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Curious: How Many Classes Do You Teach Per Week?
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Allthechildrenareinsane



Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:34 am    Post subject: Curious: How Many Classes Do You Teach Per Week? Reply with quote

I'm kind of curious as to what other hagwon teachers' schedules look like.

At my current hagwon, I teach 58 classes per week, M-F. Each class is 30 minutes long, w/ no breaks in between classes.

I get 30 minutes of prep time from 2-2:30pm when I come in for the day, a 30 minute dinner break from 5:30-6pm, and then a 30 minute break either from 6:30-7pm or 9-9:30pm on alternating days. I'm done by 10pm every night.

I don't think my schedule is all that bad, but I feel as though I'm teaching a lot of classes compared w/ other hagwon instructors (all of my friends work for PS's, so I can't really compare).
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thegadfly



Joined: 01 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

At my school, the basic schedule is 23 class-hours of teaching, and we have 55-minute and 85-minute classes. The 85-minute classes count as 1.5 hours, and the 55-minute classes count as 1 hour. Anything over that 23 hours is OT.

You are working a lot. Three 30-minute classes are NOT equal to one 1.5 hour class -- the time in class may be the same, but for me, the prep would be double or more. I hate short classes, and they are educationally less sound than longer sessions.

I am glad you can manage your schedule, but yeah, that is a lot....
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Allthechildrenareinsane



Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

thegadfly wrote:
At my school, the basic schedule is 23 class-hours of teaching, and we have 55-minute and 85-minute classes. The 85-minute classes count as 1.5 hours, and the 55-minute classes count as 1 hour. Anything over that 23 hours is OT.

You are working a lot. Three 30-minute classes are NOT equal to one 1.5 hour class -- the time in class may be the same, but for me, the prep would be double or more. I hate short classes, and they are educationally less sound than longer sessions.

I am glad you can manage your schedule, but yeah, that is a lot....



This is one of the reasons why I'm not renewing. Like I said, it's not terrible, but some days here it does feel more like a meat grinder taking in as many fresh student bodies as possible and churning out profits than anything resembling a school where things are actually taught and learned.
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Bruce W Sims



Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Illinois; USA

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 4:30 am    Post subject: Re: Curious: How Many Classes Do You Teach Per Week? Reply with quote

Allthechildrenareinsane wrote:
I'm kind of curious as to what other hagwon teachers' schedules look like.

At my current hagwon, I teach 58 classes per week, M-F. Each class is 30 minutes long, w/ no breaks in between classes.

I get 30 minutes of prep time from 2-2:30pm when I come in for the day, a 30 minute dinner break from 5:30-6pm, and then a 30 minute break either from 6:30-7pm or 9-9:30pm on alternating days. I'm done by 10pm every night.

I don't think my schedule is all that bad, but I feel as though I'm teaching a lot of classes compared w/ other hagwon instructors (all of my friends work for PS's, so I can't really compare).


Just for my own information......

How much actually gets done in 30 minutes?

My own experience with very short periods of instruction is that such modules are usually a sub-set of a larger constellation of activities with the same group in in "camps". There are also those high-functioning groups whivh are highly-motivated and only need minimal oversight. These are the students who come into the classroom having done the "grunt work" on their own and only meet for brief assessment.

The way you describe it, it sounds as though 30 minute classes are your standard teaching method. Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce
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Allthechildrenareinsane



Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:48 am    Post subject: Re: Curious: How Many Classes Do You Teach Per Week? Reply with quote

Bruce W Sims wrote:
Allthechildrenareinsane wrote:
I'm kind of curious as to what other hagwon teachers' schedules look like.

At my current hagwon, I teach 58 classes per week, M-F. Each class is 30 minutes long, w/ no breaks in between classes.

I get 30 minutes of prep time from 2-2:30pm when I come in for the day, a 30 minute dinner break from 5:30-6pm, and then a 30 minute break either from 6:30-7pm or 9-9:30pm on alternating days. I'm done by 10pm every night.

I don't think my schedule is all that bad, but I feel as though I'm teaching a lot of classes compared w/ other hagwon instructors (all of my friends work for PS's, so I can't really compare).


Just for my own information......

How much actually gets done in 30 minutes?

My own experience with very short periods of instruction is that such modules are usually a sub-set of a larger constellation of activities with the same group in in "camps". There are also those high-functioning groups whivh are highly-motivated and only need minimal oversight. These are the students who come into the classroom having done the "grunt work" on their own and only meet for brief assessment.

The way you describe it, it sounds as though 30 minute classes are your standard teaching method. Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce


@ Bruce: You are correct -- 30 minute classes are the standard teaching period as dictated by the hagwon director. All of the curriculum is provided, and almost no deviation from it is allowed. I tried to make the best of it for the past year, but most days my job feels like glorified baby sitting. I've put up w/ it for long enough, so come the end of July, I'm out and on to another, better job.
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Allthechildrenareinsane



Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:54 am    Post subject: Re: Curious: How Many Classes Do You Teach Per Week? Reply with quote

Bruce W Sims wrote:
Allthechildrenareinsane wrote:
I'm kind of curious as to what other hagwon teachers' schedules look like.

At my current hagwon, I teach 58 classes per week, M-F. Each class is 30 minutes long, w/ no breaks in between classes.

I get 30 minutes of prep time from 2-2:30pm when I come in for the day, a 30 minute dinner break from 5:30-6pm, and then a 30 minute break either from 6:30-7pm or 9-9:30pm on alternating days. I'm done by 10pm every night.

I don't think my schedule is all that bad, but I feel as though I'm teaching a lot of classes compared w/ other hagwon instructors (all of my friends work for PS's, so I can't really compare).


