Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

Ghost has been shortlisted for a job as a teacher trainer for future to be Korean English teachers. The salary is around 2.5 million won, and 40 hours a week, under the direction of the Korean Ministry of Education.

Has anyone worked in a similar position in Korea? The job involves curricumlum development, and actual teacher training of Korean teachers. Also, visits to schools and many other duties. Busy, busy job, with free housing as a perk...but one thinks very busy, from the job description.....a job with heavy responsibilities.

What do you think about the salary and the job in general?

ghost

[zappadelta]

Having worked in the public school system for the past 2 years, all I can add here is that those ministry people ask and expect a lot out of you. If you know that going in and are cool with that, go for it. Could be an interesting and new kind of experience.

[antoniothegreat]

when they say "busy" i would take that as 10-12 hour days as routine and no extra pay. lots of teachers make that salary working far less hours. but if this sounds interesting to you, go for it. i know i would be intrigued, but not willing to take on so much extra work for that pay. if they bumped it to 3.5, i would, but i really doubt they would pay real money to a foreigner.

[PRagic]

Pay rates won't go up in this country if qualified people continue to take low paying jobs that expect more than outlined in the job description. 40 hour weeks for 2.5? You have to be kidding.

Here's an idea...a freebie. Some people with MAs in TESL with their CELTA/DELTA need to teem up with some people with their Ed.D.s. Form a teacher training company and run seminars. Could be about anything, really, but seems that English teacher training is a hot one. Take it around the country. Charge by the head. Local governments/school systems will pay. Why allow them to continually undercut market value for services obviously in demand?

Good luck. If you do this, buy me something nice when you cash in.

[maryb]

I had a similar job in 2002. It was Seoul Education Training Institute (SETI) through SMOE. You arrived at 11 but didnt start teaching unti 3PM. Classes ended at 6:40. You developed all of your own materials and they, inturn, created textbooks out of your lessons.

I was teaching high school English teachers. They would sign up for a course that would further their conversation skills. Most of the teachers only wanted a chance to speak in English outside of the typical textbook language. My lessons were usually on social issues concerning Korea.

I enjoyed the work. It was great teaching people who generally had a good grasp of the English language. However, they would throw questions at you that I, personally, hadn't an answer for. For example, What's the difference between and bog and a swamp?

[blackjack]

[the_beaver]

[PRagic]

Start a consulting company!!

[ddeubel]

I heard it through my grapevine that SMOE has hired a firm to give teacher training to foreigners. I'm already doing a little of that. Never heard of anything for Korean teachers though. Is it through a particular district or head office?

I'd love to know and good luck about the job. If you do get the position , PM me and I can give you lots of practical lessons and ideas --I taught TEFL for a number of years and always focused on the practical stuff -- which is what Korean teachers need, to weed them off the diet of the book, test, repeat etc......

DD

[spliff]

You can work at a public school and do a few privates and you would make close to 3 mill a month w/ much less hassle, why could you be bothered?

[stevemcgarrett]

Ghost:

As a former teacher trainer myself (although not in Korea), I can say that it can be a very rewarding experience professionally.

Having said that, if your employer really expects you to put in 40 hours a week for that salary, well, all I can say is, tell them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine. Barring expletives, just turn it down.

Slave labor has been abolished in Korea to the best of my knowledge.