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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Rock
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
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 Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject: Moments of Truth |
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Something that foreigners like me give into is the 'little things' before, and after, getting a job. One of them is the fact that here in Taiwan you're asked to give a 'demo'. It's actually been declared illegal.
So I told them today that anything beyond ten minutes they'll have to pay me for. Sound fair? Or is it foolish, if you're not desperate for a job, to put your foot down with some of these 'little things' in the ESL world?
What about things like so-called 'interviews' for prospective students? One school I'd worked at in Korea actually had to pay you for this time. It's therefore, work-related. How about having to phone the kids to speak a few words? Let's throw in homework correcting-in some instances taking me 2 hours- or a thing called PTA here in Taiwan where you have to meet all the parents for an hour? Or what about having to be at the work place fifteen minutes early and then be given special, administrative duties therefore making it work, no?
I mean, it may seem lame. But employers cut corners too much here in Taiwan. Some do in Korea too. The fact that they do so to save, and make, money off you makes you have to put your foot down lest the entire structure crumble like it has here in Taiwan and this business become generic and cheap.
It sort of boils down to respect. You continuously face 'moments of truth.' Please don't let happen in Korea what's happened in Taiwan. They know quite well they have an advantage over us, and sometimes, your best conscience.
You may be like the guy, or girl here in Taiwan, who actually killed their employer.
Last edited by Rock on Tue Dec 25, 2007 8:01 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 7:53 pm Post subject: Re: Moments of Truth |
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| Rock wrote: |
You may be like the guy, or girl here in Taiwan, that actually killed their employer. |
Ok so it just got interesting. More on the person who killed, please! |
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Rock
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't know, actually, since I don't follow the news due to the language barrier. It happened somewhere in Kiaoshung. |
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jeffkim1972
Joined: 10 Jan 2007
Location: Mokpo
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| Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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Jesus, you guys should start charging employers just for applying.
I mean, it does take time to create a resume and prepare documents, answer the phone, etc. |
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Billy Pilgrim
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
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| Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:23 pm Post subject: Re: Moments of Truth |
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| Rock wrote: |
| Let's throw in homework correcting-in some instances taking me 2 hours..... |
You have some legitimate questions, but not here, imo. You're a teacher, you are expected to correct homework, I would think. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 5:26 am Post subject: |
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| I correct homework during class. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:02 am Post subject: |
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| jeffkim1972 wrote: |
| Jesus, you guys should start charging employers just for applying.. |
Are you saying that level-testing students for hours (possibly over several days) should go unpaid?
Are you saying that telephoning students in the evening (well AFTER class they've already had that day) should go unpaid? |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:09 am Post subject: Re: Moments of Truth |
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| Rock wrote: |
Taiwan you're asked to give a 'demo'.
What about things like so-called 'interviews' for prospective students?
How about having to phone the kids to speak a few words?
Please don't let happen in Korea what's happened in Taiwan. |
Too late.
| Quote: |
- Let's throw in homework correcting
- having to be at the work place fifteen minutes early and then be given special, administrative duties therefore making it work, no? |
This is part and parcel of being a teacher. Grading exams and homework is part of the job. Suck it up. Being at work early? Come on. You SHOULD be at work early. Administrative duties? Again, part and parcel of being a teacher. I have to enter and archive all student grades at the end of every semester. So? All teachers have to do that. That's our job.
| Quote: |
| PTA here in Taiwan where you have to meet all the parents for an hour? |
Depends what you mean. If you mean like an "open class", that should be considered part of your schedule. If you mean one-on-one meetings, then that should be paid, as one-on-one student interviews are. Haven't heard of this being done anywhere in Korea, though. |
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Rock
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 5:36 am Post subject: |
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Check out HESS if you want to delve into this further.
Their contract offers you at least 20 teaching hours weekly. But how much do you actually 'work?'
35, if you throw in all the little things you believe are "just part of teaching."
Nonetheless, I don't care. I'm back at the high school teaching again, no homework to correct, no real preperation other than a couple of hours on Saturdays every other week, and no 'administrative duties.' And I have weekends off, could bring in US 2,100.00 mo.
Give in and be miserable, or stand up for your rights. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:23 am Post subject: |
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| Rock wrote: |
Their contract offers you at least 20 teaching hours weekly. But how much do you actually 'work?'
35, if you throw in all the little things you believe are "just part of teaching." |
35? If that's the case, then you're being taken advantage of.
The prep for my classes doesn't change much except for tweaking the level I'm teaching to. Anyone who has been teaching for more than a year should have stock lessons for common/most-used topics.
For a 12-hour week of uni classes, I work maybe 15 hours. Add in a 4-hour writing class, and I work MAYBE a total of 20 on a week I have to make lessons from sctratch.
As far as admin goes, I don't spend more than 10-15 minutes on it a week (attendance and grades, updating my webpage) and at the end of term, grade input takes maybe 30 minutes per class.
I don't do anything that isn't part and parcel of being a teacher, so there's no reason for me to "stand up for my rights". |
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