Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kcat]

I've never worked in the latter but I'm interested. Opinions/preferences/pros and cons? It appears to be a bit of a trend, I see people that I've known to work in hogwans for years claiming they'd like to switch. It appears the pay is the same, I'm curious as to how people find it vs. the hogwan life.

[dulouz]

Public schools are better. There may be a good arrangement or a good director but generally hands down, public school is way better. There are a couple of different arrangements in public schools and some of those are better than others.

There is an arrangment for after school programs that you'll see. I did those and I found there were many aspects to manage but I had great time at the schools and I got my best compliments there. Schools are real schools, hogwans are franchises.

[BigBlackEquus]

I don't know. Earlier this week, I had beers with another Dave's poster who attended an open class. He said that the government guy told everyone that they have the open classes, 'Because the foreigner teachers don't have experience with how to teach and need to learn.'

He was pretty put-off by that, and had to restrain himself not to say some things he really wanted to say. His Korean teacher sometimes doesn't show up for class.

[Hater Depot]

Public schools are not the place for an inexperienced teacher. 20 classes of 40 rowdy middle schoolers makes for a rough week. Especially if your co-teachers aren't interested in helping out.

[kcat]

[kcat]

[kcat]

[kcat]

[Hater Depot]

I won't work in a hagwon. Partly because I much prefer regular 9 -- 5 hours, partly because they won't try to screw you nearly as much in a public school, but mostly because I'm opposed to the "more means best" ethos that keeps them in business and Korean students miserable.

In fact the co-teachers at my last school made me swear I would never work for a hagwon.

[kcat]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Night and day based on my limited experience. I absolutely love my public school job, and I will never enter a children's hogwan again. Get the hell out if you can if you have a hogwan job where they aren't showing you the respect that an experienced teacher who is trying deserves.

I have a couple vocational classes that are pretty dim, a 3rd-grade HS class that has finished and doesn't really care, and a MS class that be a bit rowdy, but I'd rather have a day of teaching all of these than a day of the smallest hogwan classes. With most of my HS classes I'm disappointed if lessons are cancelled. It's just so much better in every respect. But the best part is that I feel like a real teacher and not the stupid foreign English clown in some �ٺ�s money making scam.

[Rteacher]

Since most hogwans are under financial pressure, many directors tend to get stressed out - and pass it on to the teachers one way or another. At my first hogwan, the director was also a work-aholic teacher who had to vent by screaming at everybody whenever kids left for any reason. More than once, he'd storm into one of my (up to eight daily) classes after hearing some bad news and start yelling that I was a "terrible teacher" causing some kids to cry. When he'd cool off, he'd tell me to disregard what he said and that he thought I was a "very good" teacher. I soon learned not to take any of his outbursts personally, and stayed on for twenty months - while at least five-or- six Korean women teachers and one Canadian woman teacher left crying (after being screamed at...) Ironically, he didn't believe in hitting kids at all because he and his sister (another hogwan director) had been beaten severely by their mother.

So there's definitely less stress at public schools, but - at least at the high school I'm at - there's a an awful lot of beating of students from head to toe with various kinds of "love" sticks, clubs, poles, rods, paddles, etc. I feel it's not really my position to challenge the practice, but it definitely is a distraction when it's done (as it often is) during my classes by a Korean co-teacher on up to half the students in the class...Most students just seem to laugh it off, though (especially when their friends are getting it) and the co-teachers require all students to stand and bow to me at the start and end of every class (as opposed to hogwans where I'd often get attacked by kids before, during and after class...)

[antoniothegreat]

I have never taught at a hogwan, but here are a few things to consider, that I deem worthy from talking to other people.

first, a public school is not a business, it is not there to make money, so i have heard many complaints from hokwan teachers about not being able to discipline students, like if students come late, they can't be scolded, they must be encouraged. at a public school, that is much different, i dont really have to take into account that the parents might relocate their kids when i discipline them. plus for a public school, i believe our grades are much more important to be used to get into a college or highschool, so when i say this will be on the test, they focus, asap.

second, money is guaranteed. my biggest pay problem was i got paid two days late, this happened once. and you know you will get your severance pay, insurance, all that stuff.

third-vacation, i get all of february and august off. hands down. january and july i might get off, or part, depending on extra classes, but i can use vacation days to get these off, i believe hogwans get 2 weeks total off. plus we get all the little days like field day, field trips, schools birthday off.

reasons hogwans might be better-class size. i have taught classes of 45 before....

limited time. i only teach a class once a week, this makes lesson plans easy, but i feel i really can't do much to help them. some semesters, because of scheduling, i meet with a certain class only 8 times an entire semester, how much can i really teach them? hogwans i believe meet 5 times a week, if you care, you guys can actually teach some things.

dress code and stupid BS. not too big, but we have to dress decently (khakis and button up) i dont mind, but some people do. and i know hogwan people have a lot of BS, our BS is different (not worse, not better) like we have our stupid open/demo/observation classes, whatever you want to call them. in these the school craps their pants and tells you how to do your class, you fight saying that is stupid, your coteacher freaks out because some old adjossis will come wearing suits, and you maybe script your class, maybe not, then they say good job because they dont speak english and didnt understand anyways...

hope that helps...
my opinion, i would never teach at a hagwon, i am too stubborn and would get fired because i would demand too much form my contract...

[livinginkorea]

I was in a couple of hagwons before and now I'm in the GEPIK program. Enjoying it so far but the co-teacher is getting worse and worse. At least I can control the kids myself but I actually enjoyed the co-teaching as it meant that I didn't have to teach all the time and therefore didn't have to talk all the time.

About the difference, one thing that I noticed is this. I was offered extra classes and I said that my contract says 28 hours is the maximum that the school can give me. They wanted me to teach only 2 extra classes but still if I was in my previous hagwon the wonjang would have thrown a fit.

Basically too I read that they really can't fire you at a public school unless your really really useless. They would perfer you to quit of course, 'cas then that would mean that they don't have to pay you anything. I read in the GEPIK that if they fire you without just cause then you can go to the labour board and appeal. If you win then you can work in the exact same school again. Haha imagine the atmosphere then!

On the downside of public schools thou, it really does depend on your co-teacher and their level of involvement. Mine did sweet F all this week which got on my nerves.

[livinginkorea]

Also another thing is that my co-teacher has asked is a hagwon better than my school job. I always say yes. It wasn't at all but never let them think that the job ou have now is better than the last one.

Why? 'Cas they might try and give you extra work and then say "but it's still better than your last job." Never be too nice.

Also for the public school teachers here, watch your co-teacher and don't trust them as far as you throw them. I thought that my co-teacher was a nice person but recently I found out that they are filling out a form about me and my "performance". My performance is spot on but I snuck a peak at the form and let's just say I was hugely confused and annoyed. My co-teacher now is very two-faced.

Watch your back.