Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Chambertin]

I figured I would start a ship won for your thoughts type post.

Pretty self explanatory, the things we notice that just proves Hagwon system is about babysitting first and function second.

Now before we start I just want to say:
Don�t get me wrong, I like my job I just think that those who think they are the Great Teacher Oliver who is single handedly responsible for the English ability of Korea need a little wind ripped from their sails.

The Koreans do most if any of the real English teaching, we are here to babysit, toss in some English, and give the babysitting program some supposed legitimacy.
Take it for what it is and enjoy your time in Korea, don�t try to fight it and end up hating the world. So post here and let out the frustration in a silly way.
With that, here are a few to start the fun:


#1 the children are dropped off by their parents more than 50 min early on a regular basis, even though your school has bus service.

#2 They must take the test again and again with "help" form teacher until they get the score desired. (IE you just tell them the answer)

#3 The whole family goes to the hagwon at the same time and gets lumped into whatever class is open regardless of their English level.

#4 The children float in and out of class on a seemingly random basis until you learn mom does work from the home.
So when she needs to work the kids have to go to class, when she is free they can stay home without a care.

Please continue with your own observations.

[tophatcat]

[redaxe]

They really need to start marketing Hagwons as "English Daycare" because that's what they are, and that way we'll have a lot less disappointed foreign teachers because y'all will know exactly what you're getting into.

That's Korean culture though. They don't share our belief that it's better to be honest about what you're offering from the beginning, than to be grandiose and set high expectations, and then fail to deliver what you promised. Koreans are used to it and know not to expect anything, but it really rubs non-Koreans the wrong way.

I see this happen over and over again in my company, and I'm not even a teacher. This is a tangent, but it gets really bad when Koreans do business with Germans, because even more than North Americans, Germans really expect you to do exactly what you say you're going to do. If you give them false hopes and let them down, or lie to them, or break a contract with them, they will get very, very upset with you, and will not do business with you again. Every German I've met in Korea, or working at my Korean company's offices in Germany, HATES it and desperately wants to leave.

[andrewchon]

redaxe:
That's a surprise considering that Germans invented the 'aufstragtaktik'.
Why would they not adjust to the different terrain?

[Davew125]

[Juregen]

[blackjack]

meh depends on the hagwon.

some public schools you are nothing but a human tape recorder, some hagwons a glorified baby sitter

[misher]

I study with a few Germans and also a few Korean-German adoptees. They feel the exact same way that was described above. I worked in a big company in Germany for a year and I couldn't imagine some of my co-workers and managers working in the Korean Hwaesa culture. It would frustrate them beyond belief.

[Davew125]

[gregoriomills]

[sulperman]

If you think hagwons are a waste, you should work at a public school and see the difference between hagwon-educated students, and the ones who have never been. Or just imagine it. There is a huge difference. Language learning is an incredibly slow process for apathetic kids. You can't expect huge leaps in ability under your watch, but you are building on something. Every bit of practice helps. Plus, small classes are an absolute dream compared to massive, loud, and unruly public school classes.

That said, a lot of hagwons are pretty crappy, and I do think that a good Korean teacher (or at least someone with basic Korean ability) is much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much better suited to teaching most kids than a foreign teacher. But shhhhh......... I like working here, and I'm worried people finally notice this.......

[Chambertin]

I think how its funny how random things are here.
I fully expected most of the first wave of posts to be from GTO's out there who think they and their Hagwon are all that (which a few may be, but come on, a FEW) and have to preach to somewhere because everyone around them stopped listening years ago.

But, its pretty cool the random directions Dave's takes with good posters. I studied German and Japanese and their cultures are so similar it is obvious why they teamed up in WWII. Even if they hated the leadership of the other they are just too alike culturally to be different.
The big talk and little delivery culture makes me think that may be why the GTO's fit in so well at their Hagwon. They talk big and act big, but really they are the only person they answer to when it comes to results.
Just something to think about.

For those who say I'm lazy, or at the wrong school. Have fun with your opinion. It really doesn�t matter because I'm happy and will keep pluggin along making the best of my situation.

I do hope that this can help some people who are feeling the let down about not really being here to teach. Vent your frustrations on here and let yourself and others enjoy the irony of the Teacher position in Korea.

The real benefit to a Hagwon is the extra classes (if you are lucky). I get to make my own system and curriculum. I use a book for reference and do the rest myself. Very satisfying and fun as heck thanks to the work of the teachers before me.

One last thing...
If you are a good teacher you will find outlets for it, if you are not you will sit around telling others what they are doing wrong and not even think to trying to Teach them ways to be more successful.

[some waygug-in]

I've had adult students tell me the same thing.

The problem is not "whether or not your hagwan is a daycare",

the problem comes when directors begin to think they are running real schools.

[Xuanzang]

[PatrickGHBusan]

OP...while I understand your point of view, your post is a bit limited in scope and you base your opinion of Hakwons in general based on your hakwon. That tends to be a bad idea because what makes you think that what flies at your hakwon is the norm everywhere?

Also, even if you observed other hakwons (how I have no idea) then its still a tiny sample isn't it?

A good teacher can make a world of difference in a Hakwon. The setting is conducive to learning if a teachers knows how to teach (key element here).

I will agree with the hakwon educated students vs the non hakwon students...there is a world of difference.

A Hakwon is babysitting mostly if you choose it to be. Up to you really...