Polar

Has anyone here, gone from having a the greatest job, one that you only hear rumors about....to having one at a school that everyone knows about (at least the vets), but not in a good way?

Phuck....seriously.  I did have a great job until the owners had to sell shop. 
-4 working hours a day
-20 classes  a week with all the benefits, housing and 2.1
-My own classroom with everything I needed, wanted and was able to turn it into an actual resource for learning. 
-No hassles from the boss (a few hickups, yes) and was left to do was I wanted
-No obnoxious paperwork, homework grading, reports, journals, evaluations..none of that (though, I did not my own planning and classroom reports without being asked...simple and easy)
-8 months into the contract...owner had to sell off and the new guy turned it into a Korean style type of school (no NET's)


....moved on to a new school  that I was really optimistic about....but, arrived to an empty apartment...no bed, no internet, not even a fork.  I was sick that day and all I wanted to do was lay down in a bed and sleep.  This has happened to me before and (with the first school I described) but I I was cool with it as there were so many positives.  But, I swore I would not do it again.  Needless to say, I gave the owner a dressing down on the matter and despite the realization that it was a good job and they apologized, knowing I was a good teacher, we had both spoke our peace on the matter and decided to part ways. 

Now....I find myself in one of THOSE schools that many of us like to dis and point out.  Yep...I am at one.  Though, there was a bit of a swindle regarding hours but....phuck, it sucks. 

-Nearly 50 hours a week (working hours)
-40+ classes (not POLY and for less money)
-Housing is a bit over a mile away (no direct bus...will suck in the summer/monsoon)
-Housing is shared with a Korean co-teacher and the director's brother (it is a villa divided into four different rooms)
-Going from classroom to classroom
-Found out I replaced a runner
-Each class has 3-5 different books
-The teachers room is a sardine can...no space
-No teachers' books to actually plan a lesson, unless you go from classroom to classroom and seek them out
-Phucking PHONE TEACHINGd

I've paid my dues with this nonsense in the past and after having the Golden Job, this is just ridiculous.  Yes, I know...nobody made me do it, but the wolves were at the door, financially.  The other job I had lined up fell through at the last minute. 

This is like being back at my VERY first school.....but worse, as I am the only foreign teacher and there is NOBODY to go out and eat/drink with. 

It is very hard having tasted the sugar, having to go back to phuck all. 

Has anyone had a similar experience? 

To be clear - you quit a job at a new school that you were optimistic about and looking forward to because of an unfurnished apartment?

And yet you're staying at a job where you literally live in the same villa (or same apartment? I can't tell from the way you worded it) as a co-teacher and the director's brother?

Not to mention teaching more than 40 classes per week?

That seems... like it might not have been the best decision.

On the bright side, look at the positives. You only live just over a mile away from your school. That's pretty awesome.

If I were you, I'd quit. That job sounds awful. I think you'd have a difficult time finding anything worse than that, so any other job would be an improvement over your current situation, waygook.org user NorthStar.

lol, Northstar is one of the braggarts who's spent the last several months telling everyone that it's so easy to get a hagwon job making tons of money with a great apartment for very little work.

If you're teaching more than 30 classes a week and working more than 40 hours a week, it's either because you agreed to it or it's because you didn't read your contract and amend all the red flags.

And it doesn't matter how much you're making if you're roommates with a relative of your boss. Ugh.

-Housing is shared with a Korean co-teacher and the director's brother (it is a villa divided into four different rooms)

lol
Why? That would be a deal breaker for me. Sharing housing with co-workers and their families.

edit: actually, I shouldn't have lol'd that one. I don't wish any working here to have a shitty living situation. But there are so many 2.1-2.3 jobs out there with fewer hours and non-shared living spaces.

northstar i pretty much hate 100% of what you write on here, but im sorry to hear you're in this terrible situation. get out man. and good luck getting out

If you have experience, you should be able to walk into almost any hagwon job. Why would you stick it out at this dumpster fire?

And have some self respect brother, get yourself a one room that you pay yourself. None of this sharing bull. Ain't nobody got time for that.

I have a hard time believing this story is real, you can do better man!

I still can't wrap my head around parting ways with a good respected establishment because of no bed.....

I still can't wrap my head around parting ways with a good respected establishment because of no bed.....

Well...as I said (which you glossed over), it was an empty place. It came only with what the apartment was built with.  You also glossed over the other part, where I stated I had been in that position before, expected to furnish the entire place myself.  I said I would not do that again.....So, while it is convenient for you not be able to wrap your head around that, perhaps looking at the bigger picture would help...or, is that how you treat your staff, because I would tell you to phuck off, right in front of your wife, if you presented a completely empty pad, expecting me to furnish it.

