Teaching in Korea

I have a good memory. I can remember eating a cupcake on my first birthday, my class schedule for all four years of high school and the preamble of the constitution. That being said, some memories stick out more than others. One of my most vivid recollections of living in Seoul, Korea was my first day of teaching.
In Korea they do an immersion program which sticks non-English speakers into a room with an English speaker. The welcome ceremony was finished and I lead my twelve three year olds back to my carefully decorated classroom. I stepped in front of my students, smiled and said "Hello, my name is Jennifer Tr."
I was greeted with blank stares.
I tried again.
"Hello," I said, adding a wave.
One of the boys started crying.
I then passed out alphabet coloring pages. For three year olds, coloring is a universal language.
Eventually they understood me, and I them, but that moment of sheer panic I felt stays with me. It reminds me that success can be created out of panic.

Teaching in Korea was one of my proudest accomplishments until I had Bunny and it is relatively easy to obtain a teaching job in the country. To teach in Korea, you must have:
1. an undergraduate degree (it does not have to be in teaching. At our school, we had teachers with such a variety from pre-law to university studies).
2. A passport from an English speaking country
3. College transcripts (2 copies)
4. A criminal background check

I used a recruitment company to find a job in Korea before we left the states. I filled out a very long form and took an appitude test. Within twenty minutes of filling out the form, I had a call from a recruiter asking questions about me and answering questions I had about the teaching process. Within a week, I had a job lined up in Daegu (the town the Army was sending us to). Once we got to Korea, the Army changed its mind and kept us in Seoul. One call to the recruitment agency and I had a new job lined up within another week. I wish it was that easy to find jobs in the states!

There are many perks of teaching in Korea. One of the big ones, that I did not get to experience, was that the school provides housing. It is not American style housing, but it is livable and all furniture is included. Most schools give a severance package at the end of the twelve month term. It is usually one month's pay. Schools also provide a plane ticket to and from Korea. I felt teaching in Korea gave me the opportunity to experience the Korean culture in a way that other military spouses did not. It also kept me busy during Dear Sgt.'s busy TDY schedule.

Of course with any job, there are also struggles. Korean culture is very different from Western culture and there are bound to be clashes. We worked regardless of weather or political conditions, but seeing the flash of understanding in a student's eye made the struggles worth it to me.

The Korean school year starts and ends in February, but teachers are a commodity at all times.

To find a recruiter, do a simple Google search of "teaching in Korea."

I used Footprints recruiting agency to find my position. http://www.footprintsrecruiting.com/

Teaching in Korea was the best way for me to make Korea a home and not just a duty station.