Home Again, Home Again… Jiggity Jig!

And it’s that inevitable time… the conclusion of my initial year living overseas. And just as there were many hoops to jump through before the year began, there are hoops to jump through before my contract is up. In this, the final article of my first year, I hope to cover a wide range of topics including what remains while in Korea as well as how I’m preparing for my next adventure.

Where in the World???

I began my job search in March, considering my options for next year and my priorities. Extending my contract with this school was the first option. Another was to search within Korea, but relocate cities. Both would provide me with a similar experience to what I’ve already had, however being the believer that I am in the mantra: Life is Short… I’ve opted to leave Korea and try something new.

 

The prevalent question then became: Where?

With the second draft of my novel completed, I’ve been on the fence as far as how much of a priority saving money still is. For instance, the Asian nations pay approximately $2,000-$3,000 per month for ESL educators while the Middle Eastern nations pay double that. In Europe, I couldn’t make that at all (the highest salaries are around $1,000 per month, but with cost of living being what it is there, saving isn’t feasible).

What are my new priorities? Obviously having new experiences, trying something different, and traveling to new and exotic locales remain at the top of the list. Since that’s the case, anywhere but Korea should suffice. Most likely, the coming year will be my last year living abroad. Needless to say, I want to make it count.

The Sultanahmet Camii, Turkey – Lit at Night

My first choice based on income, location, cultural exposure, and opportunity was Turkey. I figured a position in Istanbul would be ideal since the country is half-in and half-out of Europe anyway. I could realistically immerse myself in both Euro and Middle Eastern culture, customs, and traditions. Turkish schools pay relatively well ($1,600 USD per month).

Apparently hazard pay:

See THIS…

And THIS…

And THIS…

With Turkey out of the running, my eyes turned west toward Europe and North Africa. I’ve heard nothing about amazing tales of Prague – the capital city of the Czech Republic though the pay is substantially lower than in other parts of the world. The benefit to Prague is buying a eurorail pass and hopping around the Continent (that’s what my British friends call it – the Continent… I’ve adopted it as well) on weekends as opposed to a 2 or 3 month backpacking trip at the end of my contract.

Prague – The Only European City to Avoid WWII Bombings

The downside is having to dip into my savings for living expenses since the schools pay so little by comparison. So the decision I’m left with is whether or not the beauty and history or Prague and the experience living there outweighs the monetary shortcomings of that decision.

Another option for a position in a fun country that pays substantially well, according to another ESL teacher, is Morocco. I’d have a year to perfect my Humphrey Bogart impression in Casablanca. The only trouble with Morocco is that I have zero contacts there. I’ve sent out about a dozen applications and almost every one of them bounced back. So I’m not sure that option is even in the cards.

Dubai – Home to the Tallest Skyscraper in the World

My third idea was back into the Middle East, but to a very international city with a huge community of ex-pats. The city of Dubai is not only right on the water, but is also a very wealthy place. It’s a developed city nestled into a third world country. Businessmen from the four corners of the globe converge on the city and many of them could use help with their English language skills. I’m not sure I’m comfortable living in the Middle East at all, in spite of the $4,000 per month salary and all expenses paid (potentially saving over $35,000 in just one year). The problem with Dubai is the schools require at least 2 years experience because the market is so competitive.

Taipei – The Vegas of Asia

The last option I’m considering is a return to Asia, though quite a change from Korea. The small island nation of Taiwan boasts a very exciting capital city of Taipei – my friends who’ve visited this part of the world have all agreed that Taipei is the most fun place they’ve been. At this point in the search, I’ve turned down two jobs in Turkey, scheduled one interview with a school in Prague, and have a recruiter working to find me something decent in Taipei. The big plus side to Taiwan is the weather – they’re much more tropical than Korea so I wouldn’t have to pack any winter clothes.

No decisions have yet been made.

Regardless, I still have to get my ass out of Korea before anything else can happen and that takes a lot of work. I had to book a flight myself because the school was only willing to pay for the cheapest, slowest one available. So they’re going to reimburse me the portion they authorized – 1,300,000 won. The flight I selected was 1,478,000 won (approx $160.00 out of my pocket), and to be honest, I don’t mind since the flight they would’ve booked had three layovers and 35 hours in the air just to get me home. Thankfully, I ended up on a plane with only a 2 hour Dallas layover and only 15 hours in the air.

In addition to a flight reimbursement, I’m owed my 2,100,000 won bonus for completing the terms of the contract. I’m also owed 600,000 won security deposit on my apartment. I just sold my motorcycle for 550,000 won (a net profit of 150,000 won). And, because I’m an American citizen, I qualify to get 100% return on the money I paid to the Korean Pension Service. So I took a quick trip to the NPS office and filled out a form to get the 2,000,000 I paid into my Korean pension plan refunded. All I needed was my passport, alien ID card, and my airline ticket (so they know I’m actually leaving).

안녕히 가세요!

This week, I’ll also need to cancel my bank account here and have the school transfer those funds to my account in the States. Finally, I need to pack up my apartment, sell anything else that’ll sell, and determine which of my things gets taken and which get thrown out – pretty standard ‘moving’ type stuff. I’m also still finishing the second draft of the novel as well as the outlines and sketches for book II of the trilogy.

Within a week, I’ll be sitting pretty in the Western Hemisphere, Eastern Standard Time, and within a drive of all my family, friends, and loved ones. I can’t wait to see everyone. I can’t wait to relax and enjoy my summer break. I can’t wait to get an agent and get published. I can’t wait to start the next adventure…

I can’t wait!

