Teaching FAQs
1. Why did you decide to teach in South Korea?
I am one of the many economic refugees that flocked to this country as the economy started to tank. I got fired from my job selling industrial plumbing products and was convinced by a friend to come to South Korea. I heard that the job was easy, the pay was good and that they basically accepted anybody so long as you spoke fluent English and had a college degree.
2. Explain the recruiting process.
I went directly to a recruiters that two of my college friends used. There, you fill out an online application and the recruiting company will get back to you via e-mail. You will then fill out an electronic application, submit your resume and take a picture of yourself for the application. After you provide some preferences for your position, you will be given an available job. If you are interested in the provided position, you will go to the interview stage. If you pass that, you will be formally offered the job.
At this point, you have to get a bunch of paperwork together. You need a hard copy of the application, your resume, sealed college transcript, a criminal background check (apostilled by the state and notarized by a notary), a copy of your college degree (apostilled by the state and notarized by a notary), a copy of your passport color insert, additional passport-sized photos, if applicable you need copies of your certifications and evidence of your teaching experience. This will normally take about two months to get finished. Throughout the process, you should try to remain in constant contact with your recruiter.
You will also have to get your E2 work visa to enter the country. You will need to send in a signed copy of your employment contract with EPIK (English Program in Korea), a notice of appointment, the visa form with real passport photo, your college transcript and a check or money order for $45. You could bring this all directly to the Korean consulate if you are close enough to one. Otherwise, mail it in. BE SURE INSURE THE PACKAGE AND GET A TRACKING NUMBER!!! You are sending sensitive documents through the mail. So, pay the extra cash for better shipping.
3. What should I look for in a job?
Initially, public school jobs all look the same. However, there are some things that can help you when choosing a job:
A. Location - Where you will be living and teaching? Ask for information about the precise area you will be in. Try to get pictures of the neighborhood, school and your apartment. Do some research on your own as well.
B. References - Ask to see if you can talk to previous teachers that held your position and get their opinion.
C. Teaching Information - How many students will you have in a class? What grades are you teaching? What's the overall skill level of your students?
With hagwons, you have to be more cautious. If they withhold any information you ask for that factors in your decision to accept a position, do not take the job. An owner that acts like he/she has something to hide is not an owner you want to work for. Heavily scrutinize everything they say to you. Be weary of the amount of students in a hagwon. If they are few students in a hagwon, it could indicate financial trouble and that your job security could be very low.
Chain hagwons are normally more reliable and better run than Mom and Pop joints. Ask about your workload, how many classes you teach and other things like that if they aren't made clear to you. If you need more help, PM me or go to Dave's ESL Cafe for some help. There are many hagwon blacklists with teacher testimonials on the internet. Be as informed as possible to avoid getting screwed into a **** job.
4. What were your first few days like in South Korea?
Well, my apartment wasn't ready right away. So, I crashed at my friend's apartment in Changwon. I was extremely tired from flying, but I had more things to do. I still had more paperwork to fill out and more meetings to attend. So your first few days in the country will be hectic and confusing. Actually, your entire first month will be very hectic because you are starting to get settled into your new position and residence.
5. Can you provide some specifics about your job?
Yes, I teach at two schools. One school is a public middle school with some single gender classes and a few mixed-gender classes. The other is an all-girls private middle school. All of my students range from 13 to 14 years old and have varying English capabilities. I have 36 students per class and teach 21 classes per week, two of which are after school classes. I see my public school classes once a week and my private school classes twice a week.
6. Tell me a bit about private academies.
In South Korea, students will go to a normal school and later will go to a private academy called a hagwon. Foreigners can work at either a public school position or hagwon position. Each have their own perks:
Public schools:
+Paid vacation and sick days
+Paid orientations and training sessions, often held in Seoul
+More downtime, less classes
+More reliable superiors
+/- You have a co-teacher to assist you in and (if necessary) out of class
Hagwons:
+Smaller classes with generally more motivated students
+Can do more interesting activities with students
+Can be paid more
+Start later in the day, less working hours
-Hagwon bosses can be dishonest and deceitful
-Less vacation days and you don't get to choose when to have them
-Though you work less hours, you have less breaks and more classes to teach
-More responsibilities such as tests and homework
-Hagwons often shut down or go bankrupt. Job stability can be a problem.
