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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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RMNC
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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 Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| For kindergarten it's "anything goes" (within reason, of course) but for most other I would suggest business casual. |
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jennad
Joined: 02 Dec 2010
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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| willteachforfood wrote: |
| jennad wrote: |
| If the hemline is above the knee do you think that would be a problem? |
HAHAHA....this is seriously one of the funniest things I have read in a while. I mean, it's not your fault because you haven't lived here yet, but Korean women will wear skirts to class that are so short that they could be confused for belts. I worked with a woman who literally wore skirts that barely covered her panties, as well as F-M boots, nearly every day...she was teaching elementary and middle school kids.
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haha thanks for the info. glad i get to be casual, i guess.....though i don't plan on dressing like a hoochie  |
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woollysocks
Joined: 09 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:52 am Post subject: |
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| Oh, woops, this is the thread I was looking for! I just posted a new topic. Are there requirements for men regarding facial hair? |
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lonestarteacher
Joined: 09 Jan 2011
Location: Suncheon
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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| willteachforfood wrote: |
| Women are generally allowed to dress far more casually than the men. You will absolutely not be asked to wear professional clothes, but some schools may ask that you don't wear jeans or t-shirts. If you go one step above jeans and a t-shirt you will be fine. |
I just don't understand how people wearing t-shirts to work comes even into the question... We're teaching not flipping burgers at McDonalds. |
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Vagabundo
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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| lonestarteacher wrote: |
| willteachforfood wrote: |
| Women are generally allowed to dress far more casually than the men. You will absolutely not be asked to wear professional clothes, but some schools may ask that you don't wear jeans or t-shirts. If you go one step above jeans and a t-shirt you will be fine. |
I just don't understand how people wearing t-shirts to work comes even into the question... We're teaching not flipping burgers at McDonalds. |
Jeans are worn by many teachers at my school, especially younger K female teachers. it's not an issue. I wear jeans most of the time.
T-shirts aren't really much of an issue either , "frankly speaking" 
depends on the atmosphere/culture of a particular school. Some are more casual than others. Simply be aware to dress up more on the special days when say visitors or parents may be coming to school, open class day (duh) etc. |
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willteachforfood
Joined: 24 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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| lonestarteacher wrote: |
| I just don't understand how people wearing t-shirts to work comes even into the question... We're teaching not flipping burgers at McDonalds. |
While some folk want to believe that they are, a great number of the jobs here are NOT professional jobs, and are really only a step-up above restaurant work in that the pay is better. In my opinion, most people who teach at a hagwon and say that they are "teachers" are deluding themselves.
I worked at a hagwon where jeans and a t-shirt were fine. I agree that at public school or university (or any adult job) it should be a no-brainer, but if you work at a hagwon, especially in a smaller town, jeans and a t-shirt can be entirely appropriate.
Perhaps working at an upper end hagwon in Seoul could be considered 'teaching', but most hagwon work can hardly be considered teaching. Snot-nosed kids running around trying to stick their fingers up your bum, books that make very little to no sense and are full of Konglish and grammatical errors, a boss that cares more about your looks than your credentials....and so on.
If you've never worked at a bad hagwon then I don't think that you can truly get what it's like, it truly is more like running an after school program at the Y than it is operating a 'classroom.'
Now, I am not saying that you can't do your best according to the situation, but if the Korean teachers are wearing jeans and a t-shirt, then it's certainly OK for you to do the same. |
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Vagabundo
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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willteachforfood, the school in my example is PS.
it's not necessarily a "no brainer". Depends on the school calendar and it doesn't mean full casual every day. But there's easily enough 'casual' to go around.
like I said, it also depends on the school. I suspect my school is more casual than most.
it's harder to see a K male teacher wearing casual clothing, but that's because 90% of them are adjosshis, and to that generation it'd be unthinkable to wear jeans in anything but the most casual situations. |
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willteachforfood
Joined: 24 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Vagabundo wrote: |
| it's harder to see a K male teacher wearing casual clothing, but that's because 90% of them are adjosshis, and to that generation it'd be unthinkable to wear jeans in anything but the most casual situations. |
Yeah, an ajoshi would consider it inappropriate to wear jeans to visit a prostitute! |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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| willteachforfood wrote: |
| lonestarteacher wrote: |
| I just don't understand how people wearing t-shirts to work comes even into the question... We're teaching not flipping burgers at McDonalds. |
While some folk want to believe that they are, a great number of the jobs here are NOT professional jobs, and are really only a step-up above restaurant work in that the pay is better. In my opinion, most people who teach at a hagwon and say that they are "teachers" are deluding themselves.
I worked at a hagwon where jeans and a t-shirt were fine. I agree that at public school or university (or any adult job) it should be a no-brainer, but if you work at a hagwon, especially in a smaller town, jeans and a t-shirt can be entirely appropriate.
