Korean Job Discussion Forums

sesyeux · Joined: 20 Jul 2009 Location: king 'arrys

i'm just beginning to get all of my 'dox' together and so am starting to look at jobs..a lot of them have in capitals, bold, neon flashing lights

'NO KINDY'

is this such a good thing!? i think that kindy/ele is the desired age range i would like to teach..from what i understand you start and finish at a reasonable time, no splits etc. am i being pretty dense wanting to teach kindy?!

DorkothyParker · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Location: Jeju

I teach kindy (7 year olds) and I enjoy it. It's very exhausting and the kids are insane. I am told the younger grades are worse. But it is satisfying. Your preference is your own. Personally, I don't think I would be very happy teaching middle schoolers. Although, some people do like the structure of older grades and teaching grammar.

With that said, you may be having trouble finding a job because the new semester starts in a week or two. How soon were you wanting to come to Korea? I'll keep my ears open at mine as there might still be an opening due to technical difficulties soon. I know most kindys try to keep turnover around the semester to prevent confusion and distraught parents. Good luck with whatever you decide.

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

Nothing wrong with saying you don't want kindy classes, and it's good to communicate if you don't want that. I won't teach kindy, and I won't teach at a school if I have to teach a lot of 1st and 2nd grade classes. If the bulk of my classes are 3rd grade and up, then I will consider a few 1st and 2nd graders to keep my job secure for the year. Anything else, it's a babysitting job.

Joe Boxer · Joined: 25 Dec 2007 Location: Bundang, South Korea

Oh man, I've always had a blast teaching kindergarten! Playing games, singing songs, and reading storybooks that you read as a kid... I just have so much fun.

Haha, I'm sure that anyone here that knows me could just imagine how scared the kids are on the first day of class. I've a got a mean-looking mug, and 18 years of boxing certainly didn't make me any prettier Very Happy

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Kindy is a nightmare. OP, you are wise to avoid it.

Joe Boxer · Joined: 25 Dec 2007 Location: Bundang, South Korea

Englishee · Joined: 21 Jan 2010

For the majority of the morning, i have the same "kindy" kids. Depending on what subject I am teaching, I have to teach older ones...but regardless, i dont mind teaching them, they are actually pretty awesome. Sometimes it feels like baby sitting, but the the kids i teach (i believe anyway) are much more advanced than most. Some of my 6 year olds speak better than my korean friends that are in their 20s...

so it all depends on where you are. i know my co-teachers' students are definitely not being babysat. There is an 8 year old (korean age) student who not only knows how to spell megalomaniac, but also the meaning...

seonsengnimble · Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:38 am Post subject:

There are definite pluses and minuses for teaching kindy.

Assuming you are expected to do more than babysit

The Good:
-Finish at a decent time and have your evenings free.
-Have a relatively stable schedule
-Worry a little bit less about student retention
-Kids are very cute and sweet
-The kids soak up tons of information, and you can see a lot of progress

The Bad:
-Start earlier and work when banks, immigration, doctors offices etc. are open
-Have long, exhausting days with little to no breaks
-Will most likely have to eat with the kids and serve them lunch
-Have to deal with parents a bit more. Expect phone calls on the weekend about how many stickers you gave Billy.
-The kids take a ton of energy. These kids have not been socialized at all yet, and they don't speak English.
-Have to do big messy projects involving science, arts and crafts and cooking. Personally, I have no dexterity and can barely make a paper airplane.
-Weekend work is much more likely. Things like speech contests, performances, graduation, open classes and any other events for parents are held on the weekend.
-Field trips
-Excrement
-Illness

There are probably many more positive aspects than what I listed. I really liked my kindergarten classes my first year here, but after one year, I just didn't have the energy to do it again.

sesyeux · Joined: 20 Jul 2009 Location: king 'arrys

thanks for the replies. i've got a lot of younger siblings/cousins so i've kind of grown up being a walking climbing frame / activities organiser / toilet..
i'd imagine it'll be similar to that. maybe a few more stickers and verbs, but pretty much the same.
jokes aside, from what everyone has said i think i'll prefer kindy to the more rigid older teens / adults side of things. yeah there are a fair few minuses, but the pluses make up for that, from my point of viet anyway. i've just returned home from travelling, and the month spent teaching little kids in cambodia was one of the best experiences of the entire trip.
to the poster who asked when i was hoping to make it out - asap. once everything has been stamped, signed, dipped in carbonite, i'm set to go!

jhuntingtonus · Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Location: Jeonju

kinerry · Joined: 01 Jun 2009

kindy was the best of them all

they actually like learning some days

it's when they get older that they start to ignore you or get violent and loud

sesyeux · Joined: 20 Jul 2009 Location: king 'arrys

oh..i'm looking for jobs and as someone said earlier, there doesn't seem to be that much of a demand for kindy teachers outside of some specific window..
looks like it'll have to be high school kids after all...

laoshihao · Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:55 am Post subject: Kindy=pre-school

In my school, kindy equaled pre-school. My kids were American age three year olds. I thought I was coming to teach five year olds. So be careful to know exactly the age your getting when you say yes to kindy classes.

Snowkr · Joined: 03 Jun 2005

I would agree with Wylies that you are best to avoid "kindy" here.

However, that said- I've taught nearly four years in Korea and worked with high school students and I currently work with adults in a government teacher training program, which is an awesome position for me.

I started in a kindy/elem. hogwan though and looking back, I have to say that teaching the little children was the BEST experience.

Kids here are wild, like anywhere else, but if you can get into a good hogwan that is well managed where the director keeps a tight reign on students AND parents, I think you'll have it made. I miss the kids I used to work with soooo much now.

So don't rule it out completely, but try to get references from other native speakers who have worked in the "kindy"program you are looking into. I took the job at my former hogwan because the recruiter had very strong references from previous foreign teachers, and I never regretted it.