Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jdog2050]

So, I quit a hagwon today, really unexpectedly, and probably screwed them pretty bad, at least temporarily.

I did two unprofessional things:

1. I didn't trust my gut about this place. It seemed pretty disorganized, but at the same time, the wacky interview (where they had me unexpectedly make a mini-lesson plan and then example-teach a student) ended pretty straightforward. The second meeting was when I knew it would go down the shitter. They wanted me to make a lesson plan...for the month. Even though work started on the 26th, and it was the friday before Christmas eve weekend when they told me. This set off my "disorganized-sub-standard-hagwon" alarm, but I said "ok, whatever, I can do it". Then, after cobbling together an admittedly shit lesson plan, I learn on the first day of work that they also want us to track student behavior, homework, and to write weekly reports. Suddenly, my 3 hour/day winter intensive job was turning into a potentially 5 hour a day JOB.

2. I left in a pretty un-pro manner. I shot them an email. I was moving into a new apartment and really didn't have time to get into a long argument/conversation.

Overall though, my feeling was this: if you're going to have a winter program, where you will knowingly be hiring people possibly mere days before work begins, it is up to the owners to have a curriculum ready; anything less merely causes potential disorganization and harm for the students. And I'm not just saying this, I witnessed it; they had hired about 7 other Korean university students to teach (quality!!!), and none of them a fucking clue what they were doing, and the manager's only palpable advice was to "play more games, the kids are bored".

So have you guys ever done a winter intensive Hagwon before? Were you given the curriculum, or did you just make it and go through the motions?

I guess I am asking for validation, because a part of me really does feel bad--I've never done this before, and have in fact stuck with a lot of shit jobs I really hated. But this time, it wasn't just me, it was the kids too, ya know?

Also, ehem, and this is for you guys, I was hired...in a manner not too good for either my status or the employers, so should I worry about immigration retaliation? Or would that easily *beep* them just as much as I?

[I-am-me]

You should just have told them what you posted then said "thank you, but no thank you." All that work for a hagwon? I thought you were at some University. Find a nice quiet hagwon..there are plenty around.

[Gamecock]

jdog,

Your post is fairly incoherent. From what you wrote I'm guessing that is the distress over your actions. I'm a little confused. Have you only worked at the position a couple of days? What is your status here? Are you on an E-2 visa? Do you have a visa? If so, you're probably screwed at immi. If there's no visa, you're free and clear.

I worked at a hogwan that, out of the blue, expected me to make cirriculum for 2 hour winter intensive classes...with 2 days notice. Usually hogwans are massively disorganized or generally don't have a clue. They see intensives as a way to crank up tuition and make a boatload of extra cash in a month, usually by having the teachers work twice as hard for little or no extra pay. So yes, what you've described is not abnormal. But that certainly doesn't make it right.

The right thing to do is to give your employer notice and quit with your head held high. With that said, if an employer is not honest with you, breaks the contract, or tries springs extra work on you that was never mentioned at the time of hiring, I believe you ALWAYS have the right to walk away. If you do you have to be prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions, and if you have a consience, you have to be able to look yourself in the mirror every day.

[jdog2050]

[captain kirk]

You didn't respond to your gut instincts early enough to give them fair warning. You're right to be leery of temporary camps and using your vibe-antenna. Some don't pay in the end (part of their being 'disorganized'). I'm sure the school probably got over it, and you don't sound like you particularly needed the job.