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ibeattheborg
Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: the deep blue sea
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 Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:54 am Post subject: |
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If you don't like the look of Hadan you wont like the rest of the city much either;) Hadan is on the subway line: 20 minutes to Nampo( one downtown area) and 35 minutes to Seomyeon(another downtown area).Or it's faster in a taxi. There are plenty of foreigners down in Saha-Gu.
The big question is how many classes you have to teach each day or each week AND do you have to correct diaries, mark tests etc? 5/6 classes maximun a day or you'll burn your fuses. How long have you been searching for a job here? Maybe you can wait a little longer. |
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shinkansen
Joined: 01 Jul 2013
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 12:32 pm Post subject: |
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@Dalton Thanks man, that really is good advice 
| ibeattheborg wrote: |
If you don't like the look of Hadan you wont like the rest of the city much either;) Hadan is on the subway line: 20 minutes to Nampo( one downtown area) and 35 minutes to Seomyeon(another downtown area).Or it's faster in a taxi. There are plenty of foreigners down in Saha-Gu.
The big question is how many classes you have to teach each day or each week AND do you have to correct diaries, mark tests etc? 5/6 classes maximun a day or you'll burn your fuses. How long have you been searching for a job here? Maybe you can wait a little longer. |
I was mostly wrong about Hadan--on google maps I was looking at Eulsukdo, which just has a few low slung buildings, grass, and industrial parks. Hadan looks fine lol. Classes are 6/day plus prep, grading, progress reports. A few sneaky extras--5 staff meetings a month not during working hours and w/ no overtime. 1 workshop per month, same. 2 "special functions" per month (parents meetings or festivals) not class hours, no ot. No time limit on any of these things either. I've only been looking for a couple weeks so who knows? Maybe want to hold out |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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| shinkansen wrote: |
| Classes are 6/day plus prep, grading, progress reports. A few sneaky extras--5 staff meetings a month not during working hours and w/ no overtime. 1 workshop per month, same. 2 "special functions" per month (parents meetings or festivals) not class hours, no ot. No time limit on any of these things either. |
(better confirm what a contact hour is because it sounds like a kindy-elementary and those 30 hours of classes can be as much as 45 class periods per week).
Maybe you better ask a teacher at home what being a "teacher" means.
It is a 40/wk hour job with 20-30 contact hours in the class (depending on where you work). You are a salaried employee and not an hourly worker.
The rest of the time, when you are not teaching, Iin spite of what some here would leave you to believe) you will be expected to actually "prepare" for your classes doing something more than spending 180 seconds at the copy machine. It's not just walk in, talk for 50 minutes and leave.
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Dalton
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| shinkansen wrote: |
| Classes are 6/day plus prep, grading, progress reports. A few sneaky extras--5 staff meetings a month not during working hours and w/ no overtime. 1 workshop per month, same. 2 "special functions" per month (parents meetings or festivals) not class hours, no ot. No time limit on any of these things either. |
(better confirm what a contact hour is because it sounds like a kindy-elementary and those 30 hours of classes can be as much as 45 class periods per week).
Maybe you better ask a teacher at home what being a "teacher" means.
It is a 40/wk hour job with 20-30 contact hours in the class (depending on where you work). You are a salaried employee and not an hourly worker.
The rest of the time, when you are not teaching, Iin spite of what some here would leave you to believe) you will be expected to actually "prepare" for your classes doing something more than spending 180 seconds at the copy machine. It's not just walk in, talk for 50 minutes and leave.
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That's exactly what I've done for years. I make it quite clear when I see contracts that I don't work 6 days a week, I don't hang around the hogwon when I'm not teaching (I prep at home), I don't do overtime except in an emergency but only if I agree. People get sick, take vacations, quit suddenly. I'll help out. I sometimes help Korean teachers mark or prepare tests. I've helped new, inexperienced teachers get started in the classroom. I'm not a prik.
6-8 classes a day is enough. I don't do additional admin duties on top of that. That's absolutely ridiculous and non-teaching time being free time is a benefit of working in Korea along with free housing, pre-paid return airfare and severance pay. If you want admin hours go to a public school and get 20-22 classes a week with the same benefits and pay. This is completely reasonable.
If a hogwon wants admin hours then ask your recruiter to find a school that doesn't or find you a position in a public school. Pick a school that pays a higher salary to compensate the admin hours. Or ask for a higher salary. This stuff isn't just the way things are in Korea it is just what newbs looking for a quick fix accept because they don't know any better.
Companies like IBM, or other large outfits can pretty much dictate terms to a basic employer but these little hogwons and franchisees aren't that. They need English speakers.
If the teacher leaves or runs mid contract or even gets fired without a clear and plausible reason the school suffers. Parents get upset, other hogwons and their employees talk. Money is lost and the business can't really afford to let these things happen. Some parents will demand refunds for any class that doesn't have a native teacher for that class. (that's why they get aggressive about teachers calling in sick and often don't honour vacations or sick days) Parents will pull their kids from hogwons that present as unstable due to haphazard staff turn over.
