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asiannationmc
Joined: 13 Aug 2014
Posts: 1342
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 Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| I wonder what the OP intends to do with the rest of his time after he leaves his home country to live in a culture which is (presumably) foreign to him. |
I had a similar situation back when I came here a long time ago. The first thing I did was explore by taking bus lines to their end and making map and written notes. Studied the language and met a few girls. By the time my "cush" contract ended and I was ready to move on to better paying and higher number of hours employment, I was fully prepared. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 12:25 am Post subject: |
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| asiannationmc wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I wonder what the OP intends to do with the rest of his time after he leaves his home country to live in a culture which is (presumably) foreign to him. |
I had a similar situation back when I came here a long time ago. The first thing I did was explore by taking bus lines to their end and making map and written notes. Studied the language and met a few girls. By the time my "cush" contract ended and I was ready to move on to better paying and higher number of hours employment, I was fully prepared. |
And how long did that job last before more hours were added to your schedule?
In which province did this occur? Was it a private or public school? How much were you paid?
How common do you think that situation is?
I'm not doubting what you say, but the answers to the questions are relevant to the discussion. |
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asiannationmc
Joined: 13 Aug 2014
Posts: 1342
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 12:53 am Post subject: |
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And how long did that job last before more hours were added to your schedule?
In which province did this occur? Was it a private or public school? How much were you paid?
How common do you think that situation is?
I'm not doubting what you say, but the answers to the questions are relevant to the discussion. |
First let me say I am not disagreeing with anyone but merely added my post as anecdotal regarding free time. As to how common, can't say as I really don't know any other teachers in Beijing.
One year and then I left for more hours and more money. At the time I came to China standard pay was around 3200-3400 and I held out for 3800 plus the normal +'s. I was recruited by a teacher in the states who knew (not of me) but of my leaving at that time my current college. My first job was a private college in the north and at that time there were around 40 FT's, sorry as to the other FT's I have little knowledge as they were younger, from a Christian org and not really interested in me as they were in building an ark each night. I had retired from a job back in the states and was just looking to travel a bit and have a place to lay my head, however, I was primarily speaking to the spare time. To my favor I kept the attitude of not working long hours and even though I did take on additional hours due to a loss of a FT in the last few years I made coin for it. I have finished at this time with working, 31st being my last day of "partial employment" designed at getting the new guy up to speed, Sept-Dec. In the last years though I worked less than 10 hours per week and was paid handsomely.
Saying this it is important to realize that the international office did not inform the labor department of my actual hours as less than a certain number of hours will not fly for work permit reasons. direshark could very well be right in his assumption although I seem to remember the international office telling me that 12 was the limit. |
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Scrabble King
Joined: 25 Dec 2014
Posts: 91
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:02 am Post subject: |
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| I agree with Listerine - the variety of uni assignments differ enormously. My best bud works at Beihang and has a "heavy schedule" of 18 hours a week, while another friend of mine works at China Academy of Science and only has 6 hours of classes every week on just two days. So he is off five daya a week! Uni work is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get. |
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Mark Johnson
Joined: 08 Jun 2014
Posts: 23
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 3:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Bud Powell wrote: |
If he does find such a position, I wonder what the OP intends to do with the rest of his time after he leaves his home country to live in a culture which is (presumably) foreign to him. Will he then try to find yet another job to take up the hours?
I doubt he'll find such a teaching job that is more than a temporary situation. |
By the way, I'm not in my home country. Haven't been for 8 years.
Back in the day I had a job in Korea. Working/Teaching hours 1pm-4pm. It was nice, but after I while I decided to hustle and stack classes until I made $1000 a week. I didn't mind the workload because I felt the payment and hours were fair, plus I was ballin'.
What I'm saying is that I'm not lazy, but I'm tired of being over worked and taken advantage of. Somehow I've gone back in time, doing a job only a newbie would do all because its an "International" school.
Now if I found a uni job in China like we're discussing I would have more time to dedicate to learning Java, Ruby and Python so I could be accepted and prepared for an intensive bootcamp back home in order to get out of this TEFLing racket and get on path to a new career. As of now, I don't have any time or energy to work the modules and practice the language everyday. I just go home and lie in bed until the next day because I'm so depressed.
I found the replies on this thread to be very helpful and sincere. Not a single troll. A warm thank you. |
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asiannationmc
Joined: 13 Aug 2014
Posts: 1342
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| Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| get on path to a new career |
I have done this several times in my life and it has always given me as new recharged energy. Lat year I went to half time in prep for my new "beginning" and started to study reading and writing Chinese. I was surprised at how much better my communication and respect (from Chinese) level was within just a few sort months. Good luck and hopefully you can match your learning with your ability to make a living. |
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JRJohn
Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 175
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| Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 3:31 pm Post subject: University Life |
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You raised a number of interesting questions as did those who replied to the message.
My first job in China was in a private university. I was teaching English majors, and had 20 hours per week. That did not seem too much in reality, because I was able to make just one or two lesson plans per week, adjusting it to the students' needs. I really enjoyed it. So I wouldn't obsess too much about reducing teaching hours to the absolute minimum. You need to think about environment. Am I going into a decent, manageable situation or not? Making one or two lesson plans is much easier than making ten or twelve, and I was happy to teach 20 classes. I was based in Zhengzhou, and while I was a fair bit outside the city centre I was NOT in the countryside. Those who think it's good for students and teachers to live in the real boondocks should be in a monastery, not an institution of higher learning.
I like being in a city. But universities can provide a sense of a community, especially if there are friendly students and enough western teachers to make for a social life. You ought to contact western teachers who work in the university you will be going to. Take advantage of your increased free time to learn some Chinese, or study another subject. |
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