Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bloopity Bloop]

I am a little more than halfway through my first contract. I teach at an elementary PS and over the course of the past few weeks, I've rapidly lost any and all passion I had for the job and teaching. It's a struggle to get through each class. Would it crazy for me to renew with SMOE and try for highschool? I'm thinking that it might just be kids I'm sick of dealing with. Maybe older kids/young adults would be different. I'd greatly prefer sleeping students over those that are constantly yelling, jumping, asking me for candy everyday, and running around. I'm beginning to genuinely dislike children.

The thing is, I'm not even at a bad school. The students are nice, albeit loud. I'm on great terms with the administration. School lunches here are deeelicious. Only major problem is that my new co-teacher, who replaced the two veterans I had last semester, can barely speak English and is fresh out of teaching school.

Anyone else go through a rapid depression during a contract here? I'm just not sure if I'm in a funk, I'm just not cut out for teaching, or if I'm not cut out for working with kids.

[Senior]

First off, referring to Korean high school students as "young adults" is just wrong. You're likely to see little difference in maturity, interests, life experience, maybe even English ability, than with your better elementary students.

You're a little unlucky to have a young teacher who doesn't speak English. In my experience, the young teachers are getting better and better.

You probably are going through a funk. Wait for the sun to come out(this might sound weird, but your vitamin D levels have a massive impact on your state of mind) and if you aren't feeling better you should consider your options.

It's too early to know whether you are cut out for teaching, or working with kids, or whatever. Even if you don't have those innate abilities, you can learn them. DRs. don't have the innate ability to diagnose disease, after all.

[moosehead]

I'm fairly certain SMOE doesn't deal with high schools; only elem and middle.

[Bloopity Bloop]

[SW]

I'm in a very similar situation. This is only my second year in Korea (and first at a SMOE middle school), so I can't say I'm really qualified to give advice, but I will try to provide some perspective and tell you what I would do (what I'm going to do, actually).

[buildbyflying]

Seconding the funk. Check out the U curve: http://www.freshmanseminar.appstate.edu/Faculty/Fac_Manual/Transitions/U_Curve.htm

You're in a natural cycle. Go home, take a month to relax, and you'll be recharged to experience the same drain at about the same time next year.

As for the jab at Korean kids... I think these kids are plenty mature considering their age and the stress they're under.

[Fishead soup]

Elementary is the easiest . If you take a job in a high school you'll be playing second fiddle to the high school entrance exams. The kids will consider your class a joke, Either stay where you are or consider a complete career change.

[waynehead]

[bde2]

[longlivetheclash]

We are looking for a native (male or female) English teacher at our school in Yongin.We are requesting that the teacher is currently in Korea. It's an established hagwon (opened in 2003) with a good reputation and working environment. The working hours are from
9:00 AM-6:00 PM M-F (but only 5 hours of teaching per day) teaching kindergarten and elementary school. The monthly salary is from 2.3-2.4 million won with housing, pension, health insurance (50%), completion bonus and daily lunch provided. We are looking to hire immediately. Please forward resumes and photos, and I will be in touch ASAP.

[AsiaESLbound]

Sounds like you aren't getting job satisfaction. Who you work with and for can mean the difference between satisfaction or burnout even if you are in your chosen desired field. One can love teaching, but if one doesn't understand their relationship or current status with co-teachers, students, and the school, then it might be a mystery cloud that only leads to frustration and disdain towards those getting in the way of making it less rewarding than it could or should be. It could be a really cool cultural exchange, but they choose to clam up in a reserved manner. Well, it's not about connecting with us, it's simply about them demanding with their time and money, a knowledge transfer.

It's not just about us in any given situation as to why things seem wrong with no explanation and a lack of communication with indifference, it's many unspoken issues going on around us we don't understand since we can't read minds like they think or expect and most of those issues aren't our problem or anything to do with us. I'm betting you just aren't receiving positive feedback nor understanding your current status. It takes positive feedback and 2 way communication to have job satisfaction in almost anything, anywhere. It can often seem like a lonely experience where you wonder if you are on their sheeet list for no apparent reason, leaving you dis-empowered to take pride in your work by taking a lead initiative to do a good job and knowing you are valued, appreciated, and wanted. I understand a good status to receive positive feedback, even if it's only nonverbal which is the most important indicator in any relationship; not a simple, "you are a good____, thank you." I got tired of playing the phony compliments games after 1 month so now I'm not popular with my 2 co-teachers like I once was now that they realize I'm a real person in it for the real deal.

I have a feeling I'll never feel at least 85.9% satisfied since people just create problems in any situation due to personality conflicts and irresponsibly having special needs students in mainstream population being disruptive monkeys requiring that left handed monkey wrench to fix that simply doesn't exist. Many things like this you can't fix, but you always have a choice to either ignore moronic people and do your work, openly address differences in attempt to gain a common ground, or quit and move on.

[PatrickGHBusan]

You are in a tough spot mentally.

Feeling drained as a Teacher is normal and happens often. It is a demanding job.

If I may ask a few questions...feel free not to answer or course. I am just trying to figure out where you are at in terms of work.

How much teaching experience did you have prior to coming to teach in Korea?
Had you worked abroad as a teacher before?
How much training have you received in classroom management, lesson planning and other education related tasks?

I am asking because typically people who have little to no experience or training in Teaching tend to hit a pretty stiff wall at some point due to the demands of teaching.

Good luck.

[Whistleblower]

The following post via the blog is a good illustration from the latest IATEFL Conference in Harrogate:

http://civitaquana.blogspot.com/2010/04/live-plenary-session-tessa-woodward.html

Tessa highlighted some interesting points for teachers in their career. Take a look. We are all in the same boat at the end of the day.

[caylia]

[languistic]