Korean Job Discussion Forums

[philinkorea]

just started my job a month ago. have to get up at 6am start at 7am, a few hours teaching then about 9 hours break then 7pm 8pm. Its really odd. Its like you cant wind down properly in the day cos you know you have to teach, then have your last couple of classes then need to get up early again the next day.

Keep falling asleep in the day, waking at 6am just seems wrong. My job is cool though I like teaching adults. I have a martial arts class in the day, maybe i need some other stuff to somehow fill up my afternoons. Do you deal with it okay?

[Lou3511]

yeah, i'm about to start (in ~ 3 wks) a job that has split shifts for a while (7-11 & 5:30-9:30), but it SUPPOSEDLY will only last 3-4 months until it goes to block scheduling.

how have you been gettin' along with it so far? the one thing that kind of stinks in my opinion (although it'll help saving money) is not being able to go out on weeknights (with having to get up that early).

i'm also looking to start taking a martial arts class - what do you take? and you don't happen to work for pagoda, do you (your situation sounds a lot like my upcoming one)?

okay, just wondering. good luck with getting up early.

[bulgogiboy]

hey Phil,

Did you start at ChungMoon Institute in Jongno 3 ?( is it 5?),

I applied for a job there but took another one in a small city instead. I think teaching adults seems unavoidably linked to split-shifts.

I'm glad I did now, as I am still teaching mostly adults(apart from a couple of classes) and my hours seem a bit easier than yours. I start at 10am for 1 hour and then resume 4-4:45pm, then 5:30pm-9:20pm.

The hours I did last year at a kid's hagwon were much better(3pm-8pm on average) but then all my classes were kids, so I suppose you have to sacrifice some things.

In answer to your question, yes any split-shifts are hard to cope with.

BB

[the saint]

just coming to the end of seven weeks with three 12 hour days that see my first class at 7am and my last finish at 6pm. Add in prep and packing up and it hits 12 hours. I was absolutely shattered after week one. Now I am just tired in the evenings. Just about to go to a new term where I will not be doing this anymore. Bliss.....

[crazylemongirl]

I start work at 830 but am done at 4.30

[fidel]

I'll go you one better crazylemongirl
8:00-4:00 and like you I teach at a public school, high school to be exact.

I've never had a job with split shifts and am surprised that anyone would purposely choose a job that did. So I can't really offer any practical advice.

[PEIGUY]

[Squid]

'bin working splits for 6 months now. Next month I sign for another year. I drink a lot less and save a lot more dough so for me its worth it. Next year will be the only one though.

AM 6.30-11
PM 6.30 (or 7.30)-9.30

[shawner88]

No. I work 3-6:30 or 3-8, depends on the day.

[fidel]

My school is a hell of a lot better than any Hogwan. It's not through EPIK. I got the job through word of mouth, though they did advertise. I get three months paid vacation, teach on average four 50 minute classes a day, get a free lunch, an extra month of no classes due to exams, another week off for camp, random school closures and class cancellations for such reasons as;
Clean the local river day
Health Day
School Birthday

Also I am treated as respect, as I, and only I, am in control of all aspects of my credited class. I set the curriculium, choose to give an exam or not, discipline the students if they need it (which so far they haven't) etc. You get the drift. I can also have my class outside if the topic warrants it. I don't have to ask for permission to do things, I just do it, as any Korean teacher would.

If you can get a public school job go for it!
As an aside, your after school 'teaching opportunities' really open up as you finish so early compared to most teachers.

[peppermint]

I've been teaching split shift for two years now, and it has it's perks.

-Your students sometimes take you out for drinks,
-you never get ddongchimmed,
-You sometimes get fascinating students ( lots of artists for some reason)
- you get to go outside all day when its nice and sunny.

Either learn to enjoy the nap during the afternoon, develop a serious addiction to Bacchus, or go to bed early.

[Thunndarr]

During my first job here, I worked at a kids/adults hagwon. I worked split shifts and, looking back on it, I have no idea how I made it through the year.

We had M/W/F classes and T/Th classes. Oh, and my favorites, the early early classes that were everyday.

So, here's a typical M/W/F schedule for me. These are actual teaching hours, mind you.

6:30-7:20
7:30-8:20
8:30-9:20
10:30-12:00
Break for the afternoon, which I would typically go home and fall into an a coma for about an hour or two.
4:00-5:20
5:30-6:50
7:00-8:30
8:30-10:00

After I finished, I would typically be up for another couple hours after work, just winding down from the day, then back in bed for 5 hours of sleep.

Pro's: Not many, saved a ton of money. Time went by pretty fast, as I was sleep deprived for the better part of a year.
Con's: Long hours, not enough sleep, low pay, etc. Was a pretty rough year to be honest.