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southernman
Joined: 15 Jan 2010
Location: On the mainland again
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 Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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| jrwhite82 wrote: |
They both have advantages.
I think for teachers without training, hagwons are much easier. The kids are much higher level and there is about 75% less of them per class in a worst case scenario. There are usually other NETs to socialize with. The dangers are the shady owners, lack of any support, lots of hours, short vacation, working at night (unless that's your thing).
At public schools, your coteachers really make or break your time. If you get stuck with sucky ones, its going to be rough. You will not be supported and even worse, can be undermined. But you usually have less contact hours, better vacation, guaranteed pay, normal hours. So basically, if your coteachers are half way decent you should be better off at a public school. If they suck, then you'd probably be better off at your standard hagwon. |
+1
I was at a really good Hagwon and still have days that I wish I was back there.
But it's hard to beat the extra holidays and more pay for less work.
It is very true about the co-teacher though (I've had about 20 co-teachers in 4 different schools). Some are great while some are indifferent and some are control freaks.
At PS it's all about the relationship you have (and you have to cultivate it continuously) with your co-teacher. |
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minos
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Location: kOREA
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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I did both....I'd still start off at a PS....but some PS schools blow and the payscale at SMOE is really low to start off on.
Hagwon is alright so far...I wouldn't say better than an awesome PS job.... |
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olsanairbase
Joined: 30 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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A few years from today most of the hogwans will be long gone and replaced by other hogwans with new catchier names and new spins on learning English. Meanwhile most public schools were here before you came to korea and will be here after you leave.
If you ever need a reference (god forbid) a public school is much easier and more reliable. |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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Being a PS teacher is like playing on a philharmonic orchestra. Sometimes you'll get lead chair, sometimes you'll have to carry the lead chair's case. But either way, you'll have a steady paycheque, get to do what you love, earn respect and be comfortable even if it means letting go of your (professional) creative freedom.
Being a hogwan teacher is like trying to be a superstar. Everyone (especially on Dave's where everyone's a millionaire who works 4 days a year) will talk about Brittany Spears or Madonna who get to travel, earn loads of money and do what they want. But in reality, most end up singing at bat mitzvahs and having children throw cake at them for amusement. Worrying about the next gig, having to find day work to fill the gaps and being more 'entertaining' than professional.
Nothing's wrong with singing at weddings while bringing home bridesmaids and sleeping till noon when you're 24. Or even 44. Just be realistic, you're no Madonna. And there's nothing wrong with being a competent flute player who wears a tux and gets a standing ovation each night. Depends what you want in life right now. |
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minos
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Location: kOREA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:05 am Post subject: |
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| olsanairbase wrote: |
A few years from today most of the hogwans will be long gone and replaced by other hogwans with new catchier names and new spins on learning English. Meanwhile most public schools were here before you came to korea and will be here after you leave.
If you ever need a reference (god forbid) a public school is much easier and more reliable. |
Public school staff rotates every few years...all my staff within a 2 year span were rotated out or soon to be next year. |
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kdub
Joined: 09 Oct 2010
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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| lifeinkorea wrote: |
If you apply directly to GEPIK or EPIK, then you may not be able to see the school and visit before signing the contract. If you go through a recruiter, then you can do this. I visited all public schools before signing, and I even came back to sign one after thinking about it.
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Can you clarify that? I was under the impression that no matter what, if you go the PS route, you cannot choose your location, you are signed and placed ala "love it or hate it." It is different if you go the PS route through a recruiter? You are able to pick your location, etc that way? |
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minos
Joined: 01 Dec 2010
Location: kOREA
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| Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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| kdub wrote: |
| lifeinkorea wrote: |
If you apply directly to GEPIK or EPIK, then you may not be able to see the school and visit before signing the contract. If you go through a recruiter, then you can do this. I visited all public schools before signing, and I even came back to sign one after thinking about it.
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Can you clarify that? I was under the impression that no matter what, if you go the PS route, you cannot choose your location, you are signed and placed ala "love it or hate it." It is different if you go the PS route through a recruiter? You are able to pick your location, etc that way? |
sometimes.....PS schools sometimes hire directly and then have you enter EPIK or GEPIK pay scheme and contract. |
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olsanairbase
Joined: 30 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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| minos wrote: |
| olsanairbase wrote: |
A few years from today most of the hogwans will be long gone and replaced by other hogwans with new catchier names and new spins on learning English. Meanwhile most public schools were here before you came to korea and will be here after you leave.
