Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jellybean]

Hey

After researching this site for a while I've decided a Hagwon is the best place for a newbie to commence teaching in Korea. Smaller class sizes and initial support are important to me.

I'm wondering if any of you can recommend a good Hagwon (I know some of you will scoff at the idea of a 'good' Hagwon) where I could start off.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any positive, helpful feedback.

Thanks
JB

[chessmaster9000]

Hello,

I cannot really suggest any reputable hagwons. Don't work with my hagwon. I suggest surfing around http://www.efl-law.com/ This website does reccomend some recruiters. If you decide to use a recruiter, post the contract in this forum. Other members will help you. Grotto will offer his fine services. Working with a hagwon is a 50/50 crap shoot. It's a gamble. Before you come over, make sure your contract is solid. They will throw in some deceptive clauses which will make your life hell.

[Son Deureo!]

I can't recommend any specific hogwons either, but here is a guideline for what conditions you should look for as a bare minimum. Anything less, and either ask for more, or walk away:

2.0 million for 120 teaching hours/mo
free non-shared apartment
roundtrip airfare from and to the nearest international airport to your home
block shift (no more than 8 hours between your daily start and finish time, get that in writing)
health insurance, 50% of premium paid by you, 50% by employer
Monday-Friday schedule, NO SATURDAYS
2 weeks vacation
all national holidays off (no need to make them up)
any overtime is optional, paid at the rate of 120% of your standard hourly pay


Make sure you talk to current and/or former foreign teachers at any hogwon before you sign, and accept no excuses. Brand new school and you'd be the first teacher? That's also a tough situation for a newbie teacher.

Good luck!

[The Kung Fu Hustle]

^^^ What he said.

I think it's really difficult to recommend a reputable hagwon, as the names, conditions and owners all change so frequently. You'd better just be patient and hunt around for the right one.

Other important factors:

NO phone teaching.

NO weird deposits on your house that may or may not get returned.

120 hours work = a month, not every four weeks. Unless they pay you every four weeks too

[Homer]

Son Deureo,

That list of yours should be mailed to every newbie automatically!


To the original poster, I would ad that you need to be reasonable in your expectations (not naive but reasonable) and that your most important source of information on a job should be the other teachers who work there. Only they have concrete information as to the work conditions at the school.

Best of luck!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Yale Academy in Daegu and Wesley Academy in Bucheon are two that I've heard almost nothing but good things about. Yale pays well but you have to work Saturday afternoons and they prefer experienced teachers.

You'd be best trying to find a hogwan that has such a good reputation it has a waiting list and expels children who cause problems. That seems to be a key to quality. Hogwans are directed completely by marketing strategy and the few that use this strategy soung by far the best.

[poet13]

hello all.
not really a newbie, 11 months into my first contract, but i saw a couple of items addressed here that i was going to query/post about.

1. my contract was signed on march 2nd, 2005, but i didnt get my visa and stamp (Fukuoka) until march 8. Until what date am i legally bound to my hagwon? March 2 or 8?

2. My contract states that apt will be provided free of charge except for maintenance and phone bills. What constitutes maintenance? heating oil and electricity or repair of wear and tear?

3. is there any law in korea that states regardless of whats stated in the contract, more than 120 hours will be considered as OT? my contract states that i will be paid each month (though the pay date gets fudged regularily), but that + 30 hours each week is OT. it means that in the weeks there is a holiday, unless i work + 6 extra hours in the four remaining weekdays, i dont get paid. The six extra hours are free work as they are part of the 30 hour week.

3a. does it matter if there are five full weeks in the pay period? for the first six months of my contract, my employer worked month to month. then after a five week hit with a pile of OT (most of which wasnt paid using grade 5 logic), she switched to every four weeks. as a result, she is falling behind. still paid on the same day each month, though the pay period is up until a date further and further in the past. I know shes playing funnny games, but shes not technically violating our contract as she still pays on the same day each month, though not on the date stipulated in the contract (the 2nd).

4. my employer wants to extend my contract, not sign a new one. is there a difference? as i understand it, with a renewal, the severance pay must be given, but with an extension, the severance can be kept until the employee leaves, but for a six month extension, the severance is prorated. correct? Also, I understand that with an extension, the visa issue is simply a trip to immigration. Question. With a new signed contract, does that necessitate (sp?) a trip out of the country?

