Korean Job Discussion Forums

[roybetis1]

Don't know about China, but the junior high kids in Korea are MUCH better behaved than the kids I taught in Tokyo (but in Korea I teach in a really small town).
In Japan you can't even send the disruptive kids out of the room, and they know it. Elementary schools in Korea and Japan are about the same however.

Personally, I'll teach kids over adults anytime. I spent six months teaching Honda and Mitsubishi engineers. By the end of class it was like Micheal ironside in Starship Troopers-"They sucked his brain!"

[philipjames]

I adore my students. I complain about Korea a lot (and there's a great deal to complain about) but my students are wonderful. Elementary school students can be a joy to teach. I love them. I don't know how anyone cannot enjoy teaching children. Sure, there's the occasional brat, but most of them are great. Maybe I just have great kids.

The rest of Korea I'm not so thrilled with. (I can't believe that these adorable kids will eventually turn into horking adoshies and gum-snapping ajumas!)

[laogaiguk]

[captain kirk]

I usually like kids and teaching them in hagwons. But the last contract the manager took it for granted. What I mean is the kids were wonderful and could do no wrong in the manager's opinion. And the manager knew the foreign teachers liked kids as much (they are wonderful, kids, kind of an immense relief from the subtle facades, battles, duplicity, contradictions, you name it encountered as time goes by (wear and tear)).

So it became an assumed thing, a given, and it became, more and more, all about the kids. And, with that, all about the parents. And, behind this, all about the money. This manager made it so that the foreign and Korean teachers were at the whims of the fickle winds of the love of kids and their mothers.

Kids are all right, in fact are wonderful to be with because they emmanate energy like little batteries charging the room and you're in there with it. Even if you're expending energy you're getting a ton from the reserve flying around. This sounds esoteric but whatever. Call them 'funny' instead. Or open-hearted, lively, interesting, highly alive. All true.

But when the kids, adept as they are, are pandered to and told (by management that puts the interests of kids and their mothers well, light years, ahead of the interests of their teachers) in so many ways they are paramount it was time I headed for the hills, where I don't pay tax every day paying homage to the (become) spoilt little rotters. The assumed love of kids at that hagwon was a flag we were designed, by cunning, to rally around putting our personal power (dignity) out of mind. Drudge and 'busy work' surrounded like flies, all assigned for 'the love of kids'.

So I temporarily don't like kids. At least the monsters that hagwon created. When the management changed (half way thru the contract) the kids changed. The managment tried to change the teachers into subordinates, minions but I managed to wrangle my way out relatively unscathed except for a potential complex, when I recall the ratty overlords. May they feast on rank scraps and forever slurp fetid bilge water 'til they reach their unholy destination ($).

[Snowkr]

Love kids.
Don't love teaching them here or anywhere else. This is the 8th year I've done it. What's the korean phrase for "burned out"? 56 days to go and counting...

I do think working with kids here is easier than working with them in the states, language barrier and strange discipline set aside...

OP, be aware... working with adults, while rewawarding, comes with completely different frutrations... maybe less exhausting though.

Many will tell you to avoid recruiters. Mine is excellent however and I highly recommend them. They can put you in touch with a good employer with a program for adults. Check them out at footprintsrecruiting.com.
PM if you'd like any details.

[Snowkr]

oops.. frustrations.

[philipjames]

Captain Kirk, excellent post. I know exactly what you're talking about. Did the hogwan thing, with every petty complaint by parents pandered to. Elementary schools are different. No pandering. No rediculous parental complaints brought to the foreign teacher on a daily basis. Minus the parents, and the profit motif, teaching children here is wonderful. Try for an elementary school job. It's all the good things about teaching at hogwans, minus the hogwans - and half the hours per week for better pay.

Cheers

[cj1976]

Some good replies there. I've started to waver a little (mainly because of financial reasons) and I now think I should try elementary schools. Hagwons can kiss my grits...
However, it does seem that teaching adults is certainly less lucrative and a whole lot more demanding (in terms of what the students expect from the teacher). I've noticed that Kindy schools pay more with less hours. Why is this?

[Lizara]

I love my kindergartners, but I've found since the new ones started in February that the five and six year old classes require about twice as much energy as the new seven year old classes, the new seven year old classes require about twice as much energy as the classes who have been there for a year already, and those classes require about twice as much energy as my elementary school classes. I've really enjoyed teaching kindergarten this year but I doubt I'll be coming back for a second round.

[Snowkr]

Lizara, I can totally relate.
The same thing happened to me in March. I thought I was tired before... now I long for those good old days!

[zinc]