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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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 Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 5:25 am Post subject: |
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| I bet a months salary the long termers / avatars / et all will not post a reply after this post responding in a positive fashion whatsoever on my aforementioned post... |
If I am in that category, let me make an attempt at the bet.
I think it is rather surprising that your headmaster would ask you to do work outside of your normal contract for free. It is admirable that you have accepted this. I would not have done it for free. You teach 5 and 1/2 hours for no payment whatsoever, I gather (no transportation fees, no coffee, etc.). Not for me, because that much time is valuable to me.
I would like to see how you think of this situation after several months have gone by. I won't bet any portion of my salary, but I would hesitate to guess that you would get tired of doing something for nothing. If not, you and I are merely different types of people, and I would have to say that you are in the minority of teachers here.
(How's that for being positive? Or was merely being polite not good enough? Do I get the money?)  |
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azarashi sushi
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 562
Location: Shinjuku
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:56 am Post subject: |
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A bit bored so I thought I might as well chime in here aswell...
Kovac, that's really admirable what you're doing. Well done! I'm just curious about the additional classes though. Is that a full extra day of work? Are you conducting the classes 8 - 3 (and two hours prep) on Saturday?
However, I personally don't see any problem with accepting payment for providing a legitimate service. If a student seriously wants to learn English and a teacher is can provide a private lesson, then what's your moral objection? We live in a world where money is the medium of exchange.
I help a lot of people with English and various other things but to give a whole day on a regular basis with no payment ... Hmmmm. I can't imagine doing it.
Also Kovac, you didn't answer Gordon's question ... And I'm curious too... What is your definition of a greedy freelancer?
A lot of it is about attitude... I also don't like the kind of person who won't ever speak to a non-English speaking person without asking for money. That's pretty sad... And desperately and relentlessly chasing money in any field is also pretty sad. But nothing wrong with accepting payment for honest service provided.
If you are really giving up a whole day to teach for free, I commend you. That's great! I enjoy teaching too but I value my free time aswell. I have plenty of things to do and I wouldn't especially want to work an extra day paid or unpaid. But if I did have to work, I would like some compensation.
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| Last week I was featured on Japanese national TV on NHK 1...because me and my headmaster at the school I work for thought it might be a good idea to teach the mothers of the children English...for free...I could have said no..but I did it (and Im doing it..its an ongoing thing) |
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| I enjoy it alot and find it very rewarding despite monetary gain and recommend any other ALT's with spare time to pursue a similar activity, cutting out both greedy eikaiwas and greedy freelancers... |
I'm curious too... What exactly is your motivation for doing this? Is it to help the parents? Is it to get on TV? Are you on a mission to close down Eikaiwas?
You're motivations sound a bit questionable.
I too am a bit cynical and think you'll probably tire of doing something for nothing. When you have some other activity to do on Saturday (or whenever it is) or invitation to somewhere I think it's going to get pretty hard always saying no because you have to work... for nothing.
Anyway, let us know how it goes. |
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kovac
Joined: 12 Apr 2003
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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ah a bit of confusion....
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| I teach from 8 till 3 with 1hr 30mins break and finish at 5, the 2hrs I have free is to prepare materials for the next days lessons...I did unpaid overtime and will continue to do so; to prep notes in English and Japanese and do the lessons. |
My regular day is like the above, which Im paid for...the class takes place biweekly AFTER 3 o clock until 5 o clock, curerently at one school, though I may be starting a similar thing at another.
Anyway, Im no longer gonna chat on this one, someone sent me a very abusive private message, it obviously puts some peoples noses out of joint, so even though theres no harm in what Im doing and its my choice and part idea, I will say humble apologies and admit Im wrong and such a bad, bad person, etc and leave this one alone. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't think you are wrong to teach for free. What you do on your time is your business. If you want to volunteer your time to teach English, go for it. I'm curious of the personal abusive message and what the person was thinking. If that person is reading this, feel free to private message me the message you sent Mr. Kovac. Or don't hide behind the system and restate it here. |
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Nagoyaguy
Joined: 15 May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: Aichi, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with Canuck. If you are going to slag someone, at least have the round objects to do it in public and not in private.
As for Kovac, working as a volunteer in any capacity is to be commended. I do the same thing from time to time, too. Tomorrow, for example, there is a rice harvesting festival here in my small town in Aichi. I am going to help some diplomats from eastern Europe to do the harvesting and communicate with their host families (they are staying overnight). No payment, just for fun.
Dont knock volunteers, but dont knock people who try to be professional as well. |
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Mike L.
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 519
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Anyway, Im no longer gonna chat on this one, someone sent me a very abusive private message, it obviously puts some peoples noses out of joint, so even though theres no harm in what Im doing and its my choice and part idea, I will say humble apologies and admit Im wrong and such a bad, bad person, etc and leave this one alone. |
Yes by all means give your time away. It's the deragatory tone you took towards people getting paid for providing an honest service that got you into hot water!
Post the message why don't you? If it exists?
If you have any credibility now's the time to prove it!
I'd say your trolling more than anything here! |
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azarashi sushi
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 562
Location: Shinjuku
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| Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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teach from 8 till 3 with 1hr 30mins break and finish at 5, the 2hrs I have free is to prepare materials for the next days lessons...I did unpaid overtime and will continue to do so; to prep notes in English and Japanese and do the lessons.
My regular day is like the above, which Im paid for...the class takes place biweekly AFTER 3 o clock until 5 o clock, curerently at one school, though I may be starting a similar thing at another. |
So you are paid from 8 till 5 anyway ... You're just giving up a few hours of your prep time to do some extra lessons. So essentially, you're not really doing anything for free. |
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Mike L.
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 519
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| Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2004 4:16 am Post subject: |
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| So you are paid from 8 till 5 anyway ... You're just giving up a few hours of your prep time to do some extra lessons. So essentially, you're not really doing anything for free. |
Right on the money azarashi sushi!
So much for the Mother Teresa of ELT in Japan! |
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