Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Vision]

I've been offered a job with PALS LAB Gunpo in Seul by Mathew Kim M&M recruitment.

My most important question is if; Anyone has heard of this school & Is there any service that you can get to check out a school before one signs the contract?

The hours are 9.30 - 6.30, they say that it is only a 30 hour week, are they excluding the 10 minute sections between classes?

M&M recruitment, does anyone have feedback on them.

AS always thanks for your help, it is very appreciated.

[mog]

Post your contract. A lot of people *coughgrottocough* like to rip into contracts. If one hour=fifty minutes is stated in your contract, that's what it is.

[chronicpride]

I worked at a Pals Lab once for a stint, while I covered the gap for them between the outgoing teacher date and the incoming teacher arrival. Not the same one. They are a smaller franchise throughout Korea. As every school is shaped by the owner, a lot of the framework and structure is the same, so this is what I'll comment on.

I really loved the kids, even though a few of the kindy classes were too much. 4-5 yr olds. What the hell do you do outside of color and keep kids from crying? Oh, yeah. Wave when their parents are looking in the window at you, watching you color with their booger-eating kid that just pissed himself for the 3rd time that morning, to show how killer-advanced their kid is going to be, to beat everybody else's kid into Seoul National University. Director discreetly gives you the thumbs up for the Kodak moment and collects the monthly 400,000/won from the parents.

Pals Lab says 30 hrs class time, usually. But they expect you to be there for the duration. With exception of 20-30 minutes, if you scarf down lunch quick (which you have to eat with the kids, performing lunch crowd control, unpaid) and tell the kids to 'bali mogah!', so you can run out for a smoke.

You start off with song time, breakfast snack with the kids, individual kindy classes till lunch. Lunch with the kids. Small break where the kids run and play and you run out to do whatever you can for 30-40 minutes. Come back. Story time. One more class of kindy. Then in comes the elementary kids to take you until 6. Burn out. Some days, I was off at 4, some at 6:30pm. Depending on the schedule. The recruiter seldom has the exact schedule, just the framework. Talking to a teacher there will get you a good idea.

Very disorganized books. Scott Pearson (blech) series. Might not be the same books they use in Gunpo. Ask them about their books and lessons. Better yet, get a foreign teacher on the line and ask them.

In short, I was nodding off at 10pm. If you hang out with other foreign teachers throughout the week, you'll see them able to last longer, as most will work a 2-8, 3-9 schedule. Something to think about. Kindy for 4 hours saps you. Then you are hit with another 4 hours of elementary.

Unless there is something really sexy about it (salary, location, perks, etc..), I'd take some time to think it over.

Mind you, please don't let my testimonial alone sway your decision, as every school is different. My school was very small, only 2 foreign teachers. So schedules were a little unflexible. Talk to the school, ask questions. Talk to the teachers there, ask questions.

[Vision]

V informative, thank you.

[mindmetoo]

Your subject line makes no sense. Remember you are coming here to teach English.

[justagirl]

Chronicpride gave a great response-sounds like good advice to pay careful attention to.

Will the mornings at your school be kindy classes? Unless you love 3 and 4 years olds, have tons of patience, and tons of creative ideas, I wouldn't sign on for this job.

Another note, is that the hours are from 9:30-6:30....that's 9 hours a day! Even with an hour off for lunch, that's not a good schedule in Korea. 2-8 or 2-9, etc, is much better. I know you're going through a recruiter, so they're just offerering you what they have.

[kelly]

theres a few threads on here about M&M recruiting to be honest from the sounds of things I'd stay well away!!! As for your job, do you get time off for lunch, whats the salary and housing, and what other benefits do you get....if you get nothing but mini breaks, it'll be a long long day!!Good luck!!

[chronicpride]

There are 4 threads on M&M on here that are currently doing the rounds. All from the same teacher. Subjective, at best.

As with any recruiter, go with your gut. Something doesn't feel right or you feel uncomfortable, move on. Doesn't take much to say 'no, thanks' in an email, if you don't like the direction of where things are headed.