Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rationality]

[toadhjo]

Hmm...sorry, I'm not in Korea yet, so I don't actually have anything to add.

But, it's too bad that the teachers at your school don't invite you out with them...that would be fun I think...what are other people's experiences with this?

[some waygug-in]

Similar, but some differences.

My lunches ain't free. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaahh

My co-teachers won't let me teach, they expect me to stand in the corner and be an English monkey every now and then. (not all, but most)

It's drop dead easy in one sense, but it is hard in the sense that it's humiliating. It's also hard to watch the KT completely mess up what would otherwise be a pretty straightforward lesson, and then refuse to listen to anything I suggest.

[lifeinkorea]

I don't know if this was your reply to the question or if you were looking for others to use below as example answers. So, here is my 1 year experience with a public school compared to hagwon jobs which I have done for 4.5 years.

What are the positive and negative aspects of your PS experience?

The job at the Elementary School

Positives:
"Kids are great and school pays on time." I am allowed a lot of freedom to teach what I want with a cooperative co-teacher.

Negatives:

"The feeling of isolation. The staff never invites me out to dinners nor includes me in anything else."

As "evil" has hagwons are, I was always invited out to events. I never felt pressured into going, but at the public school I do feel more pressure to attend events where all I do is stand around as a showpiece for the principal to say, "Hey Look!! We have an English teacher at our school". No one initiates contact with me or even tries to use simple Korean I might understand. I get more niceties from the mom and pop stores.

When I tell the school I can get material at a fraction of the cost by buying used or from other teachers, they decline telling me they need receipts. When I then request the school to get something, I have to get it signed and approved by the principal.

The school has their agenda, and I have mine. I think what you do in that case is talk and communicate. I am willing to, the public school isn't. When I worked at hagwons and similar schools in Japan, I was always able to negotiate and make changes with the school. Even one school where I stopped taking on additional students helped me stay in Japan for another year.


Living conditions:

Positives: The apartment is great, but the location not so great. I have never really had bad living arrangements during my time in Asia since 2002 (China, Japan, and now Korea). Perhaps they could do something about the smokers, like have them go to the top rooms in the building.

Negatives:

The stupid security deposit you got to pay. I can understand 1 month's rent. However, asking for millions of won is NOT to my liking. I would consider not living in Korea if the only option was to pay this. I don't like other people tying up my money like that.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

My experience has been overwhelmingly positive but I like to teach, don't mind working long hours, and seem to fit into Korean school culture all right. However, I know that this isn't always the case for other PS teachers. I haven't met many who've made me think, hmmm, I might consider trading my gig for yours.

[afsjesse]

Work

Positives:

Almost free reign in my classes on how to teach. Work at 4 schools that really balance each other out (I dislike my main school). Co-teachers speak very good English. 1 school lunch is free. Nobody really bugs me with extra crap that often eith work or not work related. Paid on time.

Negatives:

Co-teachers hardly give input, although lately one has. Deskwarming during all of the vacation periods. No extra-pay for camps. Have to make stupid lesson plans that nobody looks at. Teach 2 hours after school 3 days a week and only get paid for 3 of the hours. Principal in the main school is a d#$. Hardly ever invited to school dinners although recently I have for a couple. No money for transportation to my other schools. Students don't want to learn. Co-teachers have no clue on how to teach a language properly (albeit either do I very much). Stupid requests made sometimes. Nobody talks to me unless its work related. Pusy gym teacher in the high-school next to my middle school who is uber-Korean with me and expects me to be Mr. Korea everytime I'm with him (told him to shut up last time... speechless ) Students hanging around my desk in the teachers lounge. Teachers talking about me when they think I don't know basic Korean.

Housing

Positives:

Great 3 bedroom apartment, very spacious, great view of the sea and mountains, 2 balconies, a bathtub, near the bus terminal.

Negatives:

Window shutters suck when it's windy, came with a Hello Kitty toilet seat, Floors are stained.

[rationality]

[Xuanzang]

The job at the Elementary School:

Positives:
Kids for the most part are good. Some kids with attitude and/or mental disabilities make class challenging. Never been stiffed for salary or allowances. Principal likes me. A LOT of leeway.

