Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gmat]

I was looking at some jobs offered and saw this:

Class Timetable: (No classes on weekends)
1 class: 06:30 - 07:20
2 class: 10:30 - 11:20
3 class: 17:00 - 17: 50
4 class: 18:00 - 18:50
5 class: 19: 00 - 19:50
6 class: 20: 00 - 20: 50
:Students are from middle school age to adults

Has anyone had a schedule worse than this?

ps. It could be yours at 1.8 per month

[hellofaniceguy]

Sometimes I don't get it...maybe it's just me.
But..would any of you work the same schedules as posted here back in your home country?
No? Why do it here then!?!?
That's a bad schedule and the trouble is...it's common and the big problem is...someone will agree to it!!
Go figure! And 1.8!!!! I think not! Not even for 2.5! You will burn out big time!
With these types of schedules...hakwon owners are hoping that the teacher will leave early and thus they, the school owner has a way out from paying airfare and severance.

[prosodic]

My first hagwon job back in 1996 was

Monday-Friday, all adults
7:00-7:50, composition
8:00-8:50 AM, beginning conversation
9:00-10:00 AM, some other conversation class
10:30-11:20 AM, Basic Grammar class
11:30-12:20 PM, conversation class

5:20-7:00 PM, M, W, every other Friday, beginning composition
5:20-7:00 PM, T, Th, every other Friday, Side by Side
7:10-8:50 PM, M, W, every other Friday, Listening Comprehension
7:10-8:50 PM, T, Th, every other Friday, TOEFL

I lasted a year and a half before I burnt out, but I made over 2million a month 8 years ago.

[skinhead]

I worked the YBM ELS split shifts for two years straight and just got used to it.

6:30 - 8:30am
11 or 12 - 1pm
6-10pm

It was simply a matter of adapting to routines. I didn't mind it after the first few months coz I moved to an apatu only 10 minutes bus from the hagwon. However, I lost 7kg in weight during those first three months due to lack of sleep and weird eating times / not eating.

Anyway, no I won't be putting up with that kind of schedule again when I come back to Korea. Or that kind of job. It usually takes a while in country before you can sniff out and find better options / jobs / schedules. Not a lot of people know what their choices are. It all seems too hard for some (me included) to get out and look around. Once a routine is established, changing it seems more like hard work than keeping a bad schedule / work situation. Especially when trying to find a level of sanity adapting to actually living and working in Korea. Look around. Talk to people. Post on Dave's. You always have choices.

[donniebrasco]

I work 6.30am-8-30am and 3-9 Mon,Wed,Fri
6.30am-8.30am and 3-7 Tue and Thurs
I get 1.8 million and its my second year teaching.
I am only a month into it but I am struggling. Someone mentioned losing weight. Ive lost 3 kgs in the last month.
The lifestyle sucks and Im a fool for signing the contract. Don't know what to do now though.
It seems like quitting is a nightmare and no one seems to actually know what happens if you do.
What would you do?

[Wangja]

Whilst I don't like the concept of split shifts (and fortunately have never had to work them) I do often sit back and feel rather envious of teachers' hours in Korea.

My longest working hours were 06:00 - 18:00, 13 days per fortnight: 78 hours per week (minimum). I admit, the pay was quite good - equivalent to around 700 USD/day now.

[lush72]

Stated job hours M-F 9 AM - 6:30 PM -42.5 hours
the "actual" job hours I work vary by as much as 10 hours +/- per week! I also dont get any overtime what so ever.

I cant wait to re-sign!

[FUBAR]

[hippie]

I actually had the exact same schedule as the original poster when I lived in Korea a few years ago. (is that by any chance an SED hagwon?) I thought that nothing could be worse.

However, I found that teaching science, social studies, and math to ESL middle school students in Texas was much more stressful. (Turning in weekly lesson plans, submitting grades every three weeks, heaps of papers to grade, calling the parents of unruly students, mandatory faculty meetings, etc.) Anyone who has taught in a public school back home knows what I am talking about. My classes might have ended at 3:15, but my work certainly did not. When I worked in the hagwon, I didn't have near the worries and duties that I did at the public school. The good thing about the public school is 34,000USD a year, and this year it's going to be 36,000.

I agree that the split shift is the worst schedule you can have in Korea. But for some people (kiddie-phobes), the schedule is worth not having to teach very young children.

[philinkorea]

the price of teaching adults i think. i really wanted to teach adults. i teach at a totally sound school. for 5 months my schedule was

7-10
12-1
7-9

i never realised how much it would screw me. i was absolutely wrecked all the time. i moved to a quieter area. now i teach

10 - 1
5-9

thats much better but still i dont know if i could do split shift again. its really odd

[Dalton]

[lush72]

[Dalton]

Who's Zyzyfer?

Don't drink and post.