Korean Job Discussion Forums

[I_Am_Wrong]

God! some mornings I have to bang and wake up the old caretaker guy to let me in because he hasn't even woken up yet. I'd gladly come in Saturday mornings and have a real vacation.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Mr. Pink]

[jaganath69]

Thank god for private schools. 8 weeks vacation here and I don't have to poop in a cup.

[Kimchieluver]

I'm a newbie with EPIK and I really can't complain. I signed the contract as it was much better than any hogkwan offer. They are running around in circles trying to find stuff for me to do during the breaks.

Jacl .. you're an idiot....Some public school teachers have to make their own lesson plans, actually quite a few (like me). I work a lot harder than I did at any hogkwan and I am immensly better compensated. However, I also could use a serious break.
Jacl, you really got to love the hogkwan holidays. Three days tacked on to a weekend in winter and 3 days tacked on to a weeekend in summer ...right on hogkwons!!! I've already had more long weekends than I got my entire year at my last hogkwan). I've had probably more days off than the entire last two years at working at hogkwans. Your envy of public schools really shows when you hack public schools.

BTW, I had to turn down a uni pisition as it is too big a pay cut. It was a tough choice and maybe when I am more settled I will look into the uni gigs again...

[TheUrbanMyth]

[jacl]

Kimchielover,

Whatever, peanut head. No envy here. Public schools can be a big hassle from what I've been reading. I, however, have it pretty good at my hagwon.

[Kimchieluver]

jacll,

congrats..I have never been called a peanut head before. Read more and you will find many more complaints about hogkwans.. Really serious complaints and problems.

[jaderedux]

My school got the memo too. We have talked about it. Since I am on F2 everyone is throwing up their hands.

As for my easy job. I am usually there before most the teachers and staff. I decorate my classroom seasonally with help from a few students and out of my own pocket. I recruited for some of the surrounding schools as a favor to city hall. And I have been at this school for 4 years.

1. I teach Saturdays. Because of this I am teaching 2 extra classes every week to make up for the times we don't teach on Saturdays. So every week I teach 29 classes and on the weeks we have Saturday classes I teach 30.

2. I teach a club activity class. Which means I teach the same number of days that a full time korean teacher teaches. I am there 2 Saturday's a month same as K-teachers. I skip the cultural days as do many of the teachers who don't have homerooms.

3. During the year I teach "English Class" after school. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays. (But I do get paid extra from the fees the students pay.)

Now why do I do this? Because my school has been fighting the good fight to keep my vacation as is. I teach a short camp in the summer and a bit longer in the winter.

My contract basically reads that I teach Saturdays and a C.A. It also says that outside the agreed upon camps I receive the same vacation the Korean staff gets.

They are trying very hard to stay away from Gyeonggi do's B.S. What it seems like to us is that they developed this really good program WITHOUT GYEONGGII DO interference and now they want to swoop in and micro manage and take the credit. Plus most of the schools (middle schools) have been thumbing their noses at them to retain their autonomy. I don't know how long it will last but I did tell my school if my vacation changes....well I walk and being F2 visa holder it is alot easier for me to do so.

I will never for the life of me understand how they can justify taking away something that DOESN'T COST THEM ANYTHING LIKE VACATION. Part of the reason we in Middle Schools here in this city have such good re-signing ratio is because the schools give out a bit more vacation or at least give it out under the table.

Oh well.
Jade

[mack the knife]

Here's the part that's really gonna burn:

My wife's brother is a teacher, and like all Korean teachers, he receives roughly double his salary every other month as a bonus.

No need to worry about Korean teachers "working so hard." They're getting PAID.

[jacl]

[Kimchieluver]

I see where you are coming from jacl. Public schools aren't as rosy as everybody makes them out to be. My only problem with your postings is that you always hack the public school system when your's is equally worse. I taught in hogkwans for three years. I have yet to call anybody a hogkwan monkey or a burger flipper.

I know that hogkwan teachers have degrees and that they should be paid accordingly. I also know that people who come to work here have different aspirations and goals. I don't think working in a hogkwan makes anyone less worthy of respect. I just simply would hope that you understand a lot of people teach in hogkwans because the money is better than that in a university position or a public school.

I also hope that you understand that with the social status here, we have to earn our respect. It is often never given. In short, I respect hogkwan teachers as they have a lot of mountains to climb and a lot of the crap that public school teachers take for granted. I have worked both. Working at a public school is more time demanding and such, but you don't have to put up with two or three 'Johnny be bads" because the director is making a cool 600,000 won/month off them. sure people can state all their teaching techniques, but when it comes down to the bottom line, some kid just don't give a crap about English.

BTW.. I am drunk.. I just want you to know that public schools have their faults and us public school teachers don't look down on hogkwan teachers. (most of us)

[UncleAlex]

This institution has been spreading its lethal tentacles beyond GEPIK for
some time now, from local board territiory to (gasp) private mainstream
schools. I've been seeking work in the private sector for the past seven
years so as to avoid Doctor Octopus. Help, Spiderman!

[TheUrbanMyth]

[jacl]