Korean Job Discussion Forums

[runthegauntlet]

[ippy]

I know we all secretly want an awesome principal that lets us get away with stuff or turns a blind eye. But honestly, its the absolute worst thing about getting a job here. Im 100% in agreement with the dude above on this: The long term interests of English teachers in Korea is a clear enforced contract.

This might mean we have no recourse when we have to come in during the vacation and deskwarm, but it means we get paid correctly and on time, we dont have to do things outside of the contract, and above all we have an institute that we can appeal to in order to protect us from 'interpretations' to the spirit of the contract. The more power moves from the school principal to the board of education, the happier i am. Of course this will mean arbitrary beneficial decisions that were fine last year arent accepted this year.

But the sheer fact i know that i wont be fired in month 10 or 11 to save costs or that i will be paid on time and in full (notwithstanding occasional bank errors), or that i will be enrolled on the pension and national health scheme without mischief and shenanigans is security enough. That i also have a body i can actually appeal to if i feel the principal at my school is abusing my contract is fantastic.

This is what sets a (lower paying) public school job head and shoulders above a hagwon job *for me*. If you are happy taking your chances (and if youve been here a while those odds increasingly fall in your favour), then go the hagwon route. Its better paid, contracts are more nebulous, and the boss pretty much decides who gets perks and who doesnt.

So yeah, in some senses the standardisation of public school contracts has made our lot a bit worse. But for extra security, equity, and everything else that comes with it, its a price worth paying. The one great thing we've won is that our contract is actually recognised as a legitimate and enforceable document... to an extent of course - they did after all retro-fit clauses in late 2009 to prevent people leaving the country for x amount of days if i recall, as well as removing the parts about free time at home when schools not in session i believe

But its almost there... Thats a massive gain for anyone thinking of teaching in korea. I know it was my big worry compared to teaching in japan. I feared the bait and switch... i mean what can you honestly do when youve moved to korea and are met by your boss at the airport who gives you the original contract to sign with none of the changes you both agreed to? Get back on the plane? He owns your visa after all...

Actually thats the next thing i want I want my visa. Sort that out and the bs from contract abuse goes out the window. If i think you're treating me like crap, bye bye, im off to that job over there

[Squire]

[cj1976]

These camps are a waste of time and it would not do any harm to either reduce the length, or do away with them completely. At my school, I have 3-5 students that turn up for an hour or two then leave to attend other, presumably more important) classes.
If camps were so important, they should be better funded and staffed, and organised and planned with a variety of resources and materials.
Having an NSET come to school during the vacation to do this shit just seems like anti-foreigner spite.

[ippy]

[Squire]

[cj1976]

I spent a whole day planning and preparing materials and games for camp. Two students have turned up, rendering a lot of the more interesting activities and games null and void. I just put them to work on a project and I'm going to put on Inception.
What a complete waste of my time.

[ippy]

then maybe push your BoE rep to start lobbying for it. Personally i dont mind since im off back to japan anyway, but thsi would definitely be an issue where you cant please all the people all the time. As i say, id much rather be sitting about doing what i want and being paid for it. But everyone else isnt me. And clearly even between the two of us theres no happy medium. Well, there is, you can CHOOSE to take unpaid leave or choose to deskwarm, but i dont think a BoE will go for that as a blanket policy.

[Malislamusrex]

In summer camp do something YOU enjoy, the students can pick up on your boredom. I do work for 30 mins and play football for 60 or just play football with my student's for 90 minutes. The students love it and I love it, also all the other students in the school join in in their break, so I have 35+ students all outside playing football listening to me speak English and having random conversations with me. I go in at 10.45 leave at 12.15 and have made a very public display that I have been at school... and have 'worked' with the students.

This has benefits all round, happy students, happy parents, happy teachers, happy VP and I told my co-teacher you don't have to be here, you can go home and relax.

Let's be honest, the only reason any PS teacher is in school for camp is because the school makes money, as long as you keep the students happy, the school does not care what you teach.

[rainism]

my coteachers came up with the ingenious idea of effectively bribing the students. (most of my kids are from poor households). They receive some coupons at the end of camp. (it's a small amount of money, and if they don't have it next time, I'll fund it myself, well worth the difference I had in quality/motivation of students)

They had thirty something kids that wanted to attend..(there were years when they'd have 0-5 and kids had to be coerced) and they cherrypicked for the best and most enthusiastic English learners to trim to a final size of 15 or so.

The result has been very successful. They're still slightly lazier about really getting into it than I'd like, but overall it's easily been the best and most motivated group of students I've ever had for camp. Thanks to this site for at least 1 good idea that I incorporated into the camp schedule.

[sojusucks]