Lucy
- 2009-08-30
Hello. How is everyone? Yes, it was a bad experience work and school wise, however, I did have a lovely time in Korea. I highly enjoyed their people, the culture and the country. The bad experience with Jay Lee and Sally will not ruin what I learned from Korea. Also, I decided to post one more detailed forum post outlining every thing they did. Unfortunately, I posted it on Dave's ESL forum and well, most of Dave's people seem to have a, "Shut up your whining and stop being such a princess before deciding to step (quote) into the WILD..." mentality. Yeah, sure it happens ALL THE TIME, but I am informing people about WHAT TO EXPECT. I like to go prepared. I was willing to forgive most of the problems if Jay and Sally would have at least TRIED... tried to be honest and most of all... at least DO IT FOR THE STUDENTS and give me SUPPLIES FOR THEM. To this day both of them are probably thinking they did nothing wrong and will quote, "I have supplies..." Oh no you don't. You charge the students 800,000 won for 12 days, I think you can afford candy, paper and pens.
Whoever wants to read my utterly "bitter" princess FULL DETAILED report about Jay Lee and Sally at 2007giftedcamp@gmail.com please go to Dave's or GOOGLE it. I'm sure it will show up on the first page of the Google search engine. =) Aside from the bad experience, I must say that I let my guard down and did what I could and I even grinned when one parent asked if I was coming back to Jay's WINTER CAMP... No and luckily for Jay and Sally, I left it at that. Sometimes I wish I didn't,= but the professional side of me was glad I did. GOOD LUCK to all as Korea is indeed a LOVELY place to visit and be. =) Thank you and I loved Korea. Have a great day.
ANET
- 2009-08-29
Sorry for the late reply. I have been busy. Nevertheless, I need to address Lucys postings.
While in Ulsan, I was heavily criticized for my attempts, through the quasi-judicial and judicial system, to improve conditions for foreign teachers. I was also despised for subsequently informing the ESL community of undesirable/illegal employment practices.
Postings such as Lucys show what happens when F/Ts walk away from undesirable schools without warning other teachers.
Surely, others must have had problems with Jay Lee & Sally of 2007giftedcamp. They never warned anybody.
Lucy was let down. Before going to Seoul, she wrote to us asking for advice.
The advice I gave her was not sufficient because I dont know Jay Lee & Sally of 2007giftedcamp and I was never told about them. So I didnt want to arbitrarily steer her away from an arrangement that could have been a wonderful experience. I could not make any negative comments about the people she dealt with without cause. Her bad experience could have been avoided, had she known what to expect from the Korean ESL industry. She might have gone elsewhere or she might not be so angry and bitter about her time in Korea.
In retrospect, we can reply, Yes, what she now describes is exactly how it is. But then, if you have the luck of contracting with a reputable school in a good region (and these are hard to find) you will be enchanted. If you contract with one of the many poorly run employers, it will be hell.
All too often, the ESL industry in Korea is all about money - money and profits. Most Korean educators are neither proactive nor organized. Personally, I did NOT HAVE to be in Korea but many inexperienced people teach in Korea simply to pay off debts; and let's be candid, quick savings can be made there.
From what Lucy posted, those of us who spent many years in Korea can add, Yep, that is pretty much how they do business with foreigners. It can be frustrating for those of us who are actually TEACHING English and expecting our students to improve.
Now, Lucy has come forward and shared her experience. So, prospective Korean teachers: be warned. And undesirable hagwons that don't want to be denounced: clean up your act instead of bashing legitimate complainants.
My first experience in Korea was great. My second one, in Ulsan, was a nightmare I will never forget that left me with permanent prejudice.