Just for my own information......

How much actually gets done in 30 minutes?

My own experience with very short periods of instruction is that such modules are usually a sub-set of a larger constellation of activities with the same group in in "camps". There are also those high-functioning groups whivh are highly-motivated and only need minimal oversight. These are the students who come into the classroom having done the "grunt work" on their own and only meet for brief assessment.

The way you describe it, it sounds as though 30 minute classes are your standard teaching method. Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce


My last reply only obliquely answered this, so to be more direct: Abso-friggin'-lutely nothin'. I lose 5 to 10 minutes each class just trying to get the kids to settle down and settle in so I can check homework and answer questions.
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Porksta



Joined: 05 May 2011

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I teach about 25 50-minute classes a week. I have to be at work from 2-10, even though school doesn't start until 3:30.
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Allthechildrenareinsane



Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Porksta wrote:
I teach about 25 50-minute classes a week. I have to be at work from 2-10, even though school doesn't start until 3:30.



I hate you. Wink

Seriously, though, your schedule and workload is about the norm for most smaller to mid-sized non-chain hagwons, isn't it? Or is there a lot of variation? It'd be interesting to get a sense of what the industry standard might be.
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Bruce W Sims



Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Illinois; USA

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:58 am    Post subject: Re: Curious: How Many Classes Do You Teach Per Week? Reply with quote

Allthechildrenareinsane wrote:
Bruce W Sims wrote:
Allthechildrenareinsane wrote:
I'm kind of curious as to what other hagwon teachers' schedules look like.

At my current hagwon, I teach 58 classes per week, M-F. Each class is 30 minutes long, w/ no breaks in between classes.

I get 30 minutes of prep time from 2-2:30pm when I come in for the day, a 30 minute dinner break from 5:30-6pm, and then a 30 minute break either from 6:30-7pm or 9-9:30pm on alternating days. I'm done by 10pm every night.

I don't think my schedule is all that bad, but I feel as though I'm teaching a lot of classes compared w/ other hagwon instructors (all of my friends work for PS's, so I can't really compare).


Just for my own information......

How much actually gets done in 30 minutes?

My own experience with very short periods of instruction is that such modules are usually a sub-set of a larger constellation of activities with the same group in in "camps". There are also those high-functioning groups whivh are highly-motivated and only need minimal oversight. These are the students who come into the classroom having done the "grunt work" on their own and only meet for brief assessment.

The way you describe it, it sounds as though 30 minute classes are your standard teaching method. Thoughts?

Best Wishes,

Bruce


@ Bruce: You are correct -- 30 minute classes are the standard teaching period as dictated by the hagwon director. All of the curriculum is provided, and almost no deviation from it is allowed. I tried to make the best of it for the past year, but most days my job feels like glorified baby sitting. I've put up w/ it for long enough, so come the end of July, I'm out and on to another, better job.


Thanks... no offense intended, but I had a suspicion that what you have described was probably what was happening. For me, I really hate that feeling of only being able to "baby-sit". Hope you find that better position.

Best Wishes,

Bruce
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marsavalanche



Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I teach 28 classes a week.

8 50 minute classes and 20 40 minute classes

My hours are 12:45-5:45 M-Th and 2:00-5:45 F

I love my schedule. The breaks are only 5 minutes but it pays dividends because the days here just fly by as opposed to my last 9:30-6:30 hagwon.

I work at an after school program and love it.
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Porksta



Joined: 05 May 2011

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Allthechildrenareinsane wrote:
Porksta wrote:
I teach about 25 50-minute classes a week. I have to be at work from 2-10, even though school doesn't start until 3:30.



I hate you. Wink

Seriously, though, your schedule and workload is about the norm for most smaller to mid-sized non-chain hagwons, isn't it? Or is there a lot of variation? It'd be interesting to get a sense of what the industry standard might be.


Vacation sucks. I get "10" days vacation, but the school tells me when to take five days.
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Hokie21



Joined: 01 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

15 classes per week. Each is 70 minutes.
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Allthechildrenareinsane



Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Porksta wrote:
Allthechildrenareinsane wrote:
Porksta wrote:
I teach about 25 50-minute classes a week. I have to be at work from 2-10, even though school doesn't start until 3:30.



I hate you. Wink

Seriously, though, your schedule and workload is about the norm for most smaller to mid-sized non-chain hagwons, isn't it? Or is there a lot of variation? It'd be interesting to get a sense of what the industry standard might be.


Vacation sucks. I get "10" days vacation, but the school tells me when to take five days.


I hear ya' on that one. I didn't even get any real vacation time this past year -- I got a few days off around both Chuseok and the Lunar New Year and that was it. Rolling Eyes
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Allthechildrenareinsane



Joined: 23 Jun 2011
Location: Lost in a Roman wilderness of pain

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

marsavalanche wrote:
I teach 28 classes a week.

8 50 minute classes and 20 40 minute classes

My hours are 12:45-5:45 M-Th and 2:00-5:45 F

I love my schedule. The breaks are only 5 minutes but it pays dividends because the days here just fly by as opposed to my last 9:30-6:30 hagwon.

I work at an after school program and love it.


@ marsavalanche: I'm curious to know how you found your current job -- recruiter, word of mouth, networking? Maybe I'm just overlooking them, but I've never seen after school programs advertised on the job boards. Is your job considered full-time or part-time? Are you on an E-2? If you're making decent money, it sounds like you've got a pretty sweet deal.
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kardisa



Joined: 26 Jun 2009
Location: Masan

PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I teach a maximum of 40 30-min classes a week, although most weeks average out to 32 classes. The downside is that prep can sometimes take 2 hours a day.
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