During my time in Korea, from September 2021 to September 2022, I had two different teaching jobs. I'll get into why that is later on, but for now I want to talk about my first teaching job which was in Ulsan, Korea. In my last article about my time in Korea I talked about Ulsan itself, so now I want to talk in depth about my school, my schedule, and what went wrong.
I won't say the name of my school because of the strict anti-defamation laws in Korea, but the school has been closed for a couple years now. So if you happen to figure it out, oh well. When I first saw the job ad for the school, what I loved about it was the focus on play and creativity to teach English. I had heard how stressed and overworked Korean kids were, so I loved the idea of this school and thought it was sorely needed. To this day, I am so upset that the school didn't work out. It really could have been so great.
If you want to know more about how I started the process of moving to Korea and how I got my E2 teaching visa, check back tomorrow for my article all about it.
This school was a brand new chain across Korea, and the location in Ulsan was the third to open. It was in Lotte Department Store in the Nam-gu district of Ulsan. This school was a private school, which in Korea is known as a hagwon, and mostly catered to kids who had not started school yet or would attend after school. Unlike a more traditional English school, this school was set up more like a kids cafe. There was a ball pit and play area, a toy kitchen, a gym full of activities, a soil room, an art room, and a library. Parents would sign their kids up for one to two classes a day, with a half-hour activity and half-hour of play each, and the classes we offered rotated weekly. Our curriculum and lesson plans were created by the company, and we were sent the materials we needed.
For the first couple weeks we started by setting up the new school, organizing materials, and getting trained by teachers from other branches. Then, we started doing trial classes where parents could bring their kids in and try out the program. If we were successful, they would pay for "hours" for their kids. The hours were pre-paid class hours that they could use whenever they wanted in a certain amount of time. If they bought thirty hours, they could bring their kid for an hour every day of the week or book an hour or two in a row here and there over a few months. Parents spent a lot of money for their children to be there, and our job was to make it worth it by showing that the kids were learning and having fun.
We accepted students Korean age five to nine, which means we could have students as young as three based on international age. Before starting at the school, we had students do a level test where we could see how much English they already knew. Then they were placed in Levels 1, 2, or 3 with 3 being the highest. We had different classes with different activities for each level, and then they all came together during play time. The amount of kids allowed in each class was three per teacher. If four kids signed up for that hour we would have an assistant teacher join the class. Each class size would vary depending on the number of kids that signed up for that hour of that day. Some days we would have no kids for a certain hour and others we would have three classes running with six kids each at the same time. Kids could also sign up at the last minute, so we never really knew how many kids we would have for sure that day.
Being in Ulsan, we mostly had kids that were rarely exposed to English or foreigners in general. There were so few foreigners that we would always see the same people out and about at the bars. Kids would look at us like we were aliens, and some were scared. One kid asked if I was Chinese because that was what he thought of as a foreigner. The large, bodybuilder teacher was definitely wild to the kids, and the African American teachers confused them. Most of the parents didn't speak any English, so we were the only exposure to the language for these kids. Out in public people would always push their kids to us to practice their English or try to get us to "tutor" their adult sons. Unlike Seoul, we were sort of a novelty. Speaking any Korean was impressive to everyone. While I've heard stories of foreigner-hatred in Seoul, Ulsan was mostly filled with lovely people who hadn't had bad experiences with foreigners.
While there are many hagwons around Korea, our school was pretty unique in Ulsan with its approach. The location wasn't close to where most families lived, but it was surrounded by shopping. Many parents brought their kids and hung out in the department store while they were in class, or they would drop them off and go run errands for two hours.
As the school got more popular, we had more issues with our schedule. The class structure was a huge issue due to the expected student-teacher ratio. We had six teachers total before we started losing people, but because we were open every day of the week (with special camps on the weekends), we usually had four or five max on any given day. Here's an example weekly schedule to help explain why this was an issue.
Our work day was 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, and classes started at noon. That means there were eight one-hour long class blocks in a day. For each hour there would be one class for each of the three different levels. We had two different classes for each level per day, so we would rotate every other hour between them. So, depending on who signed up for a class, we could have no classes for that hour or we could have three at the same time. That means three teachers prepared to teach that hour. However, if more than three students booked or showed up for one level, we would have to add another teacher to that classroom. If more than six showed up, we would have to add two teachers to that classroom. If there were only four teachers working that day, our manager would put blocks on the schedule so that we didn't have too many kids at one time. Unfortunately, the company pushed back against the blocks in favor of keeping it open for more business.
