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kart
Joined: 25 May 2005
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 Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:26 pm Post subject: Wonderland Geojedo Island? |
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Ok, so I've heard all these horrible things about Wonderland schools. But any specifics about Wonderland Geojedo? Thanks!  |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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I have heard good things about several different hagwons here on the island. (I would easily recommend several.) And I've been here since 2002.
So I know what I'm saying when I say...
I heard nothing but bad things from the Wonderland in Gohyeon, the city centre sort of, for the island.
I even know why they are looking for a new teacher, and it ain't good. |
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kprrok
Joined: 06 Apr 2004
Location: KC
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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I work at Wonderland in Jeju, and even I've heard bad things about that branch!
PM van islander, he lives there, or used to (not sure if he still is) or Shawner88 (I think that was his screenname) as he used to live there too.
KPRROK |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm pretty sure that's the "Wonder School" that Shawner88 wrote about in his book Island of Fantasy. If so, RUN! |
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Swiss James
Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:22 pm Post subject: |
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although to be fair to the place, he did get a novel out of it!
http://www.lulu.com/korea |
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harryh
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: south of Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 5:52 am Post subject: |
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| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| I'm pretty sure that's the "Wonder School" that Shawner88 wrote about in his book Island of Fantasy. If so, RUN! |
It certainly is the one in the book.
I worked there, and it was the worst job I've ever had! Also, Shawner got his descriptions of the boss and his wife absolutely spot on.
Just like Vanislander, I know why they are looking for a new teacher, as the last teacher to leave that there is a good friend of mine. |
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kart
Joined: 25 May 2005
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| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 7:04 am Post subject: |
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| well aren't I glad I put this up here for discussion!!! Sounds like a pretty horrible situation, one I do not want to get into. Now quick question, would the directors wife be Pamela? Thanks for all the input, and we'll keep looking for something better!!! (If you know of a good school that has availability for a couple PM me!) |
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kart
Joined: 25 May 2005
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:25 am Post subject: |
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| Is the name of the school Koje Wonderland? |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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The name of the island of ������ could be romanized any number of ways, including Koje and Geoje. The ��/do part comes from the Chinese character for island, so it could conceivably be dropped off.
In other words, yeah Geojedo Wonderland and Koje Wonderland should be the same place.
Even if I'm wrong, I'd still suggest steering clear. As a chain, Wonderland has pretty much the crappiest reputation in Korean ESL. At best, if you work at a relatively honest Wonderland (of which there do not seem to be very many), you can still expect long hours, low pay, shared housing, and a crap curriculum. The worst can be downright criminal in their treatment of their teachers.
Check these threads for more details, and by all means do a search on Wonderland for yourself:
| Son Deureo! wrote: |
I think it's fair to say that Wonderland, as a chain, has one of the worst reputations in Korean ESL. I freely admit that I've never worked at one myself, mostly because of this reputation. There may be exceptions, and as with most hogwon chains each franchise has independent management that is allowed a lot of latitude. I know that any minute now someone's gonna flame me telling me that they worked at a good Wonderland somewhere, but based on the horror stories I've seen I'd never risk it.
You say you did a search on this board, but in case you didn't find these, you may find the following threads useful:
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=16430&highlight=wonderland
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=5044&highlight=wonderland
And of course, the now classic Prisoners of Wonderland page:
http://www.geocities.com/prisonerofwonderland/
Be sure to click on the "Experiences of Others" link on the POW page. The experiences there are categorized as "Good", "Bad", or "Indifferent".
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Good luck in finding a good job. |
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harryh
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: south of Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 5:26 am Post subject: |
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| Geoje and Koje - same Wonderland. |
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kprrok
Joined: 06 Apr 2004
Location: KC
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| Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| Even if I'm wrong, I'd still suggest steering clear. As a chain, Wonderland has pretty much the crappiest reputation in Korean ESL. At best, if you work at a relatively honest Wonderland (of which there do not seem to be very many), you can still expect long hours, low pay, shared housing, and a crap curriculum. The worst can be downright criminal in their treatment of their teachers. |
Boy, you're not too quick are you? You're starting to sound like that gopher idiot who tells all the new people to just avoid Korea b/c it's not a good idea. Telling someone to avoid Wonderland in general is as stupid as telling someone that the moon is purple.
