Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kaox0018]

What are the jobs for summer camps like?

About when do they hire for (I heard not until July)?
Are the camps like like some American ones where most of the times kids are running around, there's no structure, and teachers are always on the run to keep kids in line?
How easy is it to get one of these jobs?

I'm planning my year right now and appreciate any info. I'm currently hoping for one of these so I can get a taste of what Korea is like and to see how hard it is on a vegetarian. much thanks.

[sock]

What are summer camp jobs like? They're like being the slimy carney workers at a run-down county fair where all the kids are on cocaine, with no adult authority figures in sight (except for you), and you have to be responsible for them 24/7.

Just kidding.

They do tend to be disorganized, or worse, unorganized. You're basically given a class of (speaking in generalities based on my experience) about 11-15 kids and expected to keep them happy throughout most of the day. Usually there is some sort of conversation-type book that you'll teach either in the morning or afternoon, and then during the other block (am or pm) there are supposed to be a variety of activities to keep the munchkins having fun, or at least reasonably and satisfactorily occupied, safe, and hopefully under control.

Hopefully the preplanned activities are well-thought out and prepared for in advance, but a lot of them won't be. This is because common sense, rational thought, and preplanning are apparently op-sai-yo (missing) from the Korean gene pool. Therefore, it's a good idea to have a variety of backup plans and fun group-oriented games you can do with the kids. I guarantee you'll use them at least once during the camp.

The food is notoriously awful, no matter what kind of food you like, and if you do the camps where you're shacked up in some dorm, you often have to share a room with another teacher. Hopefully your room will be on a floor as far from the kids' rooms as possible. Before you sign, make sure you understand how many CONTACT HOURS they expect you to spend with the kids. Teaching them from 8 am until 6 pm is bad enough; some camps expect you to then do "supervisory" duty from 6 until 9 pm, and that's too much, no matter how much they're paying.

It tends to be very intense. But, despite the frustrations and drawbacks, they can be a lot of fun. I really have enjoyed the summer camps that I've done, more than I anticipated. But I was also more than ready to go home by the end of camp, too.

The camps typically run from the last week of July until around August 15-28. Some camps will start hiring as early as late May-early June; others wait until about 2 weeks before camp starts to find teachers. The better camps usually tend to start hiring sooner. As far as how easy it is to get one of the jobs, well, I'd say that if you have experience with kids of that age group, especially if you have previous experience as a camp counselor, it's not that hard. It's a matter of being willing and available more than anything else.

Summer camp is a good, although exhausting, introduction to Korea, and to what to expect from Korean children. One of the best things is that you know it's only for a few weeks, so no matter how bad it is, it's never THAT bad. It's a good way to make some good money in a short amount of time, and provided you live through it, there's usually at least a few fun memories to be had, if not from the kids, from the other hot & horny and/or insane teachers.