Class Journal: Week 14

There have been a few twists and turns as I consider my career in ELT. I will say that in my 10 years here the trajectory has generally been up. I started down south in Cheonan and pretty much got fired from my first job after 3 or so months. At the time my employers found me another place to work so that was fine. Though, I never did find out the reason why they let me go. Then I came to Suwon where I worked in various hangwans for about three years. Through this time I went with the flow. I had no ambitions about career advancement or anything like that. I was just soaking up the experience and learning about life. After I got married, the thought of my career became much more salient. So that was a major turning point in my professional life. Using my wife's contacts I got a job in a high school and then later in Hyupsung university. It was unusual how easily everything fell into my lap. I think in Korea having the inside running goes a long way to further your career. It's a lesson I took to heart. This is why I am deliberate in how I build my social network with my Korean colleagues and associates near and far.

So that's the “what” but I think that “why” is a very interesting question? Why be an EFL teacher at all. I don't know what to say but perhaps this saying is applicable. “Some are born great and others have greatness thrust upon them!” Now for the record, I'm not letting my ego run rampant. I simply think that sometimes through coincidence, fate, destiny or whatever, we find ourselves in the unlikely situations in our lives. And that certainly describes the reason for me becoming an EFL teacher as I originally came to Korea simply to get away from my life in NZ which at the time I thought was not going anywhere quickly. So the value that guided my original decision was “if you want a different life make a different choice.” After coming here I was lucky to fall in with pretty good people, Korean and foreign, I don't really recall ever being in a situation that I would constitute a serious conflict of values... except for being married but I'm not going open that can of worms!

In my teaching situation now, I have things pretty good. Every contract I've had has been better than the last. But I am worried that I've come to a point where there is a glass ceiling over my career trajectory. That is one reason, I'm doing this course. However, to be frank, I work with both Masters holders and Phd holders and get paid more than them. (Being the first foreign teacher in a university has it's perks I guess) This troubles me because even if I gain a qualification there is a one size fits all mentality here that actually marginalize people who are very qualified. As teacher who wants to improve his practice and become qualified at the same time there doesn't seem to be a path forward beyond here. Yes, I may get into a better university at some point but then what? Becoming a tenured professor seems to be off the beaten track. There are no procedures for us in that regard in my current university but who knows it may well be possible if you know the right people. If I think the best form of advocacy is to be a precedent. Once the door opens for person then it will happen for others much more frequently. So I would take that approach.