Worst Experience Ever!

[Newbie2008]

Dear colleagues

Great posts so far. I've enjoyed learning plenty from this forum already.

I hope you don't mind me changing the topic for a second and throwing some short questions out there - amongst the masses of newbies and seasoned "old timers".

I'm considering applying for a teaching job in korea soon and would like to find out as much as possible before excepting a job (haven't been there before). I'm trying to find out as much as possible first.

If as many people as possible could spare a couple of minutes to reply to the following questions, I'd be very grateful......and more decided.

what problems did/do you experience while working and living overseas?

what are the main/consistant problems you face during a teaching day?

how did/do you overcome the above?

and.......(this is a question for the old timers

what subject do you always find yourself checking out first on forum boards such as this slendid one?



Hope that didn't come across like some market research survey or something..hehe

All the best

*Note to moderator: I hope you can place this post in the most appropriate place for me....as I wasn't sure. I'm just hoping it gets as much exposure as possible:)

[Gobobo]

Hi Newbie2008, I've not much experience but I have been where you are. I went to China in September '06 with the idea that anything that was thrown at me I could handle with help from the school and other teachers out there. I wasn't disappointed. One thing I'd recommend above everything else is find out if the school has a good reputation. Try to speak to teachers who've worked there before and/or local forums where teachers will know of the school. If it's got a particularly bad reputation EVERYONE local would have heard of it. I didn't do this but, luckily, the school was very professional.

What problems did/do you experience while working and living overseas?
Ironically for me, it was the language barrier. Now I'm great at charades.

What are the main/consistent problems you face during a teaching day?
At first it was lesson planning to sufficiently fill the time, later it was fitting in everything I wanted to.

How did/do you overcome the above?
The internet is a great tool.