Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Victoria1947]

Hi Out There,

I came to Korea at the beginning of April, so my contract runs until then. Most schools start up on March 1 (I teach at a public high school). I'm planning on staying in Korea, but not at my school.

My observation is this: If I stay, I'll get my bonus and the flight back. BUT, doesn't it make more sense for the school and I to have the understanding that a new teacher will start here on March 1 and I will be going to my new job on March 1.

If this is true, does it seem possible to you that I bring this up with the principal and ask if I can leave at the end of February and not be penalized by not getting my bonus and flight? (Talk about a run-on sentence!).

If I bring this up, it could go two ways:

1. They say OK and we are all happy
2. They say "no" and tell me that in view of the fact that I don't want to stay till April, there's no reason to pay me to hang around the office for the month of February. i.e........"honey, you can leave at the end of Winter camp". No bonus pay, no flight home.

That's one part of my question.

The other is this: If I did stay at my school until the beginning of April, what are my chances of getting into a good public school. I love everything about my school and job except the kids. I know that sounds crazy, but I teach in a sub-standard high school. Many of my students are functionally illiterate in Korean! They come from poor farming families and see no reason to learn English. I guess if I was in their shoes, I wouldn't see the point to it either. Consequently, my teaching efforts pretty much go through the window. They only way I keep them in good behavior is to play lots of vacabulary games and give lots of candy prizes.

With all this in mind, I would like to find a job teaching elementary or middle school. And I would love to find all that I have at my school now plus students who want to learn. .......not the brightest or best...(I hear that they and their parents can be a royal pain).......just average kids who are trying their best.

Would appreciate any feedback.

[ttompatz]

[thegadfly]

I think your question has been clearly answered already by ttompatz, but your comment about your students compelled me to chime in....

I have worked with all kinds of students, both in the US and in Korea. I have had the unmotivated, low-academic-level students, and the supposedly-best-of-the-best AP/Honors kids, in both countries...if your problem with your school is the kids, I would suggest that teaching isn't for you. Kids are kids everywhere -- the one thing that IS the same about every place I have worked is that students behave in a similarly predictable way. Honors kids are as lazy as the inner-city gang kids I taught in Houston...a big part of my job was finding out how to motivate them, and although the particulars of motivation differ with time and place, the fact remains that you WILL find yourself with a room full of kids that don't really care about what you are teaching...no matter where you go...and your job is to make them care, somehow....

I don't see how changing schools will fix your problem, if the students themselves are the only problem...because, after all, at the change of the school year, you won't have the same students any more....

[Homer]

Tom covered it very well as usual.

Read what he posted carefuly as it pretty much spells it out for you.

[Ekuboko]

I think you might be able to find a public school contract starting in April or May - I've seen ads on Work n'Play for Gyeonggi schools starting then.

[skconqueror]

[OiGirl]

[babtangee]

[poet13]

I understood that if you didn't collect your separation after the first year, the following year was pro-rated, but if you did collect it, then the following year you would only receive it if you worked the whole year again. Not sure, just remembering something from last year, but somewone can clarify, I'm sure.

Also, as far as getting a job is concerned. If you're willing to take a shot at EPIK (there's ups and downs about it, just read some threads), they hire well after the school year has started. They need to fill their quotas. I did orientation this october with a half a dozen others.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

The fact that the school year starts 1 March probably makes little difference re: the waygook. You're just a white person adding a bit to the school's image and a break for the KTs once or twice a week with each class. Stick it out and get a job mid-way in the Srping after you've had a nice holiday. There won't be as many jobs but there will be some.

[spliff]