Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Darl]

I teach at a hagwon, have for 4 years or so.....the same one too...I really have enjoyed the experience, but what confuses me is the attitude i get when i meet other waygooks around, who perhaps by my imagination, or perhaps truly, turn their noses up at me that they work at a public school or university............mehhh......i really enjoy teaching those little kindergarten kids alot.... they learn what you teach and it is nice to see results in your work..... perhaps the hours are worse or something, but what is it that makes public work better than mine? my boss has never pulled any crap on me, or paid me late, anything like that, i make probably more than a lot of you, less than a lot of you, but the bottom line is, i don't feel so bad by the end of the day. just a day of work.... by the way, i did a part time gig last year at a public school and i nearly went insane as a result of having nobody to speak to in english during breaktime..nobody during the whole school year really talked to me at all, except for the official school 'English' teacher, who really didn't speak it whatsoever....i just went in the staff restroom and smoked between classes and endured classtime... It really wasn't fun to me, to be perfectly honest, although the job was technically easier, because there were no real results expected of me.....I just want to know, what is better about the public sector?? is your vacation time great? do you work only a few hours a day? what is it? should i change??

[jinju]

Thats fine. Nothing wrong with hagwon work, someone has to fill those botom of the barrel jobs. Personally I would never go back to a hagwon.
-Public schools offer much better wages. Im at 2.7 PLUS officetel

-The work is much more respected and several years at a public school looks far better than having some Ding Dang Dong hagwon there.

- I effectively get between 2 and 3 months vacations as well as countless cancelled days and classes. This week along I had about 7 classes cancelled. I teach 21 40 minute classes. Thats roughly 15 hours of teaching a week. This week I had 14 classes. On wednesdays and thursdays I enjoy a whopping workload of 3 classes all day. I tell you, Im beat.

[Qinella]

Is 2.7 normal for a public school job? In Seoul?

I'm actually quite interested in hearing other responses, because I've often wondered what's so great about the public schools, too. Ultimately, I signed with a hagwon again this time because of both the working hours and working conditions, both of which make my time, while missing the copious vacation time, more pleasant in general. In other words, I opted for less benefits, I think, in exchange for a job that I actually look forward to going to every day, and have a great time at while I'm there.

I teach five classes a day, sometimes six, but it's so fun. Much more interesting than burning time in the teacher's office, I think.

So I guess I'm really curious if anyone who teaches at a public school actually enjoys it as much as I enjoy being in a hagwon, as in sincerely having fun while you're there and not watching the clock, or is it a decision made strictly for the peripheral benefits?

Q.

[TheUrbanMyth]

[jinju]

[captain kirk]

It was kind of cute because the kids sort of looked forward to The Foreign Guy, me, arriving and acting loud and getting them involved in The English. But it was also the same class material delivered to different classes. So it was the same show all week. Spraying routine English curriculum around different rooms like it was an aerosol, language paint job. Kids thought it was a cool break, though. Being in their homeroom rut.

What I liked about it was observing the personality of different classrooms. They had a homeroom teacher and so all 35-40 students lived together like a tribe in a box. Some homeroom teachers kept the class poised and polite so when I walked in there they were coached to get the most value, respectfully. Other classes had yahoo homeroom teachers that let students run rampant like crazy gerbils.

I can see how the large machinery of it, being part of an institution, could appeal. More slack than a hagwon. Because it's sponsored, public, taxpayers money and you're like a 10,000 dollar toilet seat, or wrench. The in person English catalyst aiming to cause a chain reaction of English speaking room by room until the whole school is Englishified mercilessly. If you're up to it.

[jinju]

[HapKi]

To the Original Poster-
Your post reminded me of life before I had a cell phone. "Oh, I'm just fine without one. Who needs it? Blah blah blah." And then I got a cell phone and was like, "What the heck? How did I ever live before? Why did I wait so long?"
My point is, if you are thinking about making a change, do it, if only to give it a try. Lord knows you could always go back to hagwon work if you want/miss it. And with 4 years experience, you don't need to settle for public school, either. You could give college/university a try, as well.

[Plume D'ella Plumeria]

I think I've got it. jinju is DW's sock. Seems to fit (the sock, I mean).

[Grotto]

Almost every one of my elementary school classes was well behaved. There was only one teacher/class I had problems with.

When they werent quiet I simply went out in the hallway. The teacher would follow and tell me...you uh teach Englishee now....I would reply....of course....once students are quiet! He would go in and lay down the law and I would resume teaching.....unfortuneately this pattern continued throughout the year. He never once stepped up and put an end to the misbehaviour without being prompted.

[jajdude]

As long as you like what you are doing, whatever, never mind the fools who think they're better in some way. Nice to get more money, though that often requires something extra from you, or more b.s. to endure.

[robot]

OP--

there are a lot of generalizations about hagwons, public schools, and unis.

it's true that uni and public schools get better pay and vacation time in general

but some hagwons pay 50,000 won/hour and give solid hours

whereas a ton of universities advertised on this here site pay around 2 mil/month

so fish around. figure out what suits you best.

ROBT.

[Qinella]

[jinju]

[peppermint]

Public school jobs are rapidly losing their cachet because of GEPIK and programs of that ilk