Korean Job Discussion Forums

[captain kirk]

all hands on deck(test yur discernment re; contracts) ....seven fifty minute classes per day monday to friday for two mil. some funny business here, methinks. the usual is 120 teaching hours a month, thirty a week.
BUT if you add up seven fifty minute classes (and round off fifty m. to one hour......so seven hours teaching a day, times five days a week

equals 35 hours a week and 140 hours a month
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the tricky business is contract-maker could say it's not seven times one hour per day, it's seven times fifty minutes which equals

seventy (seven times ten minutes) minutes less than a rounded off estimate of seven times one hour.......so it's not seven hours a day

it's less than six! ten minutes less

which over a week of five days equals fifty minutes, an hour

so the monthly hours of seven times fifty minute classes a day m-f is

7 times fifty =350mper day times five days a week = 1750m per week

times four weeks in a month= 7000minutes

divide 7000 minutes by 60(in an hour)= 116.6 hours per month

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my question is seven fifty minute classes per day five days a week for two million is a lot of work. i've always worked six classes a day.

it's exploitative to figure a class is fifty minutes and leave out the ten minutes. then add up those ten minutes to make another hour a day.

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i want to get the contract hours re-arranged to six classes a day five days a week for two million.

comments?

[Captain Obvious 2.0]

What next? We round up some of my 30 minute classes so instead of 2.5 hours a day, it's actually five hours a day? Wait, what about my two hour class? Do I round that down to one hour so that every class is one hour?

Further, you're more worried about the number of classes (which does not matter) but instead are not worried about the actual teaching time.

Oh no. The school wants you to teach 5 hours, 50 minutes a day and will pay you 2 million Won (plus housing) a month.

Either accept or decline. Stop seeing conspiracies where there are none.

[Hank Scorpio]

In total agreement with the Captain. You're quibbling over minor crap. You're still working less than 40 hours a week like every other working stiff on the planet, you're getting a round trip ticket and free room and board.

Deal.

[Tancred]

a lot of people here seem to be rather pedantic about their hours. I have a pretty good give and take relationship with my director. Sometimes i work a little more than the agreed 30 hours a week, but if some of my adult students don't show up, he has no problem with me taking off early. You imply that you've taught here before, so you're more experienced than i am, and maybe i just got lucky with my school, but it seems to me that if the two of you mutually respect each other and don't quibble over the details, that things will work out better for each in the long run....just a thought...

T.

[Hotuk]

I disagree with the Captain. In hogwon-land, 50 min is paid as an hour, allowing 10 min for prep, bathroom, etc. Therefore, you are indeed being offered 2.0 for 35 hours/week. You can do much better.

7 classes a day, every day, is a lot. School teachers in my home country would never even consider it (closer to 5hrs/day there) - quality of teaching may suffer.

If you want the job, take it. There are lots of other factors - if you're happy at the school and are well treated you might be glad you took it. But given the way they're playing the "50 minutes is billed as 50 minutes" game - and it is a game, not at all standard in hogwons - the signs point to rough waters ahead.

Besides, there are LOTS of good jobs out there. Why settle for sub-mediocre?
Hotuk

[captain kirk]

i agree with hotuk. that's what i think. seven classes a day is a lot. i've never done that. it's always been six and that's been enuff. so alarm bells re; this seven times fifty minutes stuff. awhile ago there was a post by 'another old hand vet' (can't recall his handle exactly) and he listed points to beware and it all sounded a bit alarmist. he said, among other things, to re-write/write yur own contract. that the one the recruiter/school presents you with is designed to exploit you. well, look at this seven fifty minute classes thing. that's 35 hours a week of class time. one can say that it's still less than forty hours a week most people in other jobs in korea (koreans working) do. but teaching is a lot of work. looking animated about it, negotiating suggestions from the boss re; what the mothers want, and so on. changing gears for different grades/levels class to class. not complaining, it's a fact. it's energy up for those teaching hours/classes. the show must go on.
point has been made to concentrate on getting along with your director. yes, absolutely. the contract isn't worth anything legally but is a guidline in good faith. the good faith is between the lines and every day paying respects to one's director, who in korea is accepted as a cut above oneself. so attention/respects must be paid. for great info on getting along with directors which is so important in korea please see 'social protocol' at this site [email protected].... it's a recruiters site, with an excellent caution/essay re; you and wonjonim(korean boss).
hotuk you're right. maybe a sign of rough waters ahead. slippery beginning. i'll call. say six classes, not seven. see if they take a cut.

