Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cruisemonkey]

I've been a 'regular' on 'Dave's' for about 3.5 years and I've never seen the sheer volume of nightmare PS threads. In just the last couple of days:

Whiny EPIKs who complained about seat warming TO the POE
verbal abuse in public school
GEPIK "workshop" was crap
Make-up Classes
Are all SMOE jobs really full?
How to handle an apartment issue with my school
Public School Shmublic School...

Is it just there are more PS native English teachers now?
Is it the time of year and the 'September newbies' are suffering their first throws of culture shock now the honeymoon has ended?
Is it just a 'one off'... or perhaps a combination of factors?

What ever is causing it, I predict it's nothing compared to what's to come the end of Feb./beginning of March when the new EPIK' virgins' realize with taxes and fuel surcharges, W1.3 mil. doesn't begin to cover the cost of their airfare.

[Cerriowen]

I think there are a lot of recent policy changes, including a ton of hiring done in september. So... people running out of honey moon, people eager to get the heck out of here, and a lot of people who stayed who are ticked about the policy shifts.

[fromtheuk]

Well, it's clear it's not just fromtheuk talking rubbish.

I've worked at a public school for 1 year and 7 months.

It takes a while, but any intelligent, down to earth person will eventually realize the negative aspects of their job.

Initially, they may deny reality or be unaware of it. Over time, the frustration builds and when a person realizes life isn't as fantastic as they first thought, they then feel the need to vent.

Some of it may be due to culture shock too. Especially for newbies.

[Ukon]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[branchsnapper]

There are not many classes now. We have more online moaning/fighting time.

[antoniothegreat]

negativity feeds on negativity.
Korea has many problems, and many things that I dont like, but only a few that I cant stand.

overall, i am a pretty optimistic person. when i am alone, i usually think about the good things i get out of my job, but when a few FTs sit down and start complaining, i find myself joining right in and leaving upset.

a lesson that i learned, if you stay positive, you can love your time here, if you focus on the negative, it will be horrible.

so people read some posts, get upset, post their own posts, and it continues...

or just coincidence

[Ramen]

I think NETs are bored. All of us are kept on a leash from 9 to 5 with nothing to do except teach 2 or 3 classes and surf the net.

[crusher_of_heads]

I think as yu bum suk said, 1 and 2, plus, students writing exams. In the leadup, they are focussed on those, so getting results is difficult. My school's exams ended yesterday, so while I had the most interactive and best classes last week, getting results today was not going to happen except for a few students; having been teaching for awhile, experience tells you when you're trying to get water from a stone. Today, and tomorrow, are movie days, but not next week.


As far as the culture shock, for new teachers, and this is not meant as a slam, for those straight out of university, we are all used to a longer holiday. Except for university people, we get the 25th and that's it. That makes the most optimistic, and realsitic, a bit crankier.


What helps me is just being further south, meaning more sunlight hours!!!

[Faunaki]

If the offices of education would just hire professionals to deal with teachers then half of the problems would be gone. They hire young adults who are in their early twenties to take on roles they can't do. I think the only reason they are hired is because they are close to being bilingual and they are willing to do the job.

Being treated like crap by recent princess/prince grad who can't be civil for even one minute does not do anything for the reputation of public schools.


For all people thinking of working for SMOE I say don't do it and don't bother with Korea either, there are better places to live and work.

[marlow]

[nomad-ish]

[jbpatlanta]

[mogbert]

I think there are a lot more PS teachers now. When I first came to Korea, GEPIK didn't exist, EPIK covered everything except Seoul and our EPIK class consisted of a whopping 95 people! This was in 2004. I believe this year's class consisted of 3-400 people.

When I first joined Dave's, everyone worked at Hagwons and were raving about their 10 day vacations as opposed to 7 days. I was getting all of Jan and Feb. off. I didn't come in for graduation either. They were also making slightly more than me but working 30+ classroom hours, while I worked under 20 for the level 3 pay. And I always wondered to myself why so many people worked in hagwons and not PS. But through the years, more and more have been applying to EPIK and/or PS in general. Hence, why more bitching and crying on Dave's from PSers.

[nomad-ish]