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grimley
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 10:19 am Post subject: Social Worker looking to work in Special Needs School |
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Hi,
I'm currently looking for ESL teaching jobs in Korea. I have no teaching experience but in my current job as social worker here in the UK I work with young people with disabilities and am regularly working with schools and providing assistance for their education. I have training in autism and challenging behaviour.
Does anyone know anything about special needs schools in Korea or the like? Is going to teach English my only option or would my skills and knowledge as a social worker get me any other type of work? |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Korea doesn't really acknowledge special needs, so probably not. |
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cert43
Joined: 17 Jun 2010
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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I know. They don't have anything for people or animals'.
Peanuts' had the hardest time over there ( he requires special things to
be done) and it just wasn't good for him.
and people have needs to, you know?  |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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northway wrote: |
Korea doesn't really acknowledge special needs, so probably not. |
?
My school of about 150 children has two separate special education classrooms, and my city of silghtly under 50,000 even has a private special education school. Within my school I see substantial efforts taken to include special education students in school activities where ever possible. |
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matthews_world
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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Public elementary schools would be your best bet as educationally challenged children are allowed to attend English classes.
Such students are shuffled off to technical high schools when they get older.
There are already quite a few teachers here with similar training already in Korea wanting the same opportunities as you but options are limited. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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Fox wrote: |
northway wrote: |
Korea doesn't really acknowledge special needs, so probably not. |
?
My school of about 150 children has two separate special education classrooms, and my city of silghtly under 50,000 even has a private special education school. Within my school I see substantial efforts taken to include special education students in school activities where ever possible. |
My school has multiple students who clearly have learning disabilities but won't be straight up with their parents about it. |
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grimley
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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northway wrote: |
Fox wrote: |
northway wrote: |
Korea doesn't really acknowledge special needs, so probably not. |
?
My school of about 150 children has two separate special education classrooms, and my city of silghtly under 50,000 even has a private special education school. Within my school I see substantial efforts taken to include special education students in school activities where ever possible. |
My school has multiple students who clearly have learning disabilities but won't be straight up with their parents about it. |
?? Straight up with their parents? A learning disability is not something you can hide. Most people are told by someone else or are diagnosed as having one, in this part of the world. Their families and people around them can then support them in education and in other areas of their life. Are you trying to say that there is absolutely no awareness of learning disability in Korea? |
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Fox

Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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northway wrote: |
Fox wrote: |
northway wrote: |
Korea doesn't really acknowledge special needs, so probably not. |
?
My school of about 150 children has two separate special education classrooms, and my city of silghtly under 50,000 even has a private special education school. Within my school I see substantial efforts taken to include special education students in school activities where ever possible. |
My school has multiple students who clearly have learning disabilities but won't be straight up with their parents about it. |
Well, if that's true, I don't know what the difference between your school and my school is. I do know, however, that my school is not unique with regards to its special education programs; many schools in town have them. Special education is clearly both understood and practiced in Korea. |
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ThingsComeAround

Joined: 07 Nov 2008
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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grimley wrote: |
My school has multiple students who clearly have learning disabilities but won't be straight up with their parents about it. |
?? Straight up with their parents? A learning disability is not something you can hide. Most people are told by someone else or are diagnosed as having one, in this part of the world. Their families and people around them can then support them in education and in other areas of their life. Are you trying to say that there is absolutely no awareness of learning disability in Korea?[/quote]
Yes. |
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Kaypea
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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If you can find out which schools specialize in special needs kids, you should apply to those for sure. I don't know about non-teaching jobs for people who don't speak Korean, in general (except if you work for a big company and get placed here).
Send emails to a bunch of recruiters and see if they know anything about special education schools.
Also... As other posters have pointed out, there may be many children in the public school system who have special needs. Sometimes I wish I had special needs training! The problem is, sometimes the class sizes are quite large, so it's hard to give special attention to certain students. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Retired
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:53 pm Post subject: Re: Social Worker looking to work in Special Needs School |
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grimley wrote: |
Hi,
I'm currently looking for ESL teaching jobs in Korea. I have no teaching experience but in my current job as social worker here in the UK I work with young people with disabilities and am regularly working with schools and providing assistance for their education. I have training in autism and challenging behaviour.
Does anyone know anything about special needs schools in Korea or the like? Is going to teach English my only option or would my skills and knowledge as a social worker get me any other type of work? |
Unless you can speak Korean it's probably a safe bet to say that teaching English is probably your only option (at least judging from the limited information in your post). |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 7:26 pm Post subject: |
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grimley wrote: |
Straight up with their parents? A learning disability is not something you can hide. Most people are told by someone else or are diagnosed as having one, in this part of the world. Their families and people around them can then support them in education and in other areas of their life. Are you trying to say that there is absolutely no awareness of learning disability in Korea? |
It's something you can pretend doesn't exist, which is frequently the case in Korea due to the potential shame a family has if one of its members is learning disabled. |
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ticktocktocktick

Joined: 31 Mar 2009
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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northway wrote: |
grimley wrote: |
Straight up with their parents? A learning disability is not something you can hide. Most people are told by someone else or are diagnosed as having one, in this part of the world. Their families and people around them can then support them in education and in other areas of their life. Are you trying to say that there is absolutely no awareness of learning disability in Korea? |
It's something you can pretend doesn't exist, which is frequently the case in Korea due to the potential shame a family has if one of its members is learning disabled. |
I had this connversaion with my c/t a while back. Bascially there are special schools, but the parents have the right to keep their kids in mianstream schools if they so desire. |
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grimley
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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ticktocktocktick wrote: |
northway wrote: |
grimley wrote: |
Straight up with their parents? A learning disability is not something you can hide. Most people are told by someone else or are diagnosed as having one, in this part of the world. Their families and people around them can then support them in education and in other areas of their life. Are you trying to say that there is absolutely no awareness of learning disability in Korea? |
It's something you can pretend doesn't exist, which is frequently the case in Korea due to the potential shame a family has if one of its members is learning disabled. |
I had this connversaion with my c/t a while back. Bascially there are special schools, but the parents have the right to keep their kids in mianstream schools if they so desire. |
Ok Thanks for the advice guys. I expected there to be a different outlook on disability than what I'm used to working with, mainly! Looks like, as I suspected, English teaching will be my only real option at this stage but hopefully as someone suggested I can get a job in a school that deals with special needs - would be good to get an insight into how other cultures deal with disability etc.... anyone know any good agencies to send my CV/resume to? |
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warmachinenkorea
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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There are special schools here but you've gotta find them. I've had and have some kids with major and minor LD and they are over looked or put in the "low level" because they score low on a test. Many of these kids would benefit from a SPED class or lesson modification.
From my observations the kids with LD here are not recognized as having LD. I've got 5, 2nd grade, MS girls who I see once on Monday afternoon and I would beat 6 months salary they all have an LD. We do basic simple things and they do OK but in a regular classroom setting they get lost. I don't think inclusion is considered much.
Yes, an LD can be hid from most everyone. Here students mask it with humor, shyness, being outgoing, acting up, being athletic, violence, tantrums etc... Just like everywhere else in the world.
BTW, I have a SPED major and taught it in the U.S before coming to Korea. |
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