[Bulsajo]

I thought you mentioned in one of your posts that you've been here for more than a few years- what the hell are you doing even considering 2 million Won contracts?

[IconsFanatic]

Cap'n O:

You made your point, but ease up a little. Life's too short.

[some waygug-in]

[captain kirk]

i've been here more than a couple of years and what am i doing even considering two million won contracts!!!!!!!!!yeah, ohmigod, what am i doing? thanks for pulling me from the brink! (truthis i'm old, ugly, and my mother dresses me funny....even koreans notice this

[gajackson1]

give & take is a good way to put it. Basically, you let us know your salary and the minutes of your classes.

But there is a LOT more to it than that.

How are your co-teachers/director/owner? how do they treat you?

how well organized & equipped is your school, in materials & resources?

are you free to roam when you are not in class, or do you have to stay around the office?

how many students in your classes?

how much of a say do you have in things at your school - especially regarding your classes?


Right now, I'm in a school that pays me over 2.5/month, plus single housing, etc. I teach 26 classes a week; the largest has 6 students, and the classes are 40 minutes each. American texts (Harcourt-Brace)

And I'm quitting. Why? Because of my owner.

don't miss the forest for lookin at the trees . . .

G.

[Bulsajo]

[Zyzyfer]

Pssshhh...sounds like an average contract to me. Lot of snoots, or do I just somehow seem to miss all these miraculous wonder jobs where people make 2.0+ and work 26 hours?

My first job often had 140 class hour months. My high end before I received overtime pay was 144, actually.

Seven classes isn't bad, if you've got a well-placed break. If it's just your average hakwon, that's a breeze of a job.

I must've had the worst contract in all the land my first year. -_-

[hellofaniceguy]

Here's my .02 worth. No one forces teachers, employees, to sign B.S. contracts! We all can read and speak! So you ought to be getting the best deal you can. No one can use you unless YOU let them. Until we wise up and stop agreeing to teach 6,7, 8 classes a day, we'll continue to complain! And even if the contract is good, we'll STILL complain! We're never happy! I know a few Canadian teachers at English Friends, who teach 8,9 and 10 classes a day for less than 2.0! I ask them WHY! Answer? Well, we earn more here than back home! Wrong answer! You are NOT a teacher then. That answer does NOT help all of us who want better contracts and do a better job of teaching. No one can teach over 5 50 minute classes a day AND do a great job each and every day! You can't! You burn out! Schools know that some fool will agree to teach 7,8, or 9 50 minute classes a day for 1.9! What's a good contract? Whatever you are happy with! No less than 2.1. But don't agree and then complain afterwards! Unless the school is screwing you around. Then LEAVE! In my opinion; 5 50 minute classes a day, 5 days a week, single housing, NEVER shared! Does the school owner want to share?!? NOPE! Medical, 50/50. Severance, airfare, vacation. This is for hokwons. Universities can do way better! Don't agree to split shifts! DON'T agree to teach 120 hours a month! NEVER! You'll get screwed! Only "X" amount of classes per day and no more than 5o minutes a class. Do your best when teaching, come to class ON TIME! Don't run copies off a machine and call it a lesson. And remember, when you are sick, it's usually the korean teacher who has to teach your classes and they 9 times out of 10 are NOT paid for it. You get paid for extra classes. I know some teachers who abuse sick time and this creates resentment amoung the staff. We are all in the same boat.
Income tax is 3.5%. NO MORE! Don't allow for deductions except medical and tax. You won't get it back. AND, NEVER NEVER work for a school if the owner does not speak English! You'll regret it! Don't rely on someone to interpert fpr you; koreans DON'T interpert verbatim and you'll get burnt, misunderstood and besides that, everyone will know your business!
No one has any business teaching a foreign language unless they have LIVED in that country for many years! One has to know the culture, customs, idioms, etc. to correctly teach that language. Too many koreans are teaching English and they can't even hold a decent conversation, make hundreds of grammar mistakes and pass along to students the same mistakes!

[The Bobster]

The question was whether it is a ripoff, and the answer is no, it's just an offer, better than some not as good as others. If it's not to your liking, ask them to change it and if they don't want to do that then go on looking until you find what you want.

Very simple.