Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Peter258]

Ok, until recently I kept hearing about how it's much better to teach public than private for many reasons, the most common being that hagwons are more likely to be shady and take away or add conditions to your contract.

But I also recently found out that in hagwons, there will be plenty of other foreign teachers, while in public schools you will be the only one...

So if you are the only foreign teacher in a public school, and most of the people you associate with on a day to day basis are little kids and one coteacher, then isn't it tough to meet other foreigners?

edit: I'm not saying I only want to associate with other ESL teachers/foreigners, it's just that sometimes I'd like to make friends without there being a language/cultural barrier.

[Emark]

Unless you have a problem with working independently, or being alone for just a few hours a day, or need to be surrounded by other foreigners day in and day out, living in Korea is not for you.

Even at schools that have multiple foreigners working there, is it reasonable that you would want to blindly hang out with these people? Not everyone may want to hang out with you either.

When I worked with GEPIK, there was a huge opportunity to network with other teachers in or near where you worked. 1st, the orientation seminars were the 1st place you had to meet poeple that more or less fit into your life and could be friends. Huge choice of 200 other teachers as opposed to 4 in a private school. Each month, I attended a demonstration class at a school near mine where all us foreigners could meet up and discuss our school issues and again, if we wanted to, create friendships.

Sadly, many foreigners never take the opportunity to learn the personal indenture of living alone with oneself and learning to like that person they are alone with. Great opportunity when you are all alone in Korea! Many foreigners also tend to not press into understanding the culture and creating life long bonds and friends with and in Korea. If they did, it is my opinion that the snarkiness and bitchiness about teaching and living in Korea on this and other forums would subside.

Korea and the public school system offer far more than we teachers give it credit for. There are way more opportunities to do stuff in Korea with GEPIK (prob EPIK and SMOE too) than private schools.

The challenge I give to you and everyone else reading this is are you going to dismiss opportunity or step out and do all you can while the envelope of time affords it to you.

[naturegirl321]

I think there's a lot to be said with being able to entertain yourself, reading, listing to music, getting an MA, there are Tons of things that you can do.

FInding a couple of good friends CAN help. If you have asimilar background to other teachers, it might help, but if you're very different from them, it can be hard.

Don't forget that you can meet people at church or in Korean classes as well.

[Peter258]

Don't think I'm being a close minded person who doesn't want to befriend the locals. Hanging out with the locals is great and all, but I just like to have some balance is all I'm saying.

It will be nice to meet some people without a cultural and language barrier in the way, that's all.

Let's face it, no matter how great your experience abroad is, at times you do get homesick, and having friends who come from similar walks of life can be helpful.

[jonpurdy]

You'll only be at school for eight hours a day, with three or four of those actually being alone at your desk. Use the time to browse the internet, make better lessons plans, etc. Or socialize with Korean teachers if they are interested.

You will be afforded many opportunities to meet foreigners through work-related stuff (like conferences, meetings, winter/summer camps) and through social stuff (like bars and such). So don't worry about it.

[Nierlisse]

It can get lonely, especially at first before you really have a chance to meet other people. Since I came here with my husband I didn't really have that problem, though it was at least a month before we found where the other english-speakers hang out in our town.

It's only lonely for me at school when all the teachers go out to dinner and the 6-7 Korean teachers who can speak English ignore me and talk to other Korean teachers, in Korean. 2-3 hours of that got old really fast. Other than that I relish the time I am ignored at school. Ahh, to be left alone...

And of course when I'm here deskwarming in my EOZ and no one comes to even see if I'm alive...but that makes it that much easier to leave early.

[Ukon]

Really depends on the school....

Some schools have two foreigners...you may have an office with your coteachers or maybe stuck in the principal's office...

Maybe your co-teachers are awesome(mine are) and a blast to hang out with or they're zero english speaking hags who make you do extra tasks.

If your outside a major city, you might have trouble finding foreigners or even younger folks to hang out with in general. In Seoul, lots of PS teachers still hang out with their orientation group members....and it's easier to meet up with them(obviously).....harder in the sticks where everyone is far away from each other.

Zen bar in seoul seems to be the hang out...I haven't met that many PS foreign teachers since orientation...

Some hagwons only have one foreign teacher or few young teachers or maybe they're just ****heads so your miles may vary there too. My friend has a hagwon with decent co-workers to hang out with...another one only has older foreigners with families at his hagwon.

[VanIslander]

teaching isn't lonely when you have your students in the classroom!

prep isn't lonely if you are hustling to get it done quickly and efficiently

(deskwarming, now having to do that for hours on end in ps schools, yeah that can get lonely)

most loneliness felt by esl teachers i suspect comes from what people choose to do or not do before and after work and on weekends - really having nothing to do with the job per se

[oldtactics]

Not lonely - I thrive on the downtime between classes. Public schools here have teacher networks and most coordinators organize dinners and events for all the teachers that work under them. If you're having a hard time meeting people at the bar/at groups, you're guaranteed to meet a dozen or so at your first native teacher dinner.

Nothing to worry about.

[Perceptioncheck]

I was extremely lonely at one of my public schools which was out in the boondocks. Hardly anyone could speak English and those who did wouldn't for fear of looking foolish in front of their peers. What an atmosphere! Probably didn't help that my co-teacher was craziest beeeiiitch I've ever come across in my professional AND personal life.

I found that school really wore me down emotionally. Just sitting there being surrounded by conversation you don't understand and aren't involved with for an entire day would be tough on anybody IMO.

Before I'm jumped on for not knowing Korean, well - that's a fair point, but not really applicable to newbies.

[Sody]

[sunnata1]

I live and teach in a pretty rural area. There is one elementary school, 2 middle schools (one boy and one girl) and one high school.

I teach at the boys middle school - another NET is at the girl middle - another at the elementary school - and a fourth at an 'English Town.'

In addition, a 20 minute bus ride away finds 2 other NETs. Take a 30 minute bus ride and there is 3 more NETs. And go an hour away and there are more NETs than you can shake a stick at.

I'm lucky that all the NETs in my area are amazingly sane. About 3 days per week we do some type of group activity with 4 to 8 joining in. This weekend 4 of us are doing a temple stay.

So to answer the OP question - you are only alone if you define your area in the most restrictive terms. You will most likely never be more than an hour away from some major city with a strong ex-pat community.

There might be a few times during the week where you will go to school and then go straight home. If these get the most of you - join the local gym to keep you busy and take a Korean lesson or two. Those will get you through the few days without any interaction with other NETs.

[dragonfly121]

how can you get public school jobs? only through recruiters?

[wylies99]

It is SO MUCH BETTER to work on your own in Korea. You'll be FINE, OP.

[Hyeon Een]