If you have experience, you should be able to walk into almost any hagwon job. Why would you stick it out at this dumpster fire?

And have some self respect brother, get yourself a one room that you pay yourself. None of this sharing bull. Ain't nobody got time for that.

I have a hard time believing this story is real, you can do better man!

It's real.

Life is not always according to plan...the wolves were at the door.  As I said, the other job I had lined up fell through.  It was either this and take a chance,, or...worse things would have happened. 

The question is...has anyone had a great job and through cirumstanial nonsense, found themselves in the pits (in this industry)?  IF so, id you make it for the year?

yeah nothing worse than starting a new job and it turning out absolute shite. had that last year. wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. let us know what you end up doing northstar

To be clear - you quit a job at a new school that you were optimistic about and looking forward to because of an unfurnished apartment?

And yet you're staying at a job where you literally live in the same villa (or same apartment? I can't tell from the way you worded it) as a co-teacher and the director's brother?

Not to mention teaching more than 40 classes per week?

That seems... like it might not have been the best decision.

On the bright side, look at the positives. You only live just over a mile away from your school. That's pretty awesome.

If I were you, I'd quit. That job sounds awful. I think you'd have a difficult time finding anything worse than that, so any other job would be an improvement over your current situation, waygook.org user NorthStar.

A Korean-co teacher and the director's brother live in the same villa...one  next to me and the other below me. 
However, I will say....the housing on the inside is decent and well furnished.  But, being a bit over a mile on not on a direct bus route to school, or anywhere I want/need to go, is and will be a pain. 

Yes, the last school and I decided to part ways over the empty apartment..which, continued to be empty during my time there (that is when I said enough was enough).  I just was not buying into the "we did not know" excuse.   As mentioned, being sick upon arrival and wanting nothing more than  bed to rest/sleep in was all I wanted, as opposed to an attempt on their part to just dump me there with nothing and see them on Monday.  That's a no-go for me (and that has happened before, as I mentioned) and I gave the guy a dressing down...proper. 

I ended up in with this gig due to circumstances beyond what I could maintain.  We all do what we need to do, for as long as we need to do it. 

I would like to just have acquired. my own place and sorted things out but...funerals have to be paid for somehow.  I was not in a financial position to do all of that and the wolves were scratching at the door. 

My question is, has anyone experienced the same...meaning, having one of the THE BEST teaching gigs in Korea, almost finished with the contract, then to find yourself in a school that many folks started out in (the SLP's, Kids College, Wonderland, bad ECC's, etc)?

northstar i pretty much hate 100% of what you write on here, but im sorry to hear you're in this terrible situation. get out man. and good luck getting out

tylerthegloob, I don't pay attention to what you write here (no disrespect)...but thank you for the the support. 

I think I'm going to see about giving it the old college try....perhaps I still have it in me to do this mickey mouse horse-shit.  I'll say one thing...the kids are good...no shenanigans.   Also, the boss does not breathe down our necks...that helps. 

But again....I'm more interested in those who have gone from a job that oozed awesomeness, to, the polar opposite.  Oh and to Mayor Huggies, I don't recall saying those types of jobs, like I had, were everywhere and easy to obtain.   If I did, then I will heat humble pie. 

My question is, has anyone experienced the same...meaning, having one of the THE BEST teaching gigs in Korea,

We should turn this into a best job/worst job thread

Best: Had a job doing teacher training once which was 24 hours a week condensed into four days, so I finished on Thursday lunchtime. Something like 8 hours the first day then, 6,6,4. Great students, no whingers. I was on 18 hours a week contract at the time so got 6 hours overtime. With testing and housing allowance I was taking home 6 mil a month for a 3 and a half day week + 3 half Saturdays (Yes, on an E2 Mayorhaggar) . Best hourly rate was 300,000 an hour interviewing graduates in English for a UN job.

Worst:  Slovakia, rural town of 25,000 people. A third Slovak, a third Hungarian and a third Roma. Had to share a flat which was a galley kitchen, bathroom and two rooms leading off each other with another teacher.  When he did a runner at Xmas, I became the solitary foreigner and the landlord locked the other room. 25 hours a week, students were great but pay was approx 25 quid a week. Fortunately beer was only 10 a pint.

my fav job was in australia

3 day weekends, 5 hours a day teaching (the same class). then done. it was basically like hanging out with my mates- we often went to the pub together after class and hang out anyway. paid well too

my best job in korea is my current one. 3.6m and only 4-5 teaching hours (40 min) a day. plus 8 weeks of vacation. should be 4.5m+ next year, when grades 1 and 2 can be taught english again

worst: last year, teaching at an after-shool program. never paid on time, shitty kids, wouldn't even supply basics such as board markers. plus the school i worked in had an after-school manager that hated me for some reason. hah. never again.

