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thebektionary
Joined: 11 May 2011
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 Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:55 pm Post subject: What are we supposed to do in GEPIK for the rest of the year |
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I'm a bit confused by this...
I have off this week (I was supposed to deskwarm but my VP let me off), and then I have camp for the next two weeks. Then I have the next two weeks off for vacation. Then I go back to school on February 1. But I heard that the students have another vacation in February? Am I just deskwarming all of February? I know it probably differs at each school, but what is the general outline? This is my first and last year in GEPIK. I've asked my coteacher but she is kind of no help. |
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newb
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 2:32 am Post subject: |
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Yes, it differs at each school with no general guideline.
Some may deskswarm and some may not. It all depends on your Principal or VP. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 2:35 am Post subject: |
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At an elementary school you should have 2 weeks of classes and 2 weeks of desk-warming in Feb. The 2 weeks of desk-warming are usually when people take their 14-day break for renewing (for those spring hires who do extend in Feb.)
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 6:31 pm Post subject: Re: What are we supposed to do in GEPIK for the rest of the |
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| thebektionary wrote: |
I'm a bit confused by this...
I have off this week (I was supposed to deskwarm but my VP let me off), and then I have camp for the next two weeks. Then I have the next two weeks off for vacation. Then I go back to school on February 1. But I heard that the students have another vacation in February? Am I just deskwarming all of February? I know it probably differs at each school, but what is the general outline? This is my first and last year in GEPIK. I've asked my coteacher but she is kind of no help. |
The semester isn't finished yet. After the winter break (and your English Camp), you will have classes again the first part of February. Then there will be "Spring Break" (though, more like a Mid-winter Break). If you still have vacation days left, you may be able to use them. Otherwise, it's more desk warming. |
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thebektionary
Joined: 11 May 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by thebektionary on Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:22 am; edited 2 times in total |
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newb
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 3:09 am Post subject: |
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| thebektionary wrote: |
| I'm in a middle school. If there are no students there and I don't have camp, my vice principal doesn't make me go into work. I had this whole week off because of that. So I'm pretty much done with work besides camp and those two weeks in February? Woohoo. |
You should keep it quiet if you really want to keep it that way.  |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 3:17 am Post subject: |
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| newb wrote: |
| thebektionary wrote: |
| I'm in a middle school. If there are no students there and I don't have camp, my vice principal doesn't make me go into work. I had this whole week off because of that. So I'm pretty much done with work besides camp and those two weeks in February? Woohoo. |
You should keep it quiet if you really want to keep it that way. |
Exactly. It was the "woohoo" braggarts in the past that first engendered the concept of deskwarming. |
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thebektionary
Joined: 11 May 2011
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:04 am Post subject: |
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I wasn't here way back when and was in a hagwon two years ago, so I have no idea about that. Sorry. GEPIK is doomed anyway, so I don't think you have anything to worry about. As for me, I only have a month left at this job so I could care less either way. My vice principal just happens to have some sense in her and knows that it's stupid and pointless. I doubt she will change her mind anytime soon.
Instead of giving native teachers mindless hours of doing nothing, they should've given us more responsibility during the semesters to make up for the time when the students aren't in school. It's ridiculous. I wouldn't say that it's right to be hostile towards me because I don't have to deskwarm for a short time. I've done plenty of deskwarming throughout the year. Instead of being hostile towards me, you should be praising my vice principal and saying that she should be an example for the rest of the system. I'm not the problem here. |
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 3:00 am Post subject: |
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| The problem in the past has been the typical backstabbing whiners who hear that someone else is getting 15 minutes more time off than them, so they call GEPIK or a coordinator and complain about it and give them your name and school. You'd be surprised how many snakes there are and how underhanded they can be. That's why it's best to work alone and keep your mouth shut when discussing anything around other native teachers or on the internet. Of course GEPIK didn't have to reward and encourage that kind of behavior but that's for another thread. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 3:06 am Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| At an elementary school you should have 2 weeks of classes and 2 weeks of desk-warming in Feb. The 2 weeks of desk-warming are usually when people take their 14-day break for renewing (for those spring hires who do extend in Feb.) |
This changed as of the February 2012 contract. The EPIK renewal vacation is two weeks "to be taken prior to the end of the sixth month of the contract at the approval of your principal." Of course, all that does is delay the head-butting with the school.
In the OP's case, if and when the local office of education inspects the school and discovers that he wasn't there for the full day for a number of days, he'll be docked those days from his leave account.
| dairyairy wrote: |
| The problem in the past has been the typical backstabbing whiners who hear that someone else is getting 15 minutes more time off than them, so they call GEPIK or a coordinator and complain about it and give them your name and school. You'd be surprised how many snakes there are and how underhanded they can be. That's why it's best to work alone and keep your mouth shut when discussing anything around other native teachers or on the internet. Of course GEPIK didn't have to reward and encourage that kind of behavior but that's for another thread. |
Exactly right. And the stated reason in the guidance letter from the Ministry? "To avoid unhappiness for the GET." Yeah, right. Care to guess how happy the GET will be when he's desk-warming, charged time off his leave account, and generally screwed with about his (delayed, delayed, denied, fought for, screwed up) leave time? |
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JustinC
Joined: 10 Mar 2012
Location: We Are The World!
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 4:06 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
This changed as of the February 2012 contract. The EPIK renewal vacation is two weeks "to be taken prior to the end of the sixth month of the contract at the approval of your principal." Of course, all that does is delay the head-butting with the school.
