I feel like I'm faking being a teacher in my new job, because all I do is check homework and assign new homework.

I was told that the lessons the students have with the foreign teachers are "their only opportunity to speak out in English", so, in between the homework crap, I have to think of 10 to 15 minutes worth of chat topics that relate to the story book they're reading.
(Rather than getting them to work on their hideous pronunciation and explaining what the words they're reading actually mean ...)

One class is reading "Amelia Bedelia" (if you haven't read it, it's about a dumb-arse housekeeper).
We've already exhausted the only two, tenuously-linked topics from the book (Housework and Things you shouldn't do in the house). We have to spend a MONTH with this text.

Ten minutes of discussion on, "What can you do with a lightbulb?" yesterday finally convinced me that, if I stay in Korea another year, I'll have to switch to a public school in order to actually do some proper teaching.

(I may be under an illusion with this assumption, however!)

Also, I'm faking actually giving a shit about the job. They're not really learning anything, but I can't skive because every classroom has CCTV (I'm faking that this doesn't PISS ME OFF and make me self-conscious), and the boss and teacher supervisor can watch the lessons on their computers.
(Celerydemon, Thu 17 Jul 2008, 6:11, 3 replies)

*click*
CCTV in the classroom sounds like a concern! Are they worried about you shooting the kids or the other way around?
(Eds Meds Mathskillz=1,Socialskillz=0, Thu 17 Jul 2008, 7:19, closed)

hullo from Seoul
I know there's at least one other lurker in Seoul but she mostly just reads the newsletter. What company are you with? Nice to see someone in the same timezone!
Might I recommend that you try applying to the British schools. I just landed a new job at an international school, nuch better pay and could actually relate to my future career rather than just hagwon/hogwan shit!
Am also sending you psychic interwebby hugs as am happy to see someone in the same timezone!
(DippyFi, Thu 17 Jul 2008, 7:47, closed)

^^
I worked in Daegu a few years ago and started off at a Hagwon which wasn't too bad. Then I applied at a local national university to work. They required you to have a masters in something or were working towards a masters. In the end they paid my fees for the course (which I did in a year) while working and being paid, and I had shed loads of holidays. A nice bonus was the fact that I could say I was a professor at a university so I had lots of privates as well.

Since I have been back in the UK the fact that I have a masters from a foreign uni wows a lot of employers even though it was basically bullshit!
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Thu 17 Jul 2008, 9:27, closed)