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Yellow
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
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 Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:01 pm Post subject: International schools |
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| Does anyone have an opinion on these? |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:06 pm Post subject: Re: International schools |
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| Yellow wrote: |
| Does anyone have an opinion on these? |
In my opinion, Yes!  |
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climber159
Joined: 02 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm of the opinion that they're great! |
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Yellow
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for replying! |
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sulperman
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| A little too international, if you ask me. |
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ed4444
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 2:30 am Post subject: |
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They are a mixed bunch in Korea. Some of them are actually international and others are just full of rich Korean kids with foreign passports.
Working for them is also mixed. Some of them offer pay and conditions almost as bad as Hagwons. Others offer excellent conditions that would be at the same level as school positions at home. You have to do your homework and ask plenty of questions to find out if they have a good setup. |
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thunderbird
Joined: 18 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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| i met someone who works for an international school, sounds like she does 300% more work than me for 10% more pay and cries every week about the stress. |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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| thunderbird wrote: |
| i met someone who works for an international school, sounds like she does 300% more work than me for 10% more pay and cries every week about the stress. |
Sounds like the 3 people I know in International Schools. They like being 'real' teachers (they teach more than just English) but 12 hour days and stress out the wazoo are the norm. And they really don't get paid that much more, though they do get a few weeks more vacay. |
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Nick Adams
Joined: 26 May 2005
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| Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 6:57 am Post subject: |
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In the Seoul area, $34,000 to $45,000 per year USD (depending on degrees, experience, and school) for 40 to 50 hours of work per week (plan on a lot of little extras for the students). Good vacation schedule that mirrors the U.S. school system (with Chuseok instead of Thanksgiving) but some stress. You have to act like a professional. Better to much better housing than most other teaching jobs, but people being people, they still complain. Some schools will pay all or part in USD instead of Won, or have a fixed exchange rate at a favorable rate so Won fluctuations won't impact base salary.
There are four real international schools in the Seoul area - SFS, SIS, KIS, YISS. The rest just use the name.
It's a great option if you enjoy teaching and want to move out of Seoul sometime down the road. |
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Mr. Pink
Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Mr. BlackCat wrote: |
| thunderbird wrote: |
| i met someone who works for an international school, sounds like she does 300% more work than me for 10% more pay and cries every week about the stress. |
Sounds like the 3 people I know in International Schools. They like being 'real' teachers (they teach more than just English) but 12 hour days and stress out the wazoo are the norm. And they really don't get paid that much more, though they do get a few weeks more vacay. |
I agree on doing 300% more work: I work at one and I do a lot more work than I did when I worked at a FLHS...but I would say 50% of that is ME and giving the students a lot of assessment which I don't have to do. I actually make less than I did at a FLHS, but I am new at my current school, whereas I was at my last school for 6 years and a supervisor.
About being "real" teachers: this is a huge plus that I find hard to put into words for my friends still teaching in Korean public schools or hawgwons. I am treated like a professional, and that is something that never happened in a Korean school. I do not get last minute notice on ANYTHING. There are never days when someone comes to me and says "I need xxx done before the end of the day, sorry for the late notice I just found out from the principal." That never happens. I have my own classroom and I am 100% responsible for what occurs in there.
I don't think I get more vacation days than my last job, but what I get are students who can speak English properly. No more broken sentences and headaches trying to understand my students. All my colleagues speak ENGLISH...it is the language of the school and thus all meetings are conducted in it. Host country staff MUST be able to speak English if they work outside the menial tasks such as cleaning women and security guards. This means if I go to the office to settle something like pay, they all speak English fluently. This reduces a lot of the stresses of working in a foreign country. Work is like a bubble within the host country and I love that.
Surprisingly I am not as stressed as I was when working at a Korean school. I have a bit of stress due to the demands of keeping up with my workload and making sure I do great lessons, but it isn't as bad as the constant stress I had before. I have no one looking over my shoulder all the time. There is no constant gossip about the "foreign" teachers by the host country staff either.
I usually do 10hr days and some work on the weekend, but it is my first year. Next year I'll do less as I will have 3 of the same classes and thus only one new prep.
If you want more money per hour, stay in a Korean school. If you want something that will advance you ahead when you go back home, work in an international school.
Oh, and about benefits: the benefit package is way better than any Korean schools has: Airfare for me and my family, 100% medical insurance, professional development allowance, moving allowance, settlement allowance (and some schools giver 1000-5000 dollars for this!!!), and some schools have private pension schemes as well.
Something to thing about for those looking to join. |
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