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Forgive me if I'm wrong but I don't see that happening. Won't the re-signing time off bonus just be taken in the summer and the annual holiday be taken in the summer and winter?
There'll still be head-butting if there isn't enough time to completely take all of the annual holiday, of course. Nothing seems to have changed in that respect. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 5:18 am Post subject: |
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| JustinC wrote: |
Forgive me if I'm wrong but I don't see that happening. Won't the re-signing time off bonus just be taken in the summer and the annual holiday be taken in the summer and winter?
There'll still be head-butting if there isn't enough time to completely take all of the annual holiday, of course. Nothing seems to have changed in that respect. |
Most likely, since 6 months into the contract is coincidently in the summer (if you started in spring) and winter (if you started in fall). And when else can you take a two week block off? |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| JustinC wrote: |
| Forgive me if I'm wrong but I don't see that happening. Won't the re-signing time off bonus just be taken in the summer and the annual holiday be taken in the summer and winter? |
In the past, the renewal vacation dates were required to be taken in conjunction with the winter vacation at the end of the previous contract, giving the GET three weeks. This wasn't so bad because the kiddies get more than four weeks during the winter; at least, they used to.
Now, the idea is that your renewal time off is to be taken "sometime during the first six months" of the new contract. Want to hear what the foreigner coordinator at the office of education told me? Well, here goes anyway: "A prudent person would've taken a day or two every month for the first six months." BULL! And what principal is going to approve a day off every single month? The genius at the big renewal meeting gave nobody any inkling whatsoever that such a stunt would be in the offing.
Okay, now you have the use it or lose it vacation dates. You also have shorter regular class weeks for the students because (technically, but not in reality) the kids aren't going to school on any Saturdays. That means that the kids have to make up those hours formerly done on Saturdays. That means shorter summer vacation. Basically, one month, four weeks, one lousy twelfth of one year. Do you think the school's going to actually close during that time? HAH! You have another think coming, friend. The school's going to want to continue to do the summer hagweon, er, camp classes. They're also not going to want you to be gone for three weeks straight.
Oh, they're also going to stick to the one week winter vacation bit. That's what their schedule has for the GET and that's what they expect.
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| There'll still be head-butting if there isn't enough time to completely take all of the annual holiday, of course. Nothing seems to have changed in that respect. |
Something has changed. The BS has become more obvious. A bunch of schools were completely unreasonable about the summer/renewal vacation issue and the offices of education in the cities/provinces concerned simply said, "It would be better if you were more flexible (i.e, cave), but we see your point." And then the schools kicked into overdrive to make our working lives a living hell without technically breaking the contract. That's why a bunch of us in a few cities and provinces walked out on the public schools without notice just before the summer vacation. Of course, the management doesn't think they did anything wrong. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| Now, the idea is that your renewal time off is to be taken "sometime during the first six months" of the new contract. Want to hear what the foreigner coordinator at the office of education told me? Well, here goes anyway: "A prudent person would've taken a day or two every month for the first six months." BULL! And what principal is going to approve a day off every single month? The genius at the big renewal meeting gave nobody any inkling whatsoever that such a stunt would be in the offing. |
Except that�s not how it is since the two weeks are 14 consecutive days (weekends/holidays included). You can�t take one here, a few there. It�s a two week block.
| CentralCali wrote: |
Okay, now you have the use it or lose it vacation dates. You also have shorter regular class weeks for the students because (technically, but not in reality) the kids aren't going to school on any Saturdays. That means that the kids have to make up those hours formerly done on Saturdays. That means shorter summer vacation. Basically, one month, four weeks, one lousy twelfth of one year. Do you think the school's going to actually close during that time? HAH! You have another think coming, friend. The school's going to want to continue to do the summer hagweon, er, camp classes. They're also not going to want you to be gone for three weeks straight.
Oh, they're also going to stick to the one week winter vacation bit. That's what their schedule has for the GET and that's what they expect. |
Pretty much. This is what I look forward to head butting over this coming summer�six months after my renewal. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 9:17 pm Post subject: |
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| isitts wrote: |
| CentralCali wrote: |
| Now, the idea is that your renewal time off is to be taken "sometime during the first six months" of the new contract. Want to hear what the foreigner coordinator at the office of education told me? Well, here goes anyway: "A prudent person would've taken a day or two every month for the first six months." BULL! And what principal is going to approve a day off every single month? The genius at the big renewal meeting gave nobody any inkling whatsoever that such a stunt would be in the offing. |
Except that�s not how it is since the two weeks are 14 consecutive days (weekends/holidays included). You can�t take one here, a few there. It�s a two week block. |
Exactly right. Yet another not thought-out policy implemented just for grins in Korea.
| Quote: |
| CentralCali wrote: |
Okay, now you have the use it or lose it vacation dates. You also have shorter regular class weeks for the students because (technically, but not in reality) the kids aren't going to school on any Saturdays. That means that the kids have to make up those hours formerly done on Saturdays. That means shorter summer vacation. Basically, one month, four weeks, one lousy twelfth of one year. Do you think the school's going to actually close during that time? HAH! You have another think coming, friend. The school's going to want to continue to do the summer hagweon, er, camp classes. They're also not going to want you to be gone for three weeks straight.
Oh, they're also going to stick to the one week winter vacation bit. That's what their schedule has for the GET and that's what they expect. |
Pretty much. This is what I look forward to head butting over this coming summer�six months after my renewal. |
And people wonder why a bunch of folks bailed immediately after the renwal meeting or just before the summer vacation. |
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