On Mondays and Tuesdays we would teach the same set of classes, on Wednesdays we did just two classes with all of the levels combined, and on Thursdays and Fridays we had a new set of classes. The classes ranged from storytelling to art to dance. Each lesson had a set of key words or phrases that were the goal for the day. If the art project was a guitar, we would have key words like "guitar," "music," "play," "instrument," etc. depending on their level. Some classes had us in the dreaded soil room putting the kids into suits and boots and trying to keep them mostly clean. Others had us in the gym running around or in the art room covered in paint.
There were lessons that were incredibly fun, lessons that were boring and had to be spruced up, and lessons that were so complicated we changed the whole thing. One time we received the materials to make jewelry boxes with the kids. Before doing lessons, we always had to prepare the materials and make samples of the artwork. I worked on the jewelry box sample, and immediately I knew it was going to be a problem. The boxes came assembled but the students were supposed to make designs with glue and colorful shards on the lid, cover it in resin, and then put it under a UV nail lamp to dry. And the lesson was for level one, meaning usually our youngest kids. Immediately we said no to the sharp shards and opted for glitter. The rest would have to be us, as the kids were not supposed to touch the resin at all. I remember for one lesson having three teachers in the room with six kids, putting on the resin and rotating them through the two or three UV lamps we were given. We had one teacher on lamp duty during play time, trying to get them dry in time for their parents to take them home. Most of them were still sticky. As we got lessons like these and learned the hard way, we started adjusting everything ourselves based on our students' attention spans and abilities.
During play time we had to actively play with the kids and try to use English with them. In theory they could make art, read, or play board games, but most of the time they wanted to run around in the ball pit. We played a lot of "zombie," went fishing in the magnetic fish tank, and occasionally went in the soil room to dig. It took a lot of energy to keep up with the kids, but I absolutely loved them (most of the time). One little girl loved dragging me around and making me food in the kitchen while scolding me like a grandma (in Korean) for touching it when it's too hot. One boy loved building and creating things, so we made volcanos, swords, and gadgets. If I really needed a break, I would convince them to play with things like Legos in the gym.
On top of teaching the three level classes every hour, we also had to be prepared for trials and tutoring. Tutoring was a perk for parents who bought a bunch of hours for their kids. We would sit with them one on one and come up with our own curriculum. That took another teacher out of the rotation and meant they had to come up with a plan, sometimes at the last minute. Trials were scheduled ahead, but instead of putting trial kids in the regular classes, we would have to use old materials from previous months and have a separate class specifically for that child. That means another teacher out of rotation for that hour. Not to mention the hour lunch break we each needed to get in the day. It could get really hectic if there were three classes, a trial, and tutoring all at once, especially because we only had three rooms to use as classrooms.
For each class we also had to take pictures of the students, write reviews of how they did that day, and post it on the parent portal. At first, the feedback had to be done by the end of the hour, meaning during play time we would run out for a while to type. Then it was due at the end of the day, which was much more doable if we weren't super busy. At first, having my phone out during classes felt so weird and wrong, but I learned it is actually normal for schools to take pictures and give parents these constant updates.
On the weekends we had special camp, which changed every month. For example, in October we had a Halloween special camp. The camp had scheduled activities related to the theme. We had games like haunted tic-tac-toe and a haunted house maze map, art activities where they made bats, and other activities. For the secret agent camp they made spy briefcases and used clues and codes to find the missing giant blowup ring from the museum (which was super hard to hide). For super hero camp they stopped the villain from destroying the cardboard city. The camps were all two hours long, and we ran them three times a day.
We were not allowed to use Korean around the kids, so we had to use gestures and flashcards to help them understand us. If it was an emergency or we needed help, we could go to the front staff or managers. They were all Koreans who communicated with the parents, took care of logistics, and solved crises. They would help the kids as they came in, make sure they stored their shoes in the cubies, and send them to wash their hands before lining up for class. Then we would take over. It was nice to have them as backup to soothe crying kids or handle troublemakers. We weren't supposed to discipline the kids ourselves and instead have the Korean staff handle it. This was to avoid any drama with the parents directed at the teachers. As someone who hates conflict, I loved having help but sometimes struggled with controlling my classroom without handling it myself.
There was a lot that I loved about my school. I loved my coworkers. We would go out for Korean BBQ at least weekly at our favorite spot, and we also got together occasionally for soju and karaoke. I loved our hours since I'm not a morning person, and I loved the location. The walk from my apartment was easy, and there was so much to eat in the area for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I would head to the basement floor of the department store where the food court was and grab a bunch of stuff from one of the bakeries before we opened. Or sometimes I would head up to the top floor and grab some pastries and a choco latte (basically just chocolate milk) from the coffee shop. For lunch, I would sometimes stay in the department store for hot pot, sushi, a burger, or sometimes an eel rice bowl. Other times I would head outside for rose chicken pasta, Burger King, or tonkatsu.