Perhaps working at an upper end hagwon in Seoul could be considered 'teaching', but most hagwon work can hardly be considered teaching. Snot-nosed kids running around trying to stick their fingers up your bum, books that make very little to no sense and are full of Konglish and grammatical errors, a boss that cares more about your looks than your credentials....and so on.
If you've never worked at a bad hagwon then I don't think that you can truly get what it's like, it truly is more like running an after school program at the Y than it is operating a 'classroom.'
Now, I am not saying that you can't do your best according to the situation, but if the Korean teachers are wearing jeans and a t-shirt, then it's certainly OK for you to do the same. |
So working in a public school where the kids learn five words all year is more professional than working in an upscale hagwon? I'm skeptical. |
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Vagabundo
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| willteachforfood wrote: |
| lonestarteacher wrote: |
| I just don't understand how people wearing t-shirts to work comes even into the question... We're teaching not flipping burgers at McDonalds. |
While some folk want to believe that they are, a great number of the jobs here are NOT professional jobs, and are really only a step-up above restaurant work in that the pay is better. In my opinion, most people who teach at a hagwon and say that they are "teachers" are deluding themselves.
I worked at a hagwon where jeans and a t-shirt were fine. I agree that at public school or university (or any adult job) it should be a no-brainer, but if you work at a hagwon, especially in a smaller town, jeans and a t-shirt can be entirely appropriate.
Perhaps working at an upper end hagwon in Seoul could be considered 'teaching', but most hagwon work can hardly be considered teaching. Snot-nosed kids running around trying to stick their fingers up your bum, books that make very little to no sense and are full of Konglish and grammatical errors, a boss that cares more about your looks than your credentials....and so on.
If you've never worked at a bad hagwon then I don't think that you can truly get what it's like, it truly is more like running an after school program at the Y than it is operating a 'classroom.'
Now, I am not saying that you can't do your best according to the situation, but if the Korean teachers are wearing jeans and a t-shirt, then it's certainly OK for you to do the same. |
So working in a public school where the kids learn five words all year is more professional than working in an upscale hagwon? I'm skeptical. |
generally speaking, yes to outsiders. (as stupid as this may appear to anyone inside that knows about education in Korea)
also looks a lot better on a resume. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Vagabundo wrote: |
generally speaking, yes to outsiders. (as stupid as this may appear to anyone inside that knows about education in Korea)
also looks a lot better on a resume. |
That's true, without a doubt, but really? People toss that canard around on Dave's a lot, but everything I hear from public school makes the job sound significantly more pointless than what I do. |
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willteachforfood
Joined: 24 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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For the record I believe most of the jobs in Korea to not be professional, even many at universities are a joke....I just meant that if one is a proper teacher by trade that they will have more of an opportunity to "teach" and be a "teacher" at public school....and as Vagabundo says, on paper it looks more like a real job if you move on to teach elsewhere.
To me there is still a difference, though....a public school job is not a farce. You are a teacher at a school. Yes, they are generally very poorly run and the program could use major improvements, but in essence you are still a teacher in a school...just a crappy school......but what goes on at a hagwon is a true farce, pushing kids through crappy book after crappy book to appease parents, giving false feedback about kids to keep the money coming in. Making sure the kids have fun so they don't leave....and so on. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| willteachforfood wrote: |
| To me there is still a difference, though....a public school job is not a farce. You are a teacher at a school. Yes, they are generally very poorly run and the program could use major improvements, but in essence you are still a teacher in a school...just a crappy school......but what goes on at a hagwon is a true farce, pushing kids through crappy book after crappy book to appease parents, giving false feedback about kids to keep the money coming in. Making sure the kids have fun so they don't leave....and so on. |
Six months ago I got a class of six year olds who couldn't speak a word of English. Today I have a class of seven year olds who can read and make complete sentences, all while speaking English to one another out of habit. How is that a farce? |
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willteachforfood
Joined: 24 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| Six months ago I got a class of six year olds who couldn't speak a word of English. Today I have a class of seven year olds who can read and make complete sentences, all while speaking English to one another out of habit. How is that a farce? |
Perhaps you work at a good school...I didn't mean to say ALL hagwons, but more so the bad ones.
When I was teaching at a hagwon the kids improved as well...even in it's least efficient form, education is always good...I mean, across the board Korea's English education is pretty inefficient and backwards, but every year the level of English in this country is increasing.
I am not trying to say that sending your kid to a hagwon is completely pointless by any means....I am just saying that the job is far from "professional" as you could literally throw your dumbest friend into a classroom of 6 year olds with a stack of flashcards and end up with fairly similar results. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Home sweet home
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| Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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| If you're going to teach kids, little ones, forget the nice clothes. I spent a year at a kindergarten and sat on the floor most of the time. |
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