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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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paddypower
Joined: 30 Jun 2011
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:50 am Post subject: Leaving my job? |
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I am working in Busan teaching adults for the past month and in the past two weeks my boss has turned into an absolute bully, speaking really rudely to me all the time. Every time I try to defend myself, it makes the situation even worse. When I explain to her why I did or didn't do something the discussion feels quite heated and then by some strange coincidence later in the day a student complains about me. I have a great relationship with my students and I think this is highly unlikely and it is too much of a coincidence for me. She brings them into her office after class and basically coaxes some comment with a slighly negative slant out of them and then registers that as a complaint against me. I'm not sure if she is trying to get rid of me or simply trying to let me know who is boss but because of these I've now been given a verbal warning and just now a written warning. My feeling is that she is trying to get rid of me and this is the procedure she has to go through to fire me in the case of when I haven't done anything hugely wrong. I should also say at this point that I know you may be reading this thinking I am giving you a biased version but I have actually not done a single thing wrong in this job and I think I am actually quite good at it. I really feel like just running from the job now but I think if I do this I might have to leave the country to get a new visa. Is this true? And also would I have to wait three months or some peroid of time like this before I can begin a new job? Another option for me is just staying where I am and waiting for the - what seems like the almost inevitable at this stage - termination. Maybe if I do this, despite the humiliation of it all, at least I might get a letter of release from her, which would enable me to get a new job right away. However my next employer would then be aware that I have been fired from this one which wouldn't sound exactly great for employment prospects. If anyone has any advice or knows what can be done in this kind of situation I would really appreciate hearing from you. |
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bbunce
Joined: 28 Sep 2011
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Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:51 pm Post subject: Sorry to hear about this |
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I think you are correct. She is trying to get rid of you. At least she has given you a verbal and written warning and not fired you yet. What did she say in her written warning? Was there anything specific or just a general dissatisfaction? Most likely, there is a communication issue here if you are doing what you are supposed to do. Also, if there are not enough students there, she has to fire you or go bankrupt. That isn't your fault but at the same time, she doesn't want to pay for your airfare back to the states so you will suffer. Basically, she is trying to get out of the contract AND get the money back she paid to the recruiters. ($1600 approximately) Also, you will have to pay back the airfare to Korea. |
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ibeattheborg
Joined: 17 Dec 2010 Location: the deep blue sea
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:09 am Post subject: |
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I think that you can leave Korea and go to Japan, but you would have to hand in your ARC when exiting Korea, this would cancel your visa. Then you could return on a tourist visa and find another job ( you may have to leave again for Japan to get a new E1/2 visa.) But I am assuming that you have no ARC card yet so maybe you can just switch schools and apply for your Alien Registration with the new school. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:41 am Post subject: |
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In order to cancel your current E2, you'll need to turn in your ARC and leave the country. If you don't have your ARC, you'll need to apply for it ASAP.
Once you have that, you can apply for a new job and a new E2, but you'll also need a complete set of docs (apostilled criminal records check, apostilled diploma, etc.). It's not easy, and it's not cheap, but it's an option.
You can't just switch your visa to another school without your current boss' permission.
If you're planning on staying in Korea, you're likely stuck there for a little while. Which brings me to the following....
Your boss sounds like a jerk. Unfortunately, a lot of bosses here are jerks, including some of the bosses I've worked for. Some Korean bosses like to try to test out their newest employees to show them who's boss. Arguing and trying to explain yourself tends to be counterproductive, and seen as insubordinate. Asking questions to clarify what your boss wants will probably enrage him further. As unpleasant as it may seem, staying calm, nodding, and agreeing is usually the wisest course of action.
Every employer, Korean or otherwise, has differing expectations of what they want in their workplace. Your boss may not have bothered to let you know what his expectations were until you went against them. Korean management is often reactive instead of proactive. I believe you when you say you are very good at your job. However, you and your boss may have different ideas of what this means. While you're working for him, you should try to meet him halfway if you can. Hopefully, this will take some of the pressure off you.
If it doesn't, and your boss really is an SOB who just likes to yell at you for no reason, just try to keep your head down until you can get out.
Good luck, and stay strong. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:51 am Post subject: Re: Sorry to hear about this |
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bbunce wrote: |
I think you are correct. She is trying to get rid of you. At least she has given you a verbal and written warning and not fired you yet. What did she say in her written warning? Was there anything specific or just a general dissatisfaction?
