Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sulperman]

Not that I am complaining about sitting on my ass for a week and doing nothing, but with test week next week, I really wouldn't mind doing that sitting someplace other than my school.

I know a lot of people get the great deals and get told to go home during all the down time, but I am sure some of you have talked your way out of it. How'd you do it??? What did you say?

If it matters at all, and I am sure it does, I am the first foreign teacher at my school, and everybody still seems a bit miffed that I don't have to go in on saturdays, and I think they aren't really aware that I don't get the same vacation as them.

How did you bring it up? Or how would you bring it up? Or should I just forget it and enjoy a week with just me and the internet at school?

[Rusty Shackleford]

Kiss ass for a start. Do any little thing that comes up. You need to build up some capital to spend later on down the road on such things as getting out of seat warming. Having said that if your school wants to be arsey about it, you won't have a pot to piss in.

It's going to get harder to get out of it down the track as some POEs have started writing it directly into the contract that you have to be at school during all your contracted time. It's probably not worth trying to get out of bench warming in exam week (imo) as there are some things that could come up that you could do, proctoring exams if someone is sick for instance. And it would make the Korean teachers super resentful if you did get out of it. You would be best to save it up for winter vacation when the other teachers aren't likely to give a hoot as they won't be there either.

[Xuanzang]

You can`t. Might as well download movies, play games or study for a TEFL. Complaining/comparing your situation to others would make it worse for everyone. Happened already in EPIK. Just go home earlier than normal.

[the_beaver]

I quit.

[xCustomx]

I always make lesson plans during exam week so then I can kick back, relax, and not have to worry about making lesson plans for the next 8-12 weeks

[cherrycoke]

my experience: I complied with every suggesting in the beginning. I was desperate for a job and said yes to every suggestion that came my way.

Im paying for it dearly now.

I completely disagree with starting off your PS kissing ass, it will come back to haunt you. Okay I dont want to generalize about Korean people but there is always one person among the K-teachers that Im afraid will 'turn that inch into a mile' as Cruisemonkey on this forum says. 98% of Koreans are fine but there always seems to be that bad apple that tries to exploit you for being nice and complying to suggestions.

Take me for example. I was a really nice guy in PS that said yes to everything that came my way. I said yes to coming with the K-teachers on this rafting trip. Said yes to going to singing and dancing with them. Then the soju party. I thought 'why not' I want to show that I'm a dedicated employee of the PS. Then they'd invite me to every drinking party they have weekly and it gets boring really fast when you are just sitting there for 6 hrs watching everyone talk in Korean.

Once my co-teacher asked to come eat breakfast at 6:30AM so i said okay. Now he expects me to come everyday at 6:30AM to eat breakfast. He asks me everyday if I will get up for breakfast and gets upset if I dont come. Nobody goes to breakfast. Only 4 people go. The only reason my coteacher goes is to suck up to the vice principle. It's really something to see a man in his late 40's do that everyday hoping that his loyalty will one day pay off.

The same guy asks me to come on Saturdays for half a day. Miserly loves company. He just doesn't understand I don't get paid enough for this job to do this stuff. I can't escape him either, he's my main coteacher and sits in the cubical right in front of me at school.

Another one of my coteachers invited me to his house to meet his family. I met his sons. He asked if i would give a lesson to them so I tried to be polite and said sure. Now he expects me to come to his house every weekend to teach his sons for free. Ridiculous.

The basic rule of thumb is...if you say yes once, they will expect more and more and more. The one thing I learned in Korea is to learn to say no. I never thought that people in Korea would try putting bigger and bigger hoops for me to jump through...is this cultural or ?

Anyway, deskwarming is cake. Bust out a coffee, go on Dave's or check out other forums. Make a website. Check stocks, currency etc. Read manga online, download movies and listen to music. Come on now... Just dont agree to come in for weekends, once you start they will expect you to keep coming. Do not do anything that is not suggested in your contract and if you do make sure to tell them you will not do it again. I know I sound rude but if you comply to everything you will pay for it later like I have.

[blackjack]

[OculisOrbis]

[cherrycoke]

[cherrycoke]

just to get back to the topic:

I tell my coteacher or whoever that I need to go home to take a shower and change clothes because i smell like mod edit. I just tell them it's unprofessional and face-losing if I smell or if im unshaven.

other ones are that I have to do 'business at the bank'. if they ask it's a private matter.

I also go to the doctor sometimes.

The best excuses are health related. Im too sick or tired, need to rest in bed, cant sleep in chair. it's over, no discussion.

That's all I got right now. But I think it's best just to surf the net and watch youtube vids all day just enduring the desk warming. The time just flies.

[gregoriomills]

OP - While it is somewhat common to get out of deskwarming during summer and winter vacation, it is almost unheard of to get out of mid-term deskwarming. The good thing is that their usually half-days.

[D.D.]

What has worked for me is to let them know I really hate sitting at my desk. So I get to leave at 12 many days and get no warming in winter or summer. Today I will ask to go to the pension office at 1:00 and ask to stay home after that. Stand up for yourself in Korea otherwise you will get pushed around. Saying no to all the extra stuff is the key.

[ekul]

While you don't have lessons during the exam week it's a little unfair on the Korean teachers if you have the time off because they will most likely be invigilating. However if you are expected to come in on any day where the rest of the staff are not then there is a problem.

I have a new coteacher this year, while generally she is much more helpful than my previous she is more of a stickler for the rule book than before. This means I get everything owed to me but also that I'm expected to take only my 20 days vacation and come into school on the other days.

My solutions to this (other than getting mad and saying I'm not resigning) is to ask for home study leave. Basically you get the time off and just have to print off some worksheets from tinternet. Something else I've started to do is after lunch sit in our "English Cafe". I usually sit there and read or talk to the other native teacher and sometimes actually a student! The good part about this is for every 8 days I spend there I get an extra vacation day to use up on these random desk warming days. So for 25mins every day for 8 days I earn another holiday, seems good to me.

I hope some of these ideas help you out.

[Triban]

[xCustomx]