Job Discussion Forums

[undrmynd]

Hello all. I am very interested in hearing from people who feel they had a GREAT experience with their FIRST teaching postions. I would like to know exactly where they taught, what school or company, the living conditions, community, money ect...
I am also interested in knowing what qualifications were needed for the positions.
I am currently searching for my first teaching postion, without a degree, but with 3 years of college and a 5 week TEFL course.
Thank you all for your information.

[anthyp]

Well, I think I am having a very good (though perhaps not great) teaching experience here in Jiangxi, China, and yes, it is my first. It's a small technical college in a small city, not much in the way of nightlife, but the people are friendly, the food is good, and one can find things to do in all the free time (hello Movie Night). I have my own apartment, rather large, fully furnished, not more than 20 hours of teaching per week (usually around 16), and my salary is around $600 USD/ month. I have a BA though in addition to a TEFL - you might find your options limited without a degree, at least here in China, though finding work is certainly possible ... I know even my little school won't hire somebody without at least a BA.

[Lanza-Armonia]

Hey! That's cheating!

Get yer butt over here first and THEN ask the questions! You REALLY don't wanna spoil the suprise!!!

<snigger>

LA

[denise]

My first teaching experience was so awesome that I decided to make a career of TEFL.

I taught in Prague, at the London School of Modern Languages. For the most part, I had a great group of colleagues/friends (with a couple of weirdos just to make things interesting...). I taught about 20 hours per week--newbie teachers could conceivably teach up to 26, but the school was really good about keeping our hours down if we had off-site company classes to travel to. I had a combination of company classes and on-site classes. Shared accommodation provided and paid for by the school. And nightlife?!?!? Hoo boy, there is never a dull moment in Prague. Even on a paltry salary of about $300/month, I could always afford to eat out (though not at the over-priced touristy places, which didn't appeal to me anyway), go to movies, concerts, "artsy" things (ballets, operas, museums, etc.), and travel around the country. Both Prague and the rest of the CR are absolutely gorgeous--both man-made and natural beauty.

To make things even better, I discovered that I enjoy teaching, too!

I stayed there for two years, leaving 1) to go to grad school and 2) because pretty much the entire group at my school was leaving too.

d

[ntropy]

[Gordon]

Why just great experiences? You don't learn much from great experiences. My first job was in 95 and it was in Pohang, South Korea. It was a terrible school, but I learned a lot. I learned ways to avoid unscrupulous employers, how to read employment contracts and negotiate them, survival tips... I'm glad I went through that period now. It made me a better teacher and a stronger person. Don't try to avoid adversity. Sorry I didn't go along with your request to write about only good expereinces. Many of my other teaching jobs have been great, just not my first one.

[Glenski]

Asahi Culture Center in Sapporo came to Seattle to interview me. They paid my airfare and rent!

We had 2 textbook series to work on, so I didn't have to create EVERYthing from scratch. I had 2-4 classes per day, with about 2 hours off between the early and late classes.

The apartment was old and a bit drafty, but it was comfortable. Location was a bit far from the office (20 minutes by train, plus 15 minute walk), but it was within easy walking distance from 3 supermarkets, 2 banks, 2 post offices, several convenience stores (duh), etc. I never worked on Saturday or Sunday, and they never hassled me about any lesson creations. I got to interview students and assign them myself. I also got to create and teach 2 novel classes (Science Topics, For & Against) for high level learners.

They hired me year by year for 3.5 years. Toward the end, my last hitch would've started during the week I got married, but they rearranged all classes so I'd have that week off. The pay was standard 250,000 yen/month, but since they paid the rent, I made a little more than the usual teacher elsewhere.

And, I got a wonderful letter of recommendation.

My 2 co-workers included a 7 year veteran of that place and a 2-year veteran of other schools. We had the best working relationship of any teachers the school had ever hired. I asked one to attend my wedding, and we are still quite good friends a couple of years after we both left that place (and he has returned to Canada).

[Will.]

A one- off-fly-by-night outfit for two weeks on the south coast of England. A church hall and 30 French kids. two classes. A friend and myself.
"Can you teach these kids English for 2 weeks "
"Yes"
"Do it"
"Here's the money" (two weeks later)

I learnt what not to do.
I fouled up frequently.
I did all the things I had been told not to do on my training courses and suffered the consequences.
I learnt to trust myself and my colleague(s)
AND
I got paid really good money.
Best of all, only you guys know how bad a teacher I was and I don't need to put this "experience " on my CV.
keep it to yourselves.

[Hector_Lector]

Missionary.

We soon advanced...

[foster]

Temporary French Immersion Maths position in Saskatoon. They kicked the last teacher out mid-year due to a 'conflict' with the principal. Call in the freshly-graduated me...and it was a HOOT!

My kids were pissed at first bc they liked the other teacher, but being as lovely as I am, I soon won them over!

It was great. I had 4 lessons a day, all in French teaching Grade 10 and 11 maths. I rode my bike to work everyday and by the end of the term was a size 8!! Man, I had much more motivation then...

Sadly, they found someone for the next year who could do maths and Sciences....and I ended up on a reserve in Northern Saskatchewan.

[undrmynd]

[Hector_Lector]

But seriously, folks...

First time - El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan.

Just in time for Shariah law.

Pres Nimeiri, warned off the booze by his doctors, suddenly discovered Allah.

Booze banned, amputations, executions, and so on and so forth.

Time for famine.

Hmm. Famine reported in Ethiopa, Chad, etc, etc. But not Sudan.

�We are a strong country� c Jaafer Nimeiri 1984

So, I had to explain to all these so-called starving people from the countryside flooding into town that they were not really starving.

Listening to �Do they know it�s Christmas� on the radio. �There won�t be snow in Africa this Christmastime�. Thank goodness for that. Snow was the last thing they needed on top of everything else.

Luckily, the world finally woke up to the fact that Nimeiri was a lying old bollocks (although he was telling the truth about the Libyans bombing Omdurman in 1984 - I had just clinched a deal on a nice old sword in the market...), and aid began to flood in. Wow, what didn�t turn up. Herrings from Norway, wooly jumpers from Holland (?), and best of all, a container full of teddy bears from the USA, to comfort those poor little kiddies!

But the Sudanese continued to be wonderful people, the kindest, most generous and hospitable I have ever met (with the exception of the fascist regime-supporting thugs who always seemed to slime around the Place).

So, if you have read this far, look in the newspapers, watch tv, whatever, and send what you can, lobby who you will, do what you can to make people realise that what is happening now is beyond your imagination in brutality and savagery.

And Saudi Arabia - thanks for your help in 1984. However, what Sudan needed then was food, not a team of sword trainers to teach people how to chop off hands, feet and heads.

[willy]

great school in Taiwan where i spent 1.5 years learning how not to teach, then on to a well.. overall good experence here in indo. now strching my wings evean more