Korean Job Discussion Forums

[drdst122]

I got a job offer with Avalon and it's for elementary level students. The teaching hours are 3-10pm and I am wondering if all of their positions are those hours?

Also, are Hagwons all pretty late teaching hours or is every school different?

I'm not sure I want to be working that late every day, even though the late start is nice.

Oh and can anyone name some of the other big hagwon companies? I feel like working for one of the big companies will cut down on some of the problems others have with hagwons.

Anyone have any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

[tenchu77491]

Sucks. They are all like that. If it's the Avalon in Yeonsu-gu Incheon, don't bother. That place gets 1-2 runners per month.

[drdst122]

Thanks for your response.

When you say they are all like that, do you mean all Avalon working hours or all Hagwon working hours?

Or are you referring to the practices of hagwons?

Just trying to find out if working 3-10pm is standard at all hagwons or just Avalon. Does Avalon have other hours or is this it?

[tenchu77491]

elementary middle and high school hagwons, pretty much... keep in mind kids are in school all day and thus need late hours for secondary schools (hagwons). If you teach adults then you can have early or late hours.

[bobbybigfoot]

All elementary hagwons will work you from afternoon to evening as the kids are busy during the day at Korean school.

Some Avalons offer 2:40 to 9:40 but I believe the norm is still 3 to 10.

I worked for Avalon for my first year. You can do better; you can do worse. Not a bad place to cut your teeth. Any teacher worth his salt will find another job for year two. The work is mindnumbingly boring after awhile, and the "nothing really matters" attitude may take its toll on you. If you are here to party and relax, then Avalon may be the perfect school for you. They have extremely low expectations of their foreign teacher. It's difficult to get fired.

If you are an experienced teacher who wants to further his experience then I'd avoid.

I worked for an Avalon owned campus, not a franchise.

You will get paid on time, and no dirty tricks will be played (last minute firings etc...) Accommodation will be decent. That being said Avalon did steal about 150,000 from me, through creative accounting and not fully reimbursing my housing deposit. But this is standard hagwon practice. I've yet to hear of fully honorable hagwon in Korea.

[BabaNaja]

Generally the only hagwons that have daytime hours are kindergarten programs, but there's a number of those so if that's what your looking for then I know there are still schools looking to fill those positions. Those hours usually run from 9 or 10am to 6 or 7pm.

Other than that, if you want to teach elementary students only then you're looking at the afternoon hours. Those positions usually run sometime between 1-3 to 8-11.

[SandyG21]

Can those of you who work or have worked at Avalon go into more detail on what teaching there is like? Those hours don't really bother me too much - I have always been a night owl - so as long as I don't have a long commute to my apartment - I could deal with it. How many students? Describe the curriculum? Why is it boring? Do you get paid on time? One location only? That sort of thing answered please. Thanks.

[clyde]

It's the best hagwon out there really, but it is still a hagwon. YOu teach between 3 and 4 classes each day, these are 115 minute classes though, so yeah they get pretty long, especially the lower levels, where you only have to cover a paragraph each class. I liked Avalon though, my liver didn't but heh we all gots to die sometime. Try to get into one in Bundang, it's a nice little spot here.

[njp6]

I second everything that Clyde said. Avalon was good for a year. The reason why it is so boring is they don't allow that much deviation from the curriculum. Classes consist of checking homework, reading from the reading book, taking reading quizzes, assigning reading homework, and working out of a workbook. Rinse and repeat for each class. If the workbook sucks, then the class sucks. Commonly, a fellow teacher and me would make extra worksheets, come up with communicative activities, and design games just to be told not to do these; just stick to the schedule. On the plus side, really no prep time was needed for classes. If you like to construct your own lessons then public school is the way to go, though PS has its drawbacks too.

[ahsieee]

for elementary, you come in at 3. teachers usually go to lunch right after they come in. classes start 4:10. classes aren't long.. i'm pretty sure 55 min? i don't work in elementary for avalon. i work for ivy/nokjiwon. the class sizes differ w/ levels and campuses. i would say probably 10-15?
there are 3-4 different levels, and depending on how your supervisor plans the schedule, it may or may not suck. u usually have 1 break each day. classes end at 930, but you have to stay until 10.
avalon is pretty good- you don't have to deal with TOO much bs. you get paid on time, and depending on which area you go to, your housing will be fine.
since i don't work for elementary, i can't really say much about their curriculum, but i don't here too many complaints from the teachers there. i agree w/ njp6 about rinse & repeat classes, so you have to try to make the classes fun. the youngest kids are 3rd graders, which means in korea, they are 9 yrs old and up.
hope this helps~

[dino.sue]

A recruiter just contacted me about working at Avalon Mapo. Any opinions on it?

I should note that I taught at an SLP franchise last year so I know what to expect from a franchise hagwon. I basically am teaching again so I can continue to study at Yonsei's language institute, where I've already studied for a full year. I figure that by switching to teaching in the evenings nearby, I can take the full-time Yonsei program in the mornings.

Also, they're asking me what pay I should expect. As a second-year teacher from a top-10 U.S. university, in offering my high expectation (with the assumption of it being cut down by a few hundred dollars per month) I'm asking for 2.5M won plus a 500 won housing allowance. Is this about right?

[dino.sue]

Also, I'd really like to find my own housing this year. Is it unreasonable to expect a housing allowance instead of housing provided? And, if it's a big franchise like Avalon, can I ask for a 10M loan for key money as I've seen on other job postings?

[seonsengnimble]

[dino.sue]

Am I being too modest with the requested salary? Or does 2.5M sound about right?

[dino.sue]

(Oh, and thank you, 선생님블!)