Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rudyflyer]

This is going to sound really bizzare complaining about too many days off (and no you can't have my job) but I do have a question here for my fellow univ teachers.

This semester the number of classes canceled here for class trips, picnics, etc has really jumped. We either get to class and find nobody there or when we are assigning homework we are told "teacher next class not here, camping trip". In one of my classes we have only met one full week ONCE since midterms (our classes meet twice/week, so most of these weeks I've had them once during the week) with a standardized curriculum/standardized exams it is getting particularly maddening when you lose important days especially in the run-up to the final.

At our monthly staff meeting yesterday we brought this up to our boss why this is happening more this year. Our bosses response shocked us. She told us the students decide to go on an outing (our classes are grouped by major) then tell the dept chair that they are going and the dept rubber stamps it. Basiclly the inmates are running the assylum here. Yeah we have declining enrollments and they need the students but this is getting crazy no discipline here.

this going on at any other univs.?

[The Lemon]

[Mody Ba]

Yeah,rudyflyer...it happens...not just at uni's and not just in Korea, either.What really rubs the wong way,though, is to get to class,find only one or two students there.who insist they want a lesson(I teach adults)...and sometimes wind up teaching one student for two hours.
What you are talking about happens a lot of places...not just in Korea.

Another thing that really bugs me,though,is when they change the schedule but do not notify the teacher.On the other hand, if you do not show up for class without notifying someone in advance...

[Mody Ba]

For the word police and other purists out there.......

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

So one day, about a third of the way into the semester, I go to my classroom and find no students. Figuring they're all late for whatever reason, I proceed to sit there and grade papers all period. Not a single student ever showed up.

Next day, I get a note from the Director telling me I missed my class, and I will need to make it up. I fire back (very quickly) a message pointing out I was in my assigned classroom at the assigned time and no one ever materialized. I worked the hour and I will be more than happy to make up the class if he is willing to pay me for the extra hour's work?

Later that afternoon, I receive another Director missive advising me the classroom had been changed (no reason given) and I should have been aware of the change. I fired off (very quickly) a response asking how should I have been aware of it? He calls me (things are escalating) and says, "The Office had been aware of the change and had advised the students, but had failed to advise me. Please make up the class."

Being the agreeable sort, I did. I scheduled the make-up class. Unfortunately, I forgot to advise the students of the time, place or date. No one came. I was there. I really was.

[dutchman]

We have a 15 week semester and our classes meet once a week. Two weeks are taken up by the midterm and final exam. Another two weeks are used for review before each exam and we have one week scheduled as an activity. If the class goes on MT, cancels class due to festival, misses class because of a holiday etc, they simply lose the activity week or the review week. We've had very little problems about being informed. If I ever came to class and the class was missing (without having informed me), I would wait 30 minutes, mark them all absent, go back to my office and read Dave's board for a while (or I might just sit in the classroom and do the same thing). No complaints.

I have another question though. How many office hours does your university require you to do? We have to do nine hours a week (with 12 hours of teaching).

[The Lemon]

We have to schedule 6 hours/week - 4 in the daytime, 2 in the evening.

[rudyflyer]

We don't have to maintain any office hours but since we live on campus people can find us and our students have our email addresses.

besides the only furniture the univ supplies for our offices is a desk/chair and a computer. no chairs for students, no printer nothing else, we have to buy that stuff.

[indytrucks]

Firts semester at my uni is always a cakewalk, almost to the point of absurdity. This, from a 16-week semester, of teaching English department exclusively:

Week 1 - Introduction/Orientation week. Outline course material, books, grading scheme. About 1/4 of students actually turn up. I don't even bother with the register.

Week 3 - M.T. See ya. Get blind drunk somewhere in Gangwon-do.

Week 7 - Overview of Midterm. No teaching of new material.

Week 8 - Midterms. (marking them is a b!tch, however)

Week 10 - May/Sports festival. See ya. Get blind drunk on/near campus.

Week 12 - Graduation trip. See ya. Graduating students get blind drunk in Cheju-do.

Week 15 - Overview of final exam. No teaching of new material.

Week 16 - Final exams. (marking them is an extra b!tch)

This is not to mention the other holidays during semester (ie. Arbor Day, Buddhas b'day, next week June 6).
Excessive holidays? Maybe. Do I love my job? Definitely.

[rudyflyer]

another question, how long is your semester? Ours is 15 weeks INCLUSIVE of final exam week. Finals for us are June 9 and 10

This 15 week semester I think we actually "taught" maybe 9 weeks

first week: organization, maybe half the students show up since many don't even register until the second/third day of classes

week 2: teach a full week

weeks 3-6: at least 1-2 classes canceled/week due to various MTs

week 7: review/study day/conferences, half week off

week 8: midterms, half week in the classroom, yeah grading is a pain

weeks 9-13: holidays(week off for M-Th classes), festival (half week off), class trips/pictures/picnics (at least another half week off depending on class).

Week 14: review/conferences, see week 7, also holiday

week 15: finals, again half week in the classroom. I try to get grades posted in the classroom by the end of the week.

yes, I think there is a "week 16" the M-Weds after finals are "make up class days" for the nat'l holidays/classes canceled by teacher illness etc but nobody has them

yeah I wouldn't trade this for a hogwon either, just frustrating when the admin talks about beefing up standards here and they have so much time off

[Anda]

I'm working at a high school and I'm finding that there seems to be more and more non classroon activites happening. Last month I had about half the month off due to students having tests, a school trip plus a couple of other things on.
I keep myself sane to a poiny by writing short conversations for teaching and going on mountain hikes. Um, and yes, posting on here along with keeping up to date on when the end of industralized society is going to take place.

[Medic]

With all your spare time don't you guys pick up some extra work on the side.

[lucretzia]

Being new and all, I have to say I was slightly gladdened to see that I am not the only suffering at the hands of a Director with absolutely no communication skills. I've just finished my third friday and I'm guessing that they don't teach at my school on a friday... it seems to (not according to my timetable!!) be Picnic Day.

There is nothing more frustrating than sitting in your classroom, dry-wipe pen in one hand and all your fun activities for the lesson in the other, only to not have a single person turn up!! (and get told afterwards!!)

[panthermodern]

Is it at all possible that the "holidays" in question are to keep the Korean Profs happy. Rather then giving the professors more money they just shedule a bunch of outtings for the kids...

Thus, the classes that you had to "make up" are due to the fact that they (the uni) cannot justify the expenditures for the "foreign EFL staff" because they are not trying to make you happy.

Just a thought...

Unis are really part of the riddle of Korea follow these steps:

1) Korean Unis have to hire foreign teacher because they cannot find the staff of the same "quality" domestically.

2) Korean Unis (I will begrudgingly admit) try to find the best qualified people possible.

3) What attracts the foreign teachers to the unis are the holiday and hours , ie: the lack of teaching hours and days.

4) Thus the korean universities recruit the "best" possible people yet they do the least.

This strikes no one, but me, as odd.

Perhaps the powers that be should try to get the biggest and best to teach more, at a yonger level so that Koreans might actually LEARN something when it is easier.

BTW: I have a 4 year honours BA from a well repected Canadian Uni, I have 6 years exp in Korea with a clean employment record (six finished contract and no problems legally or other wise), currently holding a "middle management possition" within the EFL industry here in Korea ... I work a lot (24/7) and I get paid "well" ...

BUT ... I am really thinking about a paycut for a stress cut ... WHY ... one word glass ceiling. (ok thats two) not hiring me for math.

PM me you lazy uni bastards .... (Im just kidding, about the bastard part)

CYA

[kimcheeking]