Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Koreabound2004]

Just wondering why everyone decided to teach......reasons other than money and travel ops preferably.

[Grotto]

After working as a chef for 20+ years I always found myself put in charge of people new to the business and kitchen. I found I enjoyed teaching them and was quite good at it. So I decided to go back to school and get a teaching degree.

[funplanet]

that's cool, grotto....wanted to be a chef at one point many years ago....did you enjoy it overall?

a good chef is an artist in my opinion

[ThePoet]

I was a volunteer coach for 7 years and working as a bus cleaner. One day as I was coaching, one of the other coaches said to me "Why don't you get a degree and teach as well as coach...you are such a good teacher, you really get through to them". My reply was that I thought you had to be smart to go to university. He told me to stop putting myself down and to go for it...so I did...

I always had a low opinion of myself and my ability to learn...I never graduated high school and certainly assumed I'd bomb out my first semester of university, but 4 years later, i had my degree. Now, being able to help others by getting them the confidence and abilities they always had (just never knew it) fuels my drive to teach. I never want anyone on my watch to ever think they are too stupid or not good enough to do something. One of my favorite sayings to my students has always been "If I did it, you can do it with ease!"

The reward is knowing I am making a difference to someone, as I keep thinking about how radically different my life would have been, if someone hadn't tried to encourage me.

Poet

[The Man known as The Man]

[mindmetoo]

1) I like children.
2) I like Korean women.
3) I like Korea.
4) I like Korean food.
5) After more than a decade in the computer industry, including 4 years doing the dot.com thing and watching my paper stock option millions turned into paper stock option ten thousands, I wanted to take a break.

I think it's important to come to Korea with a clutch of noble ideas. If you come here thinking "wow I get paid to party with Korean hotties", well, those kinds of teachers are going to suck as teachers. Now, however noble your ideas -- like you really want to help children or people learn English, share culture, etc. -- you must also be prepared to have those aspirations grounded by the true reality, especially if you're teaching children.

Korean kids aren't generally keen students struggling to learn English to open themselves to a greater, amazing world. They're over stressed, sometimes spoiled, and time deprived. They study english because their mother makes them study english and they would rather play computer games. And the 45 minutes a day they're with you is the only 45 minutes in their entire life they're not under the absolute control of a Korean adult. And it's play time.

[Ihavenolips]

I have always enjoyed the academic environment. After earning a MA degree I missed the energy of writing papers and conducting research. I eventually found myself employment as a social worker for the homeless population. Many of the homeless lack basic education skills needed for finding a job, therefore I discovered that my job skills included teaching them.

At the same time, I have alwayd been fascinated by the international communtity. I gravitate toward that which is foreign to me. I heavily mixed with people from around the world. Naturally, this also included volunteer work as an ESL tutor.

One day, I finally burned out on my social work job. I got sucked into a mindframe of poverty, that proved to be an unhealthy influence on me. Teaching opportunities opened up for me abroad in 1998 and I accepted them. I have more or less taught overseas ever since. In some ways I sort of fell into teaching. It wasn't my long term plan. But, I learned that I enjoy it and have talent in the classroom. Ultimately, it is the thrill of being in an international educational environment that keeps me abroad.

[OiGirl]

I love children.
I love reading.
I am not qualified to do anything else. (I am well-qualified to teach English. That's it.)

[Grotto]

I loved cooking, the look on peoples faces when they see a buffet that you set up, the comments of what a great meal that was. The satisfied feeling of knowing you accomplished something everyday.

I was good at what I did and loved learning new recipes, tweaking old ones to make them better and trying to make things look better. The reality was that it is a tough field and the pay isnt all that great for the work involved and hours you put in.

Funplanet wrote:

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

My degree is English lit, I have a Diploma of Teaching. I guess I'm a teacher. Language is what I'm good at. It was kind of a lazy choice really, just to take the path of least resistance and do what I'm naturally good at. Then again, I don't think there is anything wrong with taking the path of least resistance sometimes ...

Plus, it's satisfying, stimulating ( I teach adults ) and reasonably well paid here ( not in my home country ) ... and it involves lots of human interaction, and it keeps me learning too. English grammar is deep deep deep, and if you think you know it, you're kidding yourself. I like the challenge of that.

[Sleepy in Seoul]

I spent 8 years as a Police Officer . After I quit that, I went to university and obtained a BSc majoring in Computer Science and Psychology. While I was at uni, I had 10 Koreans, one Thai, one Taiwanese and one Japanese as flatmates. I discovered that I really enjoyed helping them learn English (far more than learning C or C++).

Also, I love teaching the children and I miss many of them when I finish a contract.

A bonus of being an ex-policeman is that controlling a class of spoiled, bratty children is usually a breeze compared with dealing with drunks, druggies and general reprobates.

Usually.

[Shaded Shadows]

I stayed 3 years in Korea with the U.S. military and obviously teachers have a better reputation here then G.I.'s. Definitely an enjoyable and exciting place sometimes so I wanted to stay and experience it from a different (non-military) perspective.

[teachingld2004]

Just like Poet, I too never graduated H.S. Quit after 9th grade. WOrked as t textile designer. It didn't matter if you ever went to school just as long as you were talented. But I decided to get a G.Ed, and then go to college. I always was a self taught person who loved to read. Worked for 20 plus years designing. Decided to free-lance for myself, and made lots of money. But no benefits and long hours. But I loved (and still do) art. I always have taught in one way or the other something. so decided while I was free-lancing to volunteer in the public school near my home teaching reading. Loved it. People told me I was a born teacher. So, went back to university and got my teaching degree, and taught learning disabled children. (hence teachingld...teaching learning disabled). Got fed up with teahing in Brooklyn, so came to korea. (pastors daughter had taught here). I love it here, and will stay proberly 2 more years. (been here almost 4). I can teach, but still cant spell. (or type well). But I use a dictionary, so that is O.K. I love teachng, and I am good at it. So there.

[laura]

Cartwheels. I think teaching as an occupation is something that comes naturally- if you like it, you'll be good at it. Of course it's a lot of hard work and you make heaps of mistakes, but you choose to teach because it's rewarding and fun. Why is it fun? The students. They're awesome little people wherever you are. They're full of energy and life, and they totally crack me up. I've taught in Australia, America, and I arrived in Korea last week, really just to see what the culutre, and teaching here is like. My Korean students are so much fun. They're really really adorable and amusing (even though I don't know what they're saying most of the time). It's awesome to be an active part of their learning progress. When I was teaching in Australia I realized how good it was to go to work everday and influence all of these growing people who probably haven't lost their ability to make life fun. One day I spotted a girl doing cartwheels down the hall. I'm pretty sure I should have made her stop, but it hit me how good it was to see that at work. You probably wouldn't find that in some uptight office job. I think teaching is valuable because it puts things in perspective, and you'll learn a lot about yourself teaching overseas.

[rapier]

teaching never stops challenging and stimulating you as a person, because every student is different.