Korean Job Discussion Forums

[CdnTeacher]

Has anyone heard of this place? Any comments would be much appreciated.

[Lost Seoul]

Here are some posts about the POLY hagwons:

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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=130071
Certified teachers?
Posted By: hahaha
Date: Saturday, 15 June 2002, at 8:46 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Poly? (Cracker)

The head office couldn't care less when they opened last December for the first time. They just wanted bodies like everybody else. Didn't matter where they came from, what their credentials were or even whether they were legal or not. I know, I was their first hire.


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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=131352
Re: Poly?
Posted By: Ilsan Teacher
Date: Saturday, 22 June 2002, at 9:38 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Poly? (Cracker)

I was at a bar frequented by Waygooks in Ilsan area, and talked to some of the Poly teachers working here.

It seems like its a big mess over there. Evidently they got a guy there with a teaching degree and teaching experience who doesn't know what a preposition or a verb is.

As scary as it is, they are looking to hire anyone who allegedly has a teaching degree, sight unseen. They have three schools in Ilsan area alone and are as disorganized as anything, with the higher ups trying to keep everything as a secret away from the teachers.

On a positive note, I hear that the money is pretty good.


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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=131409
Re: Certified teachers?
Posted By: Alibaba and the Forty
Date: Saturday, 22 June 2002, at 9:15 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Certified teachers? (would never guess)

Poly definitely is one of the best schools to work for in Korea - if you enjoy teaching up to 12 classes a day.
One would need more energy than an electronics store salesperson to work there.


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http://209.204.62.79/korea/index.cgi?read=122897
Re: poly returnee contract
Posted By: the real deal
Date: Monday, 6 May 2002, at 7:43 p.m.

In Response To: Re: poly returnee (Crackers)

This is the contract that they sent me its a little confusing and I wasn't too impressed with the hours.
However they did offer 2.7 mil won

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http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=136
princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 3
Location: USA
Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2003 5:19 pm Post subject: STAY AWAY FROM POLY GANGNAM
Hello everyone!!! Stay away from this school if you like bugs in your apartment and the managemnet is always in your face about things from day one. They tell you your apartment is nice,new and clean,when in fact it is bug infested and actually quite old and ugly. There are no furnishings whatsover. They lie to get you over here. There was no hot water for two weeks in some teachers places. Management just laughed and told people to take cold showers. Nothing in your aprtment EVER gets fixed when you tell them something needs to be repaired. They just make all kiinds of promises they cannot and will not keep. You are expected to prepare for classes an extra 10-15 hours aweek. They say this is paid time in the office but it is not. Beware of this place!!!

[NickRandom]

If you follow the thread by Princess mentioned above, you'll find that 3 teachers who actually work for POLY completely discredited her claims.

[Lost Seoul]

Nick here are those posts too, thanks I did not see them. I have added them to my files along with princesses comments and I will leave it to everyones own opinion on who is telling the truth about POLY. Here are the posts I missed out.

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http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=136
polyschooljoann

Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 1

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2003 6:34 am Post subject: Don't believe the fantasy created by princess.

princess,

Who are you and why have you attacked our school? I know you are not speaking from personal experience because POLY Kangnam is a new branch school - we have been here for less than a year. Furthermore, every teacher who has ever worked here, with one exception who is a personal friend of mine, is still here. I wonder from where you are getting your accusations and why are you bothering?

For anyone who cares, the truth of the matter is this:
1. appartments - Every teacher at this school is the first person to ever have lived in their appartments. There are 10 of us here, 9 with POLY supplied appartments and they are all brand new. We were furnished with western-style beds, TVs, VCRs, wardrobes, and kitchen supplies. As for broken things, none of us have had anything break, so we didn't need anything fixed.
2. work - Yes, we work hard and have 10 hours each week of prep time. The prep time is in our contracts and we are PAID for it. Management is involved in our work, of course, just as in any business. And since we are a new school, they care about how things are done so they can keep their business going. Is this not fairly normal?

I think I have covered most of the inaccuracies of the princess post. If there are any other questions about POLY, feel free to contact me directly.

Now before I get slagged off for creating my own fantasy, don't get me wrong. I am not under any delusions that I work in Heaven, Valhalla, Nirvana, or the like. We have issues and concerns, just like you would in any job, anywhere in the world. My problem is that princess obviously has no idea what issues we do have here and for some reason is just making up something to make POLY look bad. I wonder why.

