Job Discussion Forums

[middeastgirl]

Greetings

After 10 years of teaching in the Middle East, I'm seriously looking into China as my next stop, and I would appreciate any helpful hints anyone can pass along as to where to start.
A little background info;
I'm 51
American
I have 15 years of teaching experience (Thailand, Japan, and M.E.)
I hold a B.A. and TEFL certification
My experience is mixed between international schools, uni students, and adults.
I also have 8 years of administrative experience.

So, what is the best way to get my foot in the door in China?

Thanks

[fat_chris]

For starters, keep coming around here regularly to get a feel for the lay of the land here in "Our China". You've come to the right place!

Also, give the China (Off-Topic) bulletin board a regular look.

Needless to say, after a while, you will get a sense of the rewards and pitfalls of working in China. Furthermore, you will then be able to craft a "game plan" for deciding where you want to work under what conditions and for what salary.

Welcome!

Warm regards,
fat_chris

[GreatApe]

middeastgirl, depending upon where you think you might like to be located in China, I may be able to help. You can PM if you'd like.

--GA

[SledgeCleaver]

Where'd you teach in the Middle East? I'm considering China more strongly, but I applied elsewhere and might be offered a job in Abu Dhabi. It's high school kids in a vocational school, and at the initial phone interview they said "some of the kids are below grade level" and "some of the classes have behavioral problems."

So, I hate to answer your question with another question, but I'm really curious if you know about this sort of thing. I taught math in Brooklyn, so when someone says "behavioral problems" I imagine "it's impossible to teach and the police are being called into your classroom every day." But I imagine it can't possibly be that bad, and I don't want to turn down a good job because of bad past experiences.

Anyways, I don't mean to derail the thread. There are lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here, good luck getting the info you need.

[sPinkomania]

With your experience and qualifications I'd definitely recommend applying at international schools first. Pick a few cities, give them all a good googling and read this forum and others to see about the standard of living first.

Anywhere along the Eastern sea-board is going to give you higher pay and generally more professionalism, but of course there are downsides to that too. More crowds, more pollution, etc. I'm not sure how the Middle East was but be weary of dodgy schools!