Korean Job Discussion Forums

[young_clinton]

I do think you might be more likely to get recommendations from good Hogwan owners and actually written ones, than Public schools. Because when you leave the public school personel could care a less about you. Seriously. This may be enough to tell someone to find a good Hogwan somehow or take a risk.

[cj1976]

[creeper1]

[3DR]

After working at a hagwon last year, I wondered the same question myself. But obviously people have different preferences and that's cool. I'm back at public now, but even if you find a "good" hagwon, it sure can't beat all the extra "vacation" days you get.

Standard for public is 18-20, but you easily get more with holidays, school field trips, classes cancelled for club activities, school birthdays, festivals, etc.

These aren't "official" holidays, but days where you just don't teach. It's a welcome break from classes to recharge your battery if you're tired (which is me since I'm not a morning person). This week...wed, sports day, today, school festival, tomorrow, school field trip and I get the day off. Can never do that in a hagwon.

[young_clinton]

[s.tickbeat]

I prefer hagwons to public schools. Here's my breakdown:

Hagwon (pros):
- you never, EVER deskwarm.
- students are broken into level groups, not age groups
- personal rapport with your employer
- contract flexibility at negotiation time
- overall shorter work hours
- higher or same pay.
- better behaved students.
- no co-teacher that you *have* to get along with.
- small classes

Hagwon (cons):
- shiftiness and late pay
- worrisome tendencies to make excuses for students
- again, shiftiness
- often a crumbier apartment to start

As for public schools, (pros):
- almost no shiftiness, ever
- fabulous resources and near unlimited access to them
- choices in terms of contract and schools
- standardized system.
- morning hours

Public (cons):
- deskwarming. Especially for newcomers to EPIK, the vacation has been dramatically shortened and the working day lengthened. It's now a 9-5 job with fewer days off.
- huge classes
- awful textbooks with no influence over the choice of curriculum
- coteacher: heaven help you if you don't get along
- Huge workplace, which comes with larger politics. May have to befriend the principal.
- Student behavior.
- Complete inflexibility in the contract at re-signing time
- Job security going way, way downhill
- Often rural location.

That's my breakdown. Mind, I've only worked at hagwons teaching 5 one-hour classes a day. I show up, I prep for an hour or so, and then teach 5 in a row then go home.

Or, currently, I teach 6 40-minute classes back-to-back and then go home. I get off work at the same time at the public school teachers, but I don't have to show up until noon. It works out to be an hour's prep and then 4 hours solid teaching.

[teedram]