Job Discussion Forums

[jetty driver]

I am a certified elementary teacher who has worked with ages three thru nine. Are their any traditonal kindergarten jobs which are full day? It would seem that this would be the best way to teach where you have full interaction. i would like to find a job with the same group of kids in a traditional setting but do not know if it exsist.

[Buttercup]

Hey, i know such jobs exist, of course. I've seen them at an "international kindergarten" (private business) here in Shanghai, but it was restricted to children of expats: one of their parents has to hold an international passport. So it would feel weird to come all the way to China and then teach expat children... even though they are from many countries. Plus the pay was only 10,000 RMB for a full work-week (probably 9 to 5, can't remember) and the contract was full of weird, unacceptable things...

I know that the international schools also have kindergartens, and the pay is much better. Try the American school, or maybe the Singapore ones... There's also a French & German school... This is all for Shanghai. I think if you want a good salary here, you'll be teaching the children of rich expats. Good luck!

[Roger]

Why would you want to be exposed to children all day long?

The western kindergarten teaching philosophy hasn't arrived in China just yet except in elite schools such as Yew CHung, which runs branches in Peking, Shanghai, Hong Kong and various other locales; Yew Chung is a Hong Kong-owned international kindy with one anchor in the U.S.A. However, they are catering to expats' kids.
An alternative might be MONTESSORI. They are currently trying to get a foothold in mainland China through cooperative agreements. I saw their name displayed in a supposedly Singaporean-owned kindergarten, but it was run according to local principles.

Local teaching is rather different from western teaching: the kindies are in the eyes of most people here the bottom-end extension of primary school, not a day-care centre.
It means the parents park their kids in the kindy in the morning, pay tuition and expect a kid that has reeceived some educational "input" during the day.

The educational input is regular class subjects such as Chinese, maths, sciences, and English. Parents pay extra for each subject.
There are, of course, parents that just pay the basic tuition fee, which includes little if any "education". But these kids find themselves in far more crowded classrooms - again: classrooms with chairs and tables. There is sometimes a play ground or activity area, but few rooms are without chalkboard.
Classes are strictly regimented and timetabled: 30 minutes per lesson.

English is dispensed in the same, unimaginative manner it is done at primary schools: the teacher "knows" English and spoon-feeds his or her charges, the kids "swallow" it from her mouth.

On another plane, I would like to say I enjoyed kindergarten teaching a lot more than I enjoy university student teaching or middle-school classes. Normally, classes number no more than 25 kids, sometimes 30, but never 60. And you get help from kindergarten staff.
A regular English teacher normally has 4 to 5 hours of teaching a day, that is 8 to ten classes. You might have fewer lessons. Pay can be pretty good at 8000.

[mandu]

i dont know why you would want to teach or be with the children all day.Im a male and Im a childcare teacher.I love teaching the children English here in china.but working with the children all day i feel would be rather dull and boreing.there are so many things you would not be able to do with the children.

In my country when i used to work in childcare centres (new zealand)children are taught to be independant,to think for themselves,to share.children know how to use sizzors,use clay and mud and do wood work to experince different textures soft hard rough smooth cold warm etc.
children use there imagination as well.

i feel here in china they have got along way to go when it comes to teaching the children.many times i have wanted to take the children out side to play with water in the summer time and the chinese teachers have said no to me,parents dont want there children to get wet.
useing sizzors children dont know how to,this is a small motor skill.messy play once again i have been told no the children will get dirty and the parents and chinese teachers wont let you do this.
i feel the children miss out on so many things at kindergarten,which is really a childcare centre as well.
anyway by working in a chinese kindergarten all day i feel you would be limited to what you could do with the children.and it would be very frustrating for you.

[Yu]

I send my son to a kindergarden in Shanghai. It is called Shanghai Sunrise Montessori Kindrgarden. I have been really happy with it. He has an American teacher, and she teaches the kids in the morning. In the afternoons they have a nap and a Chinese lesson. There are both Chinese and some western kids attending his school. I don't think they need to have a foreign passport.

There were some people in a booth outside of the school who told us not to send our kid there, and that the school wasn't any good because the kids did not do anything, they were able to play... and that was terrible. I should send my kid to a real Chinese kindergarden they thought... so I knew his school would be perfect.

Anyway. I know his teachers make 5000RMB per month. They are recent and energetic college grads who really do not care too much about making money. Accomodation is provided, and overall they do not have too many complaints about the school. None of them seem to plan to stay at the school for another year... they need to go back home and pay students loans back. They have been encouraged and assisted with materials needed to do their own lesson plans. I see children encouraged to be creative.

My son is also not the type who is going to easily follow what people tell him to do. He is very independent for a 3 year old. The school has been relatively understanding of him, but at the same time tried to help him be more focused.

You probably would not want to teach at a straightforward Chinese kindergarden, but I don't think your choices are limited to the elite few international schools either.