Korean Job Discussion Forums

adventureman · Joined: 18 Feb 2003

Hi Mody Ba,

Just thought I'd post this on the forum because I wasn't sure if you check your private messages or not...

Sorry about listing the Asian cities thing. I know that was a little weird of me...sorry...the fact of the matter is, and I'll come clean with you..I don't have a terrible amount of overseas teaching experience and I know it. I have been to Korea twice for a few months on a couple of winter camps (enjoyable teaching, miserable bosses) and have taught English here in the States for less than a year. I'm also only 24...Having said that, I do realize that Korea attracts a lot of degenerates and losers who can't get work anywhere else and I want to try very hard to distance myself that "scene" as much as possible. That's part of the reason why I really wanted to work in the public school..Yes I am a "newbie" but not so much as many other people who just here totally blindfolded. I also don't like that term because of the negative connotations associated with it (just look on the other forum if you want to know what I�m talking about)..., but I have done extensive research on the state of EFL teaching in Korea and I am genuinely interested in Korean culture and advancing the field of TESOL, I'm actually considering getting a Masters myself in a couple of years...I also realize I may be acting somewhat naive at times, however, so I am also keeping things in perspective. I am aware of the fact that Korea may be very difficult to cope with and teaching may not be something I will want to do my ENTIRE life. I certainly didn't mean to make you feel inferior or try to "stand up" to you by saying you should look into other options besides EPIK...

I've been on this forum a lot more than usual lately... mostly because I'm really excited about the prospect of going to Korea...I think I'm going to give it a rest for couple of weeks, though, and try to do a lot more studying from the several TEFL methodology books I ordered, as well as finish my correspondence EFL certificate...

Sorry if this message is dragging on, I just don't want to be pigeonholed on this board before I ever even get to Korea Smile

Send me a PM sometime...maybe we can go out for a beer (or two) after I arrive if you're ever on Jeju, that is, only if you are this big of a funny jerk in person.. Smile

Catch you later,
A-man

By the way, I know the spelling thing drives you nuts, so I'll try harder to work on that. I'm actually not quite as bad as I come across. Its just little hard sometimes when your typing really fast because all you're thinking about is getting out what you want to say in writing!

Mody Ba · Joined: 22 May 2003

Yeah.Sure.I agree.Maybe we can have a beer,or two when you get over here. I am certainly amenable 'to live and let live'.Good luck at orientation,since I guess you are going there before your POE. Do not let orientation get on your nerves too much.Talk to you later.Mody

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Gosh, guys.... I'm all misty-eyed after reading those posts. Seriously though, Adman, if your post is sincere(I have no reason to doubt that it isn't), then you're already a leg up on many of the people you'll meet in orientation. Good luck....

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

Um, Adventureman remember that what you can do at one school here you will find you can't at another. You will only see your student for 28 class periods a year and through one thing and another probally less.
Where I work now the kids won't pair work or do exercisers. At my last high schools in another city they loved pair work and exercisers where they had to think. So don't come with an idea that something is going to work for sure.

adventureman · Joined: 18 Feb 2003

Mody Ba · Joined: 22 May 2003

The EPIK contract,which is vague and poorly written allows for multiple work locations,but I would suggest that Adman take a strong stand if it appears the POE wants him to go scurrying around to too many different locations.I know one EPIK who was sent scurrying around all year to seven different places.And then one of the places complained that the EPIK was "teaching at too many places.'EPIK is nothing,if not erratic.

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

SOMETIMES visiting another school can be a break in the routine and so on, but my experience has been that foreign teachers tend to be happier when they do most of their work/teaching at a "base" school.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: South Korea

There are 28 school teaching weeks in a year. You see the same group of kids generally once a week. I see 15 different classes a week of first year high school students. Now next week for instance my students are having exams for four days so I've got that time off. So that's a day less this year that I will see my students. Get the picture? Oh and I'm one of the lucky ones here as I only work one school. It has 1,500 students, most of who live-in.

The record was, one teacher saw his students twice a year. He really had travel schools but it didn't worry him. Personally I'd ge mad if I had to keep changing schools.

You can fairly much count on seeing students once a week in most EPIK locations and now and again once a fortnight or less.

Untill you get your post you won't know if you are going to be teaching Elementary, Middle or high school kids or for that matter Korean
English teachers. So you have to come up with one lesson plan a week plus stuff for teacher training. With teacher training class length is normally two to four hours a week with each of your different groups.

The Bobster · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Posts about the EPIK program are better off on the thread relating to that, which I unlocked this morning. Have a nice day.

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?p=65177#65177