Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jonkellyca]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me any pitfalls or horror stories of working in the public school system.

I am comparing public vs private and it has been my understanding that working in the public is preferred.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Steve_Rogers2008]

make sure to have a good relationship with the co-teacher, cuz a good one is like gold, and an evil one is like having a curse....

[alwaysbeclosing100]

steverogers answer is the best advice you could get for success as a PS teacher........that one thing can make for an amazing experience or a total nightmare........

[oldtactics]

The downsides are posted all over the boards here - basically you're looking at up to 40 students in every class who are generally unmotivated to learn. You're working with co-teachers who range from super helpful with lesson planning and teaching, to ones who disrespect you in front of the students - and then there's also co-teachers who do nothing besides stand at the back of the class, if that (which can be a blessing or a curse).

You're usually the only foreigner at the school. You're expected to attend at least a few school dinners a year, even if you don't get along with your coworkers/don't understand any Korean. Understanding and respecting the system of authority in the workplace is absolutely essential to your survival in a public school.

You're spending about 20 hours a week + up to 4 full weeks a year sitting at your desk deskwarming, sometimes in an empty school.

In highschools, at least in my province, you're generally teaching without a textbook, so you're making lesson plans/worksheets/powerpoints for hundreds of students a week, all of whom are at different levels of comprehension and motivation. In middle and elementary, you're using textbooks that have been pre-selected and are often not ideal teaching resources (mistakes, etc), but you have to design your lessons around them anyway.

Public school is not easy.

ALL THAT SAID, I have enjoyed teaching public highschool immensely, and I would absolutely do it again if I had to start over from the beginning in Korea. I recommend doing some reading online about classroom management and about teaching methods - I wish I'd done more before I got here, because I learned a lot on the fly and made some mistakes at the beginning. I don't have any statistics, but it seems, at least in my province, that the number of public school teachers that re-sign for another contract is way, way higher than people who do multiple years at a hagwon. The job security, in my opinion, makes everything worth it even on the bad days. I feel strongly that it's a good experience for expats as well because you learn a lot more about Korean culture and education than you do in an in-and-out hagwon.

Read the boards here, there's so so so much written about public schools - I'd also recommend checking out youtube for videos from current and former teachers. Good luck!

[ThingsComeAround]

steve rogers, oldtactics +1

Your year is what you make it mostly. I've seen people get burned out not from the number of students, but from the politics and mindgames that occur on a daily basis here. You'd better be able to let BS roll off you and keep your chin up after a K-teacher talks smack. They do it to each other, so don't start thinking "its because I'm a foreigner". They want to see how you react to adversity through petty arguments and inconvenient delays. Not everyone does this, however things are more often done at the last minute in a public school, so if you made plans with friends and your head teacher (or anyone above) says you are staying late- guess what? You like your job? YOU STAY LATE

Seniority gives you confidence (and George Costanza style excuses) to get out of things like this, but you must weather the storm the first year in, fish

[Xuanzang]

Look forward to more weeks of winter and summer babysitting...ahem I mean camps. They just do keep adding them on.

[Epik_Teacher]

I keep seeing and hearing rumors Feb 2012 as the end date of EPIK. A recruiter friend said the same thing. EPIK has come and gone several times since 1996. Towards the end, the conditions get worse, the contracts get much more legalistic and picky. I think we're seeing the end of this cycle of EPIK. If they are going to bring in Indians, Singaporeans and Filipinos, the pay will plummet and Korea's desirability as an ESL spot will collapse. Especially if viewed from in light of a world wide economic crisis that is coming.

Just like the "Golden Age of ESL" in Japan was in the 1980's and early 1990's, IMHO, the Golden Age of ESL in Korea is nearing it's end. That is, if you can call anything in this rat race country "golden!"

[TheUrbanMyth]

[bcjinseoul]

[jvalmer]

I won't believe it until it actually happens. Certain regions have the option of not going through EPIK. I believe many just assume it's the whole country when it could be just one area that decides to take another approach to their english education.

By just taking a look at the EPIK site both Jeolla provinces and Chungnam don't really use EPIK.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[D.D.]

If you can take working in a messed up system and not being able to have much input to improve it then it won't bother you. If you are a person that likes to live big and with passion for your work this system will eat up your passion. I tried but left after 2 years because my energy was wasted.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

[Epik_Teacher]

[cert43]

Yes.esl is almost over in Korea ( Thank-God).

Let this ridicoulus E-2 sharade come to an end already. It only brings the Korean economy down and
Iam sure the government made up it's mind a long time ago..
( it just took awile for everything to come ahead).

It will only be Kyops, Koreans and Foreign Spouses there...

Iam 90% percent postive that we can see this happening. :?as stateside Koreans have said the same thing even here.