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dctefl
Joined: 18 Aug 2012
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 Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:23 am Post subject: First Time Teacher in Trouble - Campus Changed Mid-Flight |
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So I got a job at a school in X city, got on my flight and was met at the airport by a pick up driver. Instead of going to X, he took me to Y. Turns out my school (a chain) had moved my campus without telling me or consulting me, mid-flight.
The reason. The head teacher did a midnight run because, as I've found out, things here are pretty bad. The foreign teachers are mostly unhappy and many are planning to bail soon. Going into the specific problems would take a long time, but they range from the director having some kind of issue with the foreign teachers over them not working longer hours outside their contract, to communication being so bad that the first team meeting of the semester just broke down into a shouting match between the foreign and Korean staff.
I've contacted the recruiter and told them, they said they'd get in touch with head office but no word since. Talked to the director to ask what the heck was going on, may as well have spoken to a wall.
Worst part is I'm a first time teacher, trying my best to learn fast but the foreign teachers are so busy they can't really help much despite their best efforts and their is no structure in place to help or guide me. Add the shit atmosphere and politics and I've basically ended up in a mess that I had no way to prepare for, at a school I never agreed to go to.
So with that all out there, any ideas WTF to do? It's been 10 days and I'm totally overwhelmed. My options seem to be:
1) Knuckle down and hope it gets better (unlikely)
2) Midnight run (really don't want to do this, won't do this unless the situation gets worse, if that could happen)
3) Ask for transfer to another school (preferably the one I agreed to go to)
4) Ask for letter of release and try to find another job, either now or in 6 months (the difference is whether I get my airfare, but at this point I just want to learn how to teach without this crazy atmosphere.)
Any ideas/similar experiences/advice? All input appreciated. |
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tardisrider
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:46 am Post subject: |
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I believe there may be some potential legal or immigration difficulties for you if you're teaching at a location different than the one for which you were assigned a visa, even if it's the same chain of schools.
I don't mean to worry you or to further complicate matters, but you might want to look into that in order to avoid getting fined for working in the wrong location. Good luck. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:50 am Post subject: |
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Stick it out until payday at least. If they are late on pay, then bail.
If you do stick it out longer, it will take a couple of months (at least) before
you will understand what you should be doing and probably another couple
of months before you will feel like you are improving.
Things will not get better without a lot of hard work, will power and
effort on your part.
Things that can help you, check some of the lesson ideas in the ideal cookbook.
Check out waygook.org for more ideas and plans.
Chill out, don't expect miracles overnight. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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"1) Knuckle down and hope it gets better (unlikely)"
Get Better? This is what dreams are made of. Welcome to ESL teaching.
"2) Midnight run (really don't want to do this, won't do this unless the situation gets worse, if that could happen)"
It's always good to have a crash course in leaving schools. Do you know where you might go if you do do this midnight run? It will be the same. Welcome to ESL teaching.
"3) Ask for transfer to another school (preferably the one I agreed to go to)"
This type of logical thinking will get you into trouble. Welcome to ESL teaching.
"4) Ask for letter of release and try to find another job, either now or in 6 months (the difference is whether I get my airfare, but at this point I just want to learn how to teach without this crazy atmosphere.)"
You still got some training to do. Welcome to ESL teaching.
I think you should at least get paid 1 month. See how far they go with wanting to keep you there before you leave. If you think you are not in a good spot now, wait until the honeymoon stage is over. |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I doubt things will get better. It only has potential to get worse. If foreign teachers are bailing, they're probably victims of financial fraud which is rampant in the South Korean educational system. In other words, things are already bad, but they're going to get worse when you finally get screwed financially. |
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Scorpion
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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I'm forming a band and have been searching for a name for it. I want it to be something Korea related. The OP's story has given me a great iodea for a name:
DOUCHEBAG, AJOSHIE!
Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Might make my band rather popular on the weekends with teachers who've had to put up with bullsh1t all week.
And no, the comma and exclamation mark are non-negotiable.
"Is everyone having a good time tonight? Our next band, straight from their hagwon is DOUCHEBAG...[three second pause]...ADJOSHIE!" |
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dctefl
Joined: 18 Aug 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="tardisrider"]I believe there may be some potential legal or immigration difficulties for you if you're teaching at a location different than the one for which you were assigned a visa, even if it's the same chain of schools.[quote]
Good point. Apparently the visa is tied to the head office of the chain, so that at least is fine.
Much has to do with 'what will happen next.' With everything going on there seems little way for the place to improve. I get the feeling it's a question of when, not if, I'll be convinced to move on. My big concern is how to do it i.e., which os the four options to go for.
Staff meeting no.2 on Tuesday, if there's a repeat performance of the 1st that'll motivate me to split. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Staff meeting no.2 on Tuesday, if there's a repeat performance of the 1st that'll motivate me to split. |
I am not saying this is a solid solution, but after 10 Korean teachers didn't get paid for 2 months, 1 foreign teacher leaving, and then another teacher getting evicted because the foreign teacher that left was her boyfriend (they took it out on her), I moved all my stuff into a goshiwon on a Friday.
