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Hogwons = racist, ageist and sexist
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Oreovictim
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
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 Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2015 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| wooden nickels wrote: |
To play the Devil's Advocate; many foreign teachers aren't as special as they think they are. [ . . . ] People seem to regard themselves as uniquely important to the business.
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I was once at a hakwon with a fresh-out-of-college princess, easily the b!tchiest expat I've ever had to work with.
She called in sick so she could go on a shopping spree in Hong Kong. She complained to the big boss about wanting to finish her contract a few days early so she could hit Thailand. She talked about a soju party near some parents during an open house. After work she even referred to a flirty seven-year-old student as a *beep*. And she always complained about having to teach the kids how to write.
The kicker? A couple of months before Ms. Valley Girl's contract ended, she said, "I'll stay another year, but they have to give me 300,000 more a month!" |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2015 8:03 am Post subject: |
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| Chaparrastique wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
From my perspective, it seems like there's an awful lot of nickle and diming that goes on with foreign teachers, and sometimes to the point that it doesn't really seem economical. The hagwon I worked at refused to offer more than 100,000/month as a raise, regardless of tenure and performance. Isn't this uneconomical when you factor in the costs (and risks) of hiring a new teacher? |
Its not even the money: its the typical total lack of compromise "my way or the highway" approach from management . Not sure if they get this from the army, but their absolute stubbornness on the smallest of issues costs them a lot of money- they consistently shoot themselves in the foot. For example one (excellent) teacher wanted to stay if she was allowed to take a week off of her choosing in her third year. They said no, she left, so they had to fly in someone entirely new- who then did a runner. |
This is a good point, and it's not as if this is limited to hagwons. Korean business culture holds that the employer is always right, and they're often willing to sacrifice won, talent, and time to prove that point.
To compare standard business practices in the States versus Korea: maybe once a quarter I would have really liked to have been able to leave at 4:30 or so, when my classes finished, versus 6:30 when the school officially closed, as this would have allowed me to get over to Incheon and hop a flight to Jeju or outside of the country. This would really be a non-issue in most American workplaces, assuming you had your work done and had no classes to teach. At most hagwons you'd be looked at cross-eyed and perhaps forever tarnished just for asking. |
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Ralph Winfield
Joined: 23 Apr 2013
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 1:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Oreovictim wrote: |
| wooden nickels wrote: |
To play the Devil's Advocate; many foreign teachers aren't as special as they think they are. [ . . . ] People seem to regard themselves as uniquely important to the business.
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I was once at a hakwon with a fresh-out-of-college princess, easily the b!tchiest expat I've ever had to work with.
She called in sick so she could go on a shopping spree in Hong Kong. She complained to the big boss about wanting to finish her contract a few days early so she could hit Thailand. She talked about a soju party near some parents during an open house. After work she even referred to a flirty seven-year-old student as a *beep*. And she always complained about having to teach the kids how to write.
The kicker? A couple of months before Ms. Valley Girl's contract ended, she said, "I'll stay another year, but they have to give me 300,000 more a month!" |
A Canadian male who's been a disk jockey at EBS FM Radio for many years did the same stuff she did - and more! He sold hashish to older students, came to work stoned on E or cannabis, worked illegally in Hongdae where he talked about paying off Korean mobsters, talked loudly in the staffroom about wanting a blow job from a 13 year old gal he had as a student, and consorted with Korean-American gang bangers who did time in New york jails. This Canuck is seen blowing around Seoul and Ilsan in his Beemer. See him at his You Tube channel. |
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earthquakez
Joined: 10 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| Ralph Winfield wrote: |
| Oreovictim wrote: |
| wooden nickels wrote: |
To play the Devil's Advocate; many foreign teachers aren't as special as they think they are. [ . . . ] People seem to regard themselves as uniquely important to the business.
|
I was once at a hakwon with a fresh-out-of-college princess, easily the b!tchiest expat I've ever had to work with.
She called in sick so she could go on a shopping spree in Hong Kong. She complained to the big boss about wanting to finish her contract a few days early so she could hit Thailand. She talked about a soju party near some parents during an open house. After work she even referred to a flirty seven-year-old student as a *beep*. And she always complained about having to teach the kids how to write.
