Job Discussion Forums

[jungli]

I am currently working as an English teacher. I have horrible hours and very long days. I was wondering what the average hours of work were a day. Do other people have their first classes at 8 then a break in the middle and finish at 8 or 9 every night? And what is the normal pay for each hour? Does it change if you have more than one school? Are most people on salary? Please let me know what is normal.

[EOD]

Please keep in mind that every city and school have their own unique way of doing things. From visa applications to pay rates, it changes with each new location.
There are some generalities however. Here are some of the few, I have noticed.
Salaried position pay considerably less than ones paid by the hour. Full time positions pay less (salary) and have a heavier work load. They also require a serious commitment, and trust (contract, ARC etc..).
Part time positions pay far better. They usually are paid by the hour, so your work requirements outside the classroom should be much less. The big gap in the afternoons is quite common for newbies. Try teaching children, if you know how, or some other kind of work. Usually, a kindergarten in the mornings, elementary school in the afternoon and adults at night. I did this for a number of years. It took a little time, because each shift was at a different school. I managed to get all the schools in the same area, then moved into that area. 10 to 15 minutes travel time between schools. All part time. As I was teaching nearly all of the students in that area, it gave me a lot of clout with my boss. I also started getting students to follow me from one school to the next. This allowed me to get the hours and pay I asked for. It takes a little time to build a reputation and find the right jobs. The best way to start is to pick an area with a lot of public schools in it. You will find a lot of bushibans and kindergarten are in these areas.