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toteach
Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 273
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 Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:20 am Post subject: |
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| In a Uni setting, is it possible for a foreign teacher to request a "better" schedule? I've never thought about doing so! |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:21 am Post subject: |
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| NoBillyNO wrote: |
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| If someone wants to work overseas doing something other than cleaning toilets they will need to do better than "I to the park will go". |
Havwe you ever heard the head Forensic Examiner
in LA.... |
We're getting them there by stages not going to native speaker levels in one go.
Retain a sense of achievement and enthusiasm and the rest will follow. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:27 am Post subject: |
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| toteach wrote: |
| In a Uni setting, is it possible for a foreign teacher to request a "better" schedule? I've never thought about doing so! |
If there is a really silly situation like a 6pm at the far end of the campus and the students are available at say 4pm then suggest a change.
A grizzle but with constructive suggestions will get you sorted for the following semester.
Schmooze Teaching Affairs rather than your FAO on scheduling. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 1:45 am Post subject: |
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| toteach wrote: |
| In a Uni setting, is it possible for a foreign teacher to request a "better" schedule? I've never thought about doing so! |
This is my experience and observation:
Until you've been at the university for a few terms you can't expect anyone to accommodate your desire for a more convenient schedule. Even then, unless the university fills all of the FT vacancies, you'll have to take whatever the department hands out.
In universities, the oral English classes usually have so many students in them that it's impossible to change the time of the class. At best, you'll be able to trade time slots with other FTs. Sometimes, you can't get away with that without the FT liaison's blessing (or that of the dean of the FL department). You can ask.
More often than not, your wish won't be granted even if it makes more sense for you to swap classes with another teacher. At one university, another FT and I compared schedules before classes began. During one time period, he was scheduled to get on a bus to go to campus B from campus A while I was scheduled to go from campus B to campus A for the same class period. We just switched classes before classes started. When we got caught, we told the FT liaison that we got a call from David informing us of the change. There were two or three Davids in the FL department and one in the FAO, any of which may have contacted us to inform us of the change. (The FAO usually stays out of the classroom affairs, but in this instance, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility). I think the FT liaison didn't want to change things at that point. He knew how prone the department was to making schedule mistakes and keeping him out of the loop.
At one small votech school, one group of my students had no classes scheduled on Fridays except for my class which was scheduled from 10:00 am to noon time. That happened to be my only class on Fridays too, so I just extended the 8-10:00 am Thursday class to noontime. Everyone was off on Fridays.
Strangely, no one ever called me or went looking for me on Fridays. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 1:52 am Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
Schmooze Teaching Affairs rather than your FAO on scheduling. |
Right. Unless the FAO is in administration in the FL department, the FAO doesn't get involved in scheduling (or anything pertaining to your classes). Sometimes, however, the FAO can suspend an FT's classes for a week or two without penalty to the FT. I've seen that happen a few times. |
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Happy Everyday
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 268
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| Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 5:59 am Post subject: Re: University work week schedules - Pile or Spread? |
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| rioux wrote: |
| With these 18 hour a week schedules ... |
That's way too many. I don't know anyone who would accept that.
| rioux wrote: |
| During my 6 class days and especially afterwards I am completely exhausted. |
And that is one of the reasons why.
So how much time do you have for research and publishing? None? |
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Javelin of Radiance
Joined: 01 Jul 2009
Posts: 1187
Location: The West
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| Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 6:13 am Post subject: Re: University work week schedules - Pile or Spread? |
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| Happy Everyday wrote: |
| rioux wrote: |
| With these 18 hour a week schedules ... |
That's way too many. I don't know anyone who would accept that. |
You obviously know little about the typical work environment here then. 14 - 16 hours per week is normal. 18 is slightly higher than normal but acceptable. Saying it's "way too many" is laughable.
| Happy Everyday wrote: |
| rioux wrote: |
| With these 18 hour a week During my 6 class days and especially afterwards I am completely exhausted. |
And that is one of the reasons why.
So how much time do you have for research and publishing? None? |
Just how many people working at universities are doing research and publishing? Very few, I've never met any. Regardless, an 18 hour work week leaves plenty of time for other pursuits. |
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Happy Everyday
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 268
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| Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 6:41 am Post subject: Re: University work week schedules - Pile or Spread? |
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| Javelin of Radiance wrote: |
You obviously know little about the typical work environment here then. |
Believe what you want.
| Javelin of Radiance wrote: |
| Just how many people working at universities are doing research and publishing? Very few, I've never met any. |
*sigh* I do not doubt you have a wealth of experience and advice that I would follow. But, respectfully, your lack of meeting others does not mean it doesn't exist or is done by very few. I'm posting in the wrong place. My bad.