The kicker? A couple of months before Ms. Valley Girl's contract ended, she said, "I'll stay another year, but they have to give me 300,000 more a month!" |
A Canadian male who's been a disk jockey at EBS FM Radio for many years did the same stuff she did - and more! He sold hashish to older students, came to work stoned on E or cannabis, worked illegally in Hongdae where he talked about paying off Korean mobsters, talked loudly in the staffroom about wanting a blow job from a 13 year old gal he had as a student, and consorted with Korean-American gang bangers who did time in New york jails. This Canuck is seen blowing around Seoul and Ilsan in his Beemer. See him at his You Tube channel. |
Yeah, yeah - when did this supposedly take place? I don't doubt there was some real riff-raff washing up in Korea in the 90s and early 200s but I seriously wonder about the truth of such 'teachers' openly taking, being under the influence of and selling drugs.
Korea was even more harsh about illegal drugs back then. I also wonder about the hagwon's owner. If anybody hires such staff anywhere in the world and keeps them on if they behave like that, then it's fair to say they deserve everything they get.
Even in the plentiful supply of waygug teacher days, no hagwon owner had to put up with such staff especially as Koreans were far less used to foreigners than they have been for at least 9 years or so. Let me guess - the bloke was of Korean ethnicity or had the golden ticket of a spousal visa. |
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Ralph Winfield
Joined: 23 Apr 2013
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 9:56 am Post subject: |
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| earthquakez wrote: |
| Ralph Winfield wrote: |
| Oreovictim wrote: |
| wooden nickels wrote: |
To play the Devil's Advocate; many foreign teachers aren't as special as they think they are. [ . . . ] People seem to regard themselves as uniquely important to the business.
|
I was once at a hakwon with a fresh-out-of-college princess, easily the b!tchiest expat I've ever had to work with.
She called in sick so she could go on a shopping spree in Hong Kong. She complained to the big boss about wanting to finish her contract a few days early so she could hit Thailand. She talked about a soju party near some parents during an open house. After work she even referred to a flirty seven-year-old student as a *beep*. And she always complained about having to teach the kids how to write.
The kicker? A couple of months before Ms. Valley Girl's contract ended, she said, "I'll stay another year, but they have to give me 300,000 more a month!" |
A Canadian male who's been a disk jockey at EBS FM Radio for many years did the same stuff she did - and more! He sold hashish to older students, came to work stoned on E or cannabis, worked illegally in Hongdae where he talked about paying off Korean mobsters, talked loudly in the staffroom about wanting a blow job from a 13 year old gal he had as a student, and consorted with Korean-American gang bangers who did time in New york jails. This Canuck is seen blowing around Seoul and Ilsan in his Beemer. See him at his You Tube channel. |
Yeah, yeah - when did this supposedly take place? I don't doubt there was some real riff-raff washing up in Korea in the 90s and early 200s but I seriously wonder about the truth of such 'teachers' openly taking, being under the influence of and selling drugs.
Korea was even more harsh about illegal drugs back then. I also wonder about the hagwon's owner. If anybody hires such staff anywhere in the world and keeps them on if they behave like that, then it's fair to say they deserve everything they get.
Even in the plentiful supply of waygug teacher days, no hagwon owner had to put up with such staff especially as Koreans were far less used to foreigners than they have been for at least 9 years or so. Let me guess - the bloke was of Korean ethnicity or had the golden ticket of a spousal visa. |
The bloke's a Caucasian Canadian and he's been on ebs FM for years. Everybody in Ilsan knows him. He's supposed to be really cocky and a major butt licker. |
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Coltronator
Joined: 04 Dec 2013
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Ralph Winfield wrote: |
| The bloke's a Caucasian Canadian and he's been on ebs FM for years. Everybody in Ilsan knows him. He's supposed to be really cocky and a major butt licker. |
Is he any relation to your hot girlfriend from Canada that you only get to see during the Summer? |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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| earthquakez wrote: |
Yeah, yeah - when did this supposedly take place? I don't doubt there was some real riff-raff washing up in Korea in the 90s and early 200s...
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Riff Raff you say...
