Monthly Rant Thread

I struggle a lot to make class content for job. My classes are about 2 hours long and but I only have 3 of them a day. I recently found a website called hagwon hub. I saw they have worksheets and I love that they have ppts to go with the with games.

They say the ppts can be used for up to 35 mins of class time so I’ll definitely be using it.

Here’s link if you are also struggling:

hagwonhub.com/worksheets

Is it common to struggle with academies that give little to no materials?

hey guys, quick question for anyone in the loop with hagwon industry news/trends! I’m pulling together a quick industry summary on how the level test ban (레벨테스트 금지) is actually impacting things across Korea, and I need a bit of real-world context on what’s happening out there.

not asking about your specific school, but have you heard about how other academies in your area or network are handling this whole shift?

• student intake/placement: what are other schools doing instead of standard level tests? are people hearing about informal chats, trial classes, or renamed "consultations"?
• parent reactions: are parents complaining that it’s harder to gauge levels, or are they asking schools for roundabout evaluations/scores?
• class division & ops: for subject/English/arts hagwons that heavily relied on placement testing, is the general consensus that class organization has become a mess, or have they adjusted smoothly?
• enforcement & reporting: has anyone heard of actual audits/reporting center activity happening, or is everyone just as confused about where the line is drawn?

if you’ve heard any stories, rumors, or general chatter from other teachers or directors in your network, drop a comment or feel free to DM me! really appreciate any insights 🙏

E2 visa boss not so much suggested as much as FORCING us to hand out flyers in front of a public school. Not a hill I want to die on and of course it's minor but don’t want to risk it as I’m sure marketing especially in the street/harassing students isn’t allowed.

Boss called trusty 1345 and they said it’s allowed if part of duties and we aren't paid for it.

I’ve since been quoted part of my contract stating I need to follow employer instructions :)

TYIA

Hello everyone, hopefully I put the correct flair on here. I just wanted to ask about something. So my contract with my current hagwon has been terminated and my director gave me a month to find a new job while working at my current one. The new start date that I gave them was November 16th because I didn't know if my current director would allow me to leave early to avoid having to find people to cover my classes. I may have found the new job that I want to go to and my current director let me know that I can move hagwons whenever I want to as long as I give enough notice and she will give me my letter of release. I was just curious on if I could leave a week before the 16th and take a break before starting at the new one or if I need to be consistently working for my E-2 visa to stay in effect. I don't need to worry about somewhere to live for that week as I have a lot of close friends nearby. Hopefully I explained that well.

Hey guys. I'm an ESL teacher at an academy in Seoul and I've been making games for my own lessons. For Halloween I put together three things you can use this week too:

Skeleton Hangman - normal hangman, but every wrong letter knocks a bone off the skeleton. The animations are the fun part.
Halloween word lists, or type in your own.

Halloween Race - a team board game with Halloween picture questions (candy, costumes, animals). Answer right, then you can roll the die.

Halloween Cryptic - a printable picture-code puzzle to find where the witch hid the candy. Honestly my students like this one the most.

You need a monitor or projector for the two games, and a printer for the Cryptic. All free, no sign-up: https://classbop.com/specials

Would love some feedback please !

Hey all I’m on E2, just looking for some advice/correct information

I am not a first time teacher, and have many experience in other schools!

I’ve spoken to many friends here in Korea, especially those who know some parts of the law and have backed me with regards to my situation but I just wanted some advice about how can I go about leaving?

I’ve seen mixed comments about that we can submit resignation and just leave immediately with no requirement for the contracted 90 days period?

I am wanting to break my contract early due to many things (I’ve been here for 3 months), as well as my own health

I also know in my contract if I do break early I would need to pay back my flight fees and others in full - which I am willing to do

I have collected evidence throughout my time here so if I have to go through MOEL I have everything needed.

I want to remain here in Korea, I understand I will need a letter but I’ve heard from other teachers they are not willing to give this to foreign teachers

I am currently looking at cheap place to move into immediately as again immigration will need an address for me.

Many thanks :)

Hi Everyone.

Thinking about possibly going back to teach in SK (currently in the states). I’ve seen many job posts that states, “we can’t sponsor E-2 visa at this time”. If anyone outside of Korea is currently job searching, have you been experiencing this as well? 😩😭

1. 5 day probation period with 30% withheld
2. Repayment of recruiting fees if I leave within three months and allows airfare deductions from my final pay if I don't complete the contract no matter the cause
3. 25 teaching hours per week and a maximum of 120 teaching hours per month, but another clause references 140 regularly scheduled hours per month

So I had an interview today at a small hagwon. It was going fine, but then the owner mentioned they've been relying on AI to make pretty much everything... materials, online learning, even songs.

I know AI is more accepted in Korea than in a lot of places, but I'm really not a fan and against its use in education. But is this just going to be the norm here that I need to accept, or is it unusual?

I didn't totally decline the job yet, but I did ask for a higher salary than what I'm sure they were willing to pay instead, so I guess that's kinda the same thing.

Not a lot of info floating around about it but please check which immigration office you need to visit - if you go to the wrong one, you will be turned away

"Aren't you cold?" This was the questions some co-teachers asked me recently. Wearing a t shirt when it's hot and getting asked that question is as old as time itself. Remember those page long rants on Waygook about this? Just curious if your Korean co teachers are still asking you this nowadays?

Hi guys, me again!

Sadly the situation with my school has turned into a real mess. My former Boss is refusing to communicate with myself or the other three teachers who left ( 2 Korean, 2 Foreign) and has also repeatedly ignored MOEL meetings and phone calls.

The Labor Officer in charge of our case is really angry about it all and is talking about the idea of us suing our former boss.

