Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BaldTeacher]

I got a job offer to teach at a public high school in JeonJu. I only have hagwon experience.

Now lots of people say that this is the way to go, but I've read a lot of horror stories on here, plus teaching 40 teenagers does not sound like it would be better than teaching a class of 10 fun-loving six year olds.

What do you think? Is it better than a hagwon job? To me, it sounds like a bad experience at a public school is worse than a bad hagwon.

[BaldTeacher]

Oh yeah, my other offer so far- a contract from SLP:





Letter of Agreement

The ______ SLP Institute (hereafter �The Institute�) under the license of SLP, (Corp) Sogang University and _________ (hereafter �the Teacher�) agree to a contract for regular full-time English teaching as follows:


TEACHER OBLIGATIONS

A. Supervision

The teacher will work closely with academic supervisor and other colleagues in the planning, observation, and review of instruction.

As a member of the Institute, the teacher will contribute to the cumulative experience, wisdom, and resources of a team dedicated to developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive program for teaching English to Koreans.

B. Behavior

The teacher should respect the rules and standards of conduct of the Institute (written, verbal and tacit). Should the Teacher fail to meet these standards 1 verbal warning will be given followed by 2 written warnings. Should the Teacher continue to fail to meet standards it is at the discretion of the Institute to terminate the Teacher�s contract.

The Teacher should obey the laws, regulations, instructions, and ordinances of the national and local governments. Any teaching or employment other than at the above address shall not be permitted, in accordance with Korean Law. Non-compliance may result in discipline including fines and deportation.

C. Workload

The Teacher will work 40 hours per week. This includes 30 teaching hours and 10 hours devoted to tasks outside class teaching. The teaching hours will be assigned at the sole discretion of the director or supervisor. Teacher�s teaching hours will be reallocated every three to six months to vary workload if teacher has over 30 teaching hours regularly. The Teacher is expected to devote no less than 2 hours a day at the Institute for lesson planning, student evaluations, teachers� meeting, consultation with parents, and supervision of play.
Upgrading one�s professional knowledge and skills is without additional pay. If the teacher has less than 25 teaching hours, the teacher is expected to teach staff members or teach students over the phone, or complete other project work. The workweek will follow the yearly academic calendar issued by SLP, (Corp) Sogang Univ. The total teaching hours workload including overtime will not exceed for any given week 34 hours a week, unless both parties agree.

Staff meetings will be scheduled at the discretion of the Institute Director. Attendance should be punctual. Staff meetings will allow time for discussion of topics of current concern within programs, such as new policies, procedures, methods of training, instruction, curriculum, and other matters as needed. Staff are encouraged to help work out practical solutions to problems at these meetings.

The preparation and attendance for special events such as Parents Conference, Program Orientation, English contest, workshops, etc. demands the teacher may be required to work one Saturday a month. However this may not happen every month. Additional pay will not be given for this.




D. Teaching Overtime

Over time teaching is paid beyond 30 teaching hours. Overtime will not be paid on holidays, sick days, or emergency leave days. The assignment of overtime above the regular 30 hour classes and less than 34 hour classes is at the sole discretion of the Institute. The over time rate is 24,000 won per one 60 min class. Overtime will not exceed 34 teaching hours unless both parties agree.

E. Work Schedule

The workweek runs from Monday through Friday in monthly periods. The teacher�s schedule will be assigned by the Institute Director. If the teachers have morning classes, they begin at 9:00 am and finish at 6:00. The teacher will be expected in the institute by 9:00 a.m. for the morning preschool teacher, according to Section C. Teachers teaching the afternoon program will work from 12:30 pm to 9pm.


F. Special Research Projects

Any part of the teacher workload converted to research and development work by the institute will be remunerated according to Section D.

G. Period of Contract

Although pay starts the day the Teacher starts Teacher Training Program, the effective date of this contract is the first teaching day not training in the Institute. The total period of this agreement is approximately one year, commencing from the first day of the Teacher�s 1st session and finishing on the last teaching day of the teacher�s 12th teaching session. A delay in the Teacher�s arrival at the Institute, or in the opening of a new Institute may call for a re-negotiation of the contract period.

The Institute reserves the right to terminate this agreement for cause with written notification sixty days in advance, and for serious cause without notice. The teacher agrees to give written notification sixty days in advance of intention to terminate this agreement or of interest in renewing it.

The period of this contract shall be one (1) year

from: February , 2010
to: February , 2011
TEACHER BENEFITS

A. Monthly Salary

The Institute will pay the teacher a total monthly basic salary each month and will pay on the fifth of each month for the previous monthly salary. The monthly salary is based on a calendar month, not the monthly teaching session. Korean income tax, National Pension & Medical Insurance will be withheld from the monthly salary.

B. Housing

The Institute will provide each teacher a studio-type apartment. The apartment will contain TV, refrigerator, washing machine, Air conditioner, wardrobe, telephone, gas range, bed & Korean style bedding, dining table & chairs, microwave, and some eating & cooking utensils. However, the teacher shall pay for the maintenance fee, usually 70,000 won per month and the utility fee (electricity, water, gas, phone bills, etc.). However, the person doesn�t need an apartment, SLP will provide 400,000won as a housing allowance every month.


C. Health Insurance

The teacher will be covered by Korean National Health Insurance. According to the government guideline for teachers, the monthly insurance charge will be shared by the Institute and the teacher at a rate of 3.6% of monthly salary. Coverage will be from the date of joining to Korean Medical Institute Union, commencing approximately 3 to 4 weeks after the teacher�s arrival of Korean due to requirements of the immigration and taxation department.

