Fired Times Two

After teaching in Korea for two years, I wanted more and I wanted my students to have more, so I earned a CELTA certification this summer and got myself hired by Pagoda, one of the famous chain schools, teaching Adults. They were supposed to be motivated learners because they were actually paying to take English classes...yeah, right!

Koreans sign up for English classes like Americans sign up for gym memberships.

So, I was assigned to work these monstrous split shifts with classes morning, noon, and night. I was always behind on sleep and I eventually fell asleep in class. That got me fired. I shed not one tear and I had a new job in about a week.

Then the new job was terrible. I was only going to get half-pay for the first two weeks and no airfare home until I worked there for 2 years. Then I managed to get into an arguement with this guy who wasn't even in charge, he was just another teacher and I took him to be a bit of a bully. He didn't want to take responsibility for our joint classes and give me any prep time on my first day, and because I yelled at him in front of students, they fired me on the first day. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. I'm usually not so hot tempered and I really don't understand what came over me that day, but it's too late to worry about it now.

At this point, the owner of the school wants money for the letter that will allow me to transfer to another school. This is totally illegal but he thinks that he can get away with it because I'm a foreigner. I think that I will call immigration or something and we will see about that!

A friend of mine offered to send me a ticket home and I may take him up on it, but before I do that, I thought I would write to everyone I knew to see if they knew anyone who knew anyone who might know of a job here in Korea for a well qualified and very passionate teacher who loves children very much.