Korean Job Discussion Forums

[atina]

bad deal- you can do better.

[W.T.Carl]

Not good. It should be 6 classes a day with the 7th counting as OT. Look elsewhere.

[hellofaniceguy]

If you have to question the salary and contract then that means you already have doubts. Look elsewhere. Teach by the class, not by the hours!! DO NOT agree to teach 120 hours a month! NEVER! Agree to teach 5/6 40-50 minute classes a day, five days a week. Salary? Whatever you agree to is fine. Afterall, it's you who needs the money! But, no less than 2.1 for 5/6 classes a day. Another thing? WHY would anyone with experience agree to accept the same pay as a teacher with no experience! I am lost! I see teachers fresh off the plane with zero teaching experience being paid 2.1 and along comes a teacher with 10 years experience teaching ESL and agrees to 2.1! Fools! But then again, no one forces you to sign a contract. My point is, hokwon owners agree to keep the salaries low and until teachers learn to play the game, salaries won't improve. Also don't accept shared housing. Most people want to live alone.
When we have these "teachers" coming to korea who agree to 8 or 9 50 minute classes a day for 1.9, shared housing, because they can't do better back home, then it screws it up for ALL! I have had more Canadian teachers tell me that they don't care how many classes or about sharing an apartment or about the low salary because they can't do better in Canada! I am NOT flaming Canadians but I have not heard that from other nationalities. We all need to band together and make it better for all!

[rick]

Don't take it. Trust me, you do not want to teach more than six classes per day (for that salary), it's exhausting. My school also calculates classes based on 50 minutes and I'm still kicking myself for accepting the contract. I didn't do my research properly. Demand that you only teach six classes per day or ask for a salary increase. If they are willing to give you 2.2 or 2.3 for seven classes, then it might be worth it if you have the stamina.

[regme]

I've been in Korea twice and always 120 X 40 min classes = 80 hours every four weeks of course. You should get 2.2 million for 80 hours.

[hellofaniceguy]

Don't teach by the hours! NEVER! Only agree to teach by the number of classes. If a school has a class that is 20 minutes, that's a class. You still have to spend time preparing for that 20 minute class. I know of some teachers who teach 12 20 minute classes a day and teach 4/5 50 minutes classes the same day for the same school! 12 20 minute classes equals 3 one hour classes. You still have to prepare for them. Some these teachers are preparing for 12 classes plus the 4/5 50 minute classes! Good deal!? Hell no! Not for 2.1! Only agree to teach 5/6 50 minute classes a day at hokwans. If that! Salary? Whatever you think is fair. But no
less than 2.0!

[poet13]

On M-W-F I hvae 4 X 50 minutes, 7 X 30 minutes. On T-T i hvae 4 X 50 minutes, 8 X 30 minutes. It works out to about 128 ...or so hours a month.
In my previous incarnation, I worked (US gov contractor to US army -i am a canadian with a green card) 60 to 90 hours a week. My longest week was more than 110 hours. (It was a beast) I worked wherever and in whatever conditions i was told. In some places, I got a handi-wipe bath twice a week. I have in the space of a week, gotten frostbite and a sunburn (different climates-not skiiers sunburn). Yes, i was paid well, more than 100k, but now i get to see my family, and they always know i am coming home.

Quit 'yer whinin'. Youve got a great situation here in korea. You work less than most people in the entire world, you make more than most people in the entire world, for the most part, when you wake up tomorrow, you know your job, and hence money, is there for you....unlike many many millions of people in the world.

[The Bobster]

This has gotta be some kind of record ... bumping a thread just shy of three years after the last post on it. Whoa.



Amazing, really.

[Son Deureo!]

[jacl]

Actually, it's big rip off. This is a 1.6 million/month contract with 20 hrs of OT/month at the average rate of 20,000 Won/hr.

NOT GOOD! This should pay 2.4 million/month at least.

7 teaching hours/day is a lot. 2 million is chicken feed for that.

[Kimchieluver]

I did it for 2.2 mil .. I still felt ripped off. I only had five minute breaks. I toughed it out and finished the contract. I am the only waygooken to finish a contract at that hogkwan. On the plus side, I slept better at night.

[cruisemonkey]

[Kimchieluver]

I had no idea this thread was almost three years old. Oh well, it was a good read.

[itsme]

to the OP.

I see what you are saying. You receive a contract telling you that you will teach 30 hours per week X 4 weeks = 120 hours per month. In the same contract you probably are told that you will be at the school from 9 AM until 7 PM. That's 50 hours per week X 4 weeks = 200 hours per month!!!. So you ask them.... Am I working for 120 hours per month or 200 hours per month???? That's a BIG difference right???

Who wants to sit around the TA office waiting for their next class to start 80 extra hours a month?? Read that again.... 80 HOURS of waiting around. Sure there is prep time and lunch time and all the rest. Now don't get me wrong-- I believe that a teacher SHOULD do the best job that he or she can do; however, they should also be able to make a decision based on specific knowledge of what the job will be like.

[poet13]

[size=18]3 years..... LOL....at myself![/size]

.....but still i think my point is valid because whether threes years ago or tuesday, many people feel put out that they have to work in these awful conditions. I have spoken to more than one foreigner here who voiced those sentiments, outraged that their school has asked them to work 35 hours a week, and not 30 per hour. They were getting paid the OT. 'nuff said.