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SW
Joined: 08 Sep 2009 Location: Korea
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:39 pm Post subject: 2 pitfalls to avoid... and regretting switching to public |
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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. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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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 |
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candiep20
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Location: South Korea
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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Manuel_the_Bandito
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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cruisemonkey

Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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candiep20 wrote: |
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. |
Fully half my middle school boys literally can't stay awake now! |
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Perceptioncheck
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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Manuel_the_Bandito wrote: |
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. |
Sorry, don't agree with this. I think the OP is right; even if you know what you're doing, public school can sometimes be a nightmare. What if you get an egomaniac/psychotic co-teacher? Or a principal who hates westerners and feels he has something to prove? These things can greatly effect your working environment. Plus being the only Whitey In The House can get pretty lonely.
I've said it before and I'll say it again; public school isn't all its cracked up to be. Hope you manage to hang in there OP. |
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ekul

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Location: [Mod Edit]
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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Manuel_the_Bandito
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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Perceptioncheck wrote: |
Manuel_the_Bandito wrote: |
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. |
Sorry, don't agree with this. I think the OP is right; even if you know what you're doing, public school can sometimes be a nightmare. What if you get an egomaniac/psychotic co-teacher? Or a principal who hates westerners and feels he has something to prove? These things can greatly effect your working environment. Plus being the only Whitey In The House can get pretty lonely.
I've said it before and I'll say it again; public school isn't all its cracked up to be. Hope you manage to hang in there OP. |
It can happen, sure, but there are many ways of dealing with egomaniac/psychotic co-teachers and xenophobic principals, if you know what you're doing. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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Please do tell us some of your methods, if I may be so bold. |
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ThingsComeAround

Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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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-- |
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zipper
Joined: 22 Jul 2009 Location: Ruben Carter was falsely accused
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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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. 
Last edited by zipper on Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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proustme
Joined: 13 Jun 2009 Location: Nowon-gu
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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The budget for a NT is something around 60,000,000 W. I saw the document at my school. |
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Perceptioncheck
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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Manuel_the_Bandito wrote: |
Perceptioncheck wrote: |
Manuel_the_Bandito wrote: |
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. |
Sorry, don't agree with this. I think the OP is right; even if you know what you're doing, public school can sometimes be a nightmare. What if you get an egomaniac/psychotic co-teacher? Or a principal who hates westerners and feels he has something to prove? These things can greatly effect your working environment. Plus being the only Whitey In The House can get pretty lonely.
I've said it before and I'll say it again; public school isn't all its cracked up to be. Hope you manage to hang in there OP. |
It can happen, sure, but there are many ways of dealing with egomaniac/psychotic co-teachers and xenophobic principals, if you know what you're doing. |
Yes, I'd also love to hear how you would recommend dealing with such situations.
I had a seriously psychotic/socio-path co-teacher whose English ability was poor. And that's putting it nicely. Sure, there are ways to minimize the unpleasantness but I honestly don't believe there's any way to make such problems magically dissapear.
Just because you haven't been in a bad situation doesn't mean that there aren't bad situations out there. |
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Fishead soup
Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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Clockout
Joined: 23 Feb 2009
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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zipper wrote: |
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.  |
Never understand people who try to "do things their way"
What's the difference to you if she speaks in Korean? Don't try to be a hero. |
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