Job Discussion Forums

[Susan K]

I am posting this here partly as a response to the various messages that suggest that a lot of TEFL teachers are cynical and not interested in taking their share of the costs of a welfare state, and that there are employers who play to this in order to get (and exploit?) staff. (... And partly in hopes of finding a member of staff, see below).

The German bureaucracy we love to hate is actually a means of ensuring there is little corruption, and as such I value it even as I moan about it!
Paying tax as you go, you can probably reclaim some of it on Dec 31st in at least the first "year". Paying your share of health insurance (the employer has to pay the other 50%) means you have access to proper medical care. As an EU citizen your pension contributions here count in your home country, too.

And while so many of the people I am teaching are receiving the lessons as either a buffer against unemployment or a lifeline to clutch to get out of it, I feel we should be able to look them in the eye. To have the chance of employment anywhere you go, just because you learnt English at your mother's knee, is a privilege that some of the people whose messages can be read in Dave's ESL Caf� International Forum don't seem to recognise they have. On a similar tack, I have to support the contributor(s) who say you should be able to speak German to work here. The effort it requires is accorded respect. That respect is quite as necessary to you in a society so geared to educational prowess as is the ease of everyday communication brought by knowing the language.

If I haven't put everybody off by sounding so stuffy, and there is anybody interested in working with me in (East) Germany for a salary which is geared to a proper office day that includes in a week up to 20 hours (= 20 x 45 minutes of actual teaching) and is supplemented by a bonus at the end of a one- or two-year contract if the hours taught have been in excess of this, I'd be glad to hear ... as long as you offer British English (or possibly Canadian or Australian), can cope with the early start that is customary in Germany (I will cope with the evening work ... by dint of an afternoon sleep, as I also cope with the early start!), and have excellent linguistic skills in both English and German as well as a love of people and teaching. The salary allows you to save (or spend on other things than food and rent of a flat-share) about 400 euros a month. I pay for any travel necessary for the actual teaching. If you have a PGCE, the salary will be higher, as one customer has a lot of hours to offer in a Berufschule, and I should be very glad of help with them.

[longtimeteach]

Susan,

I applaud your views on speaking the language, paying one's way here! Another sane voice posting in these fora is a welcome breath of fresh air indeed!

I also quite agree that there are some very conscientious employers in Germany who put out the effort to ensure their teachers have the correct information on tax, pension, etc. and do pay a fair wage. They are, however, still in the minority.

I suppose one reason for this is that teaching (anywhere in the world) is not the most remunerative of occupations and TEFL itself attracts a lot a sub/unqualified people. This is changing, slowly but surely, because the better employers and the better pay are only available for those having better qualifications6.

You sound like a great person to work for and the position you are trying to fill sounds very good as well. Unfortunately, I'm American so I couldn't apply but there are a few, seemingly, well-qualified Brits who post here who might be looking for just such as position as you've mentioned. Have you also thought of advertising your post on http://www.t-english.de? The board is based in Munich but they have teachers from all over Germany who post there.

Cheers!

[Susan K]

Wow, thanks, am off to look at the website now.