ILS Junior (Bongdam)

ILS Junior Hagwon/Academy, Bongdam, Hwaseong

I worked at ILS in Bongdam, Hwaseong for three years, from 2019 to 2022. It was a positive experience overall. At the time I started, I was a lightly experienced teacher, having taught mostly adults face-to-face in my home country, but also a range of ages online. The xxxxxx was very accommodating, helping me to leave Korea and return for the purpose of getting a visa, including letting me stay a little longer in the nearby country I went to for that. He paid for the flight too, and arranged accommodation for me to wait in before the start of the contract.

I didn't have much experience teaching children when I first started, but [redacted] was very patient with me as I learned the difference between children and adults in the classroom environment.

To be honest, for some time since I started there I was pretty lazy during break time because the curriculum was great and the co-teacher helped to organize everything. I spent far too much time on my phone, or laptop, doing non-work related things. [redacted] was patient with me about that. But I regretted it and started to work harder. I now just want to use work time to improve my classes and myself as a teacher.

As mentioned, the curriculum is great. I don't like every textbook, but many of them are excellent. They take the students through a course of learning, meaning that lesson preparation was easy, and the content was designed to increase English skills. The textbooks ranged from famous publishers such as Oxford and Cambridge, but also some not as internationally known but just as excellent Korean publishers. My personal favorite is the English Bus series. Because such great materials were supplied, it meant that more thought and time could be put into additional activities, such as games, during the lessons.

Another good thing was that when we had important things to do for our visa requirements, such as going to a medical center (doctor's office) for the required checkup, or an appointment with the immigration office, [redacted] would arrange it and drive us there. You would expect this to be normal for a director to do for their staff, but actually it isn't. So big kudos to him for that. He also helped us to get our COVID tests, vaccinations, and our tax returns. I spoke to other teachers at other schools and they said that it wasn't always the case that staff were as helpful. And now after working elsewhere I have firsthand experience of how other schools can treat their teachers.

The location of the school is very good too in regards to amenities. It is surrounded very closely by a supermarket, banks, cafes and restaurants. It also has very good public transport access to the local major city of Suwon, where there are two big malls within a 30 minute bus ride. Also, there is a big Emart within a 20-30 minute total bus ride, which includes a department store like floor, and a large supermarket on 2 floors. Taxis are relatively cheap in Korea too, so getting a taxi back from the Emart or even Suwon is relatively affordable, especially useful when you're hauling back some shopping. To go to an English-speaking church I took a single bus too, which went all the way from the area to central Suwon in about 45 minutes. There is even a bus that goes directly to and from the airport, not too far from the accommodation I was provided and the school itself, which allows you to put luggage into a compartment under the seating.

The next thing to mention is the students. They were really excellent. I miss them all. I very rarely had behaviour problems, and the school was effective in addressing the more outstanding cases. Of the least poorly behaved among them, I never felt the disruptive children made learning impossible for the class. Some of them were just energetic, but not violent or out of control. I think [redacted] drew a good line between wanting children to come to the school, and setting limits. He took a keen interest in the behavior and performance of the students, and also I think he had good knowledge of how children tend to progress, as students who were falling behind eventually did well with good encouragement and patience. Speaking of which, the school has a points system which rewards students for their good behavior. It was running smoothly such that we didn't need to penalize students anymore. The rewards were very nice too, including a variety of snacks and even Pok mon cards. It is very lucky to have such good students overall, because I have heard of horror stories from teachers at other schools, and now also experienced more impulsive and less disciplined students for myself.

One of the best things about the school is they give 5-10 minute breaks between classes, allow time for a snack, to hang out with students in the common areas and classrooms, to prepare all your things for the next class, to write a student report, etc. etc. 10 minute breaks are rare in Korea, as far as I know, and I currently only get 5 minute breaks between classes at a different school (and previously there was no break time at all!).

My co-workers were all good, too. I had two head teachers and they were both very helpful.

One more plus was that the apartment I was given was a short walking distance (15 minutes) from the school, but also had the option of catching a bus. Right outside my low-rise apartment building was a number of restaurants, and also a 24/7 convenience store with friendly staff. The area might seem a little isolated, but as I mentioned it is actually very well serviced in regards to public transport. The area itself is nice too, with more trees and birdlife than you'll typically find in Seoul. The worst thing is the social isolation, but it seems that is rather common as a foreigner in Korea. It is easier to meet people in Suwon, which is about 30-40 minutes away by bus or taxi.

Before I left, some of the students begged me to stay. They gave me gifts and notes. I felt very bad about leaving. Unfortunately, at that time I had a visa issue and some personal problems which prevented me from staying.

My advice for any teachers interested in joining this school (and really just for any teacher of children) is to try and maintain a cheerful disposition. It isn't always easy, but it does make the children feel more comfortable and it yielded good results in my experience. And also to be patient, because even the students who seem to be learning at a slower pace than the others will surprise you when things begin to 'click' for them. And of course, don't be lazy! It demoralizes everyone to have a lazy co-worker.

Every day I went to work there were so many kids who cheered me up. I just wish I could've been a better teacher for them. I miss everyone there, especially the students, and hope the best for everyone. Bongdam must be a nice place to grow up.