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jdog2050
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 9:27 pm Post subject: I think I'm done with SMOE. Changes have drained me. |
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So I wrote a post last month detailing the fact that, just 2 days before I was set to go on vacation, I was told that I'd have to cough up more than 700k Won in taxes because my last SMOE school didn't tax my housing subsidy correctly. That means that in the future, there's basically very little incentive to do the official after school programs and what-not since ALL of that stuff is taxed now.
Not only that, but my schedule this year is madness because SMOE is forcing my school to split 1st and 2nd grade (middle school) into levels from A-D. This basically means 5 lesson plans a week since they won't let the B level teacher co-teach with the native speaker, and the difference between A levels and C levels is just too huge. This makes zero sense. I used to be an advocate of leveled classes in Korea, but after 4 years here I've learned that it's an awful hit to the self-esteem of these kids.
And of course, I'm getting all this info half-way through the first day of school.
I've pretty much had it. I'm absolutely burnt out on the same disorganization happening year after year; driving myself nuts because one more retarded bureaucrat has one more hair-brained education scheme. After this semester I'm done. |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 9:59 pm Post subject: |
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i'm really tired of my smoe job too. i can't even get a payslip half the time. my last four paychecks after deductions: 2.15 million(normal), 1.9, 2.3, 1.95. What am I supposed to make of that mess? taxes must be coming into play somehow.
the vaunted longer vacations mean little also, as they tend to be a week here and a week there rather than blocked together. i can't afford five roundtrip flights a year, so for most of my vacation this winter i ended up sitting at home in my officetel. might as well work.
i think i just stay with it out of the pain of finding something better. I like the afterschool positions, but they seem to hire on a dime. And going through all the application process again...I suppose I should go out and get an FBI check now in case I do change jobs. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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| nukeday wrote: |
i'm really tired of my smoe job too. i can't even get a payslip half the time. my last four paychecks after deductions: 2.15 million(normal), 1.9, 2.3, 1.95. What am I supposed to make of that mess? taxes must be coming into play somehow.
Ask for it.
the vaunted longer vacations mean little also, as they tend to be a week here and a week there rather than blocked together. i can't afford five roundtrip flights a year, so for most of my vacation this winter i ended up sitting at home in my officetel. might as well work.
Just demand a blocked vacation.
i think i just stay with it out of the pain of finding something better. I like the afterschool positions, but they seem to hire on a dime. And going through all the application process again...I suppose I should go out and get an FBI check now in case I do change jobs. |
lol. you don't like the afterschool position paying only a dime? Just say NO to afterschool job.  |
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jdog2050
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Ramen wrote: |
| nukeday wrote: |
i'm really tired of my smoe job too. i can't even get a payslip half the time. my last four paychecks after deductions: 2.15 million(normal), 1.9, 2.3, 1.95. What am I supposed to make of that mess? taxes must be coming into play somehow.
Ask for it.
the vaunted longer vacations mean little also, as they tend to be a week here and a week there rather than blocked together. i can't afford five roundtrip flights a year, so for most of my vacation this winter i ended up sitting at home in my officetel. might as well work.
Just demand a blocked vacation.
i think i just stay with it out of the pain of finding something better. I like the afterschool positions, but they seem to hire on a dime. And going through all the application process again...I suppose I should go out and get an FBI check now in case I do change jobs. |
lol. you don't like the afterschool position paying only a dime? Just say NO to afterschool job. |
I think he meant that the hiring for the afterschool jobs is really random and sudden, which is spot on. |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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Exactly what I meant.
And demand a block vacation...I suppose jdog also demand he not have to teach leveled classes as well? We're not really in a position to make demands. We make requests. I requested a block vacation, I didn't get it. I request pay slips, I seldom get them unless I really push for them. |
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Caffeinated
Joined: 11 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| nukeday wrote: |
i'm really tired of my smoe job too. i can't even get a payslip half the time. my last four paychecks after deductions: 2.15 million(normal), 1.9, 2.3, 1.95. What am I supposed to make of that mess? taxes must be coming into play somehow.
the vaunted longer vacations mean little also, as they tend to be a week here and a week there rather than blocked together. i can't afford five roundtrip flights a year, so for most of my vacation this winter i ended up sitting at home in my officetel. might as well work. |
I feel you on these issues. I still need to ask for a payslip every month despite saying umpteen times that I need a payslip for my records for tax purposes back home. Planning and organization skills are so inept that camp dates aren't settled until a couple of weeks prior, thus screwing the camp teachers with vacation plans. |
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jdog2050
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:17 pm Post subject: |
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| nukeday wrote: |
Exactly what I meant.
And demand a block vacation...I suppose jdog also demand he not have to teach leveled classes as well? We're not really in a position to make demands. We make requests. I requested a block vacation, I didn't get it. I request pay slips, I seldom get them unless I really push for them. |
I do have to teach the leveled classes, which is what I have a problem with. Leveling only works when there's actually an incentive for kids to improve. In Korea, English isn't really a graded class in the sense that failing it will never hold them back. If you fail 1st grade English, you're still going into second grade English with the same second grade book.
Thus, my opinion that leveling kids in Korea is a giant waste of everyone's time. If the kid failed first grade, second grade is just going to be babysitting. I don't know whose hair-brained scheme this is but I'm going to punch them in the face if we ever meet. |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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| oh, I agree with you. I was just making light of Ramen's suggestion that we demand things from our schools. As if it were that simple. |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| And that's why the system loves new to Korea teachers. They can mess them around and get a way with it. People who have been here a while tend to start kicking up a fuss and have some expectations. The system is happy with a teach for a year and never to return again teacher!! And the media have the nerve to complain about the quality of teachers here. What do they expect, nobody with the right credentials is going to stick around too long!! |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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| oldtrafford wrote: |
| And that's why the system loves new to Korea teachers. They can mess them around and get a way with it. People who have been here a while tend to start kicking up a fuss and have some expectations. The system is happy with a teach for a year and never to return again teacher!! And the media have the nerve to complain about the quality of teachers here. What do they expect, nobody with the right credentials is going to stick around too long!! |
and they think kim jung il is evil. |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not saying they're evil, I'm just saying don't expect qualified teachers to stick around because it isn't going to happen. The government knows this of course and not too far in the distant future there will be no native teachers at all. Right now it's an employers market, the days of long holidays are nothing more than a distant memory. Things like this led to a lot of old timers heading for Incheon and never to return again to the land of calm.
Young bucks with no experience nor qualifications is the ideal candidate for the public school system, they don't want expensive, qualified teachers who expect things to be done accordingly. Just my opinion, but the public school job was a good one, however that was many a moon ago!! |
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winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
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| Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Same here, I need the money so I stay. Going onto my 3rd year and think I'll leave after that. Too much bureaucracy from the government and the school. Dealing with witless idiots on a power trip or some misguided notion that they know what's right when they've never stepped in the classroom. Budget requests are always denied and after 3 yrs still no english zone. If I keep going, i'll get stuck in that complain loop. I'll just leave it at that |
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