Come Monday, they saw an empty apartment and threatened to report me to immigration unless I returned immediately. I returned, but I was a flight risk after this incident. They wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible. Other than that, I used the "I have a Korean girlfriend who wants me to be closer" sympathy card.
Since you haven't been in Korea long enough, you need to develop a relationship (imaginary or not doesn't matter). Start giving them reasons to fire you (come late to school, print stuff out in the office while students are waiting/playing in the classroom, that kind of stuff. Give them the best Forrest Gump tactics of incompetency.
Then they have a choice, give you a letter of release and let you go immediately or pay you for a month (I know I know, regulars on here might say that month doesn't have to be paid, but it's also about saving face). |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="YTMND"]
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Since you haven't been in Korea long enough, you need to develop a relationship (imaginary or not doesn't matter). Start giving them reasons to fire you (come late to school, print stuff out in the office while students are waiting/playing in the classroom, that kind of stuff. Give them the best Forrest Gump tactics of incompetency.
Then they have a choice, give you a letter of release and let you go immediately or pay you for a month (I know I know, regulars on here might say that month doesn't have to be paid, but it's also about saving face). |
Don't give them a reason to fire you. They have no obligation to give you a release letter and making them want to fire you is the worst thing you can do. They would be less likely to give you that release letter if you are doing a bad job. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| dctefl wrote: |
| Good point. Apparently the visa is tied to the head office of the chain, so that at least is fine. |
Who told you this? If it's not Immigration, it's a load of hogwash. Your visa is not "apparently tied to the head office of the chain." It's not tied to the head office in any manner whatsoever unless you were hired specifically to work at and only at that head office. Your boss is a liar.
| Quote: |
| Much has to do with 'what will happen next.' With everything going on there seems little way for the place to improve. I get the feeling it's a question of when, not if, I'll be convinced to move on. My big concern is how to do it i.e., which os the four options to go for. |
You have to go to Immigration to get your ARC anyway. Korea's government may not be the most efficient outfit on the planet, but they'll certainly notice that your application for your ARC is listing a different outfit than that for which your visa was issued. Your best bet is to tell Immigration that you need them, not the lying scum boss, to release you so you can find an honest employer.
| Quote: |
| Staff meeting no.2 on Tuesday, if there's a repeat performance of the 1st that'll motivate me to split. |
There's no if involved here. It will be a repeat. |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 2:54 am Post subject: |
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| Don't give them a reason to fire you. They have no obligation to give you a release letter and making them want to fire you is the worst thing you can do. They would be less likely to give you that release letter if you are doing a bad job. |
A release letter is worth more than firing and paying for 30 more days? When I want to leave, I give them a reason to fire me, and then they say "Ok you can choose to leave and we will give you a release letter so we don't have to pay". At a university you get more vacation time, so they wait until before vacation time to do this so they don't have to pay for that.
You say it doesn't work because it is apparent you haven't tried it. I have yet to see it not work. Currently I am doing the exact thing and moving onto a new university position for September. They said I could move in this weekend. Rent sorted.
Yes, give yourself a reason to be fired. Especially, if you are at a big school with several other foreign teachers and other staff. This means the school is big enough where the owner doesn't want to talk to you. This means they hire a manager. This means the manager has to get another teacher. This means more headaches. They don't want to hear about these problems at the top. That's why they hire a manager and have a front desk with people taking calls, handling problems with parents, and then cleaning up at night. If the manager doesn't solve the problem, they could lose their job. The manager will put up a wall between you and the owner because if you go over their head then it looks bad on them.
The owner just strolls in, in his silver shiny suit like he got back from a Gangnam Style video shoot. After making an appearance they head right to their door, one in fact had an office within an office which he could lock (bit paranoid).
If you actually see the owner of your school on a daily basis and talk to them, then by all means straighten problems out with them. However, if there is a system in place and departments (usually at universities), then there is not much to worry about. The manager will go to the owner and say something like "There have been complaints about Teacher A, and we think they should leave. Will will get a new teacher."
They say nothing to the owner about lies to get the teacher hired, nothing about payment being late, nothing about disruptive students, bad housing conditions, etc...
Also, when a teacher leaves, the school does not want to make a big production over it. It makes them look bad. Parents would wonder why the teacher is leaving and think the teacher did something bad (at best for the school), but then they would be worried to keep their child at the school.
By giving the release letter, the school hopes things are swept under the rug quietly and they can get back to business as usual (screwing other teachers) without parents noticing.
The problem you are describing is where the teacher fights back like they have rights from their home country. Then, the school feels threatened and respond with not giving a release letter. They don't say anything about pay and make the teacher fight for it.
If you are really into those courtroom tactics then don't take my advice. If you simply want to move on to the next job and not be hassled with filling out complaints get your release letter and move on.
It's a lot less stressful, and you will be making more money at the next school or have time off to make more. It's your choice in the end really.
