Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thebektionary]

I worked at a hagwon in Guri where no one really gave two #$%# about what I did during my off-hours from teaching. Before that, I worked at another hagwon that was absolute hell where the boss scorned me if I did anything other than planning or cleaning the hagwon during my off-hours.

I want to have the best possible relationship with my new public school I'm starting at on March 1st so that means of course I won't be browsing the internet or going on Facebook... but after all my planning is done, do you guys think that studying Korean is an appropriate thing to do? I am doing it now with a lot of enthusiasm so off-hours at work would give me a lot of extra time to work on it. I want to be well-liked and respected by my co-workers so if doing anything that doesn't relate to work, even if it is studying their language, would impede on this, I wouldn't want to do it.

Opinions? If you can, please make lists of things that would be appropriate to do and inappropriate beyond common sense answers like "planning" for appropriate and "sleeping" or "going on facebook" for inappropriate. What about reading?

[plchron]

at a public school the whole thing about an '8 hour work day' revolves around you being on hand in case there is some sort of english speaking emergency. once you finish with your lesson planning and if you aren't teaching class then you are able to do whatever you want, kinda like your last hagwon.

I have seen many other korean teachers sleeping, exercising, playing screen golf, volleyball, etc. at public schools during working hours. As long as you are in the building don't worry about it. go on facebook, sleep off your hangover etc. These things they don't care about.

What they do care about is that you are prepared, that the staff and students like you, and that you embrace their group activities, and most importantly that you always talk about how good korea is.

[Malislamusrex]

Pray you have your own office.

[ThingsComeAround]

YES.

I'd also like to suggest you stay active as in too busy to be in the teachers room (playing sports, teaching a class, reading in the library) gives you more freedom to do what you like.

[Luciddreamer]

[pkang0202]

If you have your own office (or a small office with other teachers), do whatever you want. Facebook, surf the internet, whatever. Also, you can walk around as long as you stay in the building/school grounds.

Depending on your school's administration, you maybe allowed to leave school. Just let someone know "I'm going to the bank" or "I gotta run an errand. Be back in later".

Some school's admin is anal about people leaving the school during hours. One school wouldn't let me cross the street to the convenience store. They made up some excuse like "You are the school's responsibility during your contract hours and if you got hurt or in an accident then we would be responsible".

My other school didn't give a crap what I did as long as I was ontime for all my classes.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Paddycakes]

Appropriate: Studying Korean, and then talking about how you love to go to Church every Sunday to study with Pastor Kim.

Inappropriate: Putting your female co-teacher's picture up on the staff room wall and using it to demonstrate the meaning of Bukkakee porn.

[Malislamusrex]

One of the guys I used to know had to share an office with the Korean teachers, he said it was hell. The biggest problem I had was deciding if I should watch game of thrones on my pc, or if I should make a day of it and put the show on the 60inch wall screen in my classroom. }
I more often than not put the show on the 60 inch screen and watched it with surround sound.

[jrwhite82]

Like hagwons it can vary by school.

If no one is complaining about you or your classes, then you should never have a thing to worry about.

Study Korean, go on Facebook, walk around the school, make something, sleep in the nurses office if you don't feel well.

Although some Korean teachers sleep at their desks, I wouldn't recommend that you do it.

Be careful with leaving the school. Some are very serious about it, others don't care. Again, I find that teachers who have no complaints about them are given a lot more freedom. Although there are a few really great teachers who get stuck with terribile supervisors.

[Rutherford]

[goreality]

Things do vary from school to school, but generally since no one is concerned about company profit, they just want someone they like. The more they like you the more things you can do that would be considered inappropriate. If they don't like you, you are doomed to being seen as a bad teacher no matter how well you teach and prepare. It doesn't matter if your students like you or not.
So to ensure that you are liked try your best to kiss butt when it comes to all things Korean and be a team player. The less you behave like a foreigner the better.

[bbud656]

[thebektionary]