Korean Job Discussion Forums

[erasmus]

[Modernist]

[jrwhite82]

I've done a year in a small non-chain elementary/middle hagwon and a year in a PS. Here is my experience:

Hagwon plus - small classes, no paper work, limited lesson planning

Hagwon negative - Short vacation, summer/winter camp intensives, limited support (business is too much of a priority), more contact hours, can't be sick, owner is a snake sometimes

PS plus - long vacation, sick leave, less contact hours, easy camps, no pay problems, no benefit problems

PS negative - bureaucracy, large classes, more lesson planning, can't renew because of stupid Gyeonngi Provincial Council's decision

Some things fall into both positive and negative. Like co-teachers. Sometimes they are great to have, sometimes they drive you nuts. Deskwarming - it is great to just go to school and not have to teach but its also incredibly boring. Hagwons tend to have higher level students overall which can be great because you can talk to them more easily and do a lot more advanced activities with the small high level groups. But at the same time, it's also really rewarding to help low level students at the PS advance.

Also schedules. I prefer working in the morning/afternoon. Hagwons are all afternoon/night. (Unless you do Kindy but I hate kindy) But that's not for everyone.

If it wasn't for the renewal freeze (pending total annihilation ??) in GEPIK, PSs would win over all for me. With this renewal/hiring freeze it's a wash.

[sojusucks]

I've had both good and bad public schools, but I was always paid on time at public schools. I've had nothing but bad hagwon experiences and when a hogwan job goes bad it can go NUCLEAR.

Btw, the rumor mill is reporting that EPIK is close to the same shape as GEPIK but the EPIK leadership wants a QUIET meltdown.

[sojusucks]

There are many rumors about EPIK cutbacks but nothing official has been announced. Recently, a recruiter told me that only 50% of openings would be filled. This is very scary news for those hoping to stay around, but great news for those who want to leave.

[SpiritThatcannotbebroken]

Although hagwons have more benifits they also more than likely wont choose you if u are non-white. Everything has it benifits if you wanna do epik do epik just try to be as qualified as possible

[isitts]

[bbud656]

The crazy thing about EPIK is they blow so much money on pointless stuff. As we speak there is a new crop of EPIK teachers put up for 10 days in seoul doing god knows what. Does it really take 10 days of bonding and lecture and whatever to prepare for this job? They waste so much money on things they dont need and then wonder why they have budget problems.

[Squire]

[jvalmer]

[Jotun_Symph]

I agree with the above posters, it's WAY too early for anybody to tell you what the hiring situation will be for September 2012.

[shifter2009]

[OMGtrev]

[OHIO]

[OMGtrev]

You guys saying hagwons are better than public schools are either incredibly crazy or just lucky/unlucky.

I've worked at two hagwons. The first was a nightmare that I had to get out of after 3 months, the second turned into a nightmare at the end that I almost COULDN'T get out of (boss threatened to not release my visa or give me a letter of recommendation if I didn't stay because she forgot to find a replacement). The second time around, I had no benefits and was told when I was using my vacation. I had no sick days. I had my classes changed almost daily, plus surprise makeup classes with zero prep time during my break periods. I was told I had insurance and a pension, then when I had to go to the hospital I found out I actually didn't, and my costly bills came out of my own pocket. The school cycled through maybe 15 Korean teachers and at least 8 desk staff in the first 11 months it was open. And this was at an Avalon.

I now work at an elementary school and things could not be more different. I can actually take my vacation. I can use sick days. I don't have to worry about pay, health care, or pension. I don't have to worry about surprise changes to my schedule or my boss making me do makeup classes for kids who skipped class. I don't even have to do lesson plans (not a one). The most I ever did was make everything for the summer camp, which was pretty easy. And the best part? The kids aren't little shits! Some of them can be a handful, but they know we can actually punish them. At the hagwons before, the kids got away with cursing at NET's and Korean teachers alike because they knew the boss didn't care and the most we could do is give them "detention", which they could get out of by calling their parents. Hagwons can be more effective places to learn and give the student lots of great practice, IF they want to be there, which MANY do not. Those that don't want to be there drag down the class completely, no matter what you do to deal with them.

So yeah, just because you had a bad experience at a public school and a good experience at a hagwon doesn't mean it's like that across the board. Most teachers with experience in both will tell you that public schools are much better jobs.