Korean Job Discussion Forums

[timhorton]

Why do people take jobs at hokwons?

[Skippy]

Because they can.

Come on details. This is a "How long is a piece of string?" question.

[YTMND]

[gdn35]

Some people prefer the hours. They like having a long lie and think the 2pm to 10pm schedule is more suited to them than the 8.30am to 4.30am schedule.

Other people might take the jobs without realising what they're taking. Lack of research and a dose of naivety could be factors.

[iggyb]

You have more control of your hakwon classes than in a public elementary school or other that makes you follow a textbook or only gives you 10-20 minutes of time leading the class.

Oddly enough, I found hakwon work more like teaching...

I'd love a coupling of hakwon freedom with the amount of time you have in public schools to prep for classes.

[viciousdinosaur]

[iggyb]

Yes, outside the classroom in a hakwon is unbearable - and the number of classes per day grind you down to a nub.

[northway]

[iggyb]

I should have added - besides having too many hours each week in the classroom, the lack of long breaks harm how much teachers can accomplish and students can learn.

After working in hakwons, I understand why public schools have schedules like they do.

[JustinC]

Why do people take jobs in McDonald's?

[young_clinton]

You're much more likely to get a Hogwan job in a large city which means that you much less likely to have to commute to a public school in a rural area. Commuting becomes a major issue for some teachers. I have seen teachers drop like flies over the rural commuting issue or the rural nothing to do issue.

I was a good teacher and I stayed two years at my rural school. It sort of makes me wonder why the schools would want a pretty blond dancing monkey instead. The individual that they acquired before me was from New Zealand and stayed 3 days before he did a midnight run. But I guess you wouldn't exect too much reasoning on this issue.

[byrddogs]

A lot more people will be asking this very question soon when the ps system weeds them out. For those that got in while the getting was good (ie...first job in K-land) have fun with that.

[likeanyother]

[lemak]

Hasn't this topic been done to death?

For what it's worth I personally far preferred my time in hagwons to public schools in Korea. But I was lucky enough to score 4 or 5 great ones with supportive bosses and only one crappy one.

The small classes were far more manageable and hence progress more noticeable. A lot of freedom to teach what I wanted.

More westernized environment unlike the public schools where it's really up to YOU to adapt to Korea(ns). In my hagwon experience other than the secretary usually everyone who worked there could speak fluent English, had lived or studied in the west. Made problem solving a bit more simplified.

Easier hours. Don't know who's taking these hagwon gigs that require 8 or 9 hours, but mine were always 6 hours max. Often more like 5 or 5.5. Always blocked together, therefore no real dead time. Take out the 10 minute breaks every hour and that's only something like 4.5 or 5 hours actual teaching a day. No deskwarming.

Sleep ins or time to do banking, shopping, doc visits, exploring etc in the morning. Earliest I ever started was 2pm. Latest I ever finished was 8.45 or 8.50pm.

Able to negotiate directly with the boss about things like pay rises, vacation time, changing textbooks, moving students to different classes, fixing broken TVs etc. rather than it going into some big monster government system. Of course it's not always approved, but at least you can talk directly with the guy able to make the decisions.

Anyhow, each to their own. This is just my take. There are a huge number of great hagwons out there. I think some people get burnt at one, or have never worked at one and just hear horror stories and assume that's what the whole private school system in Korea is like. It's not.

[iggyb]

I worked in hakwons 1996-2000 - so it's been awhile.

The general schedule was 6+ 50-minute classes a day - sometimes blocked - sometimes with a hour inbetween classes here and there.

The more you go over 6, the harder it is. And noticably harder with each extra class tacked on.

I also had a couple of hakwons that would add adult classes at night which would increase the work load. Another sometimes shipped us out to adult classes during the day - which would increase in class hours and traveling time.

In the public elementary school I did last year, the average schedule was 4 40 minute classes a day. I was only given charge of 10-20 minutes out of that.

The average day began at 9 and was finished by 12. Left school at 4 PM.

Each hakwon I worked in had different start times, but they all finished around 10 PM. I think the last one that was only kids finished at 8 or 9 maybe. Can't remember exactly.

The public school job was much more boring. The hakwon jobs much more exhausting.

Some public school jobs back home have 50 minute classes - with teachers usually having 5 classes a day and 1 hour for prep. That is a full, tiring load.

People use to 40 hours a week regular jobs might scoff at the idea of 30 hours in a classroom being so hard, but in class your always on and having to control 25+ students.

I prefer public school jobs back home that are a block schedule - with 90 minute classes - teaching 3 classes a day. You can do longer activities that don't require stopping-and-starting multiple days. You can also do more activities than your primary one that takes up the bulk of the class.

50 minute classes are more focused. You get em in, get em started right away, and get em out. Sometimes I might prefer that pace, but I like the 90 minute schedule better if it is only 3 classes per day.