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worldtraveller
Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 26 Location: world
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:50 pm Post subject: Does SIX Hours of teaching per day sound high? |
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What is the norm or standard for the number of teaching hours?
Some companies are asking for 6 hours per day of teaching PLUS 2 hours of office. Seems kind of high, anyone else thinks that's kind of high? |
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EFL Educator
Joined: 17 Jul 2013 Posts: 988 Location: Cape Town
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 2:38 am Post subject: |
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Kind of high? No 6 hours a day teaching English is the norm....its the EFL NWO ! |
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voyagerksa
Joined: 29 Apr 2015 Posts: 140
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 2:39 am Post subject: |
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The norm in the ESL industry is 20 hours weekly. In some cases without office hours at all. If you're willing to work 30 hours weekly you might consider another country with a job that give you your monthly wages and overtime for hours above 20 hours. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2018 3:56 am Post subject: |
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worldtraveller wrote: |
Some companies are asking for 6 hours per day of teaching PLUS 2 hours of office. Seems kind of high, anyone else thinks that's kind of high? |
Keep in mind, these companies are for-profit businesses that retain a percentage of the teachers' pay. The more hours the teachers work (i.e., are on the premises), the more money the company receives per billable hours from the client (college/university) .
Just bypass those ads that state more hours than you're willing to work. |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014 Posts: 456 Location: Wadi Jinn
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2018 10:16 am Post subject: |
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Also keep in mind that “stated contact” hours are largely fictitious.
There’s always a clause or statement in job contracts to the effect that “substitutions” are part and parcel of your “duties”. This means that even if your “usual” contact hours (teaching-in-class hours) are stated as 6, you could easily end up teaching 8 hours per day on a practically “on-call” basis…it’s happened to me and to most people on this board I venture to say.
And as everyone knows, the difference between teaching 6 hours and 8 hours/day is not “just” 2 extra hours……it’s a totally traumatic drain from which it’s hard to recover.
In some cases, you get paid for these extra hours…..but in many cases you don’t……because number of working hours in the contract is 40 per week so 8 X 5 = 40…….and that’s that. (There are planes leaving the Kingdom every day, don’t forget).
“Ghost” hours are also becoming common in KSA. By this I mean extra hours piled on in a sort of informal manner. Usually paid, but not always….and if they began as paid hours, they tend to change to unpaid.
For example, my still active and reliable sources at a major university inform me that what was once considered “volunteer” extra hours have slowly evolved into “expected” extra hours…..paid, I believe, but now sort of mandatory whether you want them or not. These are not “substitution” hours….these are extra hours (paid) that have now become "blended" into daily schedules. (You still have to do substitutions (for "absent" teachers) which are unpaid). In addition, unpaid evening and weekend scheduled exams are becoming "routine".
Bottom line: don't believe everything you read. Most of the really important details are deliberately omitted
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Last edited by hash on Fri Apr 27, 2018 7:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2018 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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hash wrote: |
Also keep in mind that “stated contact” hours are largely fictitious.
There’s always a clause or statement in job contracts to the effect that “substitutions” are part and parcel of your “duties”. This means that even if your “usual” contact hours (teaching-in-class hours) are stated as 6, you could easily end up teaching 8 hours per day on a practically “on-call” basis…it’s happened to me and to most people on this board I venture to say.
....
Bottom line: don't believe everything you read. Most of the really important details are deliberately omitted. |
Which is why job seekers should always research specific employers and work situations and post their questions for updated info. For example, there's an ad on the Cafe's board for Dammam Community College, which states:
"Faculty are contracted for 20 contact hours per week plus 5 hours administrative and tutorial duties. Candidates will be expected to teach on the Preparatory programs and/or on the Associate Degree programs and to undertake other duties as required by the College."
It shouldn't be hard to find out if that's the case.
BTW, I worked no more than 22 hours a week, including office hours and committee participation. I was still paid for 40 hours and received overtime pay for end-of-session test proctoring. However, I was a direct hire and not a contracted worker with a for-profit company. |
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leggeymountbatten
Joined: 11 Mar 2016 Posts: 74
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 8:32 am Post subject: |
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An additional feature is the requirement at universities in the Kingdom to work unsocial hours, often at very short notice.
Working weekends (Saturdays) is by no means unusual, as is invigilating exams late into the evening.
Another feature is that teachers don't routinely get paid for scheduled teaching hours if they become null and void because there are exams held later in the day. One gets paid for the invigilation, but not the scheduled teaching.
Yet another feature at one university in the Eastern Province is the enforcement of what is described as "voluntary" overtime.
Like the army, unless one volunteers, one's arm is twisted to such an extent that one is obliged to do it. This is particularly acute in September when there is a high influx of students.
Once the overtime is done for the module (8 weeks), payment comes late, maybe as late as into the new year. Moreover, the overtime is paid at a rate which is less than the rate for normal teaching hours.
I make no comment, just report the facts.
Leggey |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 11:12 am Post subject: |
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leggeymountbatten wrote: |
An additional feature is the requirement at universities in the Kingdom to work unsocial hours, often at very short notice.
....
Another feature is that teachers don't routinely get paid for scheduled teaching hours if they become null and void because there are exams held later in the day. One gets paid for the invigilation, but not the scheduled teaching.
Yet another feature at one university in the Eastern Province...
....
I make no comment, just report the facts. |
Facts usually include key details. In this case, the names of said universities and/or contracting companies. Otherwise, you're making broad assumptions, which isn't helpful. |
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leggeymountbatten
Joined: 11 Mar 2016 Posts: 74
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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The facts are based on my present experience.
Logical deduction could be helpful - Eastern Province, a leading university. Fill in the blanks.
If you want "key details," then you will need to PM me.
Please don't assume that I am assuming, "as it makes an ass out of you and me."
Leggey |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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Leggey is a disaffected member of the teaching staff at KFUPM. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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leggeymountbatten wrote: |
Please don't assume that I am assuming, "as it makes an ass out of you and me." |
I wasn't assuming anything. I simply stated the obvious.
worldtraveller wrote: |
Some companies are asking for 6 hours per day of teaching PLUS 2 hours of office. |
Also be aware that the written offer/initial contract you receive via email is conditional. You'll sign the actual work agreement once you arrive in country. The work hours indicated in that contract should reflect what was stated during your interview and in the written job offer. |
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Arenta
Joined: 24 Jul 2016 Posts: 125
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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scot47 wrote: |
Leggey is a disaffected member of the teaching staff at |
Not very nice of you to name the workplace when the OP made it obvious he/she didn't want to name it him/herself. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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If you follow Leggey's posts, he has mentioned a number of his employers, including the above mentioned. Thus, it is old news.
But...if he is concerned, he is free to ask the moderators to remove it.
VS |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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I did not "out" him. He has himself told us where he is.
He has posted several times that he is KFUPM but also gives the impression that he thinks he should be at Princeton or Yale |
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worldtraveller
Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 26 Location: world
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 10:30 pm Post subject: Can we stay ON-topic, please? |
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The post has become something I didn't ask about nor need.
Can we please stay on topic? Because it basically becomes a put-down session.
SIX HOURS of teaching per day, is that the norm? That's the topic. |
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