Korean Job Discussion Forums

[uber1024]

I looked around for a posting that covered this, but didn't find anything (if there's one out there, I'd like to see it!). But, what kinds of questions should I ask a school. I have recently been in contact with a school and it seems as if they like me and I like them, but I've never had a job in Korea before. I've been reading these boards for a few months but now that the time has come to ask some questions of the school, I'm drawing a blank.

The ones I've thought of already are:

class size / age
other teachers / how many, are they foreign or korean, will I have a korean teacher to help?
housing, single or shared?
severance?
is "1 hour" 60 minutes or the length of a class?
split shifts? What are the school's hours? Saturdays? Mandatory Overtime?

any other important questions that you guys can think of that I should be sure to ask? Something that I might have missed because I might take it for granted because I worked in the USA all my life?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[sunlit]

you may ask, but the answers may not be as true as you would like them to be:
there are more questions that you will need to ask the teachers, as the schools are not very believable.

ask how long the teachers have been there
age ranges of the staff
how many have renewed contracts
how long the korean teachers have worked at the school
how far away your apt is from the school
request photos of the school, your apt, the general area
how long they have been operating
what sort of curriculum they use.
are the books made in korea or written by english speaking countries (our books are full of errors)
request to speak to as many teachers as possible.
be sure to speak to someone that has been there awhile/you are not replacing
pm me if you would like some insight into my personal experience.
be sure to have an english speaking person that can help you acclimate
make sure you are explicit in your demands

[Saxiif]

Try to figure out the student:teacher ratio. If its too high the big classes will drive you insane, if its too low your boss won't have enough money to pay you. Both are not good things.

and at least try to get your exact schedule in your contract, or being told you don't have split shifts won't mean to much (not that having it in your contract would make it mean that much more, but it wouldn't hurt).

[some waygug-in]

Ask to speak to foreign teachers who are there, as well as get email addresses for past teachers who have finished their contracts (if they can't give you any, that should be your first red light)

Ask whether or not they have all the resouces that go with the textbook.

Ask how much time a class is expected to spend on a textbook. (the recommended time for one level of "let's GO" is 6 months, provided that you have all the additional materials)

Ask if there are whiteboards in every classroom.

Ask if each teacher is given a copy of the textbook he/she will be using.
(as obvious as this may seem to us, my director seems to think it is an option)

Ask about discipline, what kind of policy do they have towards disruptive students.

These are just some final things that should be asked in addition to what has already been mentioned.
Good luck.

[jajdude]

Check for air conditioning and heating in school and apartment.

Ask about air fare.

[crazylemongirl]

What extra duties you are required to do eg. open days etc. and how often they occur.

you might also want to ask other teachers who have left the school if there have been any problems with money eg severance/late pay days/ etc.

How far your accomdation is from public transport/shopping facilities etc.

CLG

[camel96]

What kind of teacher are you replacing...?
You never ever want to take over from a slacker.
It'll make your time an absolute nightmare.

[Austin]

The truth about finding a great placement rests with you, your ability, persistence, and a bit of luck. Everything else being equal, first impressions and your appearance are huge in Korea (as shallow as that sounds, people tend to be that way everywhere in the world). I do not want to get into a debate about discrimination, but if you understand these hidden and blatant practices you will be much better off.

The pay rate you quoted is the bottom of the barrel. Those are the dime a dozen jobs that any warm body can fill. You can tell many things from future employers by how long it takes them to offer you the position. If they just ask you, "when can you start?," and send you out a contract without asking about you, your background, and your philosophy on education, I would look elsewhere.

The same goes for you. If you just ask about the contract and do not ask detailed questions about the school, you are sending the same (but different) type of message (i.e. that you are only interested in $).

Here a few of the questions I might ask a potential employer:
1) How long has your school been in business?
2) How many students do you have enrolled in your school?
3) How many staff do you employee?
4) What is the criteria for accepting new students and is it a continuous enrollment (the best schools only accept students a couple times a year and not all year round)? I would also ask about the turnover rate for students as well as employees.
5) Ask what program they use, what text, series, etc. and ask about the flexibility in the program for the instructors?
6) Find out what there maximum and minimum student:teacher ratio is per class.
7) Ask if they level test potential students before being accepted into their program, or if they accept every student and place them randomly in each class, irregardless of their English ability.

These are just a few of the questions. You obviously have to use tact in how you address all of these items, but I am sure you get the general idea. You will never need to ask all of the questions, as you will be able to tell about half way into it whether or not the school is for you (no sense in beating a dead horse). This style will set you apart from the majority of the applicants, as most only ask questions relating to what they are going to receive from the school (all of the "I" questions you can think to ask, which I would not get into at all on the first meeting).

[homer521]

I have a spreadsheet ready with these questions for each School. Many of the questions can be omitted because you don't want to come off as nit-picky


CONTRACT RELATED ?'s (ask Recruiter/Director):
Pay (per hour/week/month, pay day)
Overtime pay
Housing included
Airfare reimbursement (one-way/roundtrip, when paid)
Hours (days, shifts, teaching hrs, prep time, breaks)
Vacation days (Labor Law = 1 day/month, but 10 is the norm)
Leave days in addition (with or without pay)
Extra deductions (nickel and diming, utility deposit, etc.)
Income tax rate (3.3% - 5%)
Medical insurance
Visa subsidy
Relocation allowance, Severance bonus


SCHOOL RELATED (ask Director and/or Teacher)
Students (age/grade/english level)
Class size
Conversational/pronunciation and/or Grammar, writing, etc
Structured curriculum (lesson plans) or Individual planning
Foreign & Native Teachers (how many)
Director's English proficiency
How long in business
Start date (straight off the plane)
Orientation/Training (how long, paid)
Relocated to other schools
Heat and A/C
Resources (internet, textbooks, games)


HOUSING/COMMUNITY (ask teacher, but maybe Director)
Single or Shared
Suite or separate rooms (size and dimensions)
Furnished (bed, couch, table, chairs, shelves, drawers)
Appliances (w/d, fridge, stove/oven, microwave, tv/vcr)
Utilities (heat, a/c, plumbing)
Age/Cleanliness of apt, cleanliness of city
Location/proximity/commute to school
Local stores, landmarks, bus/train/air
Number of other teachers living there also
Privacy, floor level


Things to ask ONLY a (preferably former) Teacher
Tenure at the school
Renewing contract
Personal opinion of school (director, students, teachers)
Relationships (teachers, students, director, community)
Contract broken or deceived (paid on time, airfare reimbursed)
More work than required/contracted
How foreigners/gyopo's are treated in school/area


Good luck.