It would be good to get a discussion going on this blog about split shifts. In my view they are the pits of the earth….

Your day is never your own. You can’t quite enjoy your afternoons because of that nagging feeling that you might not be properly prepared for the evening. Also you’re never quite sure whether to let yourself get involved in this or that for fear of being late for the evening kick off.

If you’re on an insanely early start like 630am (common in adult hagwons in Korea), do you stay up straight through to the final whistle at night? If you do, you’ve little energy left for the second half. If you get some kip in the avvo, you might not be able to later and join the ranks of the living dead.

Now that I’m on a single shift, I can see them now, TEFL zombies. Stayed up straight through, had a few drinks down the pub afterwards, walkin round Dong-A department store, eyes aglaze, murmuring to themselves and quaffing little bottles of instant energy rocket fuel to get them through to close of play. Stifling Daegu humidity, sweat soaked shirts, they’re a sight for sore eyes - and their eyes look sore! Ouch!

I hated split shifts with a passion…