I have been teaching for four years, three years in middle school (Language Arts) in the U.S. and one year in South Korea at a Hogwan. I have just applied through the "Teach Away " program. I was wondering if anyone has worked for them and knows if they are a reputable agency? Secondly, they have a salary range of $2,850-$6,000 USD. I would be signing a two-year contract to work for a public school, middle school or elementary teaching English. The hours would be M-F from 8-3ish, plus extra curricular activity supervision and participation, field trips, etc. How much should I ask for??? I have caculated the cost of income tax, which ranges from a deduction of $184-$700 based on the salaries listed above. I really need help deciding on how much to negotiate for my salary. I am discussing the terms tomorrow (10-7), so I need advice ASAP!!! I believe the cost of housing is separate and is paid for already. Thanks in advance! :-)
Reply to this Oh, and one more thing. I hold a bachelor's in Liberal Arts, Elementary Education, with a supplement in English and I am a fully credentialed teacher.
Reply to this Well, they actually have a pay scale that they base pay off of, similiar to that of the states. They took into consideration my education level (bachelors vs. masters) and years of teaching experience. I ended up w/ an offer of about $3,500/month + $1700/month for housing plus a 15% bonus at the end of two years on TOTAL salary (=about $11,000). So, I guess pretty well! Are you a teacher as well or thinking about teaching overseas??!
Reply to this Contgratulation about the pay offer It looks pertty good to me! 😊
I am not a teacher. My boyfriends earns the money we live on. I look after our daughter.
Reply to this Hi Briana,
Congratulations on the job. I think overseas is the place to be working these days. I'm really interested in teaching overseas. What do you think my chances are? My qualifications: undergrad in Marketing and International Business, MBA degree. I have no teaching experience in the classroom and will do an online course for my TESOL certificate. I also speak French and have a good ear for languages. We'd like to go back to Asia, preferably Thailand, but I'll go where the money is great if it's for a few years. I'm 50 yrs old, love to travel and my husband is retired. We traveled for the past year and half, and have been living here in central Oregon since Feb. 08. Ready to hit the road again!
I researched the Teach Away program and am impressed.
Nancy
Reply to this Hi Nancy!
When I worked in South Korea, we had two teachers that were in there 50s. Generally, the schools hire younger teachers, but I saw plenty of older ones as well. I think you have a very good chance of getting a teaching job in Asia. The main thing Asian schools are looking for are native English speakers who look "white", are very energetic (so play it up on the phone!), and flexible but firm. You have a degree, which is really all you need in Asia. The TESOL is helpful, but definitely not required. None of the teachers at the hagwon I worked at had it.
South Korea is definitely the best pay (between $2,300-$2,600 w/ you background), offers full round-trip airfare, housing, and a nice bonus at the end of your year contract, usually w/ an option to renew! They would have no problem providing housing for both you and your husband. At my school, almost every teacher came w/ a spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend, most of whom didn't actually teach while they were there; plus you'll get a larger place in most cases.
The school is worked for was You and I Language Institute in Gwangju. If you're interested, I can give you a reference and numbers to contact the owners. They are a married couple, one of which is from Canada, and the other from the U.S. It was an excellent school to work for! There's plenty to see and do in Korea, but Seoul is definitely the hotspot. There are hundreds of schools that are constantly hiring there. Just make sure you research it online and ask people about the schools beforehand, as some of them are pretty shady and don't stick to there word. Oh, and don't bother applying until about a month or two before you're ready to go. You will most likely get a call the same day or next that you apply and offered a position and contract immediately, so make sure you're solid on where you want to go, your terms, etc before applying.
Lastly, the best place to look for advice and jobs is Daves ESL Cafe- www.daveseslcafe.com
Good Luck!!
Reply to this Hi Briana,
Thanks for your insight. It's great to get firsthand info. When we were in Vietnam last December, we met a Canadian couple taking a travel break from their 2 year teaching contract in Korea. In their first year they had paid off all their student loans! Their experience gave me the teaching bug.
By the way, where is your new teaching position? Does the employer arrange the visa in S. Korea? Are the course materials and teaching tools provided by the employer?
Yes, I've got Dave's ESL as a link, thanks.
My husband and I have both worked outside the U.S. in our former careers, so we like the ex-pat lifestyle. We're just working out our timeline to make a move. Thanks again..
Reply to this My new position would be in Hong Kong if I decide to take it. I am also looking into another program in Brazil, so we'll see. You have to go to a Korean Embassy here to get the Visa. I went to one in Seattle. My work reimbursed me for the cost and took care of renewing my visa while I was over there, though. Any hagwon you would work at over there would provide you w/ a predesignated curriculum that needs little training to learn (usually you follow a teacher around for a few days). I exerted no cost whatsoever on teaching materials because everything was provided by the school, which is how it should be.
Reply to this Hong Kong sounds very tempting. Easy access to traveling around in S.E. Asia. Haven't been to Brazil so can't comment. We really enjoyed Cusco, Peru and Buenos Aires, Argentina. One last question, is there a best time of year to be scouting positions since most jobs would be for the start of the new school year? I read your new profile. Yes, our families think we're crazy, although they're getting used to it. We got married at 35 and 45, quit our jobs, sailed to the Caribbean and lived on our sailboat for 4 years while working in St. Thomas. That was our first adventure together 15 years ago! We've never looked back!
Reply to this I don't think there's a "best time" for hagwons/private schools. Positions are filled year-round; however, if you're interested in a public school position, then January-February is when the new school year starts and they would be hiring!
Reply to this 