-Justin

The Third 3rd: A Photo Re-Cap

Your Mileage May Vary: Part II

Continued from Part I…

Many schools and academies are completely mismanaged. I concede to the point that not all schools operate under the same parameters, however, I have heard from teachers at other schools that they’ve experienced similar ‘quirks‘ (for lack of a better word).

Disorganization and miscommunication run rampant in the Korean culture. The bosses don’t pass information down the line in a timely fashion, potentially fearing the dissatisfaction of their underlings. Therefore meetings, projects, and even off campus trips spring up at the seemingly last minute. All of this could be avoided with a little forethought and some notice given.

Lemmings

Also, Koreans in general aren’t leaders – they’re followers. When I polled all my classes (approx. 120 students between the ages of 12-16) only 2 students chose to fill the leadership role. The rest, an overwhelming majority, preferred to follow; they’d rather sit back while others make decisions and give instructions. I saw this time and time again with my Korean colleagues as well.

None of the teachers felt confident in his or her ability to take the lead on a project and run with it, so they would wait, hoping someone else would, however, the longer they waited, the less got accomplished. Eventually, the last minute reared its ugly head (sensing a theme here?) and we would have to run around like proverbial chickens with our heads cut off to get it done on time. Needless to say, in a rushed environment, rarely were things completed the right, best, or even satisfactory way.

Over the course of the year, enrollment dropped. Because of this, the management felt the need to cut corners to save money and stretch the budget. I understand how this works in a business setting, however in the world of education, the only people hurt by tightening belts are the children.

Teachers’ assistants quit and were never replaced so the equipment stayed dirty, photocopies weren’t made, and other trivialities, not normally important, began to pile onto the desks of the other teachers – both foreign and Korean. The school stopped ordering supplies we needed to adequately do our jobs. We were instructed to use less paper and if we could go without making any copies, to do so (which didn’t make much of a difference since 9 times out of 10 the copiers didn’t work anyway). We also lacked dry erase ink for our markers and had to teach without writing on the whiteboards if our markers ran out of ink. Most rooms have broken wall clocks.

Dancing Monkeys

Another major issue, probably the most major, is the expectations placed on foreign teachers. We’re treated as an interesting blend of educator and ‘dancing monkey’. The admins want us to be both entertaining and informative – it’s a high-wire tightrope act if ever there was one and if we tilted too far one way or the other, the school was guaranteed to get parent complaints. When re-enrollment didn’t increase and test scores didn’t improve, the foreign teachers received the brunt of the blame – in spite of the fact that we only see each kid for about an hour and a half per week and bulk of their English language education (at this particular academy anyway) is conducted in Korean and not English.

Discipline is a joke because the kids figured out long ago that foreign teacher threats have no teeth. They don’t have to behave and don’t have to finish their assignments. We aren’t respected enough as educators by the Koreans (who don’t do a very good job communicating with us to begin with) to be given the power and control necessary to make the students do their work. We’re only in command for 40 minutes a shot, and that means there are no consequences for students who act out and don’t do any of their work.

The above two points are exasperated due to the fact that Koreans love saving face. As far as the parents are concerned, they care more about telling people their kids are advancing in their academies than actually having their kids learn English. As such, lower level kids are pushed through the curriculum at an accelerated rate – regardless of whether or not they understand enough English to move up.

How can a teacher design a lesson plan catering to three different levels of comprehension and fluency within one class? Pace the material too quickly for those above-level, and the teacher risks losing the rest of the class. Pace it slow enough for the below-level kids, and the at-level and higher students get bored and tune out. The only solution is to teach to the middle of the bell-curve and pray the below-level kids pick up something and the above level kids don’t sleep through class.

Sardines

The final straw in saving overhead costs meant the powers that be canceled the lease on the third floor classrooms, taking away valuable space (including the auditorium) and cramming more desks into the fourth and fifth floor classrooms. The maximum class size jumped from 14 to 20 (my American educator friends who teach classrooms of 30 kids won’t think that’s a big deal. But let me tell you, stand in front of twenty second language students who can’t understand a word of the instructions, let alone the lesson, and you’ll quickly change your mind), and I use the term students loosely – sardines would be a more appropriate moniker.

An Actual Classroom…

The students write on the desks, the write on the walls, spill food and drinks on the floor…. There’s no cleaning staff to keep up with the mess, so the learning environment degrades more with each passing day, week, and semester. I’m embarrassed by the appearance of the classrooms and if I were a parent, I’d pull my kid out of a school resembling Camden, New Jersey.

The biggest saving grace of the school is the campus director. He’s a very kind and generous man who is a pleasure to work for and with. If not for him, I doubt I would’ve lasted the entire year. He’s the type of person who inspires his employees to work harder and do a better job in and out of the classrooms because you want to make him happy and look impressive to his superiors. Developing a professional relationship that bordered on friendship with him has been the best part of working for this academy.

While much of this may paint a pretty grim picture of overseas ESL teaching, I must refer you back to my disclaimer. The positives of this year are so huge and the negatives, although plentifully listed in this article, are few and far between.

This year has been one of the greatest of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything nor would I deter anyone from making the same decision themselves. I learned a lot about the world and myself, met some awesome people, and had a great time. I highly recommend teaching ESL to anyone with a strong sense of self and an attraction to the unknown adventures lying just outside their comfort zone.

Until Next Time…

-Justin