NOT ALL WONDERLANDS ARE BAD. Yes, there are a few bad ones, but there are over 100 throughout Korea. There are thousands of hakwons in Korea, some are bad, some are great, some are mediocre. To tell someone to avoid a chain that is not run by the central corporation but rather by franchises is just ignorant and childish.
Let's look at your statement...even at a good Wonderland you would have long hours, low pay, shared housing, and a crap curriculum....allow me to point out your errors. My Wonderland has the highest salary that I've found down here in Jeju. Yes, lower than Seoul, but it's good enough and it's worth it to be here on the island. Shared housing? Nope, mine is single and great. Crap curriculum? There is no set curriculum except for a couple of our afternoon classes. Long hours, maybe. I start work at 9:30 and finish at 6:30, but that includes an hour-long lunch break and a 2-hour break in the early afternoon. I like it.
The thing everyone, newbies especially, need to realise is that 99% of the stories you hear online are from bad experiences. The people with good times, good schools, etc. won't post because they're happy and there's no need. The only posters are those who are upset, stupid, or vindictive because they feel they were slighted.
Blanket statements like your "avoid all Wonderlands" are no help and you really shouldn't make them. Only gopher's "avoid Korea b/c it stinks" is worse than that.
KPRROK |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2005 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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Congratulations on finding a good Wonderland. I'm happy for you, really I am.
| kprrok wrote: |
| Boy, you're not too quick are you? |
Wow! You're so proud of your dodgy hogwon chain that you feel the need to resort to personal insults against total strangers to defend it. I hope you feel good about yourself.
Kart, or anyone else who reads this thread is a grown up and can make up their own mind about where to work or where not to work.
I never said "all Wonderlands are bad", but Wonderland's reputation did not come from out of a clear blue sky. By your own admission, Wonderland as corporation makes no effort to monitor the quality of its individual branches, and as a result many have fallen into decline. Franchise by franchise, Wonderland owners cheated and robbed from their own teachers to make it so over the course of several years.
I've heard enough evil Wonderland stories from people I've known that have worked at them, I'd sure as hell think twice before ever working at one. People I've known have been stiffed on pay, given crappy shared housing, and in one case even expected to continue teaching in a Wonderland while there was a fire and the management was outside waiting for the fire department (these teachers were on the 3rd floor and management thought they'd be fine because the fire was only on the 2nd floor  ).
Go to any blacklist site, and you hear the same kinds of stories coming up again and again from Wonderland.
Never happened to you? Cool. It sure seems to be an exception, though, don't you think?
If you haven't already, go look at the Prisoner of Wonderland's "Good", "Bad", and "Indifferent" sections of reports from other current and former Wonderland teachers. Even the few "Good" stories don't sound like places I want to work. 10-11 hour workdays, crappy curricula, forced to work as soon as they got off the plane, and shared housing. Hell, even your own description doesn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement, a 9 and a half hour work day with no curriculum? For less money than an average Seoul kiddie hogwon? With single housing, it sounds like a tolerable first year job, and you're willing to put up with it because you like living on Cheju. I'm glad that's working out for you, but I'm sure you know there's better out there, even in the kiddie hogwon world.
By the way, I knew ONE person who was genuinely happy with his Wonderland and signed on for a second year. He made no bones about the fact that he had found a diamond in the rough. And sure, I might consider working at that Wonderland, but only because someone I knew and trusted endorsed it. Wonderland's reputation as a chain is so craptacular that nothing less would get me in the door of any of their franchises. |
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