Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Privateer]

I've been doing this for quite a while now and, I feel, getting better and better at it, and doing reasonably well out of it too. Lately, however, I've been feeling really burnt out and brassed off with it. Everyone goes through bad patches of course, but this seems like it's more than just a patch, so it's probably time to think about a change. I don't think I'm going to like teaching significantly better anywhere else either, although I could be wrong about that of course.

So I was wondering how other people feel about teaching - and I mean the actual teaching part, irrespective of any side issues you may have with your particular place of work, or with Korean cultural foibles. I know some people can't get out fast enough, and, at the other extreme, some (claim to) love it. Let's see what sort of spread there is.

P.S. If you don't like my poll design, sorry. I know it's not perfect. Feel free to design a better one!

[polonius]

Teaching is a career for me. I will return to Canada and teach in the elementary school system. I am bilingual, and this added to the fact that I am a man, I should be able to get a job very easily. If I teach French, I would teach core French rather than immersion, as the immersion program in Ontario needs to be revamped.

[Otherside]

I voted "same days I hate it, some days it's tolerable".

I think this has a lot to do with me teaching Elementary. I have to teach gr1-6 and I find I teach better and the enjoy the classes more as they get older. Perhaps if I tried middle or HS I'd enjoy it alot more.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I like it more than I hate it. I voted it's a good job but I wouldn't want to do it forever. Teaching is my vocation, and I will probably go be a real teacher in my home country, at some point.

[ChinaBoy]

Some days I think I would rather be in prison than have to teach another class.

And I only think of prison because I'm not brave enough to try to kill myself.

I guess you could say I don't like teaching.

[VanIslander]

most days i love it

if i'm feeling under the weather i wish i could call in sick or get a temp replacement, but alas, i am expected to go to work sick and thus do

[schwa]

I stumbled into teaching at age 46 & 10 years on I kick myself for not having discovered it earlier. Its me. I checked the first poll option.

[Theo]

I wanted to participate in the poll, but no statement truly reflected (or came close to reflecting) my feelings.

I wanted to choose the first option, "I love it..." but the problem for me is that after five years in China, and one year in Korea, I had endured a string of lousy employers and managers. I find the EFL business in those countries to be corrupt and highly exploitative. (I always worked in adult schools, as my previous home country teaching experience was in universities).

So yes, I love teaching university-age and older EFL students, but I loathe the EFL business which I consider almost completely devoid of academic intergrity and decent business ethics.

Love the work; loathe the industry.

[samcheokguy]

I hope I can get my MA in Linguistics and do this forever...

[Privateer]

^ Well I really wanted to make this about teaching, not about the industry, although I realise it's hard to separate them. So I guess we can put Theo down for option 1.