A Glimpse Inside Korean Educational Administration

A Native English Teacher's Experience Interviewing Selected Candidates for Hire at a Korean High School

I had the opportunity to be a part of the interviewing process for hiring new teachers at a Korean high school in Seoul. It is a unique experience that the majority of other Native English Teachers in the country are not usually a part of, for various reasons (I'll let you ponder those on your own). Following the day of interviews, I took some time to reflect upon the experience and thought I would share with you all a brief overview. I've refrained from posting personal comments [on this blog] on the matter, but those interested in learning more, feel free to contact me. Although I have had this post written and saved for a few months now, I am choosing to post it now because the official interviewing process has concluded, and the new school year has safely started. Even though the likelihood of this post having any effect on the entire process, I did not want to take any chances by posting this publicly ahead of time. For privacy concerns, I've refrained from including any names of candidates, interviewers (besides myself), and the school.

Where:

• A private, vocational, co-educational high school in Seoul, South Korea
• Inside of a large conference room; the four interviewers seated on one side of a table, the solo interviewee seated opposite

When:

• Tuesday, January 24, 2017, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Why:

• The final process in selecting and hiring new teachers for the 2017-18 academic school year
• The school already conducted sample lessons with a larger group and narrowed down the selection to the top candidates in each subject

Interviewers:

• School Principal
• School Vice Principal (VP)
• Retired Korean Supreme Court Justice (SCJ)
• English Native Teacher (ENT)

Interviewees:

• 3 English Teacher Candidates
• 3 Math Teacher Candidates
• 6 Business/Commercial Teacher Candidates
• Breakdown: 2 Male, 10 Female Candidates

Format:

• 30-minute structured interviews
• 4-panel interviewers seated across from the candidate
• 5 minutes: Ice-breaker and Resume-related questions asked by SCJ
• 10 minutes: School/Teaching-related questions asked by VP
• 10 minutes: Potpourri/Trivia-esque questions asked by Principal
• 5 minutes: Test of English Proficiency conducted by ENT

Types of Questions and Statements:

• (In Korean): How well can you hold your alcohol? How will that affect your teaching? 
• School dinners/outings are a common occurrence in Korea, often including large amounts of alcohol. These types of questions were regarded towards the male candidates.
• (In Korean): You're so young... when do you expect to get married (/ have a baby)? Why aren't you married yet? 
• These types of questions were regarded towards the female candidates.
• (In Korean): You look so ________ (young, old, nervous, timid, insert numerous other adjectives here). 
• (In Korean): Why haven't you been considered as a permanent candidate before now? What caused a delay between ______ and ______? 
• In Korea, many professions contract their employees on a year-by-year basis. It is difficult to obtain a permanent position within a school system.
• (In Korean): How well do you know Greek and Roman mythology? Who is Pythagorus? What can you tell me about ____________ (time period)? 
• These questions were asked regardless of the subject content they were being interviewed for.
• (In Korean): Questions related to education and prior work experience; Why was your GPA ____? What factors accounted for that? How does your experience at ______ relate to the position for consideration?
• (In English): Tell me about your classroom management strategies. How do you prevent students from sleeping in your class? 
• (In English): What has been the most rewarding/challenging aspect in your teaching career thus far?
• (In English): What makes you stand out from the rest of the candidates today?
• (In English): Please read the first two paragraphs from the article laid beside you.
• The article was written in English.

I will refrain from posting personal opinions on the matter in this public blog post, but feel free to reach out to me personally if you would like to discuss the matter further. It was certainly one of the most interesting experiences I have had during my time in Korea, and it was eye-opening from the educational-administration standpoint. I wanted to share this information here so that others can have a glimpse into some of the similarities and differences between Korean and American-style interview processes, educational systems, etc.

*Disclaimer: This blog is not an official Fulbright Program blog, and the views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State, or any of its partner organizations. All words are my own and do not reflect the other interviewers', interviewees', nor the school's actions or opinions.