I have had problems (every paycheck is short but very difficult to figure out cause the accounting changes with the time of the day) with my hogwan throughout my contract, and during the period when i orally agreed to extend, my boss was being particularily nice (she pout a computer and internet in my classroom). Since then however, the same ol' same ol' problems have resurfaced, and i have reconsidered. However, I will not break my word. I dont play like that. I want however, to rewrite our contract, cleaning up the ambiguous language, the nonsense (i can be fired for discussing my hours or contract with anyone), and a bunch of other stipulations that i think are fair...
such as.
money in lieu of ticket.
detailed wage statement showing all deductions every month.
all monies from first contract to be paid by X date (2 weeks after exp of 1st contract) or the new contract is null and void.
LOR should both parties agree to terminate early.
if the employer cannot provide at least 100 work hours for 2 consecutive months, employee shall be released (with LOR) to find competitive employment.
etc...
I dont think she will agree, and that may be my out.

opinions, flames, links?

[riley]

To the OP, the first and primary rule is to try and talk to teachers who have worked there. It may not be accurate, but it will give you an idea of what to expect.
Another thing, being a newbie, it may be easier for you to work at a place with a lot of foriegners. I don't know you or how well you can adapt, but working somewhere not in a smaller city and not isolated by language could make it easier for you.
Remember, if you want to work with adults, split shifts will probably be necessary. Most of the basics have been covered, but remember, some of what we have written is our view.
****
Poet13, How long are you extending your time? If it is going to be 6 months, then you may need to sign another contract anyways, so you can stipulate in it what you want. You won't have to leave the country. As far as the apartment maintenance goes, what are you paying right now? Has there been any funny business?
Honestly, though, it sounds like you are unhappy and should not stay there. My guess why the owner put a computer in your classroom is because the owner knows you are leaving. It sounds like the owner might be nice but not successful. This could cause problems for you later.

[poet13]

Hello Riley
My employer has asked me to extend for six months. I cant do longer cause i have to renew my passport. Expires in the fall.
My boss takes 100K for maintenance, though when my family (wife and baby) is here, (twice for three months each time), she takes an extra 100,000/month. To her, this is for heating oil and electricity. The apt here is a prefab metal box on the roof of the building. Its actually quite nice. 4 bedrooms, 2 bath, balconies on two sides. the employer owns the building as well. Trouble with the heating cost is that it sucks oil like theres no tomorrow to keep it warm. I turn the therm to 18 during the day, and 25 at night. Price of oil in korea is apparently very expensive this year. Employer suggested that this months overtime would be deducted to help cover fuel costs. Not happy about that and told her directly (though not rudely or loud) that she takes 100K a month as a flat fee and that in the summer she makes money off of me as my electric is reasonable. She has done some funny stuff in the past. Come to think of it, if shes tagging me for 100,000 a month, then i should not have had to pay for the two gas bottles i used this year. She ordered one for me, and charged me 50,000. I ordered the next and paid 26,000.
THe computer. well, the school moved from two floors to one. they rebuilt a few walls, and in the room that is now my classroom, there was already a comptuer. They kindly left it and the connection in there. Its a great teaching tool.
I think the only reason the school is still making money is because there are only two teachers here, (one foreigner, one korean) and maybe 80 or so students.
Heres the rub,
I dont want to leave my city. There are few hagwons here with foreigners. I know of less than 6 foreigner teachers here. Its a very small city, maybe 125000 people, but its agricultural (i was a farm boy), clean, safe, and i have korean friends here. I do some writing (poetry) and translation/interpretation with a man here which is very satisfying. I have been publishing regularily, and at least in my province, am becoming a little better known.
The other part is that i understand the bext university hiring season is in the fall...to start in mid february, beginning or march. I would like to do a six month extension, spend a few months at home, and then come back to a new position.

[VanIslander]

PM me for advice.

[Jellybean]

You guys are AWESOME and that's not a word we Aussies use a lot. I appreciate all the ideas, advice and names of possible Hagwons.

Totally awesome

JB