Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lifeinkorea]

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I planned on a middle school job that fell through. So I took this one because it was too late to find another middle school. I am not sure if I want to get a middle school job in March or what, but yesterday I put in my 2 month notice. Both myself and the school don't really want to do it, but I think it's better for me. It's more of a personal reason than the school itself.

The job has some pros and cons.


PROS

Teach only 25 classes. This means you don't have to be there 40 hours like at regular public schools. (You will have to negotiate your own salary based on this.)

There is no teaching in the morning, and you finish by 6pm.

Class size is small, and out of 10 classes there are really only 2 "problem" classes. The youngest group is one of them, and what I consider the oldest of the young group. They are normal kids and have a regular schedule, hagwon to piano classes to go to.

I am leaving partly because of this. I can't teach a complete lesson, and I don't have a co-teacher to work with me to team teach (I feel like I am just babysitting them and not really teaching. I have better things to pursue in my life). If you are against having a co-teacher in the class with you, then this is an ideal position. You can do whatever you want. They have books, but you can finish the required 2 pages easily in 10-20 minutes. The other 30 minutes are all yours.

It's NOT a hagwon job. The public school pays you, but it is managed by an organization. I can tell you more if you are seriously interested.

The co-teacher is great. I really shouldn't leave because of this. Who knows who I will get if I go to another school. She comes to school before me, and she leaves after I do. She does a lot of the non-teaching essentials like preparing tests and getting things sent out to parents. She is independent, and again if you like the idea of having 2 separate rooms where you can do your thing, she does hers, then this is ideal. I would prefer to team teach with a co-teacher like I had last year.

There are more, but these are the main ones. Feel free to ask questions ( [email protected] )


CONS

Even though the apartment is great, it comes with a cost. When I lived in Pyeongtaek, I paid 30,000 won per month for a management fee. It's a little higher here, about 70,000. However, this includes electricity. So, maybe it's more like 60,000. It seems like a reasonable fee, compared to the last place I was at. However, I didn't know about it until I saw the bill. It wasn't mentioned in my contract.

If you can get over that, then here's another. Transportation. The apartment is in Bupyeong, but the school is near Incheon Airport. It's about an hour commute considering you have to wait 2 times for trains. Yes, you take the subway to Gyeyang station and then take another to Unseo station. I am getting 100,000 won to cover transportation a month. However, it costs 70,000 to go from Gyeyang to Unseo. This means for 20 days you pay like 40,000 won for the subway costs to get to Gyeyang. Right there, you lose 10,000 won. Please don't get discouraged by this and use it when negotiating.

The last thing is, you won't get any support. You are 100% on your own. If you are new to teaching ESL, I don't recommend you take this job. If you are experienced and just want something secure and easy (without the drama and threats some unfortunate teachers go through), then this is good. If you are like me, experienced and want to team teach, then this won't be good for you.

If you are interested in this job, please let me know ( [email protected] )

[lifeinkorea]

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