Prepping time at public schools

Does it take more time to prep for public schools or hagwons or is there no difference?
Also does it take a lot of time just for the first year you are teaching? Does it take a lot less to prep after that?

I've never worked at a hagwon, but there's no way around prep work at public school. The good news is that it's fairly easy to recycle materials, especially if you change schools often.

I've never worked at a hagwon, but there's no way around prep work at public school. The good news is that it's fairly easy to recycle materials, especially if you change schools often.

How many hours per day do you find yourself prepping? Does prepping take more time on first year because you have to come up with materials in the first place?

Why does recycling materials become easier if you change schools often? Wouldn't it be harder because different schools might have different syllabus?

It depends on your co-teachers.
Some co-teachers want you to stay close to the textbook.
Others require you to come up with new ideas.
Some want fancy ppts
Others want other materials for students to use.
Some want you to be a tape-recorder when they ask you to say the sentences/words
Others want you to do the whole lesson on your own

So 'how much prep time is required?' 
It depends.

You can get a mix within the same school if you have different co-teachers

How many hours per day do you find yourself prepping? Does prepping take more time on first year because you have to come up with materials in the first place?

Why does recycling materials become easier if you change schools often? Wouldn't it be harder because different schools might have different syllabus?

it's because you can use the same activities for different groups of students. most textbooks have very similar topics/themes/vocab/phrases, so you an recycle activities easier for different groups of students

when i worked at public school, i would have 4 hours a day to prep. as a new teacher, it would take a while to prep classes, but after a couple of years it would only take a few hours to plan for my entire week.

honestly, some people like deskwarming, some people hate it. i hated it, and found sitting around for 4 horus every day gruelling. i felt i was wasting my time when i could be making more money somewhere else (which is why i eventually quit). however, there's no doubt all the extra time is good for new teachers to get to grips with everything

Not to be nosy oglop, but what did you end up doing?  Are you still in the teaching field? 

Not to be nosy oglop, but what did you end up doing?  Are you still in the teaching field? 

after public school, i got an F visa and worked at an after-school program (afternoon) and taught adults in the morning/evening. i did that for a few years

now i work at a private elementary school, but no desk warming. they have morning classes and an after-school program, so it fills up most of my day (and corona killed off all my adult classes so now i just do online skype lessons with kids to fill up my spare time). i really like this job and hope to stay here for a long time :)

I hope you can stay that way oglop!  You are one of the nicest posters on here and I sincerely wish you all the best.

now i just do online skype lessons with kids to fill up my spare time

Where do you find students for online Skype lessons? Is it italki.com?

I hope you can stay that way oglop!  You are one of the nicest posters on here and I sincerely wish you all the best.

Where do you find students for online Skype lessons? Is it italki.com?

no, they are my wife's old students actually

edit: just to add to this. from a brief look, going through a company for 1:1 online teaching kids didn't really seem worth it, and you get paid a lot more if you cut out the middleman and find students yourself. might be worth asking co-workers or friends if they want online classes for their kids (if you have an F visa, anyway)

I got more prep time teaching EFL in Korean public schools than I did when I was in Canada.

How many hours per day do you find yourself prepping? Does prepping take more time on first year because you have to come up with materials in the first place?

Why does recycling materials become easier if you change schools often? Wouldn't it be harder because different schools might have different syllabus?

Just to piggyback off this, when you go to lunch, do you just eat and go back to your classroom, or do you stay after you’ve eaten and make conversation with the other teachers until lunchtime is over? 

Also, is it better at public schools to arrive right on time or is better to be a few minutes early? If you arrive late will someone be watching and counting how many minutes you’re late? When you go home do you leave your classroom  when the day is over or is it ok to be on the way out and leave school property when the day is done?

do you just eat and go back to your classroom, or do you stay after you’ve eaten and make conversation with the other teachers until lunchtime is over? 

I started bringing my own lunch recently. Four years of awkward lunch vibes was enough for me. 

Just to piggyback off this, when you go to lunch, do you just eat and go back to your classroom, or do you stay after you’ve eaten and make conversation with the other teachers until lunchtime is over? 

Also, is it better at public schools to arrive right on time or is better to be a few minutes early? If you arrive late will someone be watching and counting how many minutes you’re late? When you go home do you leave your classroom  when the day is over or is it ok to be on the way out and leave school property when the day is done?

Also if you have to pass gas in the classroom, is crop dusting still the preferred method?

Should I preemptively open the windows and turn on the heat/ac?

When washing hands is soap really required or only after going number 2?

If I have 5 days off in a row should I leave town the night before or the first day off to avoid detection?

Lastly, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?


Teacheng is singlehandedly getting any and all possible scenarios covered before committing to this esl thing of ours. Bravo

well, as far as lunch goes, it's just strange all around. at my small school they staggered lunch,  and we sat every other seat., there was no talking going on.  Whereas in 2019, the home room teachers sat with their class while I sat with the administration folks, vp & principal. it wasn't all that weird unless I was stuck in the middle of them. I always tried to wait it out and make sure they were all in line to eat before me, so I could sit at the end. and everyone stayed at the table until the vp gestured they could go. they told me early on I could go when I was done presumably because I don't speak the language. what a relief!
for passing gas, I always tried to hold it for the breaks in between class, or go to the ladies room. you just never know what sort of smell is gonna come out of your body. some days it could strip paint off a wall, other days, might go unnoticed.
Soap? there's soap where you're washing your hands? XD
i left town and never even considered anyone would be tracking or noticing me. i honestly don't care. therefore, it depended on where I was going and how much it cost to stay etc...
as far as prep goes, maybe i didn't do as much as everyone else, but I just made sure I knew I knew how to work to online text book, and what it was saying or asking the students. I would also make sure I had a game or activity at the end of class. the activity or play together in the book is usually pretty lame. the kids hate it and or it only lasts maybe 2 minutes.  I also loved the ticket out of the room, when I taught in the English classroom that is. use I'd use the phrases and vocab learned that day. I would often use the flashcards from the play together,. they have to answer the question or  get in the back of the line. question answered, bye!
all in all I learned pretty quick that I was way too stressed out about having a perfect class where every minute was filled with learning. some days go well, the class talks, plays the game etc...other days class does not go so great, the game you thought they would love, they HATE.  be prepared to be baffled and disappointed as well as amazed and happy. the pendulum swings back and forth.