Public school positions are harder to get and are more low-risk positions. They can be really sweet, but new regimes and co-teachers come and go on a semester-by-semester basis. In my case, my job was the total tits in my first semester but went to **** for the second semester. Hagwon jobs are luck of the draw. But the best public school job is not as good as the best hagwon position.
7. What was your first day of teaching like? What tips do you have for me?
Well, I was gladly notified the night before my first day that I would be responsible for creating all course materials for the entire year. Yeah, very nice. I panicked and nearly bailed right then and there. But after that, I calmed down and got to work.
First impressions are everything. Your students will have subconsciously formed an opinion of you within seconds of seeing you. Your outward appearance will be of utmost importance for day one because that will be the first thing they will see. Dress nicely, look clean and present yourself well.
Your first day should be focused on getting the students to open up. Your students will be VERY shy. So, you have to loosen them up. I spent the first class playing a little icebreaker game. You get a feel for your student's English skill level and they have some fun in the meantime. Be friendly with your students, but don't be too buddy buddy with them.
The reason for this is because your students will be annoying little ****ers with little to no respect for you. Though you are technically not responsible for disciplining your students (more on this later), you will have to do some of it. After your first class, outline the rules and consequences for breaking them clearly and concisely. Too many rules will confuse the students. Not enough rules and you'll lose control of them. Most importantly,
be consistent. Predictability is very important when disciplining students. Don't let some students get away with things that others wouldn't. They will test you. They will randomly stand up in class or talk loudly to see your response. They want to find out how far they push you before you discipline them. Don't take any **** from them. Although you can be friendly, never let them forget that you're the teacher and they are your students. Early in the semester, pick off every single rule violation of any kind and make an example of students who break them. Let them know that you demand respect and won't accept anything less than that. If the students start behaving well, you can loosen the reins a little at a time until you find a comfortable level. Otherwise, keep the heat on them at all times. Ultimately, you want to be firm but fair.
Korean students are extremely competitive. Even middle school students will go ape**** for stickers and candy. When providing rewards, you must let them know when you will give them out. Be fair and consistent when distributing them.
Early on, you will be heavily relying on your co-teacher for help. But over time, you should try to take more control of the class on your own. If you are a good teacher, you should be able to hit a point where you can teach some classes without the assistance of a co-teacher regardless of your understanding of the Korean language. Physical examples and simple, concise language will go a very long way. Body language, hand gestures, tone of voice will compensate for any language barriers if they are used correctly.
8. How do you deal with your co-teacher(s)?
Native English teachers in the public school system will have Korean English teachers help them in class. While you are technically regarded as an assistant to Korean English teachers, you essentially run the class as the primary teacher. Have a chat with your co-teacher about how you plan to run your class on a broad scale. Outline initial roles and adjust them over time. Give your co-teacher your lesson plans in advance so she knows what to prepare for.
My general philosophy is to let the co-teachers focus on translating and disciplining students. Technically, discipline is not your job. However, your Korean teacher will have his/her hands full with them. Women don't command the same respect as men with discipline. Women are not taken as seriously by the students and aren't as intimidating. So, you'll have to be more aggressive in those classes. You and your co-teacher will connect at some point during the semester and it'll be like Magic/Kareem or Stockton/Malone in your classroom.