A bit of a rant but the truth is that the teacher has the power. EFL is a big business getting bigger every year. Demand outstrips supply in every country that has this industry.
The first thing to do in your new job is save money and look for the next job or out if things go awry. Usually they don't but your peace of mind will benefit. Hence your students will benefit.
Better yet if you really feel you need to leave home to get work then check out your own country first. In Canada that means places like Calgary that simply don't have enough workers for any job. Who's going to clean up the flood mess? Imported labour? LOL. A few companies pay cash weekly for labourers who show up to work on time and sober. Sometimes this leads to high paying full time work. You don't need an E-2 and costs for that. It's cheaper than flying to Korea for smartas hogwons deciding that you should pay to come to Korea. |
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shinkansen
Joined: 01 Jul 2013
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| Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:35 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah this all sounds good, thank you. I'll do what I can in terms of making these preferences clear, not that I have that much leverage as a rookie lol |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| Dalton wrote: |
37.5 hours sounds bad. Prep time? Brutal.
Quite possibly the worst job offer with respect to hours that I have ever heard of in 10+ years. Especially for standard pay whatever that is. I suspect you mean $2000 give or take a couple hundred?
I wouldn't even respond to an offer like this. Wait till they re-mail you about it and tell them you thought their account had been hacked. That job is a joke. |
Seems like you've been away for a few years Dalton.
I last remember you in about 2008?
Welcome back.
Anyway, things have changed a lot. Very few jobs around. Sad to say but the type of job outlined above has become pretty standard. |
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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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| Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:46 am Post subject: |
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| Dalton wrote: |
37.5 hours sounds bad. Prep time? Brutal.
Quite possibly the worst job offer with respect to hours that I have ever heard of in 10+ years. Especially for standard pay whatever that is. I suspect you mean $2000 give or take a couple hundred?
I wouldn't even respond to an offer like this. Wait till they re-mail you about it and tell them you thought their account had been hacked. That job is a joke. |
As a teacher with 10+ years of experience, you shouldn't respond to this type of offer. For a teacher with zero experience who isn't in the country, it's another story. Your advice in this thread is great, but it is better directed at other teachers with similar experience to yourself. The OP would be wise to keep this in mind.
OP, pay special attention to what ttompatz says. IMO, you won't find a more knowledgable poster in regards to questions like these. |
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shinkansen
Joined: 01 Jul 2013
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| Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Dalton wrote: |
37.5 hours sounds bad. Prep time? Brutal.
Quite possibly the worst job offer with respect to hours that I have ever heard of in 10+ years. Especially for standard pay whatever that is. I suspect you mean $2000 give or take a couple hundred?
I wouldn't even respond to an offer like this. Wait till they re-mail you about it and tell them you thought their account had been hacked. That job is a joke. |
As a teacher with 10+ years of experience, you shouldn't respond to this type of offer. For a teacher with zero experience who isn't in the country, it's another story. Your advice in this thread is great, but it is better directed at other teachers with similar experience to yourself. The OP would be wise to keep this in mind.
OP, pay special attention to what ttompatz says. IMO, you won't find a more knowledgable poster in regards to questions like these. |
I will, thanks! |
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Dalton
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:22 am Post subject: |
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| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Dalton wrote: |
37.5 hours sounds bad. Prep time? Brutal.
Quite possibly the worst job offer with respect to hours that I have ever heard of in 10+ years. Especially for standard pay whatever that is. I suspect you mean $2000 give or take a couple hundred?
I wouldn't even respond to an offer like this. Wait till they re-mail you about it and tell them you thought their account had been hacked. That job is a joke. |
As a teacher with 10+ years of experience, you shouldn't respond to this type of offer. For a teacher with zero experience who isn't in the country, it's another story. Your advice in this thread is great, but it is better directed at other teachers with similar experience to yourself. The OP would be wise to keep this in mind.
OP, pay special attention to what ttompatz says. IMO, you won't find a more knowledgable poster in regards to questions like these. |
Hogwons will ask you to do anything they can get away with. Lack of of experience teaching is cured by taking an TEFL cert. with actual teaching hours not cleaning the toilet because you're a newb. Or maybe you can take solid advice and ask your recruiter to find you a position in a public school with only 20-24 hours contact time along with the admin work for more money, benefits that are more likely honoured and not be taken advantage of. |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Dalton wrote: |
37.5 hours sounds bad. Prep time? Brutal.
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Sounds brutal. I taught 25 hours by myself per week in Thailand, all classes the same material. I don't think I would want more than that.
I taught 30 hours in Korea in public schools, but 25 of those hours were taught mainly by the Korean co-teacher leaving me with 5 or so more in the afternoon taught by myself per week.
You need more information on how these hours are going to be handled, because it sounds like a lot of hours at this point. I think you might be able to find a better job than that. |
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