OP, spreading them out makes it less stressful. Try to find how much you can stack without over-doing it. Know your professional limits, regardless of some employers wanting to increase classes each year because people accept it. Stay in good health, do your best, and realize what you need to do to have a long and successful career. Peace. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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I've taught in good universities that had excellent libraries.
I've never met or heard of an FT who was doing research of any kind in China either. One would have to do it under a student visa or a journalist visa. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Wed Dec 25, 2013 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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"...You obviously know little about the typical work environment here then. 14 - 16 hours per week is normal. 18 is slightly higher than normal but acceptable. Saying it's "way too many" is laughable..."
If one is teaching Oral English, Writing, and Western History, 18 hours can be rough until you've done it for a few years. That's not the norm, though.
Eighteen hours of just Oral English in a university is not difficult at all. |
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Happy Everyday
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 268
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| Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 1:52 am Post subject: |
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| Bud Powell wrote: |
I've taught in good universities that had excellent libraries.
I've never met or heard of an FT who was doing research of any kind in China either. One would have to do it under a student visa or a journalist visa. |
Visiting scholars, consultants, students, professors, researchers, business, etc etc. Or, if you were a fine arts teacher, you would be painting and having exhibitions. Some do it with whatever visa gets them there. Others are sponsored by schools or companies. No, it's not just a few people. No, it's not just student visa or journalist visa. Personally, one of the more interesting examples I've seen was a dude who does it regularly on an F visa. But that guy wasn't a teacher. He searches libraries and bookstores for antique books about traditional Chinese art. He finds rare designs to sell to American Tattoo parlors.
Most of the language teachers I met in China do not research, write, or produce anything. Among the people I know personally, yes it is the norm. I've seen some schools advertise that they are an ideal place for you to work because you can research and write like some other FTs there. Several language books were written by FTs-- be it for English or Chinese. You have to work out the schedule with the school, each case is different. I know Chinese teachers also doing it in USA and in China.
My former roommate from Bejing was teaching acting to Chinese kids on the weekends in USA, got a work visa, paid $50 usd per class. The rest of his time, he's making movies. His work is listed on IMDb. In film schools, the instructors teach a few classes a week and spend most their time working on projects for their careers. In brick and mortar schools, they're publishing research. My friends who teach in China only do a few classes. They get a Z visa and spend most of their time on their career work. Some of my friends have researched the rise in green tech in China, others Finance, some are into urban development and social welfare. I find them in China and USA, and they are all focused on China. You say it doesn't exist? Ok. I agree that the majority of FTs don't do it.
The schools that accommodate it benefit from having teachers that are known. Your published works are what make you known, whatever it is you produce.
Last edited by Happy Everyday on Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:26 am; edited 4 times in total |
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rioux
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
Posts: 880
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| Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:08 am Post subject: |
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| I'm not sure how long we will stay in China but my wife and I home school our daughter. So we would both prefer to have a lighter teaching load. |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:26 am Post subject: |
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Regarding my university class schedule, it is "spread". I am glad it is "spread" and not "pile"--I prefer it that way.
I like teaching a few classes per day over the week rather than having an insane string of classes to get through in one or two days.
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:29 am Post subject: |
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| fat_chris wrote: |
Regarding my university class schedule, it is "spread". I am glad it is "spread" and not "pile"--I prefer it that way.
I like teaching a few classes per day over the week rather than having an insane string of classes to get through in one or two days.
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
So you too prefer your classes to be 'spaced out' |
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Happy Everyday
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 268
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| Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:51 am Post subject: |
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| fat_chris wrote: |
Regarding my university class schedule, it is "spread". I am glad it is "spread" and not "pile"--I prefer it that way.
I like teaching a few classes per day over the week rather than having an insane string of classes to get through in one or two days.
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I like to stack as much as possible to get more days off. If classes become too hard on the voice, then they've got to be spread out more. Where I'm teaching now, three classes in a row is my limit. Some days it hurts, some days not. The school is Chinese and really cool about scheduling. They always ask if it it's convenient to add classes and when to schedule more. That makes it better for everyone. The school makes more money, and the teachers doesn't get burned out. The temptation, for me anyway, is to keep adding students when they ask me. I've set a limit in order to continue working on other projects. Sacrificing a bigger paycheck now will lead to a more prosperous future if time is invested wisely. I make enough money to cover expenses. Every now and then, I'll put in a 12+ hour day if there's a field trip to a theme park. I speak Chinese. Some of the kids don't speak English.
You can teach fewer classes if it's a specialty class in a college, but you need to have a strong portfolio to get hired, not just an Masters degree or higher.
Last edited by Happy Everyday on Thu Dec 26, 2013 3:05 am; edited 2 times in total |
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