Korean Job Discussion Forums

[meursault]

I'm a relatively lucky newbie who teaches 15 classes a week at a public school. My co-teacher has approached me about teaching 8 "after school classes" a week. They'd be held at 8:00 AM (I'm not sure why) and 4:00 PM, four days a week. Extra cash would be nice, of course, but I'm not thrilled about the prospect of teaching 5 (rather than 3) classes a day.

Can I refuse? Or, say, offer to take on 4 instead of 8?

[WendyRose]

Depends on your contract.

I know with GEPIK you teach 22 class hours a week for the salary agreed upon by you and the employer. The employer can also require that you teach either 3-4 beyond that without your permission for overtime pay.

So if you're at 15 and they add 8 more, you're only at 23. Of course, your school may be willing to negotiate with you and it never hurts to ask, no matter what's in the contract.

But really, consult your contract first.

[mole]

Are there other waygook teachers at your school?
Maybe they gave you first crack at the cushy-cool extra work.
You can refuse, unless it violates your contract.
Negotiable means just that. Work it out so everyone's happiest.

[meursault]

[Horangi Munshin]

One of the classes would be outside your working hours so you should be paid for that at least. I get paid extra for my parents classes independent of the regular hours I do.

[xCustomx]

I know with GEPIK we are only supposed to get 20,000/hour for OT classes. My co-teacher though found some article in her guidebook which says that the FT is to be paid the same rate as Korean teachers for after school or OT classes. I now get paid 33,000/hour for OT classes.

8 extra classes a week is a bit much, especially if you have to make lesson plans for each one. I'd offer to do 4 a week, which which only take you to 19 hours a week total, and you can pocket a decent amount of OT

[Otherside]

This is one of those delicate situations that can blow up in the OPs face if he isn't careful.

The OP can find himself agreeing to the 8 extra classes, and come pay day he only gets paid for 1, (as the rest are within his 22 hours). The school will then claim it was a "misunderstanding".

Realisitcally, according to the contract, you have little wiggle room, you are contracted to teach 22 hours a week, and the school can enforce another 6 hours of PAID overtime (without your approval). However, they would have to be within your regular working hours.

Your options are.
1. Agree to the classes and hope all works out. If it does, you'd be netting an extra 200K/week (800K/month).
2. Try to negotiate, this will have 2 possible results.
A: School agrees to your terms, and lets you only teach the extra 4 hours, and pays you for them. Netting you 100K/week.
B: School gets angry, reads your contract with a fine-tooth comb, and realises they can get you teach those classes for free. You teach an extra 8 classes a week, and get 25K/week.
3. Refuse. 2 possible results.
A. School agrees, no extra work, no extra pay.
B. School gets angry, reads your contract with a fine-tooth comb, and realises they can get you teach those classes for free. You teach an extra 8 classes a week, and get 25K/week.

Based on the above scenarios. I'd take the extra the classes with no fuss and get paid. The extra cash will be great and earning an extra 800K/month is much better than earning an extra 100k/month (if the school decides to look at the contract). What I would do is, try and get the extra classes within my working hours, as an 8am start with what seems to be a 5pm finish will make for a long day.

[antoniothegreat]

i agree with otherside.

also, if you try to do only 4, definitely be polite about it and perhaps refuse the other half "because it is too difficult to do all of the planning since you are a new teacher" you dont want to sacrifice the quality of your classes. perhaps you can agree to a "trail period" and later discuss adding the other four.

this will look a lot better than a flat refusal.

but like otherside, if push comes to shove, they will win. from what i have seen, most FTs would not get paid for those classes, so take your blessings and do a good job.

[ekul]

I'd do the work, extra cash for doing something when you would otherwise be doing nothing is a no brainer.

I have 21 hours + 8 overtime. Apart from quadrupling the number of lesson plans per week I need to do it's fairly tame. Plus when you factor in the amount of times normal lessons are cancelled, kids go on trips, K teachers want to prep them for tests you realise you are netting a lot of extra pay for a normal amount of lessons. At least that's my philosophy.

[Darashii]

Agree. No brainer.

[harlowethrombey]

do it. those are great times.

I teach 4 night classes a week at my school, but I have to wait until the students are finished with their other after school classes, which means I start at 6:30PM

The money is good, though, and I have complete control over the curriculum. Movie days, scavenger hunts, listeing to music, whatever I want to do.

Take this job. You wont have to worry about being caught working illegally, you dont have to travel, and it wraps nicely around your schedule as it is.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[sokocanuck21]

I am GEPIK as well and my school is having me teach 2 after school classes (3:30-4:15) and because they are not normal classes, they are giving me an addition 25,000 won per class.
I think it depends on what your school regards are additional classes.

[Ukon]

overtime rates vary depending on how much the students pay and/or how much your school like to spend their money.....my school loves me and I recently found out I'm part of some competition between another school 1 block away. I get paid a decent chunk.....

Some pay bare minimum.

I'd try to nix the 8 am classes...that's retarded, make sure that doesn't happen....I've never heard of anyone doing that.....

Try to get at least 30,000 won for the classes....preferably 40k+. Ask your Co-teacher to get a feel about what the school is willing to pay.

And don't be a hard ass...if your under the 22 hours a week, they can force you to teach for no overtime pay.

[sokocanuck21]

usually only the korean teachers have to do the 8am classes.
just tell them ur usually still drunk that early.....