I also loved my students. They became my babies. I was so proud to see them learning, happy to see them warm up, and always amused by their personalities. When you play and create with kids, you get to see so much of them and how their minds work. I loved encouraging them to try new things and have fun, knowing that they will have such high expectations in the future. I loved doing arts and crafts with them and coming up with creative ways to make every lesson and camp special. My coworkers and I, for one of our final camps, made a giant cardboard firetruck out of excess boxes that the kids could pick up and ride around in. For tutoring, we came up with worksheets and crafts that tied together and fit that student's interests. I loved working with kids in that capacity.
There was also a lot I didn't love about my school. I didn't love the last minute additions of students. I didn't love being short-staffed, overbooked, and the hectic juggling of everything we had to offer. I didn't like when lesson plans and materials came late or were inadequate for our students. I didn't like having to work weekends and getting random days off, or having to work holidays (even with holiday pay), and then having a difficult time getting approved for vacations because of staffing. It would have been nearly impossible to take a full week off at a time. If we could have had more teachers, and if the company listened to more of our suggestions, I really think we could have fixed all of these issues.
As a team in Ulsan, we actually did a great job working together to find solutions to these obstacles and communicate with the company what wasn't working. My coworkers were so great, and we were all usually on the same page. My managers and the front staff were also incredible at listening to our concerns and trying to implement changes. Despite major staffing issues towards the end, we worked directly with some of the higher ups and were hopeful for some significant changes in the near future. That all changed suddenly, on April 20, 2022 at 5:00 pm. Our manager got an email saying that as of the next day all locations would be closed and everyone would be laid off. Foreign teachers had two weeks to find a new job or lose their visas.
On April 10th, the first sign of trouble came when no one got paid. We were paid monthly on the tenth, and when that money didn't come they said there were some money problems higher up in the company that were shady, got some higher ups fired, and meant they were working on getting sponsors for the company. They apparently had people lined up but wouldn't be ready until the next week. So we waited and still didn't get paid. Then they said we would have our money by the 20th.
Instead of getting paid, we got laid off. Our last three classes of that day were spent playing with the kids doing whatever they wanted. We didn't care, and we couldn't tell them. The company said strictly to tell the parents nothing. They would handle telling the parents themselves. If we didn't comply, it could put my Korean coworkers at jeopardy. In Korea, company loyalty, work titles, and scandals can all play a huge roll in whether you get hired or blacklisted. Even with the company just closing suddenly, it made it incredibly difficult for my Korean coworkers to find good jobs, even though the closure had nothing to do with them.
We were so stressed that we didn't know what to do. We put on happy faces while playing with the kids, saying goodbye, and cleaning up the place for the last time. The next day, parents all over the country went crazy. Most of them had paid a significant amount of money for months worth of hours for their kids in advance, and now every branch was closed with no way to get a refund. Meanwhile we were in our apartments, paid for by our company, searching for jobs and preparing to move. We had two weeks to interview, accept a position, pack, and move all without having been paid since March.
Some of the higher ups that we liked from the company worked with everyone to find placements. By the time the company closed, they had around thirteen to sixteen branches across the country, some with full time and part time teachers and Korean staff, meaning maybe eight to fifteen people being laid off per branch at the same time. I kept my options open but ended up finding a job on my own. I used whatever money I had to fly to Seoul last minute from Ulsan and interview in person. I needed them to see I was serious, but I also needed to see the school and area for myself. I wanted to know what I was getting into and not have a repeat of the stress I had just endured.
I got the job, and in May I hired a moving truck to take my things to my new apartment in Bucheon, Korea. The next day I started work. In just a couple weeks my friends were scattered, my job was closed, and my life was moved across the country. It was hard, but I made it through and survived another four months teaching in Korea before having to leave. But that's a story for another time.
Overall, I am happy with my time and experience in Ulsan. I made so many friends, experienced living alone for the first time, tried a completely new job, moved to a new country, and learned how to overcome so many barriers. Some of those barriers that I'll talk about in the future are the language barrier, bureaucracy, xenophobia, and anxiety. Along with the bad, I'll talk about the good and the shades of gray. Some topics I'll cover are public transportation, politics, healthcare, cost of living, and places of interest. I'll be sharing my experiences exploring the beach in Busan, visiting the largest palace in Seoul, staying at a ski resort in the mountains, and so much more. I'll also be documenting my journey of returning to Korea in the future, hopefully more permanently this time.
If you are interested in moving to or visiting Korea, please continue to follow along, ask questions, and share my stories. There is so much more to come.
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