Korean Job Discussion Forums

[falco]

Yippee....only a couple more weeks and public school teaching is finished forever. My contract finishes in two weeks. No more exasperating co-teachers telling me what to do.....no more sitting around for days on end with nuthin to do......no more teaching kindergarten level brain-dead textbooks......no more putting up with co-teachers blithering on in Korean during English classes.......no more putting up with pompous asses who think they are my boss.....no more dirty looks from Korean teachers because I am not a 'real' teacher.

Hurrah!!.....back to the comfort of a haekwon....

- falco.

[tob55]

You must have really had a good time teaching in your public school? Please never tell us where it was, because someone might be foolish enough to think they could go in there and do a better job than you did...The situation sounds like it was a pathetic experience for you...Good luck on your next stint in hagwon...

[Yu_Bum_suk]

This week my students are having finals. It was exactly two years ago that I first visited my public school, because I remenber the students having finals at the time. Meeting with the Korean staff and getting the tour I remember thinking to myself that this just might be teachers' heaven. It hasn't been smooth sailing 100% of the time and I've had to deal with a few lazy and bratty students and clueless bloody idiiot rookie KETs along the way, but all in all this has been the best job I've ever had and I've just signed on for a third year. I really couldn't imagine going back to a hagwon after this, though of course I know that not all PSs are as good as mine and not everyone's best suited for PS.

(It's amazing to think that 2/3 of the students I first met have already graduated and that I have more experience at my school than six of the Korean teachers. )

[tob55]

I am on my third contract as well, and like Yu_Bum_suk my experience has been very good for the most part...

[falco]

Hmm....my post may have been a tad negative but all true nonetheless. I have had some good times here but all was ruined by one co-teacher who has been, for the duration of the entire year, a control-freak son-of-a-bitch.

I was teaching at a great haekwon for over four years and had a great time throughout. Sorry to say my experience here hasnt been the same.

- falco.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[The_Conservative]

[Gamecock]

Falco,

Sorry to hear your year was bad...I hope you have a job lined up with the great hogwan you were at before, because trust me, hogwan hell is WAYYYYY worse than Public School hell.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER will I go back to a hogwan...

[some waygug-in]

Even though I am having the same problems you described, and I am not enjoying it......I am not ready to go back to being ddong chimmee of the year, having idiot directors telling me to teach a book that's 5 levels too high, having level 2 students put in with level 6 because mommy thinks he's a genius, no holidays except national holidays, no pension, no medical insurance, directors trying to micromanage my life outside of the school..etc and on top of all that, worrying about getting paid.

If you can find a good hagwan, sure it can be better than public school, but your chances of finding that good one are about the same as a fart's chance in a windstorm.

Good Luck.

[falco]

"If you can find a good hagwan, sure it can be better than public school, but your chances of finding that good one are about the same as a fart's chance in a windstorm."

"Good Luck."

Hey man...I understand where your coming from, believe me. But there are more good hagwons out there than you think and I think I may have found a good one to return to.

I guess part of my problem was that I was at the same hagwon for 4 years and had a ball. About the only problems I ever has was the director not paying on time on a couple of occasions. Compared to that this last year at this public school has been drag and, as I previously mentioned, a very tense relationship with a (total) control-freak co-teacher has made a lot of the time here unpleasant to say the least.

Some waygug-in...if your not enjoying it get out. Its not worth fighting with people who dont give a damn about you or what you do. The only reason I've stayed in Korea teaching is because I've enjoyed it.

- falco.

[Gamecock]

[Jizzo T. Clown]

I have a CT who's a bit of a control freak. In today's class, he asked that I change my lesson plan 2 minutes after the bell rang! But I've gotten used to stuff like this so it was no problem.

If he wants to be a control freak, fine by me. I let him do most of the talking and teach when needed. It's only 50 minutes at a time. I've learned in my short time here (but over years of work experience in public service) to be as accomodating as I can to my colleagues. I accept them for what they are, and allow them to play the role they choose.

This does not however mean that it's good to be a doormat. There is a line but fortunately no one has crossed it (yet).

[falco]

[falco]

[some waygug-in]

I hope your hagwan works out for you.

If it really does turn out to be good, please let others know.


I am not really sure what to do, if this situation gets so bad that I have to quit....I think I may be heading back to the great white north for a while.


I need some time away from this lunacy.


As far as letting them use you as a doormat goes.....

I was hired as an assistant teacher, if they want me to be a walking tape recorder, it's not really worth my while to start a war with them over it.
I know teachers who have tried to fight for control and even if they were successful, they ended up alienating themselves from the rest of the staff and in the end, created more problems for themselves.


I'll just do my time and move on.

Thankfully, only about half of my co-teachers are like that.