Korean Job Discussion Forums

[blunder1983]

I've just been informed that my winter will not be including a camp. But before I could even begin to start hoping i'd be getting the whole month off I was told I have classes at school with the kids.

I'm not that miffed tho, the classes I had in summer were masses of fun and i only had to be in school 3 hours a day.

I'm curious as to what the other EPIKers/private school teachers are expecting to be doing this coming vacation. Any of you lucky enough to get the full whack of hols?

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Still have no bloody idea. I guess I'll find out when it happens.

[deessell]

Thailand for my ten days vacation. Two weeks where I have to teach the top 20 students from 1st grade and second grade - it's only two hours a day so no big swing.

[ilovebdt]

Pass. No idea until I am told. Although, I have already hatched my escape plan

[xtchr]

I know I'm getting only the 7 days holiday as specified in the contract, but I'm still waiting to hear when/how many hours per day/what level, etc the time-filler camps will be. And if/when there are no camps, I have to be in the office from 9am - 6pm.

[peppermint]

you guys don't plan your own camps?

[Mr. Pink]

Gonna go to school for a few weeks and prepare stuff for next year, then probably do some studying and relaxing the other month I am off.

[Ya-ta Boy]

There is a 6 week gap between semesters here. Two weeks are vacation, two weeks I have to go to Jinju and be trained in teaching methods and the other two weeks I have to teach---I don't know who I'm supposed to teach or what I'm supposed to teach. I also don't know when any of these are scheduled to take place.

[JongnoGuru]

These "winter camps" (a concept I can understand given Korea's long winter break, but I think I'd hate being sent there if I were a kid) -- attendance is voluntary and the students pay to attend, correct? Is it also voluntary for the teachers? Can you opt out or do you have to stay and teach even if you don't want to? Are you on vacation or not?, I guess I'm asking.

[peppermint]

At my school the camps are free for the kids, but I work in a low income area. I have each group of kids for a couple of hours a day, we make crafts, play games and stuff so it's not awful for the kids.

The camps aren't voluntary for the teachers in my area and I don't think they are for most public school teachers. They are my favorite part of the job though. Smaller classes mean I actually get to know the kids a little, and I don't have to use the awful curriculum books- always a bonus

[thursdays child]

3 weeks, 3 hours a day with small classes from the middle school next door - marketing scheme to get em to enrol into high school.... then I have 5 days offical vacation and then...................... at the moment I'm scheduled to do normal classes but I've asked ALL the students and they all have other plans - so............ I will be told the day before i have more holidays ...they are dead against me leaving the country

[schwa]

January half-days -- 2 weeks with kids, 2 with teachers.
February mostly off -- 3 weeks vacation then a week of "planning." I'm expected to be in town that week but not my office. Might be a couple meetings.

January's the time to discuss program changes with your supervisor, if he's amenable to your input. Once documents are filed in february, your schedule is pretty much set in stone for the year.

[cruisemonkey]

I'm going to Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand and to Anchor Wat in Cambodia.

[Tiger Beer]

Philippines for 2 weeks.. a winter camp in Korea for 3 weeks.. and then back down to the Philippines for 6 weeks.

[sarahsarah]

Winter camp for 8hrs a day the first week of January.

Right after that, 2 weeks in Malayasia/Singapore.

When I get back I'm not really sure what I'm expected to do and nobody else seems to know either. I think I'm suposed to be "around" should they need me but not necessarily in the office. I could be mistaken though.