To Stacy:
Yep. That's pretty much how it is in Korea's less reputable academies. Aside from the established chains like E.L.C, its hard to find a reputable academy outside Seoul and Daegu.
Also, Koreans are very reactive. Chances are the Korean teachers are not advised of changes any sooner than you are. They just go with the flow. In the smaller academies, the spoken language is Korean and everyone forgets that you don't understand what they are saying.
I taught in Korea for five years. At first, I wasted a great deal of time getting organized and planning lessons only to have them blown away by the director. It was exhausting and frustrating. Then I just relaxed, acted as though I were on a long vacation, and laughed off the circus. My sense of humor came in handy. You can criticize, get angry, write memos, but you will not change them. Dont try to do or teach too much. Just go in as a friend of the students and youll find your nerves will thank you for it. Above all, remember, you are not expected to make them learn English. Korean teachers do that. You are a Native English presence.

To Theo
Interesting. I too was struck with a life threatening illness while in Korea. It was at a hagwon in Nammok, Ulsan. I too was denied access to prompt medical care and, I too now have permanent damage, in my case to two limbs, as a result of my guarantors negligence. To make a long story short, the officers of the hagwon were letting me die on their premises. After my necessary, yet much criticized outburst (I was dying for crying out loud!!!) I was finally given a hospital bed. While I was in the hospital, I was secretly fired. Its a serious workplace problem in Ulsan.
Having stated the above, I have to add that the kind people who did go out of their way to help me while I recovered were Koreans, but they were not among the powerful who rule the Ulsan workplace.
According to Korean Immigration Laws, academy owners/directors have a duty, as guarantor, to help their foreign teachers who get sick and this includes getting us to the hospital promptly if required. However, some hagwon presidents have powerful friends who raise them above the law.
ANET

I have been teaching in Bundang, South Korea for 3 weeks now and have faced many challenges with my co-teacher and the administration of the school. I know this is a different culture and I have also noticed that the administration avoids me because of the language barrier. But I can't continue to work under these conditions.

First, my co-Teacher tells me nothing. There was no preparation for my arrival, no schedule, no documentation of where each of the classes were in their books or had done recently. She did not involve me in teaching what so ever until I insisted. She didn't tell me of teachers meetings, a social dinner and a televised announcement of me, until the last minute. She canceled my weekly writing class without discussing it with me and informing me after I had prepared materials for the class.

The administrations communication is exactly the same. They make no attempt to inform me, it just happens and thats how I find out about it. They had canceled my classes, only because the Co-T had taken the day off for an emergency. I had already planned for the classes and sat there waiting for the students to come to class, and they didn't. I went looking for them in their homerooms and that's where they were.

I was informed that there would be a substitute teacher for the following week, which is unnecessary as I had already planned for the classes.

I am an experienced teacher. 3 years behind me. I manage the classroom better without a co-teacher. What am I suppose to do next week?...twiddle my thumbs? Chat on Facebook? Is this how its going to be for the next year? Is this how it is in Korea?