They need us more than we need them. Just remember that. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 4:43 am Post subject: |
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| This wouldn't happen to be a certain newspaper owned establishment in Anyang, would it? |
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Waygeek
Joined: 27 Feb 2013
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| Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 7:14 am Post subject: |
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| Scorpion wrote: |
I'm forming a band and have been searching for a name for it. I want it to be something Korea related. The OP's story has given me a great iodea for a name:
DOUCHEBAG, AJOSHIE!
Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Might make my band rather popular on the weekends with teachers who've had to put up with bullsh1t all week.
And no, the comma and exclamation mark are non-negotiable.
"Is everyone having a good time tonight? Our next band, straight from their hagwon is DOUCHEBAG...[three second pause]...ADJOSHIE!" |
Err, thanks for these glimpses into your ultra-racist psyche... they're always entertaining....
BUT
Could you once, just once, maybe post a reply relevant and helpful to the OP? Cause as far as I've seen you've never actually done that.
OP, the most important advice I can impart to you is, don't panic. I know that's rich considering it's not me in the situation, but take a deep breath, look at your options, and don't be afraid to ask your fellow waygookin for help. |
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dctefl
Joined: 18 Aug 2012
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| Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 7:48 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| Who told you this? If it's not Immigration, it's a load of hogwash. Your visa is not "apparently tied to the head office of the chain." It's not tied to the head office in any manner whatsoever unless you were hired specifically to work at and only at that head office. Your boss is a liar. |
The recruiter told me when I told him I was worried about it. You cry BS. Any more opinions on this? I paid for my ARC today and will bring my passport in tomorrow, so find out soon I guess.
YTMND
Good advice. The school is a corporate branch of a chain, so no real owner, in fact it was head office who changed my campus on me. I told my recruiter I wasn't happy about the situation at the school or the decision to move me in general. He said he'd talk to the head office, a week later have heard nothing.
I plan on turning in on time, but I will leave on time. I will teach my classes to the best of my ability and all this extra work they are putting on the foreign teachers, if it doesn't get done, fire me. Either way I win. Your plan is workable. I am happy to be released right now to go find a new school.
I was told today that once I have the ARC, if I get a release I can just get my visa transferred by Immigiration. Is this true, or is there more to it? Any insight on this?
| northway wrote: |
| This wouldn't happen to be a certain newspaper owned establishment in Anyang, would it? |
No, hope you're not in the same boat my friend.
Thanks for all the input and help, I continue to welcome all advice. With the ARC on the it's way I feel settled now that I know I have to wait for it. The 2 - 3 week wait for it gives me time to see how things play out a little.
Seems to me that swtiching a school by getting released is not as troublesome as I first thought. Any insight on this process would be greatly appreciated. Thanks as ever for all the help. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2013 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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| dctefl wrote: |
| CentralCali wrote: |
| Who told you this? If it's not Immigration, it's a load of hogwash. Your visa is not "apparently tied to the head office of the chain." It's not tied to the head office in any manner whatsoever unless you were hired specifically to work at and only at that head office. Your boss is a liar. |
The recruiter told me when I told him I was worried about it. You cry BS. Any more opinions on this? I paid for my ARC today and will bring my passport in tomorrow, so find out soon I guess. |
I'm interested in knowing if the application at Immigration was completed in English or if your boss completed it in Korean. I'm interested in knowing if he put down the name and address of the "new place" (where he wants you to work) instead of the "old place" (where your contract states you're working).
I'm also interested in knowing how much of a vested interest the recruiter (he's not your recruiter, by the way; he's the boss's recruiter) has in you staying on with the boss even if the boss is fudging the alien registration.
| Quote: |
| The school is a corporate branch of a chain, so no real owner, in fact it was head office who changed my campus on me. |
Nope. That's not the way it is in Korea. Every business has a registered owner. Now, the registered owner may be a corporation, but that doesn't negate the fact that to get the E-2 visa, the school informed Immigration of the name and place of the particular school for which you were hired. The exception to that is if you're hired by the public school system.
Here's the process you were supposed to go through:
- Branch of the school (even if it's corporate-owned, it's still registered as a business itself) presents their business license, your contract, CBC w/apostille, and diploma (copy) w/apostille to Immigration.
- You submit your visa to the Korean consulate for your area.
- Immigration sends a visa control number to that consulate.
- You pick up your entry visa from that consulate.
- You enter Korea.
- Within the required number of days, you go to Immigration to register for your Alien Registration Card (ARC). Documentation required for this is: passport, medical check completed at an approved institution in Korea, business license of your employer, and a fee.
- Immigration issues the ARC.
I don't think I missed anything above, but one of the more-versed posters can fill in what I missed. The key is that your current situation is bears just a superficial resemblence to this. That's because the boss is floundering. Who knows why. Maybe he's the same owner for the branch that you were supposed to go to and the same owner as the place where you are now. It doesn't matter. The immigration law in Korea is strict on those matters. Remember, it's not the recruiter or the boss who get detained until you pay a find and then deported.
Last edited by CentralCali on Thu Jun 13, 2013 7:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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