Giving it Your All

MY Personal feeling about the True meaning of English Academies in Korea


           I have worked at MLS in the Kyungsungdae University District for 2 months now. I am now slowly learning to regret it yet again. Unfortunately I have regretted coming to Korea in the first place simply because my teaching career isn't what I want it to be and furthermore teaching in general isn't what its all cracked up to be. 

My situation is simple. I work part time and I get part time pay. I do my best and I do everything that is stipulated by my official contract. I am not a Teacher not a Businessman. I am paid for my service to the school and I have a life outside of work. That is only a view that Americans hold. Why should a company have the key to my life?

I gave my boss a few hours of my free time to help her try to "lure" more students. The only reward I hoped for out of this was getting a chance to teach more hours. I don't know being married and only being able to contribute 800 dollars a month to our marital fund sounds pretty bad to me. I wanted my boss to just say Thank you and APPRECIATE my help. Appreciation is a word that I don't think Koreans can comprehend.


As an American I think that I go to work and I get paid that's expected. I also feel that their is actual appreciation for what I have done whatever it may be. I don't want a pat on the back, I don't want to hear a insincere Thank you all I want is to be understood.


I don't give a shit about how well the company is doing. Simple math folks. I have 3 students... They pay 170 each for my class. That's less than my pay. Is it my problem? I don't think so. Well, when bad news hits the office point to the foreigner.

I don't party, I don't show up late, I don't owe people money, I don't gamble, I try to prepare more and give more than my all. But enough is enough I was lead by my boss that she would be someone different. I thought she and I were a compatible duo and finally after waiting nearly 3 years I had found an easy fit. I was sorely wrong. I am now going to work tomorrow evening and I will sign a new contract. My new contract will be effective through December and maybe January. Why am I deciding to work for her and not take a new job?

3 reasons

1). I don't have anything lined up yet and even if I did I don't want to teach kids anymore and frankly that's all there is at the moment here in Korea.
2). There is an infinite supply of Foreigners unfortunately too many and they are all coming for the grand adventure of earning 2. something WON WON WON per month. I want to grab the nearest bag and puke.

3. I am not a quitter. This means that I will give my boss a chance to change her mind and hopefully make something work out. In my mind I have already given up on the notion of working happily in Korea. Its definitely not worth the airplane ticket I spent to get to this country.


Well there's to giving it all. Let me know what you think I am curious.  This is the bad news that I got last Friday and Thanks to my "wonderful" boss it made me really question WHY THE Hell I am doing teaching in Korea. I want to start a career I don't want to listen to babble talk or Baloney and dub it English nor to I want to play office politics in a language that I can't understand or in a culture whose values are too steep and way too rigid to bed to a more realistic practical view of English. 1. to simply come and learn English not to play games. Lastly, to put the money where your mouth is and quit preaching about how there isn't enough money.

You are talking to someone who makes very little and isn't interested about hearing how bad The big Boss head honcho has it. Life's always cozier at the top right?

Well that's enough rants for today Thanks for reading :)