Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dyc]

Would it be better to get a "good" hakwon job or a job with EPIK/GEPIK/SMOE as a first-time teacher in Korea?

I plan to have a TESOL cert by the time I'm ready to go which will give me a teaching practicum, but other than that the only other experience I have teaching is volunteering to teach conversational English.

I know some people who say they would be able to help me find a hakwon gig, or at least refer me to people that are currently working at hakwons. But it's hard not to be sketched out by all the horror stories that surface here on Daves.

Public Schools are always made out to be head and shoulders above hakwons, but I'm not sure I'm confident enough to basically make my own lessons for ~30 kids, whereas in a hakwon I'd have a curriculum and 1/3 of the students.

[Totti]

I've taught in both. Depends a lot on your co-teachers at a public school job and your boss at a hagwon.

Plus and minus points of a public school:
+paid on time
+ Generally more secure
+22 hours teaching a week at most + classes get cancelled a lot so you can teach less
+ 4 weeks vacation
- big classes ( up to 50 students depending on location)
- Desk Warming
-Camps

Hagwon
+ small classes
+ less time in school
+ work with other foreigners ( can be a minus as well)
- more time teaching, so you'll feel burned out after awhile
- less secure
- less vacation
- more discipline problems

I'd say Public school would be better. You have a co-teacher to discipline the kids if they get out of hand. Alot less work overal as well.

[lifeinkorea]

Afterschool jobs are also worth considering. They are like a hagwon job at a public school. The good thing is that you don't have a hagwon owner or principal to worry about. There will be a manager from an organization who will hire you and discuss issues as they come up.

Since you work at a public school, they only come to the school 3 or 4 times a year. You spend more of your time working with your co-teacher. The managers I worked with knew English well enough (they had to in order to hire me), and this determined everything for me. If you don't see eye to eye with the principal, hagwon owner, or manager then don't take the job.

The principal is the least likely one to know English, so you have to speak through the head English teacher until you meet your co-teacher. The hagwon owner will usually know basic English and should be able to help you with simple things like getting a bank account open or choose an apartment. The manager will usually have another person under them doing all the leg work. They might know more English and do 90% of the communication between you and the organization.

[jphill9990]

So do most public school jobs not give you a curriculum at all? Not even a book to go by? Being a first timer I would be a little apprehensive, like the OP, about coming up with that on my own. From what I read though I would in reality have only a few lessons to plan a week...is that correct?

[Totti]

[different]

I think newbies should go to hagwons.

At a public school you'll have to make lots of your own activities or even make the whole curriculum (if at a middle school or high school). The Korean teachers will not do it, despite the contract calling you an assistant. Experience is really important. I wish EPIK etc. would only hire experienced teachers. Even teachers with 3 years of experience and a TESOL certificate aren't that great, usually. In my opinion, a public school job is the most challenging of any of the ESL jobs in Korea.

At a hagwon you'll probably have a curriculum you have to follow. After a while you might realize it's not a good curriculum, but would you be able to do something better in your first two years?

Afterschool jobs have nice hours, but again, you have to make lots of supplemental activities, and prepare those for 5 different class levels 5 days a week. Do you really think you could do a quality job?

Go to a hagwon if you're a newbie and want to feel like you're actually useful to your students.

[lifeinkorea]

[different]

[different]

[lifeinkorea]

[different]

Heads up: While you posted, I was editing my previous post and made it slightly harsher. So re-read it and respond to it more if you want.

Anyway, in response to your last post: I can see unpredictable attendance hampering your plans to cover X amount of pre-selected language items per semester, but that's actually not so important, and what does that have to do with planning activities vs. "seeing what happens"? In a class with more than 6 students you NEED activities or else the lesson becomes really inefficient and of little use to the students.

Maybe you meant that you have a repertoire of activities ready and choose them based on who comes to class. I sure hope that's what you meant.

[Illysook]

If you have money for your own plane ticket, go with a public school. If not, go with a hagwon. Your TESOL course will teach you the basics of lesson planning and it's going to be a lot of trial and error after that.

Larger classes don't have to be scary. You are doing the same thing for the most part. You will just need a thicker skin when it comes to discipline problems. Sometimes your co-teacher will help you, sometimes not so much. You learn to pick your battles and roll with the punches. Resort to movies and bomb games when necessary: Presenting new vocab with a handout and requiring the kids to use the vocab while they play a bomb game that had some language that I'd previously presented which was not on that day's handout actually impressed my main co-teacher. I may do it again!

[Totti]

[dyc]

Thanks for all the replies! Basically, it sounds like a crapshoot eh? Wonderful!


Would the larger (~50 students!!!) classes for public schools be in larger cities? In other words, would I have smaller classes if I apply out in the boonies?

I do think I'd prefer a public school job, but I wouldn't discount a good hakwon gig.

Do you think a TESOL cert would prepare me for a public school gig?

Also, I don't think I've seen an afterschool job posted before... when are they usually available and where (city wise)?

[lifeinkorea]