Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cazador83]

I've been at my school for about a month now, and I'm just curious about a few things. I teach from 9:30-2:30, but my contract has me at the school until 5pm. I'm supposed to do my lesson plans and stuff during that time, but right when the children leave, I'm supposed to clean our room with the other Korean teachers. Now, I have a very large classroom of about 30 three/four year olds. I share the class with 3 other Korean teachers, and 2 of them ride the bus with the kids after school is over, so that leaves 2 of us to clean the room. I don't mean just small cleaning either. I've been designated as the vacuum cleaner, so I start out vacumming the carpets, floors, etc. after stacking the chairs and moving the tables. Keep in mind we eat and draw and paint in this classroom, so this isn't the easiest job. Then I go on to mopping the floor after that. Then I have to unstack the chairs and re-arrange the tables and then wash the tables. By that time I'm just sitting in my room doing nothing, or pretending to do something.

Am I making too big a deal about this or is this abnormal? I didn't know I was the English teacher/janitor for my room.

[Col.Brandon]

I spent 4 years studying my arse of to get a degree. A little tidying or sweeping is OK, but there's no way I'd be putting up with what you're doing. A degree-qualified person doing undue 3D work is insulting and demeaning. You've gotta pick your battles in Korea, but I'd definitely be digging my toes in on this issue. The cheapskates can't get an adjuma in to clean the room? Sheesh. You have to decide if this issue is a deal-breaker for you. If it is then go into bat, but be prepared to walk away from the job. If you back down then you will lose more than just this argument.

This very issue was the last straw for me when I was working for a major franchise a couple of years ago. The miserable buggers nickle-and-dimed me right out the door.

[Hollywoodaction]

Are you getting paid for the time you spend cleaning?

[Hyeon Een]

Just after I finished studying M.A (Arts) I started working as a cleaner in a nightclub. I had to hoover, polish, sweep, clean up vomit, dispose of drugs and money found on the floor and so forth. It sounds like a horrible job, but I really actually enjoyed it. It was satisfying seeing the place go from disgusting.. to.. nice-as-long-as-you-don't-turn-the-lights-on. I found cleaning to be a therapeutic and kind of enjoyable job. As I'd CHOSEN to do the work I didn't find it unpleasant at all. The work gave me time to exercise my mind whilst performing some menial labour. The work I was doing required almost no thought, so the rest of my mind was free to think about whatever I wanted.


In fact if I could swap, say, half my hours teaching for cleaning I'd happily do it in an instant. I wouldn't like to do it fulltime you understand, but then I wouldn't really like to be a full-time teacher either (20 classes a week is what I do now, and it's the maximum I'm comfortable with.)

Anyway I think you should look at your cleaning time as a kind of meditation time. Focus your mind entirely on your cleaning tasks, and be thankful you don't have another 3 and a bit hours of delightfully-energetic-little-barstewards to spend time with for the rest of your contracted hours. As they say, a change is as good as a rest, and since you're supposed to be working anyway make the most of this cleaning opportunity to empty your mind and relax whilst doing a mindless task.

Breathe deeply. Relax.

EDIT addition:

Oh yeah, if you need more than the time required for [cleaning + left over free time before 5pm] to do your lesson plans, then tell them to ������ and get back to yer lesson plans. Don't do any unpaid overtime.

[jacl]

Tell them you're not cleaning anymore. That's just ridiculous. If anyone should be doing it, it should be your fucking boss. Tell him to do it.

It's a task to get anyone to clean my classroom at the hagwon. I believe the last time the desks where cleaned was maybe 2 weeks ago. But I just refuse to lift a finger to clean anything.

Desks should be cleaned everday. I don't bring this up to my boss because I don't want to step on anyone shoes that I work with.

Oh well. Guess I could say that dirty desks with germs make teacher sick. Then teacher can't come in.

Anyway, what you're doing makes me angry.

[Grotto]

Make a choice.

Either take a stand and tell them to hire a cleaner...that you are a teacher and will only teach English...not be a janitor as well.

OR

QYB and take it for the next 11 months

[jacl]

I can't believe you're mopping the floor. Ha!

Do you wash your bosses car, too? And teach his or her children for free?

C'mon! Get some balls and tell your boss, "I'm not cleaning anymore. That's not my job. I am an English teacher, not a janitor. I can't believe you think I should clean. I have lost respect for you and am beginning to lose respect for this country. I think you should clean the classroom from now on. Do you think you are superior to me? I am very angry and I don't think I should be teaching here anymore. You don't respect teachers."

Then give him or her your 30 days notice and get a letter of release and fart on your way out.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Two points:

1. Are the Korean teachers b*tching and moaning about having to clean? IOW, it's part of the job. If you really dislike cleaning, ask to swap jobs with one of the teachers who rides the bus. Maybe you'd prefer another hour of screaming kids.

2. Can you tell us all what you said to your mom right after you graduated with your hallowed degree? Was it something like: Mom, my bedroom is getting disgusting. Get your big butt in there and clean it up. And can you keep it a little quiet? I'm trying to snooze here.

[jinju]

Do you teach in the room? Do you contribute to it getting dirty? if yes, then help clean. You have a freaking BACHELORS, you are not a triple Ph.D. for chrissakes. Help clean a place you helped make dirty. Are you gonna sit on your ass while your co-workers pick up the slack?

[Rteacher]

I think it's pretty standard for EFL teachers to help out with cleaning classrooms in hogwans. In my experience, the regular daily routine involved wiping the desks/tables, putting chairs up, and sweeping. Vacuuming was only done occasionally, and mopping the floors with water was like once-a-week.

Next time, go for a public school job - students do practically all the janitor work...

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Out of curiosity are you male or female? I think it would be highly unusual for Koreans to ask a guy to do that.

If it's any consolation lots of other people in Korea have to do extra cleaning duties, too; several times a week two students come by to clean my desk and my students are usually very busy after my lessons cleaning off a blackboard covered from top to bottom in chalk.

[Grotto]

Dont listen to the nutjobs here!

Dont do it.

Tidy up your room, put chairs on desks, pick up any paper or major stuff(which your students should be doing before they leave...perhaps the last 5 minutes of the day)

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you be vacumming or mopping! You do have a degree, you earned it to avoid doing jobs like that! If some dumbass wants to clean and mop floors let them...dont do it yourself.

[Ya-ta Boy]

There are more snobs around here than I thought. Surprise: your sh*t smells too.

[jinju]

[Porter_Goss]

I somewhat agree with most other Posters, but I like cleaning my room.
My situation differs in that my classroom is my classroom and I take pride in having it clean and organized. My classroom is also much smaller than yours (the most students I have at one time is 8 ) and sounds a lot easier to tidy up.

Pick your battles. If it really bothers you say something.