Negatives:
bastard VP who reneged on paying me for winter camp, many gossip queens and unfriendly teachers, a horrible co-teacher drone that does teaches English in Korean. This is like a bad marriage with poor communication and lots of silence.

Living conditions:

Positives:
Close to downtown, has an elevator, enclosed parking garage

Negatives:
Foreigner/college student officetel. Recent occupants from the 09 orientation seem to enjoy reliving their dorm days. Occupants above seem to have a tendency to vacuum at 1am. Shared laundry facilities. Asinine and petty building manager.

[Xuanzang]

The job at the Elementary School:

Positives:
Kids for the most part are good. Some kids with attitude and/or mental disabilities make class challenging. Never been stiffed for salary or allowances. Principal likes me. A LOT of leeway.

Negatives:
bastard VP who reneged on paying me for winter camp, many gossip queens and unfriendly teachers, a horrible co-teacher drone that does teaches English in Korean. This is like a bad marriage with poor communication and lots of silence.

Living conditions:

Positives:
Close to downtown, has an elevator, enclosed parking garage

Negatives:
Foreigner/college student officetel. Recent occupants from the 09 orientation seem to enjoy reliving their dorm days. Occupants above seem to have a tendency to vacuum at 1am. Shared laundry facilities. Asinine and petty building manager.

[Goku]

Positive:

You can have a straight face, walk towards a classroom, watch their faces light up, hear the screaming "TEACHER _________ WHOO!"...

And then swerve away in apathy and make the kids realize that you totally just faked them out thinking you were going to teach them.

Their moans and sighs of dissapointment feed my sadistic giddiness.

Negative:

Yeah the gossip. You can't say anything to anyone in confidentiality.Also I have to stay on my toes all the time and quite frankly I'd rather slouch, scratch my crotch once in a while and give a loud burp. But everything is being watched and analyzed. Please... stop watching me... I'm probably doing work anyways, but I don't really like it when people know I'm gonna do a #2 because I grab 3-4 tissues and leave the room.

[rationality]

[rationality]

[Zulethe]

Positives:

It's not the U.S. Army

It's not CPS

It's not the Department of Veterans Affairs

Negatives:

Absolutely nothing...best job on earth.

[alphakennyone]

I sincerely hope I can get one of the jobs where the co-teacher does everything! I'd love to be a human tape recorder.

Seems a lot less common here than in Japan though.

[oldfatfarang]

Seven months in - 99% positive.

Postitives
Great Principal, VP's, and Co-teachers.
OK, one's a bit of a slider, but they all speak English extremely well, and are uber helpful and friendly.
- Respected for my teaching practice, so I've complete freedom to teach anything, anytime (no interference in my lesson planning or delivery - just help from co-teachers in-class, when needed).

- Fantastic, polite kind, and mostly happy students (all girls).
- Students who aren't afraid/embarrassed to talk to me and actually talk to me outside of school (in the city/on the street/ supermarket etc).

- Don't have to eat school lunches.
- Have my own office (and English Room) on other side of campus (so I look out a large wall of windows into a park-like setting (trees,
flowers, kids playing etc).
- Hear kids singing most days (Music Room is next to English Room).
- A lot of school activities (always invited and I love participating).
- Occassional staff dinner (fun at night, but trying during the day as I don't eat lunch).
- Some interesting school religious ceremonies.
- Very helpful wrangler.
- A very relaxed, country-style feel to the school.
- Relatively little violence (teachers don't beat my students in the English Zone).
- Pay's on time (if I ask for a payslip a day before).
- Accommodation: a small, comfortable studio room.
- Additional 'benefits' to contract that make this a very attractive job.

Oh, and there's great fishing 5 mins. from school (everynight).

Negatives
- Had my overtime classes/pay stopped.
- Summer camp looms.
- I've heard students being beaten by the nearby music teacher.
- Low salary (let's face it - PS pay sucks).
- My town is quiet - very, very quiet - but there's a large city nearby.

Really, I just the love the 'feel' of this school. - I've been asked to re-sign for another year (tempted, despite low pay). It's light years away from my previous SMOE hellhole (which was really just a childrens' prison).

This is probably the best job I'll ever have in Korea. It sure has made me question a lot of my negative attitudes towards Korea and Koreans.