Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Xanadu123]

Do all hagwons have the summer and winter intensives? Or are there hagwons without this because I got a contract with Topia in Gangbuk and aside from being pretty bad, it also had the summer and winter intensives.

Any advice is very much appreciated

[PRagic]

Hakwons can be a good first step into the country, but by-and-large, they all suck.

With public schools as a viable option these days, I don't know why anyone takes a job at a mom and pop crapwon, or, even at larger chains, a job with a less than a desirable schedule or work conditions. Having said this, the word out is that public school jobs have their pick of the litter these days so the jobs are harder to come by.

To answer your question, OP, yes, most crapwons are busier during the summer and winter breaks as those are prime earning seasons. Kids and college students are out in packs trolling for an excuse to hang out away from home. 'Studying' can be sold to the folks.

[Juregen]

[Xanadu123]

[PRagic]

Juregen, you own a hakwon, so your input has to be taken with a grain of salt. Even with all the best intentions in the world, the fact is that you put profitability before the quality of life of your teachers.

Yes, we respect the fact that you're making a go of it, but the long-and-short of it is that your doing business in a glut market that wrenches the souls from this county's youth.

[losing_touch]

My teaching load does not change during intensive periods. During school vacations, my hagwon adds some classes. None of us regular teachers do any extra work. Instead, my boss picks up the slack, rolls up her sleeves, and does her thing in the classroom like the rest of us. She provides these extra classes for free actually, so there is no profit involved. OP, there are plenty of good hagwons out there. Keep on looking.

PR - What you call a better schedule, I think is terrible. My current schedule is perfect for me!

[iggyb]

[janydc]

[losing_touch]

[maingman]

jurgen wrote :

..find some offense in what you are saying PRagic, I wish I could show you that it can be different

seconded

[trish91198]

My hagwon had a summer intensive. It was during our vacation, so none of us foreign teachers taught during that week. The Korean teachers, including our directors, taught all of the classes. I know some people work for hagwons that expect insane things from them, but I have nothing but good things to say about mine.

[seonsengnimble]

It really depends on the hagwon. Intensives were only really intense at one place I worked. I was teaching up to 9 classes per day, but I was paid for the extra classes, and they reduced some of the other work. My current school didn't really do any intensives for the summer. I just started and finished an hour earlier, and I was asked to go through books faster. Another hagwon I worked at gave me an option. They just added a couple of classes and asked if I wanted to teach one of them and get paid 40% of the tuition for the class.

If you are teaching kindergarten, then it is less likely you'll be teaching intensives because the intensives are usually in the morning, so you'll be teaching anyways at that time.

[PigeonFart]

Most of the hogwons i worked at had intensives (one month in winter, one in summer). It's tiring, but its only for a month each time so it's not too bad.

If you're happy with everything else (hours, pay, housing, location) then i say go for it.

[DCJames]

[waynehead]

Mine doesn't. We do have summer/winter camps, but my boss hires other teachers to work those...my schedule is the same year round.