If you ever need a reference (god forbid) a public school is much easier and more reliable. |
Public school staff rotates every few years...all my staff within a 2 year span were rotated out or soon to be next year. |
Staff rotates but they are still teachers in that province. The school is still standing. Not like Hogwans where the school and the staff are all nothing but a memory in the wind of making a fast buck. You can keep track of that public school teacher even as they change schools to have a reference of that year of teaching experience but its pretty impossible to do the same for a hogwan and a staff that no longer exist. |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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| ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
I hated working in the hagwons.
Public school is 1000000X better. |
Hogwons pile you up with stress. They are often trying to rip you off or meddle with your contract. You can never quite relax.
Public school tends to be stable and reliable however. There are few unexpected surprises. Problem is the boredom and on occasions, the co-teachers. |
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cmr
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Junior wrote: |
Hogwons pile you up with stress. They are often trying to rip you off or meddle with your contract. You can never quite relax.
Public school tends to be stable and reliable however. There are few unexpected surprises. Problem is the boredom and on occasions, the co-teachers. |
Wow! I didn't know there were such schools in Korea. Really, "few unexpected surprises"?
Either you're awfully lucky or I'm awfully unlucky. Either way, I do get unexpected surprises... a lot... repetitively... weekly I should say, the latest one being as of this morning. 
Last edited by cmr on Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:39 am; edited 1 time in total |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| I had a nasty stomach bug on Monday and Tuesday. That's when public school is good. Taking sick days at a hagwon can sometimes be a pain in the hole. |
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PEIGUY
Joined: 28 Mar 2004
Location: Omokgyo
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:47 am Post subject: |
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| sojusucks wrote: |
A hagwon that actually pays on time and doesn't break the law? You mean a miracle?  |
I had a good track records with the hogwons that i worked for in the past minus my first one that was part of the YBM Franchise. I worked at 3 other hogwons after that but I made sure to do my homework before signing contracts was always payed on time and for the most part I enjoyed working at them. |
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NohopeSeriously
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: The Christian Right-Wing Educational Republic of Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:10 am Post subject: |
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| tomato wrote: |
However, rural 학교's share the greatest disadvantages of urban 학교's.
One is malicious, back-stabbling co-teachers and crooked, politicking administrators.
The other is classroom teachers who reserve the right to barge in, take over the class, and conduct the class in Korean for as long as they want to. |
It's always worse if your workplace is a public school. Especially worse if you're a Korean-speaking NET in that crappy environment. Public schools have the worst quality administrators and vice-principles.
As one of my fellow teacher said: Private enterprise has continuously been the leader of Korean education scene for 20 years. It always makes sense that the Korean public schools must die. |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:20 am Post subject: |
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| cmr wrote: |
Wow! I didn't know there were such schools in Korea. Really, "few unexpected surprises"?
Either you're awfully lucky or I'm awfully unlucky. |
I got into a steady routine at my public school. It got nicely boring and everyone's role was well marked out. I went onto autopilot- my second year there passed in a flash. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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| kdub wrote: |
| lifeinkorea wrote: |
If you apply directly to GEPIK or EPIK, then you may not be able to see the school and visit before signing the contract. If you go through a recruiter, then you can do this. I visited all public schools before signing, and I even came back to sign one after thinking about it.
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Can you clarify that? I was under the impression that no matter what, if you go the PS route, you cannot choose your location, you are signed and placed ala "love it or hate it." It is different if you go the PS route through a recruiter? You are able to pick your location, etc that way? |
You can pick location with a recruiter. But you may not get if you're choosing a high demand area. If time is on your side though, you could wait it out until you got where you wanted. But that was when I aplied from my home country.
Or like minos said, you can apply directly at the school (though I haven't seen job postings directly from the school).
If you're already in Korea, whether you apply directly or through a recruiter, the fact that the school doesn't have to fly you over might bump you up on the list of applicants. |
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