Sogang Language Program (SLP) – Jungnang: Sinnae-dong, Seoul

Good points:

Follows the law in terms of breaks being real breaks, and the right length. Follows the law in terms of holiday days and vacation days.

Curriculm average, fairly well thought out.

Bad points:

I have given this a one star for working conditions, as I view working conditions to be psychological as well as physical.

The boss chooses his favourites. It doesn’t matter how hard you work, how much you contribute to the hagwon in terms of resources or reputation, or if your class is the best academic and social performers due to the quality of your teaching, if you are not the favourite then you will find yourself micro-managed, and your powers as a teacher in a classroom stipped away from you.

Boss judges the quality of your teaching by your ability to perform as an entertainer, because he cannot see beyond this. Teachers who pretend to be happy and jolly whenever he walks past are the ones that remain in his good graces.

If you are a teacher in disgrace, you are not allowed to discipline your own students (such as separating them from the group temporarily to help them calm down) while the other teachers in better graces get away with harsher methods, such as throwing a child out of the classroom.

The strangest things can put you in good graces or bad ones.

Also when legal documents are requested…documents that must be provided legally if requested are not given. Boss will drag his feet until a Korean friend phones up and threatens to report them to the police or labour board.

Boss never plans ahead. I mean, never.You don’t know if you are coming or going.

Boss places heavy plants in even heavier plant pots in front of the only fire exit. Will not remove even when this is pointed out.

Uses buses for kindergarten which do not have seatbelts…though this may have changed.

He is the only boss I have ever worked for who has said, and I quote ” I don’t want you to do a good job, I just want you to do an average job”.

Any Koreans reading this:

The Korean teachers hated it so much that they would stay 6 months or so and then leave. It became so bad that he trapped Korean teachers by making them sign a contract that takes a year’s salary, divides it by 13, then uses the last payment as an incentive to stay the full year. Some of the younger Korean teachers did not realise that this was illegal until it was too late and they has signed the document.

If you are a passionate teacher (Korean or foreign), who understands the value of real teaching, do not be swayed by its link to the university.

DO NOT WORK HERE.