Red flags to look for in a Hagwon 

Loved this! Here are some of my tips: Always make sure to have them specify exactly how many hours of your day are actually spent teaching, and how many hours are dedicated to prep/breaks. Make sure your weekly/monthly teaching hours add up correctly, and are clearly stated in the contract. Last thing you want is to be told you're working from 9-7PM and from 9-7PM you're teaching non-stop-- WHAT A NIGHTMARE. Make sure your contract explicitly states what is required of you as a teacher at the hagwon; grading, marking, performing assessment tests etc. If the workload doesn't match up to the amount of prep-time you're allocated you'll be spending A LOT of time at home doing school work. Make sure your hagwon does not simply state that you'll be receiving pension and healthcare, but the exact percentages that will be deducted from your paycheque. Hagwons will often provide you an apartment or a stipend if you want to get your own place. Make sure your hagwon states EXACTLY THAT. If it's an apartment then the contract should list what exactly in the apartment will be provided (i.e. bed, stove, desk, chair), and if it is a stipend it should state how much you will be provided. I believe the contract should also state what bills the teacher will be responsible for paying. Last thing you want is to be magically told that you have to pay a security deposit fee of $900. Make sure any expenses that are required of you are stated. If you make any negotiations with your hagwon director get everything IN WRITING. It's okay if you send your contract back over and over again. If the hagwon is willing to work with you they will make the alterations. It's not so much about getting everything you want, but ensuring that you are entering into a safe work environment. ALSO, super important. Sometimes your contract will say that you will work "some" saturdays during the year. MAKE SURE THERE IS A CAP YA'LL. For example, if you agree to work "some" saturdays, then make the cap 5 or 6 for the year. If not, your hagwon will be asking you to come in every weekend lmao. Same for sick days, make sure your sick days are stated clearly, the amount, and when you will be required to provide a doctors note. I also like to ask for days that allow me to return home if there is a death in the family -- bereavement days are super important. God forbid something happens, having 2-3 days to return home is essential. Take the time to thoroughly go through your contract, and make note on anything you need clarification on or have a problem with. Facebook is a great way to ask around. Make a post and ask if people are willing to help you glance over your contract. There will always be others there to help you! I'll be returning to Korea in 2021 via hagwon route, if anyone will be returning during that time hmu! Would love to make friends. :)

Do not take a job at a hagwon if that hagwon hasn't been open for several years because if they tank you're jobless. Also ALWAYS ask to talk to a current teacher at that hagwon! They will be able to answer your questions from a foreign teacher's perspective and not from the director/principal's perspective.

Hello! Coming to a Hagwon soon. What was helpful for me was that they gave me the details for another South African teacher there. Fortunately, none of the red flags you mentioned was present. Praying for the best. Now I am going to stress pack for a month.

I've been a teacher here for five years at three different schools and most of my friends also work in hagwons, so I have some good advice. In Korea, it's not illegal to audio record as long as your voice is on it too, so anytime your boss asks you to have a meeting (if your hagwon is shady), say "sure!" that way if they ask you to do anything illegal then you have proof. There are free lawyers at Seoul Global Center that help English teachers with things such as eleventh month firings (something employers often do when their business is tanking at the end of the year as students drop out) and other shady things such as not paying into your pension account but posting it on your paystub ect. Also, never sign anything they give you on the spot. Hopefully this kind of thing is when all foreign teachers will band together and refuse to sign something if it's illegal (and usually in contradiction to your contract). Another thing to ask about is the curriculum. Is it age appropriate and meant for EFL speakers of the student's level? If it's too easy you are going to have to come up with a bunch of extra material in your personal time because you are probably only paid for teaching hours. Or it could be worse and the material is too hard for their level. The school often requires you finish the student's books, which makes you (the teacher) the middle man in making kids do too much stuff that they simply weren't meant to do. Example: my old school had first grade students with ZERO experience learning English doing second grade level books from the USA meant for NATIVE SPEAKERS. How in the world is a kid going to be able to write a sentence about something if they don't even know the sound the letter A makes? Many schools show this flashy curriculum to the parents promising their students will know it all by the end of the year without taking into account that the children's brains are simply incapable of comprehending that kind of information yet.

