few times regarding Korean language education as I aspire to study Korean full-time. Unfortunately I don't think I can save the money here in Canada before this fall. I was thinking about pounding out 1 year at a chain hagwon. I've used the search function and I think Pagoda/YBM are it for me. This is what i am looking for:

Hours: I don't care. If it is a split. Fine, as long as i am compensated for the hours I teach. If I have 40 contact hours a week so be it (I have 35 in canada and I manage) as long as I am paid. I read that soem of these hagwons slave you but at least pay you for it as overtime.

Teaching: I would like to teach adults. I have 2 years of exp here in canada and I have a CELTA. The one on one program through pagoda looks good even if the hours suck. I just don't want to prep. When I mean prep I mean "figure out what to do." Where I teach now is like this. No curriculum, just topics and it is up to you to dig for materials in books or whichever to make your class interesting. Some teachers like having the power to do what they want but I don't (call me lazy I guess). I want a set book and curriculum and my prep would consist of marking and familiarizing myself witht he materials and organizing the printouts. Is this possible at a place like Pagoda or YBM? I've read they have their own materials.

Salary: If I can get upwards of around 2.4 with key money but no housing allowance that is fine. i know there are small haggy jobs that pay 2.3/2.4 AND cover your housing but I simply don't want to teach kids and I will make the sacrafice. IF I could hit 2.3/2.4 teaching adults with a set curriculum and no housing allowance that is ok with me. It seems like that is the best it gets for noobies like me if they want to teach adults no?

Vacation: I don't care. i just want to slave for one year and build on my nestegg to study Korean. If I teach over 30 hours a week I jsut want to be compensated for it (overtime etc).

Flight: I know places like WDI don't pay for your flight but some other places do. If I could get the flight arranged that would be great but it isn't the end of the world if that can't happen.

Are my expectations realistic? I'm jsut concerned mainly about prep and curriculum. I don't want to be sitting around in a pile of books scrambling to get activities together the day before my class.

Any recommendations as to where I can go? I jsut want to do one year and then study Korean for 2 years. I apologize if what i want sounds a bit inflated. I don't want to sound entitled or anything because I'm definitely not. I jsut want an oopportunity to wotk hard with a set curriculum with adults.

Thanks to anyone that replies!

[TheUrbanMyth]

[wylies99]

OP, slaving at a hagwon is a good way to "hang on"- basically survive in Korea with, hopefully, a place to stay and beer in your belly. As for saving money- you'll be LUCKY if you get paid, let alone be able to make financial plans with that money.

If YOU think that YOU won't be cheated, despite all of the warnings from others, then be my guest. In a couple months you'll be starting threads about going to Labor against your hagwon. Make sure you save all of your documentation because you'll need it.

[lifeinkorea]

If you slave away, they will probably pay you.........until your final months. Then you will see a change in the direction the wind is blowing their money.

You can use this to your advantage by finding ways to go to another school. I have done that a few times, and even though I have lost a bit in the transition I have been able to continue working here past the 1 year mark without having to leave the country.

If you are ok with that, then it shouldn't be a problem.

Another thing, don't expect a curriculum. Expect chalk dust on a board that has never been washed and wobbly chairs and tables. Expect the school to ask you what you are going to teach.

[misher]

[lifeinkorea]

misher,

I am sorry for not replying more directly to you in my previous post. My only experiences with the smaller private schools were in Japan. It was mixed. Some had books you could use, and other schools expected you to prepare lessons. It is true, you will get more structure as a small private school grows. They will want to use this to advertise "their" way of learning. This can turn into kryptonite over a matter of 2 months, where you can't do anything else in a lesson because you have to follow these stupid lesson steps set out in your "Learn English Our Way" manual.

In that case, I suggest you find an owner who has those books available but will allow you to scrap them if you provide your own lessons. If the school says you have to follow their curriculum and get permission before introducing new material, then get ready for boredom and prepare yourself for mind numbing auto-pilot lessons.

Another thing these developed private schools like to do is put you in competition with your fellow native English teachers. Maybe it doesn't happen as much in Korea because they really like to honor the one year contracts, but you may not get perks along the way if you don't do everything the school requests.

I have had this happen to me both in Japan and Korea, so I don't think this is centralized. One school wanted to hold "English parties" which amounted to having English teachers entertain potential students to their school. Then, they would only give jobs to teachers who brought in the most interest from students, like a beauty contest for English teachers. That part is fine by itself, competition is fair, but then they would tell that teacher the student no longer wants lessons from them when they found a teacher who lived closer to that student. Eventually, those teachers lose students and end up just being recruiting mascots for the school. When the school can't get anymore students, then those teachers are dropped. This happened to me in Japan.

In Korea, something similar happened. I went to one hagwon, and after 3 weeks was asked to teach at a public school where they would pay me half of my salary. The hagwon would pay the rest to total the amount we agreed on. I refused, so I got demoted. My schedule changed the next day. They moved my classes around, and I ended up having to teach 2 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the afternoon, and then 3 hours in the evening. So instead of the 3 or 4pm to 10pm hagwon hours, I was now forced to be available from 9am to 9pm but only paid for the hours I taught.

This is what these bigger schools can do to you. Let's say you only want to teach adults. So, the school says sure you can teach adults in the morning and evening. You do this for 1 month, and then gradually, adults stop coming. You are asked to teach "just 1" kids class. Then, asked to do another since "you did such a good job". Sometimes they will bribe you with overtime pay (then later rationalize they don't owe you because you didn't work 30 hours that week). Eventually, the job you took has been completely changed. You are stuck.

[jadefrog]

While both YBM and Pagoda use their own materials -- along with commercially available texts -- there is preparation involved. Supplementing the text is standard procedure for most EFL classes.

[Ilsanman]

Pagoda is not so bad. PM me if you want more info.

[Juregen]

Teaching without preparation is not teaching.

If you want to have zero prep, go flip burgers, any other type pf job requires intellectual effort.

[misher]

[Fishead soup]

I have a friend who used to work for Pagoda. Here's the drift. Pagoda evaluates and ranks its teachers. When you get your pay slip there's a number on it. They also periodically fire the low 10-20 %. If you work at a francise with 20 NETS. If you get a number above 15 two or more months in a row you are in hot water. You should be gunning for 10.

There's also tons of kenners.

[kasain]

[kasain]

[hockeyguy109]

kasim- with that kind of pay and circumstances, why has she stayed there this long?

[Rory_Calhoun27]

Glutton for punishment? Maybe she's addicted to abusive relationships..... they seem to be flourish in the 21st century! Just like every other century!