Job Discussion Forums

[Denim-Maniac]

Not all jobs are equal.

I teach adults in a training centre. All of my classes are between 08.30 - 16.40 (not forgetting the 3 hour lunch break). We only work Monday to Friday too. We dont actually work that full day though ... Our school has 3 classes per day and most teachers only teach two of the three classes.

That equates to 3 hours per day in class, no other duties apart from a twenty minute meeting once a fortnight and a social night once a week. I actually have a bit too much free time to be honest.

Of course a total newbie would need to spend a considerable amount of time planning and organising materials. Another 3 hours a day would be enough (some do much less planning that that to be honest!).

This is in China ... and whilst the pay is pretty poor in my location (due to its desirability) some savings are possible, even if one enjoys quite an active social life etc. Not sure its the right time really ... we have just started our summer courses and have about a dozen summer teachers on top the of 12 foreign teachers we already had. Not sure we would be hiring at the moment!

There are certainly jobs out there that would fit the bill ... but do be prepared for a steep learning curve in the early weeks or months.

Im at www.omeida.org Like I say, not sure they would be hiring but have a look look anyway

[coledavis]

Yes, you can 'switch on' students, but that requires preparation in order to create varied and interesting activities - and that all takes time.

Also, misbehaviour comes in a range of guises. From what I gather, in some Asian countries, students may behave very well, but may not actively do anything. "Can you talk about cinema?" "Yes..............................."

I think you might do better to look at the potential for being a native speaker editor/proof-reader. Software companies abound in a variety of cities. It will require some digging about, but it's not impossible.

[santi84]

I hope I didn't sound discouraging! I love teaching children (they are just challenging, that's all). Depending on the age, you need to think quick to deal with minimal attention spans when things go sideways or you find them utterly demotivated.

I have taught arrogant men with PhDs and I have taught three-year-olds. The arrogant men are easier to deal with because they will usually blabber on their views with open-ended questions

If you want to teach children, I recommend reading Teaching Children English by Vale and Feunteun. I have more resources if you are interested, but I'll save that for if/when you make the decision.

[coledavis]

Yes, I apologise. I don't know you well enough to say definitely don't teach, it's just you need to be aware of what the commitments are, particularly in terms of time. If you want to know about what you should be doing in order to be a good teacher, Harmer's How to Teach English is good in my opinion.