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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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Trinidad
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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30 hours a week would be great. I stopped making money for Koreans
a long time ago and moved to freelance work. At 30 hours per week and
50,000KRW/hour I would be pulling 6,000,000KRW/month. That would
be sweet.
But yes, it would be tiring. I'm thinking of upping the hourly fee to
60,000KRW/hour and lowering class time to 50 minutes. Inflation boys. |
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I'm no Picasso
Joined: 28 Oct 2008
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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runthegauntlet wrote: |
I'm no Picasso wrote: |
I hate to break it to you, but if teaching 30 hours a week is "a piece of cake" or "like a vacation" to you, you're not doing something right. |
Compared to many jobs, it is.
Which is exactly what he said before you snipped his quote. |
Compared to many jobs like what? Maybe you're a hagwon teacher who spends 45 minutes reading out of the book to ten small children. I can see why that would be your opinion, in that case. |
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jmuns
Joined: 09 Sep 2009 Location: earth
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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I'm no Picasso wrote: |
runthegauntlet wrote: |
I'm no Picasso wrote: |
I hate to break it to you, but if teaching 30 hours a week is "a piece of cake" or "like a vacation" to you, you're not doing something right. |
Compared to many jobs, it is.
Which is exactly what he said before you snipped his quote. |
Compared to many jobs like what? Maybe you're a hagwon teacher who spends 45 minutes reading out of the book to ten small children. I can see why that would be your opinion, in that case. |
the person who said it was 'like a vacation' compared it to a corporate managerial position. like that job. its all in his post |
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runthegauntlet

Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Location: the southlands.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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jmuns wrote: |
I'm no Picasso wrote: |
runthegauntlet wrote: |
I'm no Picasso wrote: |
I hate to break it to you, but if teaching 30 hours a week is "a piece of cake" or "like a vacation" to you, you're not doing something right. |
Compared to many jobs, it is.
Which is exactly what he said before you snipped his quote. |
Compared to many jobs like what? Maybe you're a hagwon teacher who spends 45 minutes reading out of the book to ten small children. I can see why that would be your opinion, in that case. |
the person who said it was 'like a vacation' compared it to a corporate managerial position. like that job. its all in his post |
^ Yes, that. And:
"Try factory work, farm work, construction, accounting, engineering, management or many other jobs ... it really is like a vacation when you only have to teach 30 hours per week of classes."
You quoted a portion of his post, 'I'm no Picasso'. Perhaps try reading the whole thing next time, eh? |
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Draz

Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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I used to do factory work. Hour for hour, waaay easier than teaching. Sure it was boring, but there was zero stress. No need to unwind after work, because work didn't wind me up.
30 hours of one-on-one: cake.
30 hours of actual classes: oh god oh god. |
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madoka

Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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This just confirms my theory on how lazy many (NOT ALL) of you guys are. For the record, I work 50+ hours a week - all private tutoring and I don't complain the way some of you do. Yeah, it can be tiring, but that's part of sucking it up and acting like an adult.
IMHO, I find the work and work load easier than the hours I had to put in at professional corporations. Plus I have the flexibility to schedule when I want, with who I want, how long I want, where I want, and if I want. I look at my classmates who are putting in 100-120+ hours a week and still getting paid less than me, and I feel pretty lucky. |
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runthegauntlet

Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Location: the southlands.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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Draz wrote: |
I used to do factory work. Hour for hour, waaay easier than teaching. Sure it was boring, but there was zero stress. No need to unwind after work, because work didn't wind me up.
30 hours of one-on-one: cake.
30 hours of actual classes: oh god oh god. |
Haha. I used to work in a urethane factory. Asbestos on the walls. Hazard labels on all the chemicals and stuff. Standing up running a lathe over and over again. Physically hard, not really, though who knows what long term exposure would have done. But like you said, borrrring. Looking at the clock over and over again. Wow.
Classes seem to usually fly by, though, for me. A lot easier in my opinion, but ease is subjective I guess. |
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Kurtz
Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Location: ples bilong me
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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In my travels I've done all sorts of jobs, try working in a tulip bulb factory in Holland for 50 hours a week and see where your mind is at or picking tobacco leaves for some crazy farmer out in the hot sun also for 50 hours a week.......have to say though teaching 30 classes a week without much help leaves me knackered and in desperate need of a vacation. |
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I'm no Picasso
Joined: 28 Oct 2008
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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runthegauntlet wrote: |
jmuns wrote: |
I'm no Picasso wrote: |
runthegauntlet wrote: |
I'm no Picasso wrote: |
I hate to break it to you, but if teaching 30 hours a week is "a piece of cake" or "like a vacation" to you, you're not doing something right. |
Compared to many jobs, it is.
Which is exactly what he said before you snipped his quote. |
Compared to many jobs like what? Maybe you're a hagwon teacher who spends 45 minutes reading out of the book to ten small children. I can see why that would be your opinion, in that case. |
the person who said it was 'like a vacation' compared it to a corporate managerial position. like that job. its all in his post |
^ Yes, that. And:
"Try factory work, farm work, construction, accounting, engineering, management or many other jobs ... it really is like a vacation when you only have to teach 30 hours per week of classes."
You quoted a portion of his post, 'I'm no Picasso'. Perhaps try reading the whole thing next time, eh? |
Somebody's got his sassy pants on.
It's not like a vacation compared to farm work and construction work -- those two I can vouch for. The others, I cannot. I work harder now than I ever did on farms or construction sites. Those are physically exhausting jobs -- teaching is mentally and emotionally exhausting. Unless you're a hagwon babysitter who doesn't take their job seriously, shows up to be a warm body and collects a paycheck. In which case, we are not working the same the job. So I can understand the miscommunication. |
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detourne_me