Worst:  Slovakia, rural town of 25,000 people. A third Slovak, a third Hungarian and a third Roma. Had to share a flat which was a galley kitchen, bathroom and two rooms leading off each other with another teacher.  When he did a runner at Xmas, I became the solitary foreigner and the landlord locked the other room. 25 hours a week, students were great but pay was approx 25 quid a week. Fortunately beer was only 10 a pint.

 


All of that sucks...

worst: last year, teaching at an after-shool program. never paid on time, shitty kids, wouldn't even supply basics such as board markers. plus the school i worked in had an after-school manager that hated me for some reason. hah. never again.

Did you complete the year?  What were the hours like?  I've heard even the once cushy after school jobs went down the tubes. 

If you stuck it out, what factors motivated you to stick with it?  Location, decent working hours, friends in the area...?

Worst:  Slovakia, rural town of 25,000 people. A third Slovak, a third Hungarian and a third Roma. Had to share a flat which was a galley kitchen, bathroom and two rooms leading off each other with another teacher.  When he did a runner at Xmas, I became the solitary foreigner and the landlord locked the other room. 25 hours a week, students were great but pay was approx 25 quid a week. Fortunately beer was only 10 a pint.

 


All of that sucks...

The beer most definitely did not suck

worst: last year, teaching at an after-shool program. never paid on time, shitty kids, wouldn't even supply basics such as board markers. plus the school i worked in had an after-school manager that hated me for some reason. hah. never again.

Did you complete the year?  What were the hours like?  I've heard even the once cushy after school jobs went down the tubes. 

If you stuck it out, what factors motivated you to stick with it?  Location, decent working hours, friends in the area...?

well i completed the year, grudgingly. actually, i completely gave up teaching for the last few months. i let the kids do literally anything they wanted as long as they were reasonably quiet and not doing anything dangerous. at the beginning i tried to do a good job. kids would complain it's not fun enough (we played games for 80% of the class anyway! and i had to be a little strict, because they behaved so badly), but then some kids dropped out, and i got blamed for it. they tried to reduce my monthly pay, claiming i was a bad teacher. wtf. so i gave up. i just sat at my computer and planned classes for my adult students. or let them watch movies. i've never taught such horrible children

they also wouldn't pay me on time, and tried to short change me when they finally did pay me. so i filed a petition, and won. the MOEL said they knew of this guy, and he never pays any teachers properly. i mean, errrr.... why does he still have a job then? why is he still allowed to do this, seemingly with no repercussions whatsoever, year after year?

i worked in after-school programs for 3 years. 1 was great, 1 was ok, 1 was shite. i would never do it again, though. good hours, but....**** my life. rude kids, shady companies, and if a student drops out you get the blame. not worth it.

i only stuck it out because the hours worked around my schedule (i'm on an F visa and have other jobs). plus, i was planning on going home for a month, so wouldn't have been able to find a decent job for only a 4-month stretch. plus i literally did not give a shit if they fired me, so i figured it was easy money until they did

edit: it was all worth it though, because i found my current job (which i love) through the co-teacher i had at this shit job. silver linings...

Oh and to Mayor Huggies, I don't recall saying those types of jobs, like I had, were everywhere and easy to obtain.   If I did, then I will heat humble pie. 

Plenty of troll posts by you here about how 2.2m/2.1m and a free apartment are unacceptable even though they are probably 90% of jobs.

https://www.waygook.org/index.php?topic=117744.0

You have a point that nobody should be dumb enough to accept 1.8m jobs, but you still crapped on 2.1m/2.2m jobs which are completely normal and acceptable as long as you are working 40 hours a week or less and teaching 30 classes/hours a week, and aren't living within 500m of your boss's relative.

I still can't wrap my head around parting ways with a good respected establishment because of no bed.....

Well...as I said (which you glossed over), it was an empty place. It came only with what the apartment was built with.  You also glossed over the other part, where I stated I had been in that position before, expected to furnish the entire place myself.  I said I would not do that again.....So, while it is convenient for you not be able to wrap your head around that, perhaps looking at the bigger picture would help...or, is that how you treat your staff, because I would tell you to phuck off, right in front of your wife, if you presented a completely empty pad, expecting me to furnish it.

You say gloss over, I say ignore petty nitpicking....tomatoes tomatoes.  Needless to say you have a bed, now you can lie in it.