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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China
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 Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Javelin of Radiance wrote: |
| Looks like plenty of blame to go around for everyone. The recruiter for spewing lies, the school for not living up to certain things in the contract, and the teachers for accepting managerial positions they must have known they weren't qualified to do. Looks like they all deserve each other. |
Where's the 'like' button? |
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sPinkomania
Joined: 11 Mar 2013
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:59 am Post subject: |
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Good question, LongShiKong.
I've heard mixed responses from them. As a massive franchise operation, I'm sure it depends on which manager you get stuck with - basically, it's a crap shoot. Make sure you have a good long skype interview with management and ask for the e-mail addresses from some current or previous teachers from the school. |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:07 am Post subject: |
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| sPinkomania wrote: |
Good question, LongShiKong.
I've heard mixed responses from them. As a massive franchise operation, I'm sure it depends on which manager you get stuck with - basically, it's a crap shoot. Make sure you have a good long skype interview with management and ask for the e-mail addresses from some current or previous teachers from the school. |
But the problems of such schools don't originate with ineffective management. As I've tried to argue on these forums, management issues are quite often a symptom of a much larger problem: the attempt to 'school' children oral English along a 'No Child Left Behind' approach using a dumbed-down curriculum. By hiring inexperienced TEFLers or those with little or no training or experience teaching children and what can you expect from a pedagogical perspective?
As I've stated, 6 wks on one unit is retarded... but it's deliberate. Failure in the private school system translates to loss of revenue. So the end result is not much different from that in N.A. schools where even with the best teachers, students give the system a big 'D' for (pick your term) disengagement, disinterest, distraction, delinquency.
At its best, Disney and other such schools deserve a D for daycare. But my guess is that parents of such kids would be better off (financially) by paying 3 to (4,5,6?) times your hourly for you to home-tutor their child (along with a friend or two) with their assistance. |
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creeper1
Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 481
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan
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| Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 4:14 am Post subject: good time |
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| Denim-Maniac wrote: |
| kungfuman wrote: |
| I see many ads for Disney but never see posts from people who work there. |
Id hazard a guess to say the reason we never see posts is because the people that work for Disney are rarely long term TEFL'ers or 'China for life' types. They see safety and security in the corporate branding, come to China for one year ... and then return to begin or resume their other career.
When I work in a UK summer school I often work with younger teachers. Some still at university or recently graduated. Ive heard Disney mentioned a few times amongst them ... Its seen as a cool adventure. Go to China for a year (gap-year), get paid and teach whilst working for Disney.
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I don't really buy into a narrative like this. Experienced TEFLers may well shun university jobs because of the low salary. Working with kids in big cities like Beijing allows one to earn salaries in excess of 13,000.
If you actually like kids and want to teach then you can see progress. You do need classroom management skills, the ability to see kids being left behind and stimulate them. You need the ability to keep the kids enthusiastic and energize your classroom.
It's not an easy job but the right person is a valuable asset to these money making companies. And believe me they make money.
Also take into account the possibility to move up into senior positions such as DOS. There is a salary boost associated with that. |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:41 am Post subject: Re: good time |
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| creeper1 wrote: |
Also take into account the possibility to move up into senior positions such as DOS. There is a salary boost associated with that. |
DOS? At Disney? That's like expecting to see a chef at McDonald's! 
What you take to, and do in the classroom is all pre-determined. Lesson plans are pre-written telling you exactly what to do. That's why they recruit the utterly inexperienced--it's all about following instructions--same as working in fast food which would probably be a better job requirement than a TEFL.
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EDIT: As for the comment about staff from such schools not staying long enough to post on Dave's. There are a lot of... maybe even the majority of TEFLers in Asia teach kids both in private and public settings and many (stats, anyone?) stay for longer than a year. As to why they don't participate in such discussions is another matter open to speculation. Perhaps the teaching end of things doesn't interest them enough.
Last edited by LongShiKong on Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:50 am; edited 1 time in total |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:43 am Post subject: |
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Disney English?
That place is a real Mickey Mouse operation I'm told.
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
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weigookin74
Joined: 30 Mar 2010
Posts: 265
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| Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 6:21 pm Post subject: Re: good time |
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| creeper1 wrote: |
| Denim-Maniac wrote: |
| kungfuman wrote: |
| I see many ads for Disney but never see posts from people who work there. |
Id hazard a guess to say the reason we never see posts is because the people that work for Disney are rarely long term TEFL'ers or 'China for life' types. They see safety and security in the corporate branding, come to China for one year ... and then return to begin or resume their other career.
When I work in a UK summer school I often work with younger teachers. Some still at university or recently graduated. Ive heard Disney mentioned a few times amongst them ... Its seen as a cool adventure. Go to China for a year (gap-year), get paid and teach whilst working for Disney.
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I don't really buy into a narrative like this. Experienced TEFLers may well shun university jobs because of the low salary. Working with kids in big cities like Beijing allows one to earn salaries in excess of 13,000.
If you actually like kids and want to teach then you can see progress. You do need classroom management skills, the ability to see kids being left behind and stimulate them. You need the ability to keep the kids enthusiastic and energize your classroom.
It's not an easy job but the right person is a valuable asset to these money making companies. And believe me they make money.
Also take into account the possibility to move up into senior positions such as DOS. There is a salary boost associated with that. |
But what is the real amount or percentage of deductions coming from your paycheck? SOme say 20%, but is it really that? |
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Denim-Maniac
Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238
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| Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 10:10 pm Post subject: Re: good time |
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| creeper1 wrote: |
| Denim-Maniac wrote: |
| kungfuman wrote: |
| I see many ads for Disney but never see posts from people who work there. |
Id hazard a guess to say the reason we never see posts is because the people that work for Disney are rarely long term TEFL'ers or 'China for life' types. They see safety and security in the corporate branding, come to China for one year ... and then return to begin or resume their other career.
When I work in a UK summer school I often work with younger teachers. Some still at university or recently graduated. Ive heard Disney mentioned a few times amongst them ... Its seen as a cool adventure. Go to China for a year (gap-year), get paid and teach whilst working for Disney.
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I don't really buy into a narrative like this. Experienced TEFLers may well shun university jobs because of the low salary. Working with kids in big cities like Beijing allows one to earn salaries in excess of 13,000.
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You might be right ... its just my opinion. In an average summer I reckon I cross paths with more than 125 EFL teachers. The only ones Ive met who mention things like Disney are the ones I noted above. |
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