Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lichtarbeiter]

So I recently finished my one-year contract with a hagwon (the "kindy in the morning/elementary in the afternoon" deal), and although I have some fond memories and will miss a lot of those kids, there is absolutely no way in hell I will work for a hagwon again. I'm fed up with teaching 28-30 hours a week and then being expected to prepare lessons, do marking, write report cards, clean desks the kids write on in pen, decorate the walls of my classroom, and not get paid any overtime. I'm fed up with kids who won't stfu to the extent that my director tells me to control them better but then tells me I'm being too hard on them when I take any course of disciplinary action. I'm fed up with my director telling me about complaints she's gotten from parents who believe everything their kids tell them without getting both sides of the story. And it goes on...

Yes, I know, time to call the waaambulance. Anyway, the point I'm getting to is that after talking to acquaintances throughout the year who taught at public schools and seemed to have such an easier job than me with more vacation, I've decided to make the switch, even though it involves a pay-cut from 2.4 down to 2.1.

Anyway, I have some questions, and kindly request that if you can give me any kind of answer to ANY question based on your experience, please enlighten me!

1) I want to teach at a high school. My degree was in English and Linguistics, and therefore I want a job where the challenge is more content-based than one where it's about controlling and motivating the kids. Can anyone who's taught in a high school tell me about their experience? How tough is the course preparation? Do you give your students grades that are binding to their academic record? Do they come to class motivated, or do they just sit around like a bunch of mindless drones? My understanding is that you spend 40 hours a week physically inside the school. Outside the maximum 22 hours that you spend teaching, how much of that is prep/marking time, and how much of that is break time?

2) The low salary kind of bugs me. But since the work seems to be much easier, and your classes have more students in them, do you find it easier to get more opportunities for and to do private lessons outside of school? (For the sake of not discussing illegal activity in this forum, let's just ASSUME that these are legal lessons... I don't need a lecture on the legal issues surrounding this topic, I know the ins and outs of that).

3) It is my understanding that school is out for 10 weeks of the year, but entry-level teachers only get 4 weeks of vacation. Is all of the rest of that time spent at summer/winter camps? How are the camps? Do you get paid extra for them?

4) I'm obviously too late for the start of the September semester, but I really don't want to wait until March. The recruiter I'm dealing with told me I shouldn't have a problem getting a job that starts in November, but I'm not sure if he's just bullshitting me just so he can get my application and documents and have another card in his pocket just in case something comes up. Is it typical for there to be a number of openings even within the middle of a semseter?

Perhaps more questions to come, that's all I can think of for now.

Thanks in advance for any responses!

[Epicurus]

I think I can help a little

based on this:

[CanadaNole]

I recently finished working at a Technical High School. I was randomly placed there by SMOE. The job was about controlling and motivating the kids. I taught absolutely anything I wanted to, but my class was not related to their grades. Hence the motivation issues. Perhaps a regular high school would be better.

I probably spent 1-4 hours per week preparing, that's planning 1 class to be taught to 19 different groups of kids of all about the same level - beginner. I received no offers for private lessons or after-school classes. Every situation is different in that regard.

I did about 6 weeks of summer and winter camps, the classes were smaller and generally more productive and slightly more fun. I got paid a bit extra for them on top of my regular salary. I also got to go on 3 trips with the students to conclude the camps, and a 4th to Jeju Island for 4 days.

I also did 4 hours per week of "teacher training" classes with Korean English teachers .. if I had 19 hours of that and 4 hours of teaching the students I would have renewed my contract.

[winterfall]