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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Squire
Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Location: Jeollanam-do
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 Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 7:01 am Post subject: |
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| I-am-me wrote: |
| I'm teaching 18 hrs a week for 3 weeks. They say its "camp", but it really isnt. No one even asked if I needed any supplies. I dont even have an attendance sheet. Should be fun after only 5 days of vacation and nothing planned. Teachers are off a whole 4 weeks though. Nice for them. |
Homeroom teachers here seem to have a sweet gig, especially the ones whose students finish after 5th period. The ones I've worked with always talk about how busy they are and I assumed I had it easier than them, but these days I wonder. They only teach a handful of subjects and between the start and finish of vacation I don't see them at school.
It's nice that they get their art, PE, music and English classes taught for them. Teachers in the UK don't get that luxury |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 7:21 am Post subject: |
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| Look at any Korean teacher's schedule. They are teaching only 14-16 classes per week. The highest I have ever seen is 18 hours per week (and that was for a brand new contract teacher age 23). Meanwhile the NET is doing 22 class hours per week. We work harder than the Korean teachers, get paid less, and get less vacation. (Which is strange considering we know English perfectly, while they don't. Why should they get better treatment?) Public school is no longer a good deal. In the past it definately was, but this is no longer the case. I have witnessed the deterioration first hand as I have had more and more work heaped upon me. As soon as my contract's up I'm jetting. (I can't wait to get out; I'm so ready.) |
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maximmm
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| Look at any Korean teacher's schedule. They are teaching only 14-16 classes per week. The highest I have ever seen is 18 hours per week (and that was for a brand new contract teacher age 23). Meanwhile the NET is doing 22 class hours per week. We work harder than the Korean teachers, get paid less, and get less vacation. (Which is strange considering we know English perfectly, while they don't. Why should they get better treatment?) Public school is no longer a good deal. In the past it definately was, but this is no longer the case. I have witnessed the deterioration first hand as I have had more and more work heaped upon me. As soon as my contract's up I'm jetting. (I can't wait to get out; I'm so ready.) |
Right.... but they've always taught only 14-18 hours per week. That hasn't exactly changed.
Now, I agree that on average work conditions at public schools have generally deteriorated. Yet, my current school is in many ways better than the schools I've taught in 5 years ago. In other words, there are still some public school gigs which are really decent - but finding them can be extremely difficult. |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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Seriously, almost every Korean teacher I've worked with here has gone on and on about how hard their job is and how it must be so much easier in my home country. Girl, please. An average teacher in Canada does more in one day than an average Korean teacher does all week.
However, just because Korean teachers' jobs are easier doesn't mean our PS jobs are a bad deal. I'm still very satisfied in my position. Camps are a joke and a waste of time, though. Everyone treats it like babysitting, which it is, except the administration who demands you treat it like Harvard prep school. They should get rid of these camps, or at least solidify them with neighbourhood schools and offer more vacation for NSETs that renew. They keep going on about the budget, well vacation doesn't cost anything and would be preferred by many teachers. But it goes against the very fabric of Korea: look BUSY! |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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No idea what schools some of you guys work at.
Korean teachers teach anywhere from 14-22. I've seen Korean teachers teach 22. And if they are close to 10, I've seen Korean teachers go to multiple schools to get close to 18-22. Some of the older ones do like 15 hours because they are 'heads' of something, which means a lot of paper work. But their typing skills are abysmal. Index finger-typing all their documents. Also, they've got to grade, and take complaints from parents who says little Minsu got question 25 right on a test, and will call the media and expose how inept they are if Minsu isn't given that extra 0.1%.
And if you're a homeroom teacher, often if a kid gets in trouble with the police, the homeroom teacher is the one they will call, not their parents. In rural schools homeroom teachers actually visit all their student's parents at the beginning of the year. And if you're ct is a women, remember she might have a little rugrat to worry about at home too. So, she might not be happy if she has to show the NET how to do every single thing that a middle schooler can easily do (because of language issues).
It ain't as easy as you think, but I do admit that you do see the floaters who are waiting until retirement. But a lot of these teachers work their rears off. |
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World Traveler
Joined: 29 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| Korean teachers teach anywhere from 14-22. |
Are you sure about that? I read on Dave's Korean teachers have a maximum of 20 (while the NETs get 22). The difference is that (while NETs have more) they (the NETs) are more likely to be pushed to their full capacity (by getting a full schedule). If you saw a K-teacher doing 22 (which I have never personally experienced and assume is very rare), that K-teacher was getting overtime pay. (The NET that does 22 gets no overtime pay.) I have personally looked the K-teachers schedules on their desk. They are all working low hours (much lower than I do).
K-teachers get huge Chuseok and New Years bonuses. I don't
K-teachers get loads of money paid into their retirement account. I don't.
K-teachers get the summer off. I don't.
