COFFEEANDKIMCHI

thanks! actually, i teach in neither a public school nor a hagwon. i teach at a private elementary school with an english immersion program. it’s kind of a mix between the two others. my school is very similar to a public school. similar pay, vacation time, duties… a difference is that we never have korean teachers in the classroom with us. our classrooms and their homerooms are completely separate when it comes to class time activities. the other biggest difference (and i’m slightly assuming here) is that my students’ parents are paying a decent chunk of change to enroll them in the school. this means that they are generally really involved in the place they are sending so much money to every year (especially in the younger grades). this is what makes it much more similar to a hagwon atmosphere. i don’t generally mind the parents though. as long as you’re doing your job well, they are usually pleased. i haven’t personally worked at a public school, but i really enjoy the private school atmosphere.

my position is in the 1st grade department. (so, my students are 8-9 years old, korean age, or 6-7 western age.) when i interviewed initially, i was offered this specific position. i wasn’t really given the choice of another grade at that time. as i’m staying for a second year now, i could have requested to change grades. i decided to stay where i am though. i love teaching really young kids. they are incredibly difficult and have way too much energy most of the time. however, they are the most rewarding to teach, in my opinion. i know other teachers may argue that point with me, but i can’t begin to explain how much my students change, grow, and improve over the course of a year, a month even. it’s almost unimaginable. they are also still at the age where they have no qualms about giving you their love and affection. for all of the times i want to pull my hair out because of one of them, there are a million more times in which they completely make my heart melt, either by being incredibly sweet or just plain hilarious.

when looking for a job in korea, you obviously have the choice of looking for a kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, or even a university (based on your qualifications). however, when applying to one of the three middle options, you often don’t get much of a say in the specific grade you will be teaching. obviously, you always have the right to refuse a job offer that doesn’t suit you. but i know my school, for example, only has one position open when they are interviewing at times. it’s up to you to look around and find something that fits you. if you’re hell bent on teaching a very specific age group, just make sure you get everything in writing when signing a contract. korean work environments are known to change without much notice, often just because the school’s needs change over time. you learn to live with it. :)