Korean Job Discussion Forums

Flash Ipanema · Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Location: Seoul

I've read that a lot of people on here greatly prefer public schools or universities over hagwons. My question is what is the liklihood of getting a job at a public school if I don't have teaching experience? Plus, would it even be a good idea to start out teaching 40 students and be expected to create my own lesson plans? A hagwon sounds better to me for a first time job so I can learn the ropes, but I like the sound of public schools typically being more reliable.

BTW, I'm coming from a job where I work all weekend, never have a fully set schedule, and am used to coming in early and working late as necessary, so I can handle almost any schedule in the beginning while I "pay my dues."

Wrench · Joined: 07 Apr 2005

First of all your chances are good. I know a lot of 1st years that teach in public. Now you will not have to create lesson plans since the curriculum is already established. The teachers guides I was provided were really good.

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

In many public schools you will have to create your lesson plans from scratch and with little or even no guidance whatsoever. But every school is different, and experiences vary. Jobs are easy to come by, however.

bosintang · Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:35 am Post subject:

Others will disagree, but here's my opinion.

If I had a teaching credential or previous teaching experience, I'd say go for the public school. I bet a lot of teachers who are in the public school system with neither really do not know what they're doing.

And not knowing what you're doing is not so bad as long as you can fake it. But at least in a good hagwon you might have an opportunity to get constructive feedback. That's not so likely in a public school, and a rowdy class of 40 kids from all walks of life is a lot more difficult to handle than a class of 8 or 9 kids from middle-class backgrounds.

And it's not just about the job you have to think about. You also have to think of your social life and how each will fit you. Personally, the best social life I had in Korea came from my first kiddie hagwon where I worked with other foreign teachers. In fact, most of my friends in Korea, are still from that job 3 years later, even though all of us had moved on to other jobs.

EDIT And you should also have to stop and think about why it's a bad idea to start three paragraphs in a row with 'And'. Sigh...

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

see my rant on the matter.

Atassi · Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Location: 평택

mediano tzu · Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Location: The 'rea

To add to the OP's questions:

Which type of school is more demanding, and which forces longer hours?

Which will provide better housing, typically?

Any chance of getting into either around January, with the new semester starting in March?

Hamburglar · Joined: 23 Jun 2006

rvintage · Joined: 05 Jul 2005

Three years of teaching at hagwons and I've never stayed at school for 8 hours a day!! At public school you have to stay at the school even when your not teaching classes, am I right? Not in a hagwon, or none that I've worked in. Leave if you don't have class, go home, eat dinner, whatever. And unless you work a kindy job, you don't go in until 2pm or so, so you have most of the day to do whatever or sleep late.

Lesson planning depends on what school you work for. But even if you have to do a lot of planning, it becomes super easy as you get the hang of it. You definitely don't get out of having class, like it public school. And vacation is better.

And in my three years I've never worked a Saturday either. I know people who do and have, but they hate themselves for it. It's the money that drives people to do crazy stuff like that. Privates will earn you extra money without having to go to your school 6 days a week, if you want or need extra money.

There are good things/bad things about every job. Personally I would not want to stay at work for 8 hours a day(even if I wasn't teaching the whole time), or take a pay cut to work at the university level(no matter how few classes I taught). So you gotta keep in mind what you really want.

Good Luck!

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

Go public.

Thumbnail Postermonkey · Joined: 24 Jul 2006

Well, yes...go public....but, if you should be stuck in a public school where very few of the Korean teachers speak English, and seem to not completely understand why you can't speak Korean fluently, you may be in for a long year....provided they offer you a 12 month contract. My school offered a 10 month contract, and it's fat enough, but still.....it seems to me the cult of personality reigns everywhere in Korea, and not just in the hog-yer-wons.....lately, I seem to be missing the hagwon....and that 's crazy shite, but it's true.....

Thumbnail Postermonkey · Joined: 24 Jul 2006

I seem to be in one of those schools where the exception is the rule....anyway, as always, look carefully before you leap.

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

laogaiguk,

I'm curious where crapville is? LOL Yeah there are many people on this board who regularly slam Incheon. It's not as bad as they make it out to be. Some of it depends on the area your in. Like I said, my guess is that these people are partiers that would rather be clubbing in Hongdae or Itaewon.

That's cool that your teachers care enough to take the time to explain things. In both of our cases we are really lucky.

My advice to anyone on any job is ask lots of questions. If you have a bad feeling about something, then don't take it. There are plenty of other jobs out there.