Korean Job Discussion Forums

[plokiju]

I'm seriously contemplating resigning from my school. I feel like I am putting up with too much. I haven't been able to sleep much lately because of the heat and noise so maybe it's just that that's making everything feel so much worse than it actually is. I just need some fresh perspective.

My days go like this. I wake up around 8:30, get to work around 9:30 and have 1.5 hours worth of Kindergarten classes, spread out between 10:00 and 1:55. One is an hour class, the other 30 minutes. I have breaks during that time. Mondays and Tuesdays I'm free from 11:45 to 3:20. The others though are like 3-1 hour breaks. What can I really do with that? Then I'm back at school from 3:30 to 8. I'm teaching 6 - 40 minute classes with 5 minutes in between. I'm the only one who teaches for so many classes in the afternoon. Everyone else does 3 hours in the morning but then they get to leave at 5 or 6. Meanwhile I have this big chunk in the day that's too small to do anything with and I feel guilty leaving. I know I shouldn't but they just give me looks when I leave. Anyways, I get home at about 8:30 or so, do nothing for a few hours and then try forever to fall asleep. When I finally do, I sleep horribly and only get about 3-5 hours a night. I feel like I'm on this downward spiral. I just get angrier and more tired everyday. I have yelled more in the past few months than I have during the rest of my life. I'm not enjoying myself at all.

I don't mind the classes themselves but some of them are a real pain. I have one where I'm sure they only understand 5% of what I say. It's a complete waste of time for everyone. I really hate the split shift, the phone teaching, the tests and the evaluations. The only thing I hate about the kindie class are the hours. I feel like I'm working from 9:30 to 8:00 everyday. I teach 110 actual hours a month but I swear it feels like so much more.

Recently though, I've been having issues with the management. First, they cut out 2 days of vacation time to help the school move so I now only have 3 days off work. They have also taken 200,000 out of my first 3 paycheques as a deposit to cover utilities for the 2 months after I leave. Why do they need 600,000 for 2 months? That seems obscene to me. We have to do occasional Saturday things (next weekend is a speech contest). We had to correct the speeches they gave the kids and then they read them and they changed maybe 2 things but the speech was basically as full of errors as ever. They really value our opinions and expertise in the language:roll: . One student's speech had a line like this 'I can get the best English lessons which Korean teachers lead. I have interaction with foreign teachers too.' As if we were just animals or something. Basically, all these little things keep adding up and it just makes me feel like I'm being completely taken advantage of. I don't want to be a doormat for another 9 months. I have a feeling my problems will just grow and multiply. My friend gave me this little analogy, stick a frog in hot water and it will immediately jump out but heat the water slowly and he will cook to death.

I realize that part of me is just whining and some of it is greener grass stuff. My friend makes more money, lives downtown, has ac, no split shifts, no phone teaching, tests, or evaluations, and he gets to sit down in class. I have some little monsters, I have to teach math and science that is way too easy and takes like 15 minutes leaving me with 25 to fill. I'm beginning to feel really trapped which is appropriate considering I work at the prisoner of wonderland school (different management, less crap, but unbearable all the same). I just feel like I could be working at a better place and actually enjoy my time here.

[Bunnymonster]

Chin up...

I feel your pain, I really do, I think you are suffering from what is known as burnout. I also feel that for me at least it was around the 3 month mark where I struggled most with enjoying myself becuase the novelty of being 'in Korea' had worn off yet I hadn't got myself sorted out with hobbies, shops etc.

To your question, your schedule sounds heavy but by no means killer, try doing that schedule without the breaks.............. 215 classes a month yeaaaahh.

I think you need to sit dwn and have a long hard think as to what you want to do, if you just came here on a whim and are happy to quit and walk away then give your notice and go, if you really want to make it work then persevere, try to get some structure to your week, take up a hobby, find ways to be useful during your breaks even if it just reading a novel.

I think not sleeping is not helping your plight either, may I suggest that air con is something you NEED. Try taking some form of exercise at night I found it helped me to wind down whilst making me more able to sleep, but then thats just me.

