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squinchboy
Joined: 16 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:03 pm Post subject: Any jobs for Math and Science English-speaking teachers? |
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I was just curious about this. Some of my students mentioned you could make a lot of money teaching these subjects in an all English-speaking class. Is it true or not?
I have a degree in Math, by the way.
-Thanks |
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Len8
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Location: Kyungju
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| Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting. There are students studying for the AP Calculus and AP Chemistry exams here in Korea. They take the exam in Seoul periodically.
You could advertise yourself as a teacher for those subjects and see how you go. |
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VirginIslander
Joined: 24 May 2006
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:29 am Post subject: |
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| Find a job at an immersion school. |
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FistFace
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Location: Peekaboo! I can see you! And I know what you do!
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:12 am Post subject: |
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Some unis are expanding to provide additional subjects taught in English. Japan is offering full-immersion English schooling at their top unis, and a few in Korea have been attempting to follow suit.
Can't be out-done by Japan, ya know. One more reason for Korean students to leave Korea, so they gotta offer classes here now. Often, such programs are poorly designed overnight when some dean wakes up with a wild hair idea up his butt.
They can't all find the Korean profs who have the English level to do it, and have been known to ask Western English teachers to consider teaching such classes.
I doubt they let immigration know about that one! |
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Peter Jackson
Joined: 23 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 6:58 am Post subject: Math |
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There are math teaching jobs EVERYWHERE. And you can make more $$ for teaching math.
International schools, private tutoring, etc
Good luck. |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 9:19 am Post subject: |
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I am teaching math and science for 2.0 mil won per month. It's standard fare for any English teacher here with possibilities to earn a few hundred thousand more in certain circumstances such as with over time or if you negotiate 2.1, 2.2, or something. I still can't hardly believe there are jobs for 1.9 and takers though many jobs now offer a hair over 2.0, but were offering 2.0 last winter.
This is not just English teaching, but it is teaching all the classic subjects (math, science, art, literacy, PE, music, and phonics) using English. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I taught soft science in Thailand for three years. Enjoyed it a lot more than English. |
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Snowmeow
Joined: 03 Oct 2005
Location: pc room
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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The difference with teaching math is that you will most likely be expected to have a degree in teaching. In which case, why not go teach in the UK in public schools, or in the US mid Atlantic states where they have a particular interest in math teachers.
There's no special need to learn math in English, it's the same everywhere. |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Snowmeow wrote: |
The difference with teaching math is that you will most likely be expected to have a degree in teaching. In which case, why not go teach in the UK in public schools, or in the US mid Atlantic states where they have a particular interest in math teachers.
There's no special need to learn math in English, it's the same everywhere. |
Yes, you're right. I found that since Korean kids start learning math at the age of 3, they have more advanced skills than what American books for their age level present which makes them go nuts to rush through it to prove to me they can do it. Right now, after 7 months, I got kindergarten doing 3rd to 6th grade supplement material with flying colors since the American kindergarten math books are too easy for them and are impossible to make them last a whole 49 week Korean school year.
With a math degree, I might would look into company finance departments for work or teach math in my home country while working on a masters. Of course a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA means everything these days in entering a well paying business and numbers oriented career track. They will pay for your masters in many US public schools, but the job carries many legal risks and a mountain of mental stress. I understand the US has high demand for math and science teachers, but the job is very difficult, because you're dealing with many different skill levels in the same classroom as well as a major headache with the problems of a dysfunctional culture that can easily eat you alive with a scary unstable and unpredictable legal system in place where people like parents or administrators can easily turn against you. Personally, if I stay in teaching, I would like to be an art teacher since kids love art and hands on activities or teach in college in my undergraduate area of study. Unfortunately, the good jobs such as in a college or a corporation require a masters with many years of experience and solid references due to the extreme competition found in any matured market not seeing new physical growth like you commonly see in Asian countries.
Due to the boom of bachelor degree grads in the past 5 years going to grad school, good jobs are tougher to find and take a great deal of time to land. Often, these days, most jobs in the US requiring a bachelors also requires a masters and many years of experience and still might only pay $30,000 per year, but there are teaching jobs available if you hold a bachelors in any subject where the school sponsors your certification. Of course, as long as you have something for income, you can keep trying for what it is you really want and maybe secure the means to buy a home and your retirement though I would still wait a few years to buy a home if I had the money today. |
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Snowmeow
Joined: 03 Oct 2005
Location: pc room
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:32 am Post subject: |
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| sojourner1 wrote: |
Yes, you're right. I found that since Korean kids start learning math at the age of 3, they have more advanced skills than what American books for their age level present which makes them go nuts to rush through it to prove to me they can do it. |
I know what you mean, when I did that I found there was no need to review any actual math. All the kids needed was to review math vocabulary in their English equivalents
| sojourner1 wrote: |
I understand the US has high demand for math and science teachers, but the job is very difficult, because you're dealing with many different skill levels in the same classroom as well as a major headache with the problems of a dysfunctional culture that can easily eat you alive with a scary unstable and unpredictable legal system in place where people like parents or administrators can easily turn against you.
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Excellent point, I'm a certified high school math teacher myself but when I graduated I did not feel enthusiastic about all the extras that are on top of preparing lessons and teaching the classes. Work was available to me in the UK almost immediately but to quote Bluewave International, one of the leading UK placement agencies, "�from talking to our teachers it is
the most difficult thing they face when they arrive in the UK � i.e. getting used to �UK kids� because in certain circumstances or areas, they can be extremely challenging�, and in their promotional literature, they included quotes from teachers advising teachers not even to come over unless they are prepared for bull shit hassles. I mean, they wanted me to come over, so if testimonials like that were merely an exaggeration why would they put them in?
As you say, teaching something that kids like is an excellent strategy.
Good luck OP in whatever you choose to do. |
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sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, Snowmeow, that's real interesting. Thanks for sharing the link. I didn't know the UK was looking for foreign teachers. I am going to research this more as I love European countries. It looks like a good opportunity to boost your professional career, but at the same time is very challenging. I would guess that economics, math, science, and English are the most difficult subjects to teach on account of kids resenting these subjects.
To stay on course of this thread. A masters degree and experience in Korea with contacts gets you into university teaching positions, but pay is not much more and you have to work illegally to increase your earnings unless you're married to a Korea which entitles you to a F-2 visa. An F-2 visa is the ticket to earn the big Won legally, other wise you're looking at about 28,000,000 won or $30,000 US remuneration per year regardless of college major. There doesn't seem to be much of a career ladder to climb, but teaching in Korea is not meant to be a long term career though some are staying for many years. |
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Len8
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Location: Kyungju
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| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 12:41 am Post subject: |
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Many of the International Foreign schools here paye minimum wages for maths science teachers. Qualified maths and science teachers working at International schools overseas give Korea a miss, because of the conditions offered. The few Foreigen schools that are monitored by the U.S. Embassy, because they want to recommend it to expats have good math science programs.
A lot of the other foreign schools will take any Joe bloww with a maths science degree, because they are too cheap to paye what it takes to fill those positions with qualified people. |
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