Korean Job Discussion Forums

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

If a teacher's combined teaching and prep time adds up to about five hours, but the boss feels that the teacher should stay at the school for about eight hours, who is the bigger fool - the boss for expecting too much, or the teacher for doing it?

Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:10 am Post subject: Re: Who's the Fool?

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

butter808fly · Joined: 09 May 2004 Location: Northern California, USA

hehehe... do they call that passive compliance or something? hehe

Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 5:21 am Post subject:

Take tomorrow. I will teach a 9 am, 9:50 and 10:40 class. I will be done teaching by 11:30. I have to prepare for Friday classes, that will take me 30 minutes total. I will go home at 4:40. You may think me a fool, but if you do then YOU are the fool.

Kim Jong Jordan · Joined: 13 Mar 2004 Location: The Internet

turtlepi1 · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Killing time is part of the culture in Korea.
Public school teachers have a huge amount of free time but most cannot leave even though they finish by lunch time...

(Yes Grotto...we know you could leave when you were a PST)

I don't think it is unreasonable for your boss to want you to be there.
You are advertising for him. Plus you could always be doing something to enhance the school.

I only teach 80 hours a month, but I am at school (supposedly) from 2-9.
Though my boss lets me jet in the evenings when I don't have classes.

And he don't complain too loudly when I am late getting there if it doesn't affect a class. (Even though it burns him up inside... Cool

)

But you do realize that means you are only making about $13 an hour.
Not much better than McD's Smile

but in a lot of cases more rewarding I guess. And McD's doesn't pay for your plane ticket or housing...(I was going to say but at least at McD's you get free meals...but my school pays for those too...)

CanadaCommando · Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Location: People's Republic of C.C.

I too suffer from long long days with nothing to do sometimes...

Public School Teacher
Today-Exam period. 1st and 2nd Year have exams all week. Only 3rd year classes I teach are cancelled, as they are on some field trip. Same thing yesterday. Tomorrow, I will teach one 45min class...
Even with shortened class time, I AM THERE FROM 9-1...with NOTHING TO DO.

But, whenever I think about complaining, I just realize that I am whining about something other teachers would trade me for any day.

Even on an normal 8 hour day (where I get at LEAST 3-4 hours of spare time), though I may be at school longer, I have to teach far less than many in Hogwans. And the apartment, vaca, etc etc are v. good.

Long hours of break suck, but they are a small drop in the bucket as far as complaints go....so I keep my mouth shut.

CC

Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 6:21 pm Post subject:

I LOVE my time off. Infact, I am finished teaching today:) Just did my 3rd grade class, and now, Im all free. I have all my stuff prepared for tomorrow too so I really dont have much to do in terms of preparing, mayble Ill make my friday handout:) Or I could do nothing. But one thing I wont do is complain about this. Its awesome. Certainly isnt the "7 classes in a row with 5 minutes breaks" hagwon grind.

manlyboy · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:48 pm Post subject:

I love my free time, too. The best part is that the teachers at my school aren't even expected to look like they're working in the afternoons. I just read the paper, study Korean, post on Dave's, etc. The Korean teachers sometimes come into the English room to watch movies on the big screen we have in there. They have snack parties, and generally just sit around and chat. The Principal doesn't stalk the halls. There's no overbearing authority figure watching over you like you have in hagwons. Sure I'd rather be able to just go, but complaining about "having nothing to do" would most likely result in being given something to do.

Daechidong Waygookin · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:54 pm Post subject:

McNasty · Joined: 04 Jul 2003

Last Friday I had 1 class and had to be at work for 8:40-4:40. I had all day to prep for this week and do some surfin'. It was a great day. Most of the time my schedule is jammed with classes but the day zips by. I can't complain either way since I get paid on time, I have good housing, and I actually get vacation time(unlike my former hogwan labour camps). Rolling Eyes

I can't understand why some people complain about having to put in an 8 hour shift. Isn't that what is expected of you in your home country? Wink

turtlepi1 · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

as I look around me 2 korean teachers are talking, 5 are asleep at their desks, 1 is reapplying their make -up, one is interent shopping and 10 look like they might be working.

Do I like this office time thing? Not really.

Does the cash/holidays/apartment/ and the fact that I have never had a problem nor worried about money since taking up my gig make up for it? Hell yes!

Plus whenever I need to leave early for a reason (do some banking etc.) my school has never had a problem with it as long as I let them know.

Also I think that public school classes can be demanding. I have 45 boys so I have to be 'on' all the time. Depending on where you are there are oppourtunities to slack off a lot more during teaching hours than there are at hogwons. Also I don't have a cirrculum so I design all my lessons from scratch every week.

thorin · Joined: 14 Apr 2003

What if teaching and prep time was 0 hours and one had to be on site for 9 hours? Would you get bored? I am.