Korean Job Discussion Forums

[harshlands101]

[Steelrails]

I think public schools are solid, but I've never worked in a Haggis so I'm no expert. Also, not all public schools are great and there are haggies and unis out there are no doubt better.

Certainly there are some downsides to public schools. Pay may not be as great as at a Hagwon. You have to follow the curriculum. You have to be much more careful with your public persona. You must get good scores on the national exams, even though you may not have complete control over the lessons. Kids these days are less-disciplined, at least until you instill it in the classroom. But all of this doesn't detract from, what I feel, is the overall quality of the public school job.

I enjoy the 30 student class size. I don't know why, but I feel that it just suits me as a teacher. Some teachers do great with 12 and only okay with 30. I'm the opposite.

I enjoy teaching the same lesson 4-5 times a day and having a set curriculum to follow. Frees me up to develop more activities and prepare materials for the lesson- the onus of total lesson conception is lifted- a seriously draining task.

I enjoy the work environment- the lunches, the teachers lounge, field trips, the sports, the playground, the sense of community, the aspect of school spirit, the school dinners, school plays, school concerts, etc. etc. There is always some event at a public school. It helps to give vibrancy to the year of work.

I mean working a job where at lunch time you get to play basketball/baseball with the kids and that that makes your boss happy is a pretty remarkable thing and worth a few hundred thousand a year in my book.

Not to mention the money saved with the cafeteria lunch. And its a nice balanced meal, if a bit repetetive, salty, and whatnot. But I've discovered the trick to enjoying it is not to eat breakfast and take a half portion of everything (except fresh, unpickled, vegetables and fruits). Hunger and meager portions make a meal taste good.

I enjoy the downtime atmosphere when I can either deskwarm or assist the afterschool teacher with her classes or practice sports with the kids or teach them chess and so on.

The bureacracy is so minor. About the same as any job, maybe less.

Vacation time- Before I came here I worked hourly to support myself which meant I didn't get paid vacations and I dragged myself to work unless I was violently ill. The vacation time here is plenty, same with the workload. Anyone who calls this too much work or is griping about deskwarming has no clue how much of a fantasyland near-vacation this job can be.

I guess one of the most rewarding things is getting to see your students grow up and mature, or well lets be real, turn into typical teenagers. Not only do you get to see their improvement but you get to see a sense of genuine interest and enjoyment towards English develop.

[Satchel Paige]

[Steelrails]

[Poker]

[ThingsComeAround]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[NYC_Gal]

I never had a job where I had the free time to read, knit, or study before this one. My lesson plans for the rest of the year were completed months ago. Of course, I'm always on the lookout for new games, songs, and videos (and I post them here whenever I find anything I really like), but, to be completely honest, I have plenty of time for play.

Tip for noobs: Always keep a powerpoint open on your desktop

[Ramen]

[NYC_Gal]

[Ramen]

[ThingsComeAround]

[southernman]

Another thing that can't be overstated you have far more unofficial rest days of at PS. This month alone I have not worked a full week

School Anniversary day, week one
School exams, week two
School Field Trip, week three
Bit of a cold today, my co-teacher said to me just hang out in your room for today and tomorrow.

I used to really hate desk warming but the others are right, damn I've never had a job like this before, you aren't even expected to look busy. Nobody cares, things could be much much worse

[young_clinton]

[allovertheplace]

PS school is hands down better for a few years. If youre just in it for a year or two you will earn more at a hagwon though. Kinda factual but an option either way.