D. National Pension Plan

In accordance with Korean Law, all foreign workers employed by Korean businesses shall pay into the Korean National Pension Plan at a rate of 9% (or the ratio stipulated by the Korean National Pension Law) deducted against monthly earnings with the employer�s contribution of 4.5%.

Refund of the National Pension to a teacher who becomes a compulsorily insured employee, where the Pension Act of the teacher's home country provides the benefit corresponding to the lump-sum refund of the National Pension Plan, the lump-sum refund of this plan shall be paid to the foreigner according to Korean Law.

E. Paid Sick Leave and Personal Leave

The teacher may use 3 paid sick days in a year. There after any sick days taken by the teacher will be at the teacher�s personal expense. Sick days taken beyond the 3 paid sick days will be calculated at 1.5 times the actual teaching time missed. Depending on the teacher�s individual workload this amount may be deducted from the monthly salary or hours may be reconciled by the teacher.
The teacher must obtain a medical certificate from a doctor on any sick day, to be given to the academic supervisor the following workday.
The teacher must also provide as much notice as possible to allow for adequate preparation to be made.
The teacher may take personal leave on a case by case basis. The teacher should complete a personal leave application, to be submitted to the academic supervisor. The academic supervisor will accept or deny the personal leave. Personal leave is calculated in the same way as additional sick days, at 1.5 times the actual teaching time missed.
If it is found that the teacher has abused the sick day or personal leave entitlements, taking leave for anything other than prior purposes stated, it will be considered �Cause for Termination� of the teacher�s contract by the institute.
If the teacher doesn�t use any sick leave, the teacher will get a sick day bonus with severance pay as follows: 3day bonus-300,000 won, 2days bonus-200,000won, 1day bonus-100,000won.

F. Airfare

The Institute shall pay round-trip airfare between the nearest International Airport to the Teacher�s residence and Seoul, Korea. A one-way airfare is provided at the beginning and again at the end of the contract. When the teacher needs to go to Japan for an E-2 visa trip, the institute shall pay round-trip airfare and accommodation.

In case the Teacher fails to complete the contract, the teacher shall pay back to the Institute the total amount of the air tickets, including the visa trip expenses.

G. Teacher Training Program (TTP)

The teacher shall have a training period before starting to teach in the Institute. The training period will not exceed four weeks. During the training period, the teacher will be in the Institute for classroom observation. The teacher will receive briefings from the Academic Supervisor, and the Institute Director, fill out the observation forms and will get acquainted with institute policies including Teacher�s guideline. During the TTP time, the teacher will receive half the rate of the regular pay.





H . Vacation

The vacation will be scheduled for one week in summer and one week in winter as per the yearly academic calendar which is decided by the SLP, (Corp) Sogang Univ.. During the vacation the teacher will be paid the basic rate of payment but no overtime will be paid according to Article 47 and 48 of Korean Labor Standard Law.

I. Completion Bonus

On completion of one�s responsibilities of the full contact period, an additional month of regular salary per one year shall be paid as completion bonus. However, if the teacher fails to complete the full period of one year contract, none of the completion bonus shall be paid according to Korea Labor Standard Law. Completion bonus will be paid by bank transfer no later than eight weeks after the teacher has left the institute. Korean tax will be withheld. Any outstanding debts incurred by the teacher will be subtracted from the completion bonus.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

Monthly Salary 2,200,000 W
Severance Pay 2,200,000 W a month Salary per year

*Your compensation will be paid in Korean Currency.



Date: __________________ ___________________________
Director SLP Institute


Date: __________________ ___________________________
Teacher SLP Institute

[vaticanhotline]

I teach at a high school and it's fine. Your lesson plans will obviously have to be a bit more demanding than the stuff you teach six year olds, and discipline can be a problem, for my money it's a better job. Probably looks better on your cv too that you taught at a high school.

[passport220]

[loyfriend]

I work at a public high school and I wouldn't want to work for any other age group or hogwan outside of say a university or maybe teaching CEO's for a company.

I think teaching high school students is awesome. You can talk to your students and hold a conversation. You don't have to deal with hurting any childs feelings. Many of them want to learn English because they have important test coming up.

I would go for it. I had jobs teaching kindy to middle school at other types of schools and they don't compare. I liked it so much I even resigned a second year for the school.

As for lesson plans, my school doesn't even use a book. I make all my own lessons. In all honesty unless you are at some high level school in seoul, your lessons will be like middle school lessons.

These studenst can read most English words and sentences, but they have problems understanding what they read. In my time teaching I seen its more my job to teach them how to understand what they read and how to talk then the grammer.

This is why I find it enjoyable. Elementary and middle school taught all of those topics. Now I have to make sure they put what they learned to use.

[Cerberus]

other offer?

looks like a unigwon.

2.2 mil for 30 teaching hours a week?
3 sick days?

etc etc etc?

9 to 6?

you've got to be kidding I wouldn't sign that thing unless I was desperate.

take the PS position.

[BaldTeacher]

You're right, that contract sounds twice as bad as my last SLP contract.

[shifter2009]

Depends a bit on the support you get. My school didn't give me a co-teacher in the class room so that had big upsides/downsides. I was given a book and told when each chapter was supposed to be finished then to go to it. Controlling 40 students without a common language can be a bit difficult but as the year went on I figured out what worked and what didn't. Hardest thing I found was getting across instructions for more complicated activities. This took some trial and error as well. I had some classes go shockingly well and others crash and burn pretty hard. Largely it was a positive experience coming from a Hogwon background.

[Easter Clark]