Life is too short for regrets or feeling miserable, make your choice and do what you think is the right thing for you, thats all you can do.

P

[zappadelta]

It sounds like you need some sex

[Badmojo]

[Derrek]

I had a gig teaching Kindergarten at Bambini that was half of your day in length (those were good times -- very nice people, mostly, and Edward was a good man). The contract was a 6-month contract, because of some previous issues I had with immigration (immigration did this to 'punish' me, but it turned out to be a wonderful thing). At the 6-month mark, the contract ended, and I had to sign a new contract but Bambini increased the hours and were going to make me serve lunch to the kids. All-in-all, it wasn't a horrible thing to ask compared to hours at other hagwons, but I didn't like having my contract made worse, so I walked. Found a high school job soon after, and am still here.

[captain kirk]

I did a job like that for six months before I quit and went to Thailand for a month, then a 3 month meditation retreat. The other foreign teacher stayed on and looked really burnt out at the end. For him it was a matter of honour, finishing the contract. But he 'won't be back to teach the kiddies again', he said. He endured, like a real trooper, excelled. But he's now sworn off Korea and teaching. As compensation, membership training, the boss took us on a trip each month. Soraksan, Carribean Bay, the DMZ. He also helped me get my scuba ticket when I arrived, the first teacher. It was setting up devotion with rewards but also being married to long hours.

[Grotto]

Sit down with the owner and explain your situation.

1.5 hours of classes spread out over 4.5 hours is stupid to the extreme.

Maybe arrange it so you teach one class and then are free until 3:30 being off from 11-330 would give you time to nap, see a movie, go to the gym etc.

But having 12 hour days is a sure recipe for burnout.

[joe_doufu]

I am having a similar problem. I just took on a 1 hour morning class (and negotiated very nice OT pay for it) at 7am every day. I thought it was a nice thing b/c it would get me out of bed at a good hour, i could get some exercise etc. My normal work is from 3:30 to 8:45pm, so i get sufficient sleep and plenty of free time in the morning. But within a week, the school added a new class ending at 10pm. So now I'm sleep deprived and my professionalism is slipping, I've been late for some classes, etc. The evening class doesn't pay much OT, just the basic contractual OT rate. So if I insist on dropping one of these classes I'm sure they'll make me drop the morning student. This is just irritating. Monday is payday so once i get the cash in my hands i'm going to have to re-negotiate with the boss. Not sure what to ask for, yet.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Sounds a lot like the job I just quit. I'd say it depends on how well you're treated, hours aside. If you're getting a lot of crap on top of the hours, I'd give my notice if you want to stay in Korea and pull a runner if you don't.

[crazylemongirl]

sounds like the schedule at my old hagwon, complete with 30 minutes of travelling time (1 hour on the way because the kids got dropped off first).

I toughed it out and left, but really it's up to you.

Suck up the schedule or get it changed and disrupt the harmony of the workplce.

[hari seldon]

The schedule sucks. It's little wonder you're miserable. If negotiating fails and you can afford airfare charges and whatever ancillary BS they tack on, I'd give them 30 days notice (documented) and look for another job. There's plenty of jobs out there.

[deessell]

[pegpig]

I say suck it up. It could be worse. Anyone who has taught adults can attest.

My 1st year:

5:30 wake up
6:30 ~ 8:30 adults
12:00 ~ 1:00 adults
4:30 ~ 7:30 kids
7:30 ~ 8:30 adults
9:00 home

If you signed the contract w/o a gun to your head, stick it out. We biatch and moan when Koreans don't stick to the contract, and then we turn around and do the same thing. It always pisses me off when athletes want to renegotiate their contract after a good year. You signed it. You agreed to it. Live with it.

You might want to try to talk to them about being more fair about the afternoon hours, if you're the only one working late. Koreans often don't see that one teacher is working more than another - or choose not to see it. I have seen and been the victim of some unfair schedules before.

The weather is also a big part. If these are your 1st 3 months in Korea it can be tough. If you can make it through the next 6~8 weeks, the worst will be behind you and you'll be that much closer to the end.

[plokiju]

[Badmojo]