Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Weigookin74]

Must be nice. lol I'm always around 21 or 22 hourse per week. Have been for the past couple of years. I'm in a bigger city. I figured Seoul area schools would have the same strictness. But, I'm use to it now. Though in the beginning, when I lived in a rural area, I was more like 18 hours a week and lots of extra time off. It was a buzz killer when I first moved to this bigger city, but am well adapted to it as part of my routine, I guess. I would say people here (Koreans) are much friendlier here than in my old country town. (Less hostility and shades of xenophobia, I guess.)

[Alphonsus Jr.]

[The Sultan of Seoul]

It's true. I actually left working for public schools for a hakwan for more stimulation and challenge. Was weird, had a 20 forty min classes a week schedule, 5 room apt, good salary and security and left it all for a hakwan job and one rooom. After 3 years just felt so institutionalised and bored.

Funny. I remember when I got my first ps job after working at hakwans and would then post about how awesome it was in comparison to a hakwan job.

[young_clinton]

[Tyshine]

[Modernist]

[Alphonsus Jr.]

My goodness. Look at these lamentations from those who have it too easy. How is it that they have no intellectual life to fill those empty spaces? Give me a job like Modernist and the others describe, and I'd be studying theology, philosophy, history, and languages during those hours and beyond. There wouldn't be a dull moment. I'm reminded of the line by G.K. Chesterton that goes something like this: "Only the boring become bored."

This world is an astonishing place. And each individual soul is a universe unto itself. How is it that they don't see this? Socrates, via Plato, something like this: "Wonder is the feeling of the philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder." Only a very few can truly be philosophers, but still, do they have none of this wonder?

Edit: It just occurred to me that many simply don't know what to read. They don't know how to sift the gold from the dross. They need to read this:

http://www.amazon.com/Another-Sort-Learning-James-Schall/dp/089870183X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336495879&sr=8-1

& this:

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Perplexed-E-F-Schumacher/dp/0060906111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336495913&sr=1-1

Don't let the unforunate covers of these books fool you. They're gold.

[bobbybigfoot]

Here's my take:

There are great public school gigs and great hagwon gigs.

And there are awful public school gigs and awful hagwon gigs.

Work to make yourself a better teacher -- a great one -- and then through fortitude or luck, get yourself into one of those great positions and stay put for awhile.

But don't become complacent. You should always be trying to improve.

[dsun1226]

[The Sultan of Seoul]

Hey Alphonso - the traffic at sentry low at the moment huh?

As soemone who loves reading myself, it still is not something I want to do 24 hrs a day.

Some of us prefer to ingest smaller ammounts and really chew it over rather than just get blanket coverage and not really ingest it. Kind of like prefering some sashimi and miso to an all you can eat buffet of fries and hamburger.

[Tyshine]

[3DR]

Last year hagwon:

- 30 hours a week
- 50 minute break each day
- Monday meeting for 2 hours everyday
- Parents complaining
- 5 days of vacation
- 3 sick days
- Horribly behaved students
- 2-10pm (not time for activities during the week)

This year Public all boys middle school:

- 20-22 hours a week
- 8:30-4:30 with time to meet friends after work
- 18 days vacation
- Random days of cancelled classes
- Kids are better behaved than my hagwon (I was surprised)
- Only need to make 2-4 lesson plans per week
- Only had to teach an hour and a half of camp the past two weeks

Now I can get ready to enjoy my 2 weeks of vacation while last year I would be getting ready for another week at the crapwon.

[Fox]