Korean Job Discussion Forums

Mitwyatt · Joined: 24 Mar 2009

I've been at my school almost a year now, I will probably renew for another year. I'm currently working at a public school and bounded by a GEPIK contract. Currently I teach 22 hours of regular classes (5th, 6th, 1st, and 2nd grades). Also, I have a 2 hour special class once a week and a teacher class that's 1 hour and 40mins long once a week too (totalling to around 25.5 of contact hours per week).

My foreign teacher manager says I should work more next year. This has me a little concerned, as I need my office hours to do prep work for class, apparently "working more" would cut into this time and perhaps my peace of mind.

Just curious if anyone is or has found themselves in the same situation. Any advice would be great.

many thanks in advanced.

jonpurdy · Joined: 08 Jan 2009 Location: Ulsan

If you want extra money and think you can handle the workload then go for it. If not (like me, I like lots of time to lesson plan) then refuse.

Mitwyatt · Joined: 24 Mar 2009

I agree, having enough time lesson planning and finding/making decent materials amounts to a better class. However my manager is usually very reluctant to take no for an answer. Sort of a sticky situation. Despite this small fiasco, I do enjoy my school a lot and have a good standing among everyone here. Just can't tell what the best approach would be to towards this.

Countrygirl · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Location: in the classroom

If you want to renew then you have to give them the impression that you are fine with it...I don't mean agreeing to it, rather, don't say anything about it at all. Once you've signed the contract (which is 22 hours plus 6 hours if asked) then you can say no after you've hit your limit, if that's what you want to do.

The thing is, each year the teachers change and so does the schedule, and normally at the last minute. And now the elementary schools are hiring English 'Conversation' teachers for the extra English classes. Just because your current handler says you will be working extra hours next contract doesn't mean it's definite. It could just be a rumor.

Burndog · Joined: 17 Feb 2008

Hi. You need to be aware that a 'teaching hour' at a GEPIK Elementary School is 40 minutes. Not an hour. Your two hours of Advanced class is actually three classes. Your teachers class is 2.5 classes. You are teaching 27.5 hours at the moment. You need to advise your co-teacher of this fact (it's in your contract) and ask that the school pay you appropriately for your overtime hours (and backpay as appropriate).

You're currently being underpaid about 160,000 Won per month. The school is underpaying you, and then looking to add more hours to your schedule to meet the gap in the budget.

I doubt that it's a deliberate thing, but you really need to address it.

tehdee · Joined: 01 Apr 2008

my 2009 gepik contract makes no mention whatsoever of a '40 minute teaching hour'. if so, my overtime just spiked substantially!

can anyone else verify?

jonpurdy · Joined: 08 Jan 2009 Location: Ulsan

It's not mentioned in the contracts due to camp season: during camps POEs tend to pay per hour due the huge amount of overtime that is incurred. However, during the regular school times one hour equals 40 minutes for elem. and 50 minutes for middle.

If you're teaching 22 hours worth of classes and not just 22 classes you're potentially getting shafted.

Burndog · Joined: 17 Feb 2008

sojusucks · Joined: 31 May 2008

I think it's more important to enjoy my time in Korea. But I'm just speaking for myself. Maybe you need the money so go for it.

Mitwyatt · Joined: 24 Mar 2009

Well, I get paid 120,000KRW a month for teaching four teacher classes a month, this seems about right. However my payment from the schools "special class" does not come from the schools budget, but from the pockets of the parents who are paying for their children to attend. I yet have to be paid for these classes, which the teacher who manages the class says that I will be paid by the end of this month; so I will expect it to be around 160,000KRW. However I don't know if this is legal work or not, but I said it should be "okay" if the school is aware of the special class I teach.

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

Yes, that's great incentive to renew, and a great way to go about keeping a good teacher who has developed rapport with the staff and students--"reward" them for re-signing by giving them MORE WORK. Rolling Eyes

Countrygirl · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Location: in the classroom

Milkman Dan · Joined: 10 Jan 2009

Please excuse the thread necromancy...

I was curious about a scheduling issue I have with a GEPIK High School. I know that the contract explicitly states that we may be required to work an extra 6 hours of overtime a week. I was just curious as to whether or not we can refuse to work them.

The classes aren't so much the problem - It's that I have classes that start at 6:30pm and end at 8:00pm (Counted as 2 hours). I hate having my evenings tied up like that, and it prevents me from persuing Korean classes and other after work stuff because of the constant rescheduling of days due to holidays etc.

So, is there any way I can refuse these late classes?

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

In Korea you can always refuse OT. It's labor law.

sojusucks · Joined: 31 May 2008

In my experience, having a foreign teacher manager is a bad sign. I doubt it is a public school, but rather a private school overseen by the Ministry of Education. Yes, they claim to be "public" schools. This is not the best place to be. Next thing you know, they may tell you that you have to clean the classrooms as part of your job (no joke, this happened once).