Curious if he looks something like this. (Courtesy of ThingsComeAround)
http://maroonweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cover.jpg |
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tanklor1
Joined: 13 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Coltronator wrote: |
| Edward has a good point. Look at the most successful Hagwon in korea. For all its myriad of faults, Chungdahm is actually a beacon of hope when it comes to its hiring practices. Favouring experience over age, not caring about skin colour, putting ability to teach above all else. |
I actually agree with this. I hated the micro-managing when I was at Chungdahm, but they pretty much hire on skill first, everything else second and I do respect that. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| tanklor1 wrote: |
| Coltronator wrote: |
| Edward has a good point. Look at the most successful Hagwon in korea. For all its myriad of faults, Chungdahm is actually a beacon of hope when it comes to its hiring practices. Favouring experience over age, not caring about skin colour, putting ability to teach above all else. |
I actually agree with this. I hated the micro-managing when I was at Chungdahm, but they pretty much hire on skill first, everything else second and I do respect that. |
And they're actually willing to pay you more if they think you've got skills. |
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Chaparrastique
Joined: 01 Jan 2014
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| Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:17 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| tanklor1 wrote: |
| Coltronator wrote: |
| Edward has a good point. Look at the most successful Hagwon in korea. For all its myriad of faults, Chungdahm is actually a beacon of hope when it comes to its hiring practices. Favouring experience over age, not caring about skin colour, putting ability to teach above all else. |
I actually agree with this. I hated the micro-managing when I was at Chungdahm, but they pretty much hire on skill first, everything else second and I do respect that. |
And they're actually willing to pay you more if they think you've got skills. |
Do they have several channels of communication that an employee can refer to?
Because there's nothing worse than a school run by one person. You have no recourse or alternative means of complaint when they start getting abusive. |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| Oreovictim wrote: |
I was once at a hakwon with a fresh-out-of-college princess, easily the b!tchiest expat I've ever had to work with.
She called in sick so she could go on a shopping spree in Hong Kong. She complained to the big boss about wanting to finish her contract a few days early so she could hit Thailand. She talked about a soju party near some parents during an open house. After work she even referred to a flirty seven-year-old student as a *beep*. And she always complained about having to teach the kids how to write.
The kicker? A couple of months before Ms. Valley Girl's contract ended, she said, "I'll stay another year, but they have to give me 300,000 more a month!" |
Well, did they give it to her? |
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Oreovictim
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 6:30 am Post subject: |
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| Sector7G wrote: |
| Oreovictim wrote: |
I was once at a hakwon with a fresh-out-of-college princess, easily the b!tchiest expat I've ever had to work with.
She called in sick so she could go on a shopping spree in Hong Kong. She complained to the big boss about wanting to finish her contract a few days early so she could hit Thailand. She talked about a soju party near some parents during an open house. After work she even referred to a flirty seven-year-old student as a *beep*. And she always complained about having to teach the kids how to write.
The kicker? A couple of months before Ms. Valley Girl's contract ended, she said, "I'll stay another year, but they have to give me 300,000 more a month!" |
Well, did they give it to her? |
Thank Buddha they didn't.  |
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Ralph Winfield
Joined: 23 Apr 2013
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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| There is a D.J. from Truro, Nova Scotia who works at ebs FM and Steve-o is his name-o! |
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Seoulsistah
Joined: 09 Jun 2015
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 11:57 am Post subject: |
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I presume I am in for a rude awakening as I explore teaching English overseas.
It is particularly disheartening to read the E2 visa info for Korea....hmm, discouraging people age 55-60 from applying due to ageism and, I would guess, concern that people in that age group and older might drop dead in front of a classroom from some previously-undiagnosed malady?
Wow...very eye-opening to read these boards and that info on the visa.
I guess a stellar medical career doesn't count for bupkis, eh?
I'm stubborn, and will keep looking, even if it takes me to my other preferred countries of Italy and Spain. I speak better Spanish than Korean, anyway! |
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dhan89
Joined: 24 May 2012
Location: Los Angeles
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| Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 9:29 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Chaparrastique"]
| Coltronator wrote: |
Because at the moment Korean males (whose tiny minds are a feverish whirlpool of every imaginable prejudice) are treating education like some kind of beauty pageant. |
I feel like everything in Korea is a beauty pageant of sort. |
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