Korean Job Discussion Forums

jimmyjames1982 · Joined: 13 Nov 2008

Why should we have to spend the night in a dorm room sharing a bathroom and showers with 20 other teachers for three weeks. I came here to teach as a normal teacher not a camp counsler. I am not one to complain but this is a situation where I feel it's appropriate.

Can I refuse to do this camp? or at least refuse to sleep over. I have a life outside of work and I dont feel like puting my other activites on hold for three weeks because I'm at some sleep away camp. The contract says you shall work 8 hours a day for 5 days a week..

Is there anyone else that feels like I do about this situation? How are you going about it? Any advice or additional rants are appreciated.

oskinny1 · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Location: Right behind you!

Are these 20 other teachers from your school? Are you at a hogwon? Are you getting paid more for this?

Senior · Joined: 31 Jan 2010

More info please.

What kind of school? What does your contract say?

Who's Your Daddy? · Joined: 30 May 2010 Location: Victoria, Canada.

Say, "no." The contract is 9 to 5, the school is the workplace. They'll say, "you don't care about the kids, etc." Say, "I'm sorry, but I want to follow our agreement. This is not what was agreed to." Anything else they say, just repeat that line.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

The seperation between private and professional life is very narrow in Korea. You are no longer in Kansus Dorothy. Lots of time they provide the Yogwan or Dorm room for the teachers convience so they don't have to travel late at night. You don't have to accept it if you don't want.

Seoulio · Joined: 02 Jan 2010

If you work for an SMOE school yes you can refuse.

As you said, you are a teacher, not a camp councelor.

YOu are to work an 8 hour day, and that's it.

kiwigirl :O) · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Location: Bundang

are you sure that the room will have 20 teachers in it???
that seems a bit much as does 3 weeks of live away camp...omg!

I volunteered for a 3 day field trip with my 3 grade M.S students(it does help that they are my favourite kids at the school)...I had a great time..I shared a room with 5 female teachers and there was no problem...
When we would get back from that day's activity they would just go off to the sauna at the resort and I could just relax by myself in the room or look around...

Also it is a good way to see the country too

Seoulio · Joined: 02 Jan 2010

wesharris · Joined: 10 Oct 2008

Jimmy.
More info please.

oldfatfarang · Joined: 19 May 2005 Location: On the road to somewhere.

Be very wary, repeat very wary, of overnight, sleep in camps - especially for 3 weeks. Believe me, this could be your worst nightmare.

I got scammed into one for SMOE. It was teaching/working/meetings for 14 + 1/2 days straight (for 19 days). Yes, that's 19 days. They only gave us one day off in 19 days - and that wasn't scheduled (they were trying to stop a mutiny).

It was compulsory to eat 3 meals a day with the kids (and you had to talk with them). You also had to tuck the little B's into bed at night (yeah, right), and - get this - the teachers were locked in a dorm with the kids at night. We weren't allowed to go out of the campus, and the doors were locked at 10-11pm.

There was no private/quiet time at all. There were two teachers to a room that you could touch the sides with both hands. One Western co-teacher cracked under the strain - and had a meltdown in class. I was there and I saw it.

We got scammed because (a) SMOE didn't tell us the full story (surprise) - and (b) they made us sign another contract that over rode our normal contract rights. We were paid an extra 3,000 a hour on top of our salary, and the promised extra vacation days were skimmed by having to work weekends and a public holiday. Basically, we got scammed - big time.

This residential camp was a digusting experience, and to make it worse, many of the teachers got food poisoning from the meals.

Be warned. Say NO!

Who's Your Daddy? · Joined: 30 May 2010 Location: Victoria, Canada.

jimmyjames1982 · Joined: 13 Nov 2008

delete

jimmyjames1982 · Joined: 13 Nov 2008

Thanks for the insight everyone. For those that asked about more information, I work at a public school, the camp is being held at a university, and there will be 300 students. The twenty other teachers are all other public school teachers from my city.

We are "required" to stay in a dorm on campus, with not only the other teachers, but 300 elementary students. For THREE weeks! Extra pay will be 20,000/hr for anything over 22 hours a week. I think they want us to do 40/hr weeks. So 18hrs*3wks*20,000 = 1,080,000 won . That would be our extra incentive, if that's what you want to call it.

The problem is that the contract does say that we are required, if requested, to teach at different locations during the school breaks. So if I choose to go home after work, I will be obligated to find transportation. It doesn't help that the camp is 45 minutes away.

wesharris · Joined: 10 Oct 2008

You don't have to do over nights. They can ask, but they can't require you to do so.

Senior · Joined: 31 Jan 2010

Doesn't sound worth it for the extra mil. This is pretty much guaranteed to be a nightmare.

You absolutely aren't obligated to do it, either. Just say "Thanks, but no thanks." This has horror story written all over it.