Care to come clean, princess?


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http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=136
Greg

Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 1

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2003 9:11 am Post subject: from a POLY Kangnam teacher


I am also disappointed by the post made by princess. I have been working at POLY Kangnam for almost a year now and have worked at another POLY for two. The conditions described by princess are completely inaccurate. It’s interesting that all of the problems mentioned focus around common complaints frequently mentioned on this board or discussed among teachers out and about. However, nothing was mentioned about the important issues like curriculum, students, facilities, and work environment. Coincidence? Or is this another post from a person trying to prevent POLY from being successful?

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http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=136
tomthecat


Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 1

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2003 12:06 pm Post subject: Don't believe Ms. Princess!


What you may have read about Gangnam Poly was completely fabricated by someone who is obviously not a teacher there or has ever been one.
We just opened last year, and have had the same staff since the beginning. We were all offered brand new apartments -- probably much nicer than most other schools offer, furnished with everything needed. And sure, we may work longer hours, but we are paid accordingly and are fed lunch and dinner every day (our ajuma is a great chef!). The staff is great, the school is great, and most importantly, the kids are great. In the future, don't believe everything you read!

[OiGirl]

Anything recent? While it sounds like a great concept, I get the impression you are worked really hard there.

[Octavius Hite]

I had a friend who loved the school and got great pay but worked his ass off everyday. These are not easy dollars. If you want easy money this is not the school for you.

[mack the knife]

[Octavius Hite]

Easy money is public high school. Because of the exams you are considered unimportant so they cancel classes all the time and just basically ignore you. I am scheduled to teach four classes a day and most of the time one or more of those classes is cancelled for something "more important". All this freetime allows me to do productive things like watch old TV shows at school or argue on Dave's.

[Howard Roark]

I was meant to work at POLY in Gwangmyeong 2 years ago. The manager, Grace, and the owner, Charles picked me up from the airport. They brought me to my completely empty apartment and left me there.

When I asked where my furniture was, they said: "like what?"

I asked several times for someone to take me to emart or someplace to buy things I needed, everyone said they were busy. Finally, the secretary said she would "drop me off" at emart. That's when I quit, right then and there, after only 2 days. I hadn't even taught a class.

I also "observed" at a POLY in Mokdong. I told the manager there about my apartment and other problems. She acted sympathetic and said she understood because she grew up in the states. Then when my manager showed up, she sided with her. They said I was a complainer, not a team player, etc etc..

And then they wouldn't give me back my degree until I paid them the plane ticket money back...which I did.

But probably the worst part of all was the very first conversation in the car coming from the airport:

Grace: So do you have boyfriend?
Me: Ah, well actually, I did, but he was killed in an accident a few months ago.
Grace: Oh really? Were you together at the time?
Me: Actually, we had just decided to spend some time apart because we had some problems.
Grace: Oh, well in that case you probably weren't gonna see him again anyway. Right?

Say what you like. Maybe it's not a bad school in general, maybe I was just unlkucky with the people I met there. But anyways, that was my experience with POLY. My body cringes to this day when I see or hear that name.

[Roch]

[Peter Jackson]

I've never heard any good comments (first hand) about the Poly franchise. The money is reasonably good but the hours are long. They are one of those hagwons that pretend to be a "real" school. Their returnee program is only part of their program and any student who studied for at least a year in an English speaking country is eligible to attend. The books they use are geared toward native speakers who have been rasied in an English speaking environment. They aren't really suited for the average Korean child who spent a short time overseas and might have lived only in Korean town, and struggled through ESL classes.

They SAY they only want certified teachers but I can't see why any certified teacher worth his/her salt would ever work there.

Yet there may be some good branches; I've just never heard of them.

[KorJen]

I agree with the above poster...

I worked there, and it was hell...

Click on my name and you'll see the thread!

[ScottyG]

the curricula is hardcore, and many of the kids, if not most, can't handle it well. but the parents of course love it. i have never worked there, but i tutored a little girl who was attending and had to help her with comprehension. she went to the one in mokdong, and sometimes i would let her rant about how she hated all the homework etc. Her english was so inspired at these times.

i've looked at the hours vs. the pay, and i don't think it is worth the headache.