Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Great Toad]

I turned down 3 extra classes a week that were to be taught at the local education center on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think EPIK may become discouraged by my lack of motivation for this but it was just a pitiful amount of cash - maybe an extra 300-350 US Dollars a month. And they were expecting me to transmat myself to the education center from my school after it ended- which is silly as my one school would still want me to stay until 4:30 giving me barely anytime to traverse form the school to the Education center. Besides which the 3 classes would be aftr school and therefore kill my day into the dinnertime hours- which would be a drag when it got warmer and I wanted to bike more...
On the other hand i am pondering that the Powers that Be will become indignant that I am refusing to do the Hagwon type extra classes... But it is a lame deal for me because they would NOT be paying me overtime hours just a base hour class pay of what regular Korean teachers get... I assume these sorts of things are frowned on by The Big Bosses who see me as a useful English speaker who is now refusing to take a paltry amount of extra pay and teach some 'especially gifted' children...

However I have become disillusioned with the extra class situation. I had to teach ALL of January (the exact amount of allotted days in my contract with the exception of my guaranteed vacation days) and it was a total drag.... I did innovative games, songs, crafts, power points, and art related lessons... and still there would be 4-5 kids whining and complaining and hating that there parents forced them into to my January classes... I did not give in and do the super lame movie in English 'lesson' but at times I was tempted to...

Anyway after recalling that I am in trepidation about ever teaching 'exrta' classses again that are far past the school time or on the semester breaks- given as a fact I can not refuse to teach on the semester breaks... however I can and have rejected this wayyyy after school dinner class ... and somehow I feel myself a fat lazy pompous jack ___.

Am I wrong? Have I run to far to get home? Maybe I should contact them and agree to do it but I will feel myself doubly a fool when I get a bunch of grumpy, sullen, uncooperative students hating that there mama has commanded they do the dinnertime English class with me at the education center rather than allow them to go play soccer after school with their friends....

So the question is What would Dave do? WWDD? or you?

[RMNC]

There's very little amounts of money that could get me to teach any more than the bare minimum. I wouldn't do it.

[ThingsComeAround]

give them a counter-offer and make them turn you down.

Or say you have Korean language class. Since they float BS your way, just return it

[Epik_Teacher]

They offered me W1 million to teach 2 extra hours a day. Unfortunately, the hours are hours after school and end nearly at 10pm. Effectively turning it into a 14 hour day. Not worth it...........

[nathanrutledge]

My school just told me they expect me to teach 4 hours a week extra - after school classes at a technical high school, Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8 PM. I laughed out loud and said that was not going to happen.

"But your contract says that you have to do up to six hours overtime."

"Well, technically it says I can be asked to do it, and this is actually about 8 hours overtime, considering that I can't really leave the school and do anything on my own between the end of the day and the beginning of the after school class."

I'm a member of a professional development organization and we meet every Thursday night, and my co workers know I've been doing this since before I started working here.

I can definitely feel the love.

[The Great Toad]

Right like you said if they ask me again maybe I will ask for more- but I doubt I will get more as the other waygooks will not -

and as to overtime I think you can be made to do it - in the school hours - but I think they can not make you work outside the 8 hour a day time frame unless you want to... but I do not know your contract...


I don't know the thing is when I was in university I would have been pleased to make 90,000 won - 80 dollars - for 3 class hours of work but now that I have been working for years and am wellllllll out of the red for years a bit of extra money- 350 dollars or so a month - is not worrth it when you are talking into the night hours.

At the same time I feel a bit bad because perhaps I am being selfish thinking I would rather go for a ride / hike / read a book ... with that time spent every two days of the week... but then again I am thinking perhaps I go and find myself in a classroom with quite a few very angry kids thinking they would rather spend the two times a week at night outside playing soccer or acting foolish at family mart and therefore just give me a hard time and do not learn much of anything thus netting to me making some chump change for destroying two nights of my week...

maybe I need a very old and wild eyed teacher to come up and demand me to do it because it is my duty and I must sacrifice for the good of Korean students...

[jonpurdy]

For curious PS teachers, most contracts say that you can be asked to teach up to six extra classes per week. This is paid overtime (for EPIK, 20,000/hr) and you may or may not be able to refuse, depending on your situation.

Any classes outside of your contracted hours (M-F, school hours) are 100% optional and generally paid at time and a half of your overtime rate.

For me, I sometimes do OT classes during regular work hours as long as I've got plenty of time to prepare for regular classes plus the extra classes. But, I never do OT outside of school hours. There's nothing wrong with wanting to bike or hit the gym or just unwind after a long day and you should not feel guilty for doing so.

[sallymonster]

If you're with GEPIK, the contract states that your school can make you work up to six hours overtime inside or outside of your regular hours, as long as they pay you at least 20,000 won per hour. Oh, and according to the GEPIK coordinators, 1 overtime hour = 60 minutes, unlike regular classes.

In SMOE, the contract has a clause allowing unlimited required overtime, as long as the school is paying you for it. (That's why I'll never work for SMOE, as much as I want to live in Seoul)

In GEPIK and SMOE any teaching outside regular work hours (M-F 8-4 or 9-5) is considered overtime even if you're teaching less than 22 hours per week.

I believe that overtime is still optional in EPIK, but I could be wrong. Read your contract.

I worked the full GEPIK-mandated 6 hours overtime last semester, most of it after 4 PM, and it sucked, even though I made a ton of money (my school pays more than the GEPIK contract rate for overtime). I felt like I lived at school during the week and I felt burnt out by midterms. It didn't help that my 2/3 of my classes had major discipline issues.

OP, if you actually have a choice in this matter, ask yourself what you prefer, time or money? Then stick with your decision.

[The Great Toad]

Thanks Sally -I prefer kind ladies use to dealing with gangs of cads who have become endowed with large piles of cash for their endurance and steadfast dedecation to bettering my beloved Hub of Aisa feel free to PM me and next time I go to Seoul to loom for cool bicycle stuff - I need some new carnac carbon shoes ... I will be sure to allow you to spen your time and well gained cash on me - I think those overpriced Itawon Indian or turkish food places would be nice - In return of course I would offer you leave to visit my far flung country land and protect you from cabbage ladies who might besmirch your western fashion... Anyhow thanks for all the advice I just spoke with the Office master by phone and they had the grace not to beg me- which was not very building to my ego but done with ease.... of course they may even now be speaking trash about my lack of motivation and selfishness with my dinner time lesure hours...