I interviewed for eight hagwons before finally signing with one and I am still scared 😅 one month until I find out if I made the right choice or not. Pray 4 me

That color looks great on you! 💚

My daughter is there now and nobody tells you the cost of getting set up in an apartment. From purchasing a microwave to a pan, nor the cost of Medicals and immigration fees- there are sooo many hidden costs. Food and transport fares- especially when you’re converting the rand. It’s a small fortune- so be prepared.

So happy to say I recently accepted a job at a Hagwon and they’re in the clear thanks to your little list. They provided everything you mentioned and the contract is very clear. Definitely feel a good accepting their offer lol. This was very helpful.

I took a job at a hagwon in Korea for a year and after that I came back to the states. Many things were wrong with it from management to playing favorites with parents. I enjoyed my time as a teacher there but I didn't enjoy the company. I felt less of being a teacher after teaching there.

All great information, as usual! I connected with you a bit at the end there where you mentioned you had, by all intents & purposes, a pretty legitimately good hagwon, but chose to leave it anyway due to some other factors not on paper. It's funny, isn't it? Even some of the ones that are good on paper might have some other issues deeper inside that you can't know about until after you start, lol. Sometimes the workload becomes too intense during peak testing periods, or due to long hours, or there's even just too much highschool drama going on within the company employees. You just truly never quite know 100% what you're getting into with a hagwon; a true leap of faith lol. Personally, the closest I think anyone can get to is about 80-85% "I know exactly what my job is going to be like" before signing. Even the pros with all of the experience.

Thank you this was very helpful!

Thank you for this based on your videos I think imma stock with applying to epik

This is helpful

I didnt even know my hagwon was blacklisted until I went on reddit. My boss doesnt like me so i dont know if they came up with reasons to fire me but keeping me for two months until they find a new teacher. In the contract didnt talk about report cards, 3 month plan or open class. So i have been overworked and taking things home a lot. I am happy that I am looking for a new job because I have been take advantage a lot running around doing my best.

Great video! I’m moving to Seoul at end of February to work for a Poly school and I’ve done my research on the franchise. The reviews are pretty cut throat regarding if people enjoyed their time at the school. My school is only a year old so I couldn’t find any information on them 🤦🏾‍♀️but I read the contract and it’s fine. No red flags that you mention thank god! Lol also I love your green top! The color is giving me 80s vibes ❤️

I was South Korea for 12 years and this lady is wrong. I took three employers to the labor board and won every time. I also moonlighted for the largest law firm in Seoul. It doesnt matter what is in your contract. The labor laws tops all. The employer has to pay severance by law. If the employer refuses, then go to the labor baord!

There is very little down time in an American elementary school. Extra duties, working overtime and taking work home is a given. It’s a tough job in the US, too. I’m not trying to diminish your experiences, but it’s a hard way to make a living.

Can u make a video on why u became a teacher i.e. esl teacher in korea

I'm a bit late to comment since the video is from Feb - But wondering - How hard is it to exit a Hagwon for another job (ie getting recommendation letters etc). For example - I'm considering Hagwon for a year and then applying for EPIK the following year, but worried that it would be hard to get LORs and other documents together for the lengthy EPIK process, and then have it fall through. I hope I make sense haha

How to apply for Hagwons!

Do Hagwans generally avoid hiring qualified applicants in their early 60s?

I hope they didn't ask for pictures of your feet Chen. Though I wouldn't blame them!

I worked for a hagwon who asked me to work overtime and I said no. The next day the manager didn't even look at me. So I stopped him in the stairway and pushed him. He fell down and broke his arm. The police came because he said I pushed him but there were no CC cameras there so they couldn't charge me. I said the manager fell on his own and he is lieing. LOL