Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Weigookin74]

So, where are the best places to work? Seems everyone wants to work for SMOE. But, I would think they or any major city or provincial capital would be strict. What about rural areas? Some are in between slack and strict. Some are very slack. In other words, maybe no camps or deskwarming during vacation. Teaching less than 22 hours a week. Going home at noon some days. Cities seem to be more by the book and strict. You also have to collaborate with your coteachers more and do more paperwork for classes.

So, what are your experiences? Are you rural or urban? Which province are in? (No, don't say your town. Too obvious.)

I had experienced some slackness in the past. But am in a mid sized city. Was more rural before. More strict now.

I'm Jeonbuk province.

[loyfriend]

I work in a small town called Uljin. It is the biggest town in the area. The schools outside the big city pay more. They pay up to 300,000 more a month to start.

Seoul, yo ucan start at 1.8m that be 2.1 if you live outside the major cities. In Seoul it seems you have many textbooks and a lot more structure. I am sure you have more students per class and teh option of after school classes. This can make up for the extra money you get for going to a small city.

My school though has only 30 kids a class and an 85% graduation rate into the universities. Seoul can't equal that. Notto mention we get kids who get perfect scores on the Korean SAT.

So in short, the big city does offer more excitement and after work hours. Bigger classrooms and more structure. Perhaps less pay.

It depends on what you want to come here and do.

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20100401/27275952/1

This was just recently.

The schools out here seem to have a high resign rate. I guess if you want 3.0m a month and no drama it is the place to save save save.

[Fishead soup]

Rural schools have lower standards and provide less support. You will also get students with much lower speaking ability. Knowing at least some
Classroom Korean or disciplinary Korean is an advantage especially if you have a "run away co-teacher. On the plus side their standards are pretty leniant you can succefully just parrot the book and no one will even notice. In the past Rural schools had more vacation. This has disappeared.

Big City Schools have much higher standards and better support. So you are much more chained to your co-teacher and the curriculum. Also in big cities there is a tendancy for there to be more hogwans and higher level students. If you are in a big city school you should be in a situation where the classes are streamlined and in a English multi-media room.
This gives you more opportunity to do real communicative teaching as oppossed to Edutaining.

[jiberish]

I worked at 4 Rural schools
3/4 were a joke.

1. An elementry school. 4 classes in the morning then go play with the kids at lunch outside then go home.
2. Another elementry 4-6 classes a day. More work bigger school. But I liked the teachers and still got go home after the classes were done and my plans were ready for the next day.
3. A high school. I had a random schedule. 2-5 classes a day. Half the time classes didn't come because the students wanted to study for tests. Sometime I helped them study if it was an English test. I had a room alone and no one ever came to check on me. So due to boredom as I only had to make one lesson a week. I watched an assload of movies and played games.
4. A new middle school. 6 Classes a day. Desk in the middle of the teachers office so everyone could see what I was doing. Korean teachers never helped with anything. They were very strict about everything.

Roll the dice! It is random. But higher chancing of winning an easy job in the country. But the country is pretty snoozetown if you can't make some Korean friends.

[Weigookin74]

Yeah Middle Schools seem to have the worst atmosphere. I prefer Elementary Schools and High Schools.

[Weigookin74]

I mean I have noticed Middle Schools seem to have stuffy atmospheres and everyone watches everyone else. Too much stress. I moved to a bigger city and only do middle school and don't like it. The country smaller middle schools were ok, but the bigger ones...well, I tolerate it. Maybe transfer next year. Wonder which provinces are the best?

[rookieglobetrotter]

[mogbert]

Which POEs are you guys experiencing this in?

[schlotzy]

I am loving my high school job in Busan. I have 20 hours of class a week plus one extra study class that I get paid for. Also, 3 of those 20 hours are classes with the Korean teachers, so it's basically just hanging out and talking.

I think I am really lucky in terms of my situation. I am with a public school but I didn't come through any program like EPIK. I just have a contract with the school. So, I don't get evaluated at any point during the year, and I don't have a co-teacher. I am just in the class by myself with the kids just like the rest of the teachers here. I have a lot of support from my fellow KETs. I somehow even landed in this enormous staff room with only 3 other teachers who are all in the English department. The main staff room has like 20 teachers with the vice principal in the middle. Scary!

[dirving]

[rookieglobetrotter]

[Weigookin74]

Which provinces are good? I am curious about Chungchangnam-do and Gangwon-do? These are nearer to Seoul and Gyeonggi-do? I mean for a relaxed environment.

[shelleyR]

How about rural for Yeongju in Gyeongsang ? I was told suburb....so not sure if that is the same????