Korean Job Discussion Forums

[two roads]

Would I be totally crazy to switch from a public school to a hagwon next year? I currently teach middle school students in the public school system.

This is what I don't like about my public school job:

1. The students have English four days a week, but I only have them once a week. I don't know how the class is progressing the rest of the time. I have a general idea from talking to the teachers, but I don't really know. I also don't have any input on what goes on in the class, because I'm just a guest, not the real teacher.

2. I only teach pronunciation. Sometimes they let me do a game or something, but mostly I just do pronunciation. Studying pronunciation for 45 minutes is boring. For them. For me. I understand that there are only two reasons they have imported native English teachers: 1. To improve the students pronunciation, and 2. To inspire the students in their English studies. Believe me, though, when all that the native teacher is doing is teaching them pronunciation, number 2 doesn't happen. I understand that teaching pronunciation is important, but when that is all that you do, it makes for a very unpleasant job. I want to teach other things, like grammar, and vocabulary, and reading and writing, and listening, and other aspects of speaking other than just pronunciation.

3. I hate having coteachers.

Last semester I taught an afterschool class, and I didn't have to deal with any of the above. It was by far my most enjoyable class. I imagine that it was similar to what a good hogwan job would be like. There is no way that I will renew my public school contract. I really like teaching, though. I'm seriously considering looking for a hogwan job. Am I being really stupid to consider that? Has anyone switched from a public school job to a hogwan job and is still glad that they did? Advice from anyone would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I can see exactly where you're coming from, but given the minefield that is hogwanism, I'd be very, very careful indeed.

What about a small high school? I work at one, and while I do have classes of up to 30 I can get to know the students much better and do extra work with the better ones. I plan my lessons entirely myself and do much more than just pronunciation (though that's still a very big focus). I teach my more advanced classes solo and use an assistant for my lower-level ones. I also do a lot of extra-curricular stuff. The job has its problems but all in all I'm very happy here. I teach 1/3 at our combined middle school, too (which I like, but not as much as high school), but were it possible to work only with my academic high school students it would be a dream job.

[ttompatz]

[Junior]

I miss the fun of the hagwon and the social life.

In hogwons, the coworkers all speak English- other foreigners and the Korean staff. That means you're much more clued in to whats going on around you, and you actually get to have a conversation occasionally.
You get a much closer relationship with your students..and with your coworkers.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[philipjames]

I teach at an elementary school and absolutely love it. The kids are great.
I personally would never teach middle school or high school because the attitude thing appears around adolescence. But I certainly wouldn't return to hogwan hell. If you live near a hogwan hang out with the foreign teachers there. But, as another poster warned, be very wary about returning to the hogwan scene with its countless negatives.

I strongly advise againt going back to hogwans. Twice the hours for one thing. Constant complaints by parents. Late pay. Profit before education. Eleventh month firings. Contract violations. etc etc etc.

I find it inconceivable that anyone would contemplate returning to a hogwan. The only benefit from such a move would be afternoon starts, allowing you to party throughout the week. But that's about it.

Good luck with your decision.

[Peter Jackson]

I would never go back to a hagwon after teaching in my current high school. There are just too many reasons to list. Here are a few:

1 I have a real classroom with individual computers for the students, big screen, great language lab software and complete autonomy.

2 I teach 16 classes a week. Compared to my hagwon days of 24-32, I'm in heaven. I was lucky to land a job with no office hours so when I'm not teaching, I'm not there.

3 Cancelled classes. I love teaching but having the reward of a cancelled class now and again is nice. In over two years of hagwon hell I can only remember one cancelled class. The parents requested it but wanted it rescheduled!

4 Vacations: Not as much as unis but I'm not complaining...

5 Respect. Maybe its because I am in a rural location but the students always hand me items with two hands, I always get the polite "yo" when they speak to me in Korean, they always bow even when we pass on the street.

So many more.

There are good hagwons. OP, if you choose this route, do lots of research.

Good luck

[Junior]

[dulouz]

I work at a hogwan after a high school. Its much better. I think this is a fluke, I think I found a bad high school or I was bad for a stretch or something but I'm quite content right now. I'd like some uni style time off but other than that.... I have very good autonomy and my bosses are beautiful mentally and physically. They are fine women.

Oh yes...
Student ratio -
public school - 495 students
hogwan - 75

Who gets more face time? Att he public school, each one of my students for one minute each class if they were lucky. They weren't lucky. One English teacher in a public school is BS. Its actually close to useless. Public schools can be better but 7 times better? No, hogwans provide a education in this area.