K-teachers get paid extra to do camps and supplementary classes. I don't. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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I work middle schools btw. And high school teachers are worked pretty hard.
| World Traveler wrote: |
| Are you sure about that? I read on Dave's Korean teachers have a maximum of 20 (while the NETs get 22). The difference is that (while NETs have more) they (the NETs) are more likely to be pushed to their full capacity (by getting a full schedule). If you saw a K-teacher doing 22 (which I have never personally experienced and assume is very rare), that K-teacher was getting overtime pay. (The NET that does 22 gets no overtime pay.) I have personally looked the K-teachers schedules on their desk. They are all working low hours (much lower than I do). |
Yup, seen a few do 22. But usually I've seen 16-20 hours. The 'head teacher' and 'head student affairs teachers' usually tend to do 14 hours because they're the first point of contact for administration of graduating students and incoming students.
| World Traveler wrote: |
| K-teachers get huge Chuseok and New Years bonuses. I don't |
You are right on this. But contract teachers, and interns also miss out on this.
| World Traveler wrote: |
| K-teachers get loads of money paid into their retirement account. I don't. |
Again, you are right on this. But contract teachers, and interns also miss out on this.
| World Traveler wrote: |
| K-teachers get the summer off. I don't.. |
Not all teachers. Younger full-time, and contract teachers are often shafted. English, math, Korean, and science are often taught in the summer too. So subject teachers will be there. In middle schools the trend is making the senior come-in most of the summer and have morning classes. However, the teachers teaching summer classes will usually go after their classes are done for the day. And don't forget the teacher assigned to man the school with the principal/VP. Either the principal or VP is always in the school during the summer. They usually hide away (probably drinking... lol), so you may not notice them, but they are somewhere on campus.
Principals/VP's probably don't care if NET's leave early too. But if you are for some reason sent to the hospital during school hours and the local office hears about it. They will come down hard on the principal. And after the principal will come down hard on your CT. That's why your CT probably wants you to 'deskwarm' until 4-ish. I think CT's think we NET's are in a more vulnerable position because of the language/culture issue.
| World Traveler wrote: |
| K-teachers get paid extra to do camps and supplementary classes. I don't. |
K-teachers might. But these days they love handing that task to the contract, 'conversation' and 'intern' teachers. And I know the intern teachers are often shafted with their pay (hence the little protesting they did a few months back).
Be aware there are more contract teachers than you may realize, and they make in the same ballpark we do, with the same lack of benefits, and no housing. And they hear all those rumors that Americans don't pay taxes (and think it's all Canadian NET's too.. lol), so they may have some resentment towards us. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 8:50 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
K-teachers get huge Chuseok and New Years bonuses. I don't
K-teachers get loads of money paid into their retirement account. I don't.
K-teachers get the summer off. I don't.
K-teachers get paid extra to do camps and supplementary classes. I don't. |
Some do and some don't. In my experience a lot of Korean contract teachers (as opposed to TENURED Korean teachers) don't get bonuses or lots of money in their retirement account, or the summer off or paid extra.
Also most tenured teachers take seminars regularly during the summer. In every school I've ever worked in they were always complaining about that...although not too loudly and never when the VP or Principal was around.
And they have a lot more paperwork, deal with the parents and do grading on a regular basis. Yeah you get some lazy gits who do the bare minimum..but a lot of them work pretty darn hard...particularly if they are bucking for principal or a VP position down the line.
At one school I was at...they didn't have my apartment ready for me...so they asked if I would be willing to take a room at the school for just a week. At about Day 3...I went down at 7 PM to get a drink from the water cooler and noticed that the light from the staff room was on. So I go in there to see what's going on and there was Mr. Lee (my contact) working away at a desk. When I asked him why he was working so late he said he was trying to get "promotion points" so he could become a VP somewhere.
At the public school I work at currently...it's on my way to the gym. I usually leave for the gym (from my apartment) at around 7:30-8:00 PM. The staff room is almost always lit and there are usually several teachers moving around in there.
Also reading on Dave's...that's probably not the best source. Unless they have a link from the MOE or something authoritative...people are going on their own experiences...which are not the same for every school. |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, I just want to clarify that my previous post meant that Korean elementary school teachers here have it much easier than Canadian elementary school teachers. I may teach more classes than most Korean teachers at my school but I also have less responsibilities. I don't compare myself to them anyway, since I'm a contract teacher. |
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beentheredonethat777
Joined: 27 Jul 2013
Location: AsiaHaven
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| Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 1:23 am Post subject: |
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[quote="I-am-me"]I'm teaching 18 hrs a week for 3 weeks. They say its "camp", but it really isnt.
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| No one even asked if I needed any supplies. I dont even have an attendance sheet |
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The reason no one asked if you needed any supplies is because they expect you to buy/donate whatever activities you'll be using. I was shocked by this when I first worked in a public school.
Because prior to public school ,I had worked for a wealthy camp. The director came in one day prior and gave us (8 English teachers) a budget of 1.6 million won for supplies or whatever, and then gave us a ride to the local shopping center to buy stuff.
Imagine my surprise, when I began teaching at a public school and enquired about the "budget" for summer school.
($0) Really? I thought my CO was playing a practical joke! NOT.
My previous "camp" experience included "parents" donating daily lunches which included Pizza Hut, Big Macs, KFC, Baskin Robbins, Dunkin Donuts, Papa John's, Burger King. etc. I was surprised by the sheer volume of food and money being spent on snacks.
My public school snack consisted of a big surprise. On the last day, an office worker appeared with a bag of chips and a liter of cider. No cups, so students took turns drinking out of the bottle. It was truly an experience.
I think I invested about $300 into their camp experience that summer. But it was fun! |
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