Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mollayo]

Does anyone know how much a head teacher at a hogwan makes? My director has been dropping hints that I might be head teacher, so I'm wondering...

[tanklor1]

LOL Tell him to find someone else. Head-Teacherhood is rarely worth the trouble.

[mollayo]

I'd appreciate an actual response to my question, instead of someone's opinion on head-teacherhood.

[tanklor1]

[Summer Wine]

I would say 500,000 won.

You are going to be the lighting rod.

You might as well get paid well for it. Also when you get sick of it, they need a decent increase to convince someone else that its a good position.

Just my 10 won.

[thegadfly]

Probably 500,000 won a month or so, all told...either as a straight-up raise, or as a raise plus "administrative" pay (OT paid for additional paperwork/officework).

If you like your co-workers and they form your social group outside of school, I would suggest NOT taking the job -- you will, sooner or later, run in to a conflict that will require you to take one side or the other -- either you will make your bosses unhappy, or you will make your co-workers unhappy (and, if you try to be the voice of reason, and suggest a compromise, you will probably make BOTH unhappy). You will spend some/part/most of your time unhappy with the position.

Usually, it is a position without any teeth, but you are the one that will be "storming the beach." You will often need to "take a hit for the team," whether it is the school or a teacher. Being nice doesn't help. Being a jerk may actually help, but who wants to be a jerk all the time?

If you intend to go into management or administration, you should probably take it, as it will be good training for managing folks, but if you prefer teaching, I would suggest it is not worth the associated stress and headaches...but what stresses me out may not stress you out....

Pros:

Looks good on a resume
Base salary is higher
Depending on the place, RHIP, which could be significant
Depending on the place, you may have some say in hiring/scheduling/curriculum
Possibly better treatment in the school

Cons:

At some point, the bosses will hate you for you trying to do your job
At some point, the other teachers will hate you for trying to do your job
You will be asked to fix problems without the necessary tools to do the job
You will get the "are you my boss?" retort when you try to help some folks
Most folks will be guarded at best around you, with some outright hostility
This hostility can even extend to the larger local expat community ("See that guy? Yeah, he's the one that told me I need to stand up when I teach a class -- arsehole!")
Constant scrutiny from both sides, with any mistakes or shortcomings being magnified, and possibly villified


Rare Cons:

Some folks will flip out on you for an innocuous or unintended "offense"
Some folks will flip out on you for relaying a message
If someone flips out, it often falls to you to try to "talk them down"

Others can chime in with stuff I have missed....

[northway]

Often the same as everyone else, at least at a couple hagwons I'm familiar with.

[schwa]

[tanklor1]