PIE English Academy (Bundang)

Korean Proficiency:

To start off, if you got a call for a phone interview it means you are 1) Korean American or Gyopo, or 2) a native English speaker who also can speak Korean. These are the two criteria that this hagwon looks for. If you are not confident in your Korean speaking skills, I would not consider this place, as you will have consultations every other month (every five weeks), essentially 10 parent-teacher consultations a year, either over the phone or in person. I have never heard of a hagwon that meets 10 times a year with parents. There were times where you were expected to make 17-20 calls within a one-week time frame during the consultation period. If you are not comfortable speaking to Korean moms in only Korean to talk about their child's grammar, writing, and general behaviors, then reconsider working here.

Work Environment:

The work consists of you teaching alone in a room with anywhere between 6-10 students (grades 1-4). While the hagwon is open with how you teach, they will still micromanage your work. They are constantly watching the CCTV to observe you. They might tell you to fix things about your teaching after seeing the CCTV footage. When you ask them why they want you to fix it, they will say, "No reason! By the way, you are doing great!" The words they said and the things they asked you to do were always contrasting. In addition, it's important to note this hagwon is small. There were only five teachers when I was there. So if you value having many coworkers who you can chat with or feel comfortable around, this is not the place. Everyone is antisocial and keeps to themselves. I spoke more with the children than with the employees.

Vacation, PTO, Sick Days, Holidays:

If time off is a huge deal for you, this is not the hagwon to work at. This hagwon works on the majority of red days in Korea. They work on the red days and move them to a random week so that the hagwon can rest for one week straight. So rather than letting their employees rest on the days the entire nation is resting and provide a vacation, they would rather justify a week off by saying, "Well, these are the red days we worked." It makes zero sense. [redacted] There are no sick days. If you are sick, they will deduct pay for the hours you missed. Also, there are no subs to cover your classes, so you are pressured to just come into work. I was extremely sick for two weeks, and while the upper management was aware, they did not care and told me remedies to make teaching more bearable. I was expected to go to the team dinner as well, even in my sick condition. You get zero PTO or personal days. You are only given the days that the hagwon chooses for you. Keep that in mind when considering if you want to work somewhere that has zero flexibility with vacation or time off.

Class Time:

The official work hours are 2 PM to 8:30 PM, Monday-Friday. You are expected to teach two classes back to back with a 10-minute break in between. Each class is three hours long. If this is your first time teaching, run. You are essentially babysitting kids who are being pressured to be in an English academy. It's very half and half. Half of the kids want to be there, and half of them will do everything to show you they want to go home. During breaks, you play movies for the kids. That should speak volumes for what this hagwon values. The classes all follow a specific learning structure. The hagwon does not deviate from this type of teaching. The material requires you to speak for the majority of the three hours, but the hagwon wants the students to lead the class. The lessons require a teacher to teach them and yet they want the students to do most of the talking. There are teacher workshops throughout the year to go over the teaching style here. Be aware that you must follow their syllabus and workbooks. This could be a pro for those who like to follow a schedule, but a con if you want to teach in a way that fits your style.

Culture:

While this place prides itself on being very "English first," they are still operating in Korea as a Korean business. Do not be fooled. All hagwons are businesses at the end of the day. They offer a service and collect money. I was told many times while here that I am not here as a teacher for the students; I am here to service the moms who pay. So if you are looking to make a difference in a child's educational experience, this is not the place. You are expected to be accommodating and flexible for the parents. There are probably 3-4 team dinners in one year, and you are expected to attend all of them. In addition, one thing that truly bothered me the most was that the teachers here often gossip and talk negatively about the students who attend the academy. They criticize a student's writing and speaking skills, personalities, and other aspects that cannot be changed These are children, and it was disheartening to see this behavior.

TLDR:

You will be burnt out here. You will feel underappreciated. The classes follow the same structure every week, every month, every term. There is little to no support. This hagwon will demand a lot from you and then expect you to come back the next day to do it all over again. You will be stressed with little time to just breathe. The work environment is challenging. You are a teacher, babysitter, a janitor, and a customer service provider to the parents. Both inexperienced and experienced teachers should avoid at all costs.

Save yourself the trouble and do not work here.