Job Discussion Forums

[clark.w.griswald]

My advice on the phone issue is to hook yourself up with a pre-paid mobile phone and card. This is the easiest way to get a phone number in the quickest possible time. I believe that call costs may be higher than if you are on a plan, but then if you don't use the phone all that frequently for outgoing calls this is not likely to be too much of an issue.

[Ki]

You forgot also that you may be required to work at more than one branch. Also, I know of one chain which requires non-North American teachers to undergo English training to speak with the (cringe) desired accent.

But yes, chains are quite nice for newbies. You have more security with regards to being paid, are more likely to be offered a job without experience, offer training, set curriculum and you can even secure a job from overseas if you feel that this is necessary.

[markholmes]

[ramakentesh]

I was asked in atleast three job interviews whether I could talk in an american accent - and I did it because I thought it was hilarious.
I managed to get offered two of these jobs but something better came along in another industry.

As for not needing many hours - just wait until you get a power bill - especially in summer...

[robert.near]

ummmm, more questions. Demos are the bane of my existence (I had a horrible one yesterday). Do you have any advice on how to demo well? I'm afraid my inexperience really shines through when I demo...

[clark.w.griswald]

In my opinion a successful demo comes down to the three P's - patience, presentation, and personality.

Of these the most important is personality. In most schools the foreign teacher is one of their single biggest expenses and also their source of real income. In many ways the employment of a foreign teacher is pretty much an investment in the future of their business. Personality is not something that can generally be improved with training or support, but personality is the foundation that they must build upon to see this improvement in your teaching. In the short time that an interview and demo takes you need to be able to impress upon the school that you want to do the work for which you are applying, that they are going to be able to work with you if they hire you, and that the kids will enjoy your classes. The school wants to know that you are able to enjoy your time in the classroom and consequently that the students will enjoy being in your class. If you can impress all of this upon them then you are more than half way to getting the position.

Presentation would be the next factor to consider. You will likely be given something to teach. In some cases the school will give you ideas on what they would like to see in your teaching. Pay attention to this information as it really is vital. If no information is forthcoming then there are probably some things that you can consider:

1. Body language - Maintain good eye contact and smile. Show that you are enjoying yourself and be willing to laugh at yourself if things don't go as planned.

2. Don't talk too much - New teachers often make the mistake of explaining things verbally which is unlikely to work well with young learners. Resist the urge to explain things but instead show them through actions, drawings, objects, or pictures. If you are going to play a game then give the students rough 'good' and 'bad' explanations as far as rules and then jump right on in and play.

3. Speak clearly - Ensure that you are looking at students when you are teaching them. It is no good to be looking at a book or falