headaches

This whole getting bought buy a new owner and changing franchises thing has turned into a much bigger headache than anticipated.


As I've documented, I had to go to that meet and greet last week. On top of that I had to go into work this past Saturday, to give placement exams to the new students which said meet and greet was supposed to lure. As it turned out, only 2 potential new kids showed up, but I still had to sit there for two and a half hours.

Recently I've also learned that on Wednesday I have to go up to Seoul for an orientation/training seminar for new teachers of this franchise. It will be five hours of sitting in a room listening to someone talk about the curriculum. That's not to mention the hour and 45 minute bus rides both ways that I'll have to endure. I've been doing this job for more than three years. There's nothing anyone can tell me about this job that I don't already know.

Since all of these English language academies are selling the same product, that being the ability to speak English, they have to differentiate themselves by their system. They aren't selling English education so much as they are selling their system of learning English. That's how they present it to the parents, at least. But for the teacher, especially the foreign teacher, it's all the same. But I think these people have sold their bullshit so much that they in turn buy into it more than anyone. As a result, despite my protestations to my boss that there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to me learning how to teach, I still must attend.

It's quite a scam this franchise has going. Not only did my school have to pay an exorbitant franchise fee (upwards of $100,000), they also must pay a monthly fee. On top of that, my school has to pay for my coworker and I to attend this seminar. If we were not to attend, my school would be given a lower grade, and have to pay a higher monthly fee as a penalty. So either way they get you. But, if you've followed my exploits teaching English these past few years, it should be no surprise that money is the driving motivation here.

It's as if the higher ups recognize that the private English learning academy is a dying industry, and now they're trying to squeeze every last dollar, or won rather, out of it. I can't blame them, though. That's what I'm doing here as well.