I’m pretty confused as I thought MOEL had the power to compel a business to pay out missing severance / salary and we wouldn’t need to do anything further beside put in the petition.

Can anyone advise me about this situation?

- Do we need to hire a lawyer and proceed with a group lawsuit?

- Can MOEL actually do anything besides issue a judgement?

Many thanks!

Going to apply, wondering if a cheap one is enough just to tick the box or it’s much more competitive these days.

Parts 1-2:

Part 3 – Additional Contract Concerns

1. Have to work 3 hours every other Saturday morning for 20,000 Won per hour
2. Have to do "Phone-testing" - calling students once a month at home to test their English. Apparently this is done after classes until the end of the workday.
3. Brand new branch of an academy, that will have only 3 Korean teachers and 2 English teachers total.

Parts 1-2:

Part 3 – Additional Contract Concerns

1. Must create lesson plans
2. Approximately 30 minutes to walk from the housing to the campus or 15 minutes by bus
3. My "duties, working location, division, or campus" can be changed based on necessity. I was told it's done by mutual acceptance, but contract states I can be terminated for not agreeing with a change.

Hi everyone, I’m here on an F visa and have been considering whether I should teach English for a bit of extra income.

Due to our family situation, I’m interested in part time work only. Some family members have made comments that at some English academies one can work 2-3 hours a day and make 2-3 million won.

Surely my family are mistaken? I’ve been reading here on the sub and it seems most positions are paying that amount for full time work. I’m in Gangnam for reference.

Welcome to our Weekly Newbie Thread! If you're new to teaching in Korea or have questions about the process, this is the place to be. Feel free to ask anything related to teaching, living, or working in Korea, and our experienced community members will be here to help you out.

Some Tips for Asking Questions:

1. Be specific: Provide details about your situation or question to help others give you the best advice.
2. Search first: Before asking, try searching the subreddit or using online resources to see if your question has already been answered.
3. Be respectful: Remember to be courteous and appreciative of the help you receive.! If you're new to teaching in Korea or have questions about the process, this is the place to be. Feel free to ask anything related to teaching, living, or working in Korea, and our experienced community members will be here to help you out.

I plan to move to Korea next year to be an english teacher but I also do youtube as a hobby, I don’t make any money currently it’s strictly hobby based. I know you aren’t allowed to make a second income but what if things change. I highly doubt my channel would bring in tons of money most likely under $500 but I was just wondering if that would be something allowed while on my E-2 visa? Obviously my channel wouldn’t be about the school, teaching, or even Korea it’s just vlogs but I would be willing to stop if that is something that could cause problems or get me deported.

Hello everyone!

I’m quitting my hagwon job mid-contract, but I want to leave as amicably as possible so I let my manager know about it before officially submitting a resignation letter. But, I was a fool for believing that my manager was a good person.

He basically lied to me about having to pay the remaining months of rent (despite what the contract states) as a form of intimidation(?) tactic to get me to reconsider about quitting and just stay until the end of my contract.

What makes this infuriating for me is that he tried to mask it as concern for me, like “will you be okay having to pay the remaining months of rent🥺?” 🙄 and it’s like he thinks I’m an idiot who wouldn’t review my contract beforehand. I called him out about how my contract states that I just need to pay one month’s worth of rent (and applicable real estate fees). He agreed and I told him that I’ll submit my resignation letter officially on Monday with a one month notice (to abide by my contract).

Then after discussing with the other manager, he asked me if I could stay until the end of November (which would be about a week and a half longer than my intended last day). He said it would be nice if I could help them out because the other manager is getting surgery soon and will be out of the office for 2 weeks. (I know he only told me the reason to gain sympathy from me to get me to agree to stay longer.)

I just find it sooo hilarious that he had the audacity to try to trick/scam me and later come back asking if I could help them out. Now that I feel like I have the upper hand, my question is: would it be worth negotiating for all fees to be waived in exchange for staying until the end of November?

Or is it even necessary for me to negotiate this considering Article 20 of the Labor Standards Act, which states that employers are prohibited from predetermining penalties/damages for breach of contract. (If anyone has any more info/knowledge about this, please let me know!)

(Btw I’m on the F4 visa so my visa isn’t tied to the hagwon.)

I know there will be a health check/drug test after arriving to Korea. Unfortunately, I have a severe toothache right now, so bad that it prevents me from sleeping. My doctor prescribed me amoxicillin and ibuprofen and I'll really need to take them on the flight over, to prevent complications from the cabin pressure.

I'm just stressed because I don't know how soon my drug test will be after I land or if any exception is made for false positives from prescribed meds.

Additional Info:
1. Frequent covering / loss of prep time (current teachers told me) because the owner lets people actually use their paid vacation days

1. Out of Seoul

2. Don’t get full week in the summer or winter , red days get moved around or we just work and get overtime for that day

What’s the best way to find a short term (3-6 months) E2 job? Does anyone have experience? Where did you look/post? I’m currently in public, but assuming I’d have to switch to private.

My contract will be up in a few months, but I don’t want to re-sign for another full year contract since I’m looking to transition out of teaching. And I don’t feel right purposefully signing on for another year knowing I’d quit early…

I know year long contracts are the norm for E2s, but I’m thinking there must be some folks out on short-term leave or maternal leave that need coverage?

More info:
1.Deduction Clause
The Company will withhold a total of 600,000 won as a security deposit and return it upon completion of the contract less the cost of any damage to the apartment or furniture or unpaid utilities. The amount of 200,000 won will be withheld from the monthly salary for the first three months of employment. In the case the Employee does not take housing
 
2. Curriculum is a little new, and teachers admitted that they make about 2/3 of their own material

1. Only 2.6 will get deposited into my account, I’d get the other 200,000 in cash
    
   

2. This place has open class once a year

3. We are not allowed to leave during work hours