Once again, BEWARE! VERY UNprofessional. Let me preface that if your expectations are doing a half arse job at teaching and or not caring that the camp DIRECTOR is NOT prepared with ANYTHING (ie scissors, pens, paper and the actual supplies for the CLASS) by all means, WORK for these two. I do not know Sally's last name but from what I heard from the Korean teachers (time and time again), she is the evil cheap mastermind behind it all. She's also very disrespectful and lacking in common sense yet super cunning and a liar when it comes down to making money. I understand that maybe you, SALLY, have some kind of DEBT (or you could just be money HUNGRY) fine (that's your personal AGENDA), but really to cut SO many corners that your camp is not FUNCTIONAL, now that becomes the TEACHER'S business because it affects the way we teach. Actually, she not only cuts corners from the camp to make money but she tries to cut corners from the teacher also (big surprise right). These two seriously lie so much and can't tell you a straight forward answer like, "Things will not change. That is the truth. DEAL with it or quit," because you'll probably quit. NOW, the MEAT of the story of WHY you should NOT work for them:
The original contract said that we (teachers) will be GREETED at the Incheon airport and TRANSPORTED to the facilities. GOOD LUCK. If you haven't been to Korea before, Jay could just call last minute and say they have a teacher's meeting (fine but really, I gave you my itiniary 3 weeks in advance). This results in 8000 won to transport yourself by bus to the facility (actually more but Jay made a C.A. camp assistant pick me up from the bus stop) and well, if it's your first time, that's not exactly what I was expecting. PLUS if they happen to have a meeting at the other school, you will be paying your own way there too. Is it really expecting too much to have someone pick up all the teachers for the "organized" meeting? Also, if it's your first time in Korea and no one picks you up from the airport, you will rent a phone AT the airport because YOU HAVE to talk to Jay, a 35 day rental is 75,000 won not including minutes. If Jay would have picked me up I would have asked an experienced Korean or foreign teacher about a PREPAID phone.
Then, the contract said your dorm will have a stove, tv and a refridgerator. Not only did he NOT give me this but Jay had the AUDACITY to give it to the male foriegn teachers who came a day later. Fine, I guess that COULD be forgiven but then Jay tried to make the foreign teachers share ONE room (to save money) AFTER ASSURING them that they would not be sharing a room. Don't you HATE people who go back on their word. That is who and what you will be dealing with if you work for Jay and Sally. I nicely asked for my refridgerator back. Get this. They show me a room with a fridge then change me to a room without the fridge. I have no internet connection. They say they will have someone come by the next morning to fix it. NO ONE. It's stuff like this that you have to constantly repeatedly ask and Jay says YES, but the END PRODUCT of the YES NEVER comes.
The teachers asked for supplies for the craft class and the science class. It's the "elective" for 6th period. DURING a meeting before camp starts he asks WHO wants to do which class. I ask will you have the craft and supplies for the class? He said, "YES. All you have to do is TEACH it..." So what do you think happens? NO SUPPLIES. NO CRAFT prepared. So tell me, HOW do I conduct an ART CLASS with NO SUGGESTED CRAFT OR the supplies???
Then there's the immersion activities and the FINAL camp PERFORMANCE in which kids are running around everywhere and you're not told specifically what to do or WHERE to go until seconds before leaving you with this HUH? feeling... plus really, who looks silly and becomes stressed? You're also expected to make your BACKGROUND and PROPS for the performance. Gee, for a ONE month camp? Hmm... The Immersion activities. OMG... the Cake Decoration is the worse. Jay did not have anything set up for clean up and just expected either the C.A.s or the cafeteria clean up (whom he does not pay) to just HANDLE it. No wipeys or plastic disposable table clothes; just a BIG mess. Then there are the report cards and the journals. Yes, the journals are mentioned in the contract but report cards are not. Jay and Sally say oh they are easy. They won't take long. They obviously haven't done them. If you want to do a half arse job, sure. It will still take you about 1/2 to hour cutting and pasting for 60 kids (F.T. 6 days a week. Only 30 if you do P.T.).
THEN the journals... it's a 12 day camp for each group of students (M,W,F or T,Th,Sat) yet they write JOURNALS every friggin day and God knows HOW they assign which teacher does what because you might just end up with Middle school level and they write at least ONE page each day NOT double-spaced. The exams are also a joke. YOU have to make up the exam! And then the grading, which Jay DOES NOT instruct you upon, you can VERY well be grading another teacher's exam. WHAT if that teacher MADE a test that is 75 Questions? You expect me to grade it? I DON'T EVEN TEACH THE CLASS. It's stuff like this that's like WTF? PLUS then I find out the results are not even given to the students. If Jay would have mentioned this, that they are so unprofessional and don't care... then I would not have spent 1/2 to an hour GRADING THEM when it DOES NOT EVEN MATTER.
If you work for them, YOU have been WARNED. There is much more but I do believe that is enough. Email me if you want more.