Korean Job Discussion Forums

[maladict23]

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Thanks in advance.

[koreatimes]

If you are new and not sure about working/living in Asia, it might be better to work at a school with other foreign teachers or in the same area with other foreigners.

However, if you aren't worried about it, then being the only teacher is usually better in my opinion. The school can't pit one teacher against another.

My last school did this, and the owner is American. A new teacher came and she was not used to the hourly expectations. To her, 40 hours teaching was just fine since 40 hours back home was expected. Well, other teachers left or got fired, and it left us. The owner said he would look for a third teacher to replace but he never did. Finally I asked for overtime or less hours. He declined knowing the new teacher still had no problems with 40 hours. I quit, and this put pressure on her to teach more as she was the only teacher left. The owner also taught more since he was American. Finally, her husband got her thinking about the workload and she asked for more pay. Same thing, and she left.

The point is, if she didn't look at it the way she did in the beginning we would both still be working there. The owner lost good teachers for the sake of milking us. If you are the only teacher, then this never happens. You have to make sure that if you do work with other foreigners you see eye to eye on issues. It's not just your co-teacher relationships that are important.

I am the only foreign teacher at my current school, and one bad thing can come up, but it is reality and not something you can avoid. Your schedule might be very light some months, but since you are the only teacher when the school gets business you'll be booked. You need to make sure your schedule is not full with other stuff in these cases. Plan summer stuff well in advance with the schools. Today I found out I have to 3 class periods for one class (2 classes total). They want me to finish 1 textbook for each group. The hours still don't amount to much, but I didn't really like knowing I would have to teach a whole book during the hottest month of the year to two classes.

[some waygug-in]

Yes, It can be OK or it can be a nightmare.

I ended up not getting paid and losing about 5 mil won.

If the school has had previous foreign teachers, be sure to talk to them and ask very specific questions.

Did you always get paid on time?

Was there any trouble getting paid?

Were promises made and then not kept?

Did the school have resources?

What were the hours like?

Was the boss decent or a nazi wannabee?

[Vix]

I found it pretty isolating to be honest. The right coteachers can make your day all the more bearable. There's nothing like talking to someone who you know will get what you mean first time Also if you are the only foreigner it can feel like it all falls on you at times.

[marsavalanche]

I love it.

My previous job on a DAILY basis I dealt with sexual harassment, racism, and other douchebaggery from all but one of my co-workers (they were ALL gyopos I'd like to add) and couldn't be happier at my new job. Hell it was so bad I felt compelled to ask how many gyopos were at the schools I was interviewing for. NEVER again.

New job = just one Korean teacher and myself. She's professional, easy-going, and we're a great team. I have my life outside of my job, so at the workplace it's a perfect set up for me.

I think if it's your first year, try to go to a big school. If not, go it alone, take care of business, and you'll be fine.

[You]

I was at a GEPIK Public School where I was the only foreign teacher and the hardship of it was they didn't seem to know what they were doing. So they tried to make up their own rules as they went along, I always made them call the GEPIK person for our area who would set them straight but it's just a hassle you have to deal with if they aren't experienced.

[alistaircandlin]

It depends, partly, on the individual. what do you think you'd prefer?

Also, of course, it depends on the relationship you had with the other foreign teachers - could be good, could be bad.

I've only spent one year, out of three in Korea, working with foreign colleagues - this was my first year, when I taught in a Hagwon. Most of my colleagues were very helpful and welcoming. One guy could be a bit difficult at times. Another guy was a bit odd. to say the least, but on a personal basis he was interesting, in small doses.

So - I'd say it's an unanswerable question, actually. There's too many variables. It's like picking a bunch of random strangers, locking them in a house together for a month, and wondering whether they'll get on: some will, some won't - it just depends.

Not very helpful, sorry.

[kingssurfer]

[mollayo]

At my school, I'm the only foreigner. It's just me and my Korean co-teacher at a hogwan. It's nice, because I don't have to deal with anyone. When I'm not teaching I can just sit in the office and chill.

[shifty]

[kingssurfer]

First of all

You don't go wondering into the mountains the night before your first day of work. It's not a very smart idea. Especially when you don't read, write, or speak the language of the country your in. Getting sick is not a heinous sin, but doing stupid things that make you sick, is not very smart.

Once, and he would continuously say ridiculous things in the teachers room.

No, she was disgusting for intentionally sabotaging people just because she could, and let's just say there were 5 different people that were severely pissed off at her.


Yea I am sure he sold the house because it had negative equity. Because that's what he said, right?, or maybe he was just full of it.

People call other people nazis when they have no argument.

[shifty]

[joelove]

It can be good or bad. If the job is OK and you make friends, then good. If not both of those, then maybe not.

[koreatimes]

I guess it could be bad at times when the school doesn't always communicate a regular schedule. Usually I teach younger students and then older students. Today, they decided to have older students come in the morning.

So, since I didn't show up this morning (I was sleeping), they kept calling and came to my apartment

[kingssurfer]