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There is no benefit to the school in getting rid of a new teacher within the first 6 months. They will lose money. Even if you pay back the airfare, they will lose money by not keeping you.
So, there could be a problem with your teaching. Many teachers come here and think they've done nothing wrong, when there is, in fact, a problem with their classes. Think about this carefully.
There are too many possibilities to speculate, but you have a verbal and a written warning. Whatever these things state, you should look at them for the problem.
However, sometimes the problem is one that a boss will be unwilling to express. There could be some problem with a teacher's appearance, personality, accent, hygene - that offends the students, especially adult students, and unfortunately, things like nationality, skin color, race and sex can turn out to be a "problem" - one that will not be mentioned so other "problems" will be used to justify the teacher's termination. |
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paddypower
Joined: 30 Jun 2011
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:04 am Post subject: |
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Thank you for your kind and insightful comments. The written warning was accompanied by a list of the 5 students that have complained about me. 2 of which are mentally disturbed people ( I mean that literally not figuratively) the boss knows this as well and so the fact she used these as part of her argument is suspicious. One of the students has complained about every teacher in the school already and the other one usually only turns up for the last 10 minutes of class without her homework done. Another guy I simply can't believe he would complain as I almost consider him a friend, another one could have something borderline negative if she was coaxed and then the first one was actually a little awkward because I was in a happy mood and she was in a sad mood one day and the class ended up being a little bit off because of it. Anyway in REALITY none of could have had a genuinely bad thing to say about me. In the past 2 days my boss has been surprisingly civil towards me. I'm not sure if this is just a lull in the storm before the soon to come 'execution' or if she actually has changed her attitude to me a bit. I think maybe the new bookings are coming in around this time so if I'm being booked this might have affected her opinion of me either. It's all so speculative really. I think I have most of my documents if I need to get a new visa. I guess what I want to know is: is getting a letter of release crucial for getting a new job if I do not fulfill my contract? can I hang around Korea for a while until I get a new job if I get fired( and so I assume that this means that my visa that has been sponsored by my current job gets cancelled) . If I get a new job offer really soon, is it only then that I have to leave the country for a new visa. Is there any period of time I have to wait between jobs or do I simply just have to wait until the visa gets processed and how long does this take? Also I should say that I was hired in Korea not through a recruiter and I have been here a year already teaching elementary before where I had a great relationship with the boss/ staff etc and so for my current job the airplane flights etc don't apply. |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:03 am Post subject: |
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OP, you should trust your instincts. If you feel she is open to firing you, then there is good chance that it's true. Especially if you consider that she's given written warning, somewhat removed from the 'putting you in your place' idea advanced by a previous poster.
You feel that you've been doing a good job, despite having no experience. In my view, teaching of adults is best done when experience is to hand. At least with kids you can cut your teeth below the radar b/c their attendance isn't voluntary as with the adult.
A native speaker often harbors illusion that everything is tickety-boo b/c he/she is so comfortable in native language while students are necessarily in subordinate position. Plus the natural correctness of adults to not be rude or outspoken in any criticism. And we're talking Asians here as well.
If I were you I'd stick it out, use as proving ground; wait on events. It'd be useless you arriving in a follow up job with little under your belt in terms of know-how.
And I agree with you about the preponderance of wacko adult students. Some of them have no social life and are essentially paying you to be their friend.
I like your writing, but do you think you could split into paragraphs next post? |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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Son Deureo! wrote: |
In order to cancel your current E2, you'll need to turn in your ARC and leave the country. If you don't have your ARC, you'll need to apply for it ASAP.
Once you have that, you can apply for a new job and a new E2, but you'll also need a complete set of docs (apostilled criminal records check, apostilled diploma, etc.). It's not easy, and it's not cheap, but it's an option.
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This is how to change jobs without your current boss' permission (i.e. a letter of release).
You spent a lot of time talking about who is complaining about you, but none talking about what they are complaining about or what you're doing to respond to those complaints. There's no such thing as a perfect teacher. Have you been trying to improve after the negative feedback you've gotten? I'm not trying to point the finger, but maybe this situation can be resolved with some effort on your part. |
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