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manlyboy
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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 Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 7:41 am Post subject: |
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Relax, you could have a fine time of it. EPIK is a national program in name only & your real bosses are local & regional. Your friends' assurances are likely good to go on -- the program runs reasonably well in some areas (majority of participants in my province re-contracted this year).
In the end its just a job & if you find yourself getting along with your boss & coteachers & liking your students, it can be a sweet gig. If youre new to efl & Korea it will be an adventure, & if youre in a decent situation there will be plenty of goodwill to help you fit in.
EPIK is really just a hiring program. The job is what you make of it. Its like the big-name hagwon franchise debates on this forum -- there are good ones & bad ones & you need to talk to folks who have gone ahead of you. Youve done that. Best luck!
Where ya headed? |
Ahhhh! Thanks schwa. The tension eases. The job's in the Bundang area. So far they've treated me with ample respect, and my accomodation is a whopping 20 pyong 2 bedroom apartment (2 verandas!). Only 22 contact hours, and 24 days vacation. It seemed like a good idea to sign when they offered it to me. I'm not new to Korea or EFL, so the adventure factor is negligible. My main concerns are adapting to large classes, what kind of curriculum they've got, and working with a Korean co-teacher (apparently I'll be some kind of in-class auxiliary). If any of the other 144 people going into the Gyeonggi EPIK program this September are reading this and have got some inside info...please don't be stingy! |
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Thomas
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 9:11 am Post subject: |
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| manlyboy: take a look at the two articles I referred to in the Job Information Journal... it may be a bit dated, but I don't think EPIK has changed much since then. |
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manlyboy
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2004 3:10 am Post subject: |
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Thomas:
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being required to make all of my material from nothing
with no curriculum or guide to go by. |
Eesh! That sounds a little inauspicious. Doesn't fit at all with Korean attitudes regarding the need to learn English.
Still, I'm relieved to hear you had a good time of it. Think I'll cancel the purchase order for kneeling pads now. Cheers. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2004 3:23 am Post subject: |
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I teach at an elementary school and I could rant for days about how much I hate the standardized curriculum. It's awkward, rote based, much lower level than anything you've taught at hagwon probably and at times racist to boot.
[/rant] 
That said, once you get your head around how the basic lesson plan should go it's pretty damn easy. Five minutes warm up, fifteen with the cd- either new material or review, and then a twenty minute game.
Don't worry about large classes Realize that you won't have perfect control all the time, but most of the time things will be pretty good. There's a lot more respect for school teachers than there is for hagwon teachers.
I teach in another one of the eastern suburbs, PM me if you want more info. |
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manlyboy
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2004 3:47 am Post subject: |
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| There's a lot more respect for school teachers than there is for hagwon teachers. |
You mean they treat you like a real teacher, or they just give respectful pinky-finger dong-chims?
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| I hate the standardized curriculum. |
Yeah. I've dealt with crappy curriculums before. Just so long as there is one for me to modify and adapt. Don't want to be a teacher AND the curriculum developer.
Thanks for the info. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2004 4:27 am Post subject: |
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| I wont' say that I get the full respect that a Korean teacher does, but it's minor things, like not bowing at the begining of class. They don't yell "Teacher- GAAAAAAAAMMMEEE!" and I've never seen kids even ddong chim eachother at school. |
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Saxiif
Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2004 5:48 am Post subject: |
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| peppermint wrote: |
| I wont' say that I get the full respect that a Korean teacher does, but it's minor things, like not bowing at the begining of class. They don't yell "Teacher- GAAAAAAAAMMMEEE!" and I've never seen kids even ddong chim eachother at school. |
Well one thing I noticed when my old boss pimped me out to teach big classes one day a week at a Community Center is that just having a big enough classroom allows you to keep the kids are arms' length and maintain control a lot easier. I had a much easier time with 20-kid classes there than I ever did with some 7-kid hagwon classes. Little hagwon classrooms get damn claustrophobic at times. |
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McNasty
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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I signed up with the EPIK program and I'm looking forward to it. This will be my first opportunity, in 5 long and painful years of teaching at hagwons, to work a 9-5 M-F job.
As far as I'm concerned, having more than 1 week vacation, the opportunity to choose my housing and furniture(all brand new) at least it's a good start.
Also, some people have such unattainable expectations when it comes to teaching English in this country that in many cases are ridiculous.
For example, some people might interpret having to be at work from 9-5 as unacceptable. I, on the other hand don't have a problem with it. I have 22 contact hours, in the morning, and then I have the afternoon to prep. Also, my school(in bundang) has pool tables and other recreational equipment and facilities that I have full access to during my free time. This is exactly what I have been looking for the past few years.
Am I concerned about the bad rep?
Yeah, a little, but in the end if you make the best of it, even hagwon jobs(some) are tolerable.
I will continue to post throughout my year in the EPIK program and I hope that others in the program do so as well. |
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Mosley
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:07 am Post subject: |
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| Yes, McNasty, manlyboy, et al. : by all means keep us posted on your EPIK trials & tribulations in the next year.... |
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Thomas
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:01 am Post subject: |
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The best advice I can give to go and be fully prepared to function "on your own". Set up some lessons that you can easily change for various levels and classes (I ran a set of modules on self, hometown, home country, hobbies, sports, likes/dislikes, family, etc.), all of which could be expanded to cover grades 1-12 and even modified for adults. I typed everything and kept it on disks so that I could modify and print whenever I needed something. For me, that freedom was great.
Also, make friends immediately with someone of similar age, espcially a Korean woman (not being sexist, but I found that women were more concerned over the housing and living standards). Arrange a few times to take them to dinner or give gifts and keep them around to help you with your bills, shopping, and administrative problems. Of course, in the spirit of "what comes around...", ALWAYS be available to help them out with demo lessons, reading/editting stuff, and answering questions. That way, you both get what you want.
Take extra money with you and be prepared to have housing delays (I hope not, but it may happen).
Always keep your cool and be patient and don't put yourself in a situation where you HAVE to rely on someone else. Good luck! |
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adventureman
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Most of you new public elementary school teachers have absolutely no clue what you are getting yourselves into......... |
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McNasty
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2004 2:07 am Post subject: |
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adventureman
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| Most of you new public elementary school teachers have absolutely no clue what you are getting yourselves into......... |
Hopefully, 'Our dear leader' will indulge us with his secret inside information. |
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manlyboy
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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adventureman wrote:
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| Most of you new public elementary school teachers have absolutely no clue what you are getting yourselves into......... |
Aaah, come on man! Don't just jump in and go "A-BOOGEDY-BOOGEDY-BOO!".  Don't be so stingy with the details! |
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McNasty
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:12 am Post subject: |
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Does anyone know the specifics for the training?
What can we expect? Will it be a hair pulling experience? |
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