Korean Job Discussion Forums

[litebear]

Hi guys, I've been trawling through the board for quite some time now and there is lots of good info but I was hoping people could give me some advice on my specific situation.

This will be my first ever teaching gig and I�m really torn between a public school and a private school. There seems to be so much conflicting information out there as to what would be best. I know that there is a Public Vs Private on the sticky but alot of the posts are about 6 years old.

I've gathered that a public school will

� Give me longer holidays
� More reliable in terms of job security/pay
� I�ll have to prepare fewer lesson plans. Most people teaching at a public suggest that they plan like 4 lessons a week, some as few as 2!
� The downside seems to be that I will have bigger class sizes that can be difficult to control,
� Also the potential for being a bit isolated as you will likely be the only English teacher in the School.
� The general consensus is that the quality of your co teacher/vice principal will be the key to your public school experience. Total lottery there!

From what I�ve gathered private schools

� Better pay
� Smaller classes
� Should be a few English teachers already at the school so should be easier to make friends
� Far fewer holidays, the standard seems to be 10 days and some people are suggesting that you might not even be able to take them all together, maybe just days off here and there. I need to ask, how do you people survive only getting two weeks off? Especially as it seems that public holidays aren�t taken in lieu (so if Christmas day falls on a weekend, you lose a day off).
� Have to plan a fair few more lessons, not ideal for a noob!

Anyway, I know everyone will have had different experiences and opinions but I'd really like to hear them. Thanks to anyone who has taken the time to read this and reply.

[ABC KID]

[litebear]

[dragon777]

Having taught in both. Go and teach in hagwon first. Teaching in a PS is a lot more difficult and you are subjected to a lot more inside politics and observation. However not all PS or hagwons are the same. This is just my answer and many will disagree. A years experience in a hagwon will help you a lot when you decide to venture into a PS.

[The Gipkik]

[byrddogs]

[Morning_Star]

There's give and take in both, but public school is less pressure.

If you like children, go to public school. Private school is much more intensive learning, while public school is "teach at your own pace". Also, more parental complaints in private school.

[byrddogs]

In this case, does "better" actually mean easier with benefits that suit you better?

[litebear]

dragon777, The Gipkik, byrddogs and Morning_Star, thank you very much for replying.

Some really interesting advice there.

[valkerie]

All great ideas so far, just adding a few more.

I think a lot depends on your personality. No time to add to that but tell us more about yourself and I will reply from work tmrw :0

If u like littler kids a public elementary is easier than middle or high school by a mile, for a first timer (IMO)

Worked at both types, here and Japan

[romano812]

I've worked both public and private (hagwon). For me, the workload was much lighter at a public school and there were more holidays. However, the job was very boring and unrewarding. I was the only foreigner in the school and was treated like a circus show and faced a lot of racism.
The hagwon route was more direct teaching (more contact time) and often longer days. Also holidays were only the standard 10 days. However, I was never bored, always had fun, and the students are, in general, far more advanced than the ones you will find in a public school.
IMO, if you like teaching and working with kids, the hagwons are great. If you want down time and lots of vacation, go for the public school.

[litebear]

Thanks to both valkerie and romano812 for replying. Valkerie, you asked for me to provide a bit of information about myself�so here goes! If this doesn�t cover what you had in mind please ask me anything, especially if you think it would help!

I�m a 23 year old male. I consider myself outgoing and confident, never had a problem adapting to new places and I find it easy to make new friends and acquaintances. I�ve never taught before but I have been on the receiving end of language teaching and I suppose the thing that would appeal to me most about this job would be seeing children improve their English ability whilst attending my classes. I think that would be a rewarding experience. The job I�m in just now has pretty low job satisfaction, I hate sitting bored in an office! I�d like a job where I was experiencing something a bit different everyday.

[mammolastan]

Following this thread, I am seeing some very useful advice for myself. I am also a first-timer looking to begin the Korean journey. I am also 23 years old, and am overwhelmed by all of the material on these forums.

Based on the sheer amount of information, conflicting reports and opinions, it seems that I should basically go ahead and dive into it without over-extensively analyzing everything.

Thanks to all you folks who post the helpful info.

[polarbear119]

I'll throw in my opinion. I would go with a hagwon for the first year. As bad a rap as hagwons get, I think you'll have a much more interesting year at a hagwon than at a PS. Choose your hagwon wisely, but don't worry so much about little things. Obviously you want a decent place to live, and you want to be paid in full. Anything above and beyond that is a bonus for your first year. You're a young guy, so take a few risks while you still can. If you work at a hagwon, you'll probably have better stories at the end of the year.

[litebear]