Joined: 26 May 2006
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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schwa wrote: |
That was my first two years in Korea.
3 to 9pm, 50-minute classes with 10-minute breaks, never a free period, 50 weeks a year. Money was low/average.
Really, I didnt mind it. You catch a rhythm & run with it. That was my training ground & I emerged a pretty good teacher. Had an active social life too. |
QFT! |
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contacts
Joined: 19 Nov 2009
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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The OP question makes me laugh. 30 hour a week, too much?! really?
I work ~60-70 hours a week at my current job, which I love, so its probably a terrible argument in regards to your hours worked. but 30 hours??? are you kidding me?!?! Guess what, at 2.1 million won a month, you best check your female part - i'll work that happily! Oh those kindergarten kids are sooooo time consuming... |
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Perceptioncheck
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 12:21 am Post subject: |
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I'm no Picasso wrote: |
[
Somebody's got his sassy pants on.
It's not like a vacation compared to farm work and construction work -- those two I can vouch for. The others, I cannot. I work harder now than I ever did on farms or construction sites. Those are physically exhausting jobs -- teaching is mentally and emotionally exhausting. Unless you're a hagwon babysitter who doesn't take their job seriously, shows up to be a warm body and collects a paycheck. In which case, we are not working the same the job. So I can understand the miscommunication. |
Sassy pants?!!
It's all a matter of perspective. For example, I found teaching 38 hagwon classes a week a breeze compared to teaching 22 public school classes. Not because I'm a 'babysitter' as you are so hasty to brand people who work in hagwons, but because public school teaching in Korea sucks. For me.
Your experience is obviously different. Doesn't mean it's right.
Better be careful, somebody might fall off their high horse if they're not careful!! |
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I'm no Picasso
Joined: 28 Oct 2008
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:17 am Post subject: |
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madoka wrote: |
This just confirms my theory on how lazy many (NOT ALL) of you guys are. For the record, I work 50+ hours a week - all private tutoring and I don't complain the way some of you do. Yeah, it can be tiring, but that's part of sucking it up and acting like an adult.
IMHO, I find the work and work load easier than the hours I had to put in at professional corporations. Plus I have the flexibility to schedule when I want, with who I want, how long I want, where I want, and if I want. I look at my classmates who are putting in 100-120+ hours a week and still getting paid less than me, and I feel pretty lucky. |
You teach privates. Not classes jammed full of 40+ public school kids, some of whom cannot even read English, some of whom have studied abroad in Canada for 2 years, all of whom you have to try to keep engaged, occupied and learning.
Perceptioncheck wrote: |
I'm no Picasso wrote: |
[
Somebody's got his sassy pants on.
It's not like a vacation compared to farm work and construction work -- those two I can vouch for. The others, I cannot. I work harder now than I ever did on farms or construction sites. Those are physically exhausting jobs -- teaching is mentally and emotionally exhausting. Unless you're a hagwon babysitter who doesn't take their job seriously, shows up to be a warm body and collects a paycheck. In which case, we are not working the same the job. So I can understand the miscommunication. |
Sassy pants?!!
It's all a matter of perspective. For example, I found teaching 38 hagwon classes a week a breeze compared to teaching 22 public school classes. Not because I'm a 'babysitter' as you are so hasty to brand people who work in hagwons, but because public school teaching in Korea sucks. For me.
Your experience is obviously different. Doesn't mean it's right.
Better be careful, somebody might fall off their high horse if they're not careful!! |
I'm not the one on the high horse -- I'm not the one claiming that my experience is the same as everyone else's, and therefore 30 teaching hours a week is a breeze, and anyone who disagrees is lazy/pathetic.
I do work at a public school and it doesn't suck. I love it and I love my students. However, I just recently finished about six months in a row of 27 classes a week. If anyone thinks that was comparable to a vacation, I'd love to sit back and watch them breeze their way through it.
The "babysitting" comment, by the way, came out of the mouths of other posters here who were on about how easy their job is and how stupid it is to complain about 30 hours. That didn't come from me. |
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blackjack

Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: anyang
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:45 am Post subject: |
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Draz wrote: |
I used to do factory work. Hour for hour, waaay easier than teaching. Sure it was boring, but there was zero stress. No need to unwind after work, because work didn't wind me up.
30 hours of one-on-one: cake.
30 hours of actual classes: oh god oh god. |
I worked in a door factory once. 40 hours a week. I last 3 weeks. Physically tough sure, not a problem. The boredom however killed me, I just couldn't hack it. Lazy drug addled co-workers, no end in sight, same work hour after hour. I just couldn't take it.
I moved furniture for three months, doing 80 plus hours a week. Loved it, physically demanding, dropped 30 kgs in three months (80 down to 50kg). Not much in the way of thinking but still need to use your brain a bit and every job was different
Teaching low levels is hard work and boring, the higher levels where they want to learn, I love that. Out of 10 different classes I have about four like that, those are the classes that makes this job worth while |
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seonsengnimble
Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Location: taking a ride on the magic English bus
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:34 am Post subject: |
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I've actually found that I'm usually happier working long days that start early than I am when I teach short days that start late. Sure, I'm beat when I come home, but somehow the stress and chaos of teaching 7 or 8 classes with little to no breaks keeps me on my toes and energized. If I have a few classes that start at 3 or 4, and the kids are easy to teach, I get lulled into hanging around my apartment doing essentially nothing into the wee hours and waking up at around noon.
It is nice not having the stress though. I do remember needing to go up to the roof of the school to destroy a chair after teaching 8 classes with no break, being told some parent was complaining that the class was too easy(her kid didn't know the alphabet), being told we would be extending the phone teaching time to 7 minutes per kid, and then being told that at the end of the intensive session, we had to come in on saturday to teach an open class. |
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