Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Badmojo]

I'm into the third year, I think.

When it's going good in there, it's not a job. I can't believe I get paid for it.

The prep is the job, that's it. The time in the classroom is the enjoyment....... if you got a good situation.

But, like the Cat, shoot me please if I'm still getting the mojo on in Korea after as little as five months.

I got to get the hell out of here.

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

I hate teaching children (namely elementary, middle school age) so I consider that painful phase of my life over, thank god! I didn't know just how incompatible I am with children until I had my stint at a hagwon...and knew I couldn't hack it. I do have utmost respect for teachers though who consider it their calling because I couldn't think of a job, personally, more stressful. I have a newfound respect especially for my friends back home who work in the elementary education sector...because teaching back home has got to be ten times more stressful than working in a hagwon.
I get flamed quite often for being "kiddie-phobic"but not everyone is cut ouf for them...I just have no passion or motivation to teach them. Now teaching older students is a completely different matter. I love teaching adults, and I even taught college students back home...love it! Couldn't think of a better job, and I know that I do the job well. I guess I have a more "either you come here to work or get out" typical college-teaching approach. That's what great about college teaching...you and the college students work hard together, and the lazy ones will usually drop or flunk out. I hated having to run around in monkey circles to keep the brats in the hagwon entertained with English games. I consider the split-shift schedule at an adult hagwon well-worth it to avoid the kids. That's just my take on my education experience...going to continue with teaching...but not in a room full of 12 year-olds. There are some children I like working with, but I don't consider them the typical lazy-brat Korean kid, and they have a rare interest in learning, which I find amazing.
Anyway...that's my side...you can flame on.

[the_beaver]

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

[dbee]

eamo wrote:

[adventureman]

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[diablo3]

just 1 year

[SuperHero]

[JacktheCat]

[bellum99]

5 years this month.

[sadsac]

Year five and in a great new gig in Gwangyang. Good director, good hours, nice place. Could hang here with the missus for a couple of years.

[keithinkorea]

Teaching English 3 years. Taught guitar before! For a quite a while.

I hate Kindergarten shite. The only thing worse than a bunch of little kids crying cos the next to them kid is crying is much worse....Middle school.Argggh!

My favourite age to teach is elementary. They're creative , enthusiastic, a lot of fun. And they don't cry all the time or get all hormonal on me. Perfect kids and I have some amazing classes. The most rewarding thing about this age group is that they're a bunch of little mental sponges and learn so quick. They are a batty bunch of wonderful little people and teaching them is a pleasure! It is so cool that they have no 'hangups' about face and all that adult Korean nonsense. They want to have fun and learn some stuff along the way, once you get the hang of motivating them...

I love teaching elem kids because it is fun. We all have fun in my classes and I'm lucky to have such a great set of kids. It is truly a pleasure to teach them. Rewarding too.

On the downside. My boss is a cretin, but that will change soon, I reckon he's going to go bust soon as he knows sweet FA about teaching and even less about running a business.

I love teaching elementary school kids. For me it is great, I love seeing how quickly they're developing and that makes it a very rewarding job. I hate it when they go in to middleschool and they tell me about all the bullies (korean middle school is mean) and then the culture and MS BS robs them of the sweet little souls they have... That is just depressing. Korean adult teaching is boring to the max.

My ideal teaching job would be teaching young kids a truly amazing language, a bit of music, a little literature, a nice place to live, preferably by the sea.

My dream job would be composing music for great films. Difficult but I'm working on it.

[adventureman]

..

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

Teaching adults at my hagwon is stimulating and so interesting. There are amazing students with unique backgrounds...plus they want to crack down and learn English, which is my style. I hate the monkey circles with bingo and all the endless supply of brain-dead English games you have to teach children with. Plus, it's nice to not have to say "shut up" to a bunch of rugrats.
I guess I'm lucky though. Granted there are some adult students who can be a nightmare, most of my students are high-level and have taught me many things or corrected my assumptions I had about Korean culture.
Like Adventureman said, each to his/her own. There is no "right" age group to teach...it's just your preference and what you're strong at. My adult studenst generally like me very much and applaud my teaching style, whereas the kids and I cannot mix and get along.

[d503]

As I was told by my sister I will be back in the states in no more than 150 days (unless I want to be killed for ditching a wedding) Which brings my grand total of time in Korea to around 215 days. My teaching english time to that minus weekends and holidays. It's ok. I have to say I really enjoy teaching the kids, it is the rest of the crap that gets to me. The parents, the poor management, the constant changing around of shit, sigh mostly parents though. I hate the calls, its like third hand tattling. As in this mornings, mom "why did you put jaemin in the corner," me "she yanked a junk of yuni's hair out," mom "but it made jaemin sad."

i just want to scream that's the point some days