Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SW]

For those switching jobs especially:

1. I've posted about this before - don't assume you're saving yourself work and hassle by letting the school provide you with housing. The house my SMOE school gave me was recently cleaned by a service, and it actually looks like a whole new place now, but I still would have chosen to live somewhere else. If you have the savings and the resources in Korea (or if you don't mind living in a hasook or goshiwan, as I wouldn't), take advantage of housing allowances where they're offered. Or at least check the housing out before you take the job. Should be common sense, really, but after being placed out of the blue in a pristine apartment in Europe for my CELTA course, and then a clean, cozy little shoebox out in Gyeonggi-do for my first job here, I guess I just got spoiled and assumed nothing could go wrong.

2. Do not assume a public school job is automatically better than a hagwon. I took a job with SMOE without lifting a finger to research other options, when over the summer I was in the advantageous position of living in Korea with a wad of cash and no job for six weeks. Another violation of common sense - but my hogwan was in bad shape when my contract finished, and EVERYONE believed public schools had to be better. A few people who switched to GEPIK testified that they were. In my own case though, everything seemed peachy at first, but very quickly went to hell after the midterm exams. I've been miserable for the past month or so, with no end in sight. To tell about all the things wrong with this place would require a blog, not a post on a Dave's. So once again - research your options and don't assume anything beforehand. Public schools may be more reliable when it comes to paying you (and not going bankrupt), but other than that it seems they can vary just as much as hogwans do.

[Fishead soup]

In a public school teaching is considered secondary to getting along with people. One of the reasons why a lot of people have problems with public schools is they are unaware of the different form of communicating used in Korea. Most of what is taken for granted in communicated non-verbaly.

For example the above poster said that things went downhill after exams.
After final exams the term is over most teachers don't teach. They either show movies or give the students free time. Only the harshest teachers can get away with giving a typical chalkboard lesson. This is an unwritten rule in Korea. The kids have had enough

[candiep20]

not in my school. After mid-terms and even after final exams, all the teachers have to continue with their normal lessons. The Principal and Vice Principal have implemented a no-movies policy after the exams...so you can imagine what teaching is like to these kids who have already switched off after their last exam. Definitely not looking forward to that two week gap between the exams and the start of winter vacation this year. It's going to be a real struggling trying to keep these kids awake.

[Manuel_the_Bandito]

If you know what you're doing and how things work a public school is a great place to work. If you think you can just show up and everything will work itself out you're screwed. I've met so many public school teachers who were just so bloody clueless I could just tell they were in for a miserable year.

[cruisemonkey]

[Perceptioncheck]

[ekul]

My best piece of advice is get to understand the level of the majority of the students and their general enthusiasm for certain things. While I only make one basic lesson plan for each grade per week the actual content of different classes vary a lot. Some classes don't like to listen to the teacher at all so give them worksheets more often. Others enjoy being dictated to so stretch out your power point. Some can actually play games without taking 30 minutes to explain the rules. While others just need to be entertained.

It really sucks to be like this sometimes but each of my classes is a mixture of their English teacher, home room teacher and the effects of other teachers. No use in fighting the current.

[Manuel_the_Bandito]

[some waygug-in]

Please do tell us some of your methods, if I may be so bold.

[ThingsComeAround]

I am curious to know what went so wrong for the OP that s/he is feeling the need to vent. I noticed that the join date for the OP was Sep '09 so I will guess that the OP is in their 3rd month? That can be the toughest time. It was for me--

[zipper]

My public school is pretty laid back, and I have enjoyed the experience, but my relationship with my co-teacher is hostile. It all went down hill from the beginning when I declined their incessant offers to play volley ball with them. They perceived that I wasn�t a team player or something.

Then, I let her have it last week for teaching our English classes in Korean; despite my efforts to convince her to use the board, flash cards, drills, activities and games to foster an English speaking environment. But she refuses to budge and sits on her rump teaching with videos. She is more concerned about seeing the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders pass written exams, and she is clearly not interested in their oral and listening abilities. So, I do my best to work with and around her. She is an impediment to their learning English experience, and is counter productive. It seems that some of the public schools don�t seem to understand that paying a NST 30,000,000 a year is to help strengthen their students� listening and speaking skills. The elementary teachers are often counter productive to the program.

Nonetheless, I am quite happy today since this is my last week, and I am heading off to China to teach credit courses at a half decent University. It's been real.

[proustme]

The budget for a NT is something around 60,000,000 W. I saw the document at my school.

[Perceptioncheck]

[Fishead soup]

Be really passive. Whatever you do don't lose your temper as this will cause you to burn a bridge. Take everything they say with a grain of salt. Usually there's a good reason for their behavour a cheating spouse.
if possible try teaching classes solo or with someone else.

[Clockout]