Job Discussion Forums

[maj0915]

Would anyone with experience at both of these levels be able to give me some impressions about the two? I've spent three semesters teaching university students here, but was considering a more lucrative job at a middle school. It seems like the middle school students may be more energetic and participatory, although I'm not sure how my teaching style would carry over to middle school students, or what level their English speaking ability is at. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Son of Bud Powell]

There are many different scenarios in the middle school level, among which is the Chinese co-teacher whose presence is intended to help you with conducting the class and maintaining order. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

At that level, you'll probably also have to contend with parents either directly or indirectly. This is not always pleasant, especially if it is a private school in which mommy and daddy are paying big bucks for Xiao Wang to be an A+ scholar, but he really deserves only a social promotion.

Your best bet is to teach high school where the maturity level is (or should be) greater.

Would a college approach work in middle school? Probably not. Children that age exhibit behavioral problems that you usually would not encounter in a uni or college.

I have only experience as a part-time farmed-out university teacher, but there are some real battle-hardened multi-year veterans who (if they haven't gone barking mad by now) can fill you in on the many middle school scenarios.

[Non Sequitur]

I've done multiple tertiary gigs but only taught middle school-level students over summer.
I've a fairly active teaching style and I found that Middle Schoolers responded to that and needed boisterous games to keep them engaged.
So if your style is quiet and scholarly you should think twice. If active - give it a go.
Make sure though that all teaching is on the same campus. I've heard of schools combining to hire a single teacher and force unpaid schlepping across town at lunchtime. Get the teaching or contact hour defined. Not sure if it is the 50-minute type encountered in tertiaries.

[tlkdmc]

It only makes sense they are different. Children are children that need to be entertained. University level, in general are "adults" and can be treated as such. I treat my students as adults and don't speak babyish to them. On the average, they comprehend everything I say, so there is no reason to speak like you're talking to a 4 year old. My classes are up-to-par with any lecturer with modification to class level/ability. I don't play games or guitar or whatever. Asking how to teach middle school versus university shows you shouldn't be making the transition. American teachers would never swap between the two, so why should you? Just because you're a nice white pretty face in China with no qualifications? The standard is sad. Even Chinese teachers don't swap between these different levels. But hey, as you said, it's more lucrative - so it's all about money. And MONEY made you first think, "hey, China is the place."

Why? What keeps you from teaching or working back home?

[doogsville]

I spent six months teaching in a middle school some years ago. Sixty plus students jammed into the classroom, so no space to move around. Ability ranged from excellent to barely able to string a sentence together. The texbook was okay, and since my job was mainly to demonstrate pronunciation and correct theirs I didn't need to do a huge amount of preparation. No Chinese teacher present, so discipline was an issue sometimes when their energy levels got too high.

I wouldn't go back, and I certainly wouldn't give up my uni job for a middle school, no matter how lucrative it was.

[Markness]

It depends on where you are teaching. I think that there are huge variations not only between cities but between institutions as well. You can teach in the sticks and be teaching at an elite school where the kids are super well-behaved. You can also work in the city in the outskirts where are the poor migrant workers live and guess where their kids are going to school. I have worked at a school like that and it was terrible. Really poorly behaved students. Education is not taken seriously at all for them and even the Chinese teachers have a hell of a time keeping those kids under control. Some of them ditch school and the Chinese teacher has to go about to a few houses every night to talk to the parents and talk about the seriousness of education to them.

Right now, I am in the midst of transitioning full-time over to a high ranked high school in my city doing exclusively TOEFL/IELTS classes, and there is a night and day difference between the attitudes of the kids from the low ranked schools versus the high ranked ones.

Short answer: depends. The age isn't THAT big of a difference. Primary school is a WHOLE different bag. Middle school + , unless you work at a really crappy school the students will be really well behaved. Primary school kids are always super naughty in my opinion, and that's the only big difference. Middle school it's more games/activities and throw in a little bit of learning, whereas in university you've got slouches who have passed their Gaokao and don't really give a fart.

[maj0915]

[hdeth]

Most uni teachers are not teaching subject matter information here. It's just oral English all around. I've done some subject matter teaching at a uni and it doesn't really work. They couldn't speak enough English to really get into details and the class sizes were huge. Teaching good students at a private "international" high school is more akin to being a professor in America than teaching at a Chinese uni.

The biggest difference in student quality can actually be between class groups within the same grade level at the same school. The top group at my school have an excellent and fairly well-rounded education, can speak fluent English, and are going to decent universities overseas. The bottom groups...well...how they get into universities at all is anyone's guess (though there are many stories that float around).

The move from uni to high school has been a good one for me...middle school is a bit young though.

[coldcucumber]

[Son of Bud Powell]

[toteach]

Things I should have considered more carefully before taking a job in an international middle school:

1. Does the school have entry requirements for English ability, math, and content knowledge, or will they accept anyone with the ability to pay tuition?

2. Who will handle the larger behavioral issues that will arise? Many schools have a written policy of progressive discipline while others do not.

3. Who will translate to Korean students, Russian students, and students of other nationalities who do not have a remedial knowledge of Mandarin or or English? (!)