Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jajdude]

Some, maybe most, are not really good places to work, yet so many of us do. Some of us are fortunate enough to have a good gig at one. Many of us just plow along with the mediocrity of it all.

How would you describe the average hagwon?

[jajdude]

Ok I'll try...lol

Disorganized.

Somewhat chaotic.

Unpredictable.

Hectic.

Mindnumbing.

Full of communication problems and gossip.

A business for the boss to make as much profit as possible.

A drag to work at.

And that's my opinion of the AVERAGE one.

[plokiju]

I agree. Don't forget shitty hours and extra work outside of class that isn't compensated at all. Phone teaching is fun for everyone.
There is also a general lack of respect for the foreign teachers. I am told only the most relevant of details and then only at the last minute.

[JongnoGuru]

[Gopher]

Just one kick in the nuts, one time? Or a kick in the nuts every time you'd have to do phone teaching?

I think it's an important detail.

[JongnoGuru]

Let me just pull up today's exchange rates. Hold on....

Okay, 1.00 Phone Teaching (that's a month of calls) is currently trading at 1.23 Nuts-Kickings. That's the arbitrated rate, meaning you're not allowed to wear a protective device, though you are given a three-second warning in which to prepare yourself mentally and get an early start on the screaming, the gasping for air, the doubling over in pain, and so forth.

[hellofaniceguy]

It is not the hakwons that are bad, etc...
it's the koreans running the business where the big problem lies!
Most korean hakwon owners have no common sense, lack manners, lack business sense, lack English skills...and are just plain dumb when it comes to treating FT's fair.
Sure, it's a two way street...some bad ESL teachers also...but when ESL teachers from all over the world are having the same horror stories to tell...common sense ought to tell koreans that the big problem is koreans!
Even korean teachers get screwed over but they just take the screwing and complain under their breath!
But..that is the fault of the FT's...until "we" stop signing contracts...we can't help clean up the industry. No FT's means NO English hakwons!
If you have a chance to look at the hakwons that are foreign run and owned...not nearly the amount of problems korean ones have! And the foreign owned ones are doing better than the korean ones!

[Gopher]

No, it's the whole thing that's rotten.

Trying to fix it is like stiking your hand into a whirlpool and trying to make it go in the other direction. You can't.

And, based on your exchange rate, I'll take the phone teaching. I don't like it, but it's relatively painless. Maybe I one-shot kick to the nuts for the whole year, but no way I'm gonna take 1.23 every month, dude.

[plokiju]

[FlagWaver]

[JongnoGuru]