If your co-teacher is not doing a good job or is not doing anything at all, let the teacher know about it promptly. Be sure to talk to the teacher before or after class. Be respectful of the co-teacher, but also be firm and direct with your comments. It appears that most Koreans do not pick up on subtlety or passive-aggressive responses very well. If the co-teacher is not helpful or making class worse, you have a few options. You can either accept it and deal with it. You can ask him/her to stay downstairs and not attend class if you can handle it yourself. Or if things get really bad, report the co-teacher to your vice principal. If they do not speak English well, then try to have a Korean friend write a note to the VP about it. Do this as a very, very last resort as this will effectively destroy your personal and professional relationship with your co-teacher. If you are not yet self-sufficient or do not have help elsewhere, this could seriously backfire and cause you even more trouble.
9. My boss is cheating me. How do I deal with this?
Depends if you are in public school or hagwon. In public school, work your way up the ladder. First, talk to your co-teacher about it and she can represent you on your behalf. If that doesn't work, request a face-to-face meeting with your superior and speak to him/her. Explain your case clearly to them. Do not raise your voice. Continue to push and be persistent with your case. If that does not work, go to the Office of Education (specifically your EPIK or GEPIK contact) and explain your case. They will make the final decision regarding your situation.
Do not go over your boss's head. Most problems can be fixed just by talking to your superior.
Be sure to pick your fights wisely. If you bitch about every single little thing, you will sour your relationship with your boss and things could get even worse. At the same time, do not let yourself get pushed around. You have to take a stand at some point or else your boss will walk all over you.
With hagwon bosses, you have to nip this thing in the butt as soon as possible. Since hagwons have almost no government oversight, they can pretty much do whatever they want to you regardless of what is in the contract. You can't crawl to the Office of Education or anything like that. It stops at the owner and if they are likely to try and screw you once, they'll continue to do it if you don't put a stop to it immediately.
If you need more help, consult
How to legally hammer your hagwon boss into submission and
The Korean Labor Standards Act.
10. What do I do if I run out of ideas for lesson plans?
Gain help from your fellow foreign teachers (you should have made some by now) or consult the internet for lesson plans. Be careful about the latter. You'll have to adjust them for your class. If your co-teacher is willing to do it, he or she can offer advice as well. However, they cannot get directly involved in your lesson planning.
11. What are open classes?
Open classes are classes which are open to parents, your co-workers, superiors and Office of Education representatives for viewing. You'll notice a more hectic environment when this day comes around. Everybody will be dressed to kill, students will be cleaning the cracks of the walkways and you'll see fresh flowers outside the entrance of the school. On these days, the Office of Education grades the teachers and talks about their performance with them later in the day. Their reputation is on the line when it comes to these days. So, it's a very big deal.
Your lesson plan must be filled out on a specific form and be handed in to the Office of Education. Generally, they don't stay long since they don't understand a word you're saying. Your co-workers will rarely say anything negative about your teaching unless you really sucked. If they don't say anything, it means they either didn't care or weren't impressed. Depending on your relationship with your superiors, they may not even show up. But if they don't like you, they'll show up and do everything in their power to point out some flaws or something they don't like.
12. I want to renew. What do I do?
Let them come to you. They have to offer the new contract. After 10 months, they are legally required to notify you if they want to retain you for another year or don't want you back. Unless you blow ass at your job, they'll want you back. Getting a new teacher is EXTREMELY costly. Years ago, you could have killed one of your students and they would still want you back due to the low supply of foreign teachers.
If you do not want to renew, let them know in advance. Your superiors can be surprisingly vindictive if you do not accept their renewal offer. Be sure not to notify them of your future plans because you do not want them talking you down to future employers should you wish to teach more in South Korea.
13. How do I socialize with my co-workers?
Try to learn the language. They will be impressed and happy about it if you do. Some may speak some English. So, try to do that.
Camaraderie is a huge deal among workers. You will have dinners together, workers will buy snacks or fruit for each other and on the first Wednesday of every month, the teachers all play volleyball and have takeout food afterward. Staying in good with your co-workers and superiors without giving up your pride is great for your reputation and makes your job a whole lot easier.
-----------------
Can't think of other questions. If you have them, let me know.
Last edited by SuperUberBob; 01-17-2010 at 10:28 AM.
