u/Complex_Orchid3963

So this is what happened previously:

(https://www.reddit.com/r/teachinginkorea/s/JGbKQkaNrc)

Unfortunately, I have another update, and things have become much worse.

Since my last post, I haven't received any more parent complaints. Those complaints completely stopped after I made changes based on the feedback I was given.

However, instead of focusing on parent complaints, management has now started carrying out extremely detailed observations of my lessons.

The person observing me isn't the director. He's a manager from another campus who was involved in hiring me. He sits in my classes for hours and writes pages of notes.

I was able to see some of the notes from my most recent observation. Some examples included:

- I pronounced one word with a British pronunciation.
- I pronounced another word incorrectly.
- Some students hadn't written their essay homework in the back of their books. I wasn't aware this was expected during my first few weeks because nobody had explained it to me.
- Some students had poor handwriting.
- Some students hadn't completed their homework.
- During one three-hour lesson, he wrote that I smiled enough during one hour but not enough during the other two hours.
- A student arrived an hour late while I was already teaching, and I was criticised because I didn't stop the lesson to personally welcome him.

I received my second official warning after this observation.

The manager told me he will return in two weeks for another observation, after which a decision will be made about whether I stay.

To be honest, I feel like I'm being judged on every tiny detail now. I genuinely try to improve every time I'm given feedback, but each observation seems to focus on a completely new list of issues. It feels like unless I'm perfect, it won't be enough.

Most of my colleagues think I'll probably be let go after the next observation. They think the academy is likely looking for a replacement, although obviously none of us can know that for certain. They do think I'll receive a Letter of Release, and they've encouraged me to apply to other academies where they have friends because they think I'd be happier elsewhere.

One thing I'm really worried about is what I would even say in interviews.

With this academy, I know the biggest issue has been my British accent. They've been very clear that they prefer an American accent, and that was the reason for the parent complaints at the beginning.

But my first academy never really gave me a proper explanation. They simply told me they thought I would be better suited to elementary rather than kindergarten. I've always wondered whether it was an energy issue because kindergarten requires a completely different teaching style, but nobody ever actually told me. If another academy asks why I left two jobs so quickly, I honestly don't know how to explain the first one.

The frustrating thing is that I actually enjoy teaching here. I didn't enjoy teaching primary school in the UK, but I've genuinely enjoyed teaching elementary students in Korea. I've met some lovely kids, and despite everything that's happened, I still enjoy being in the classroom. It's everything outside of the actual teaching that has made me question whether I can stay here.

Part of me thinks I'll just go home if I have to, but that also scares me. The truth is, I wouldn't even mind going back to the UK if I had another career I wanted to pursue. The problem is that I don't. I don't want to go back into UK primary teaching, and apart from teaching, my work experience is mostly random part-time jobs. The UK job market isn't exactly great either, so I feel like I've backed myself into a corner.

I feel like I've reached the point where I'm questioning my entire career. Not because I dislike teaching elementary students here, but because two bad experiences in a row have made me wonder whether I'm just not suited to hagwon life.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

Does this sound like a normal performance management process in some hagwons, or does it sound like the academy has already decided I'm not the right fit?

If I do have to apply elsewhere, how would you explain these two jobs in an interview? Would another academy even consider hiring someone in my situation?

I honestly don't know what to do anymore.

I came to Korea in March and started working at a kindergarten hagwon. After about a month, they let me go. I was never really given a clear reason. The explanation I received was that I would be better suited to a smaller school and that I was "giving my coworkers a hard time."

What confused me was that I got along well with the other foreign teachers, never had any parent complaints, and even received thank-you letters from parents. My Korean co-teacher was brand new to kindergarten teaching, seemed very stressed, and would regularly shout at me, sometimes in front of the children. I never argued with her and mostly just kept my head down. To this day, I still don't really understand why I was let go.

I found another job, and my previous hagwon even told my recruiter that I would be a good fit for teaching elementary students.

At first, I really liked my current academy. However, I've only been here about a month and I've already received several parent complaints.

The biggest issue has been my British accent. The academy prefers an American accent, and some parents have complained about it. I've genuinely been trying to adjust my pronunciation and I think I've improved, but apparently it isn't enough. One student even changed classes because of it. The children understand me perfectly well, but the complaints continue.

I've also made a couple of mistakes that resulted in complaints.

One time, we finished the assigned work about 10 minutes early. Rather than introducing new material, I used the remaining time to organize reward cards and review things with the students. A child told their parent, and the parent complained that I hadn't continued teaching for the full class period. Fair enough. I accepted the feedback and made sure it wouldn't happen again.

The second issue is more serious. A student attended during the first two weeks of a unit but then missed the next two weeks. The parent later complained that two pieces of homework from those earlier weeks hadn't been marked. Honestly, I don't remember receiving those assignments. I assumed they hadn't been handed in because the student was absent for so long. When he came for a makeup class, I checked everything and marked all the work, but the parent still submitted a formal written complaint.

I've now been told that if I receive two more parent complaints, I could lose my job.

The thing that gets me is that I'm actually a qualified teacher in my home country. I have a teaching license and formal training. Yet I've now been let go from one hagwon and am already struggling at another. It's making me seriously question whether I'm suited to teaching in Korea at all.

Has anyone else experienced something similar? Is this normal hagwon culture, or am I genuinely doing something wrong? Right now I feel like I'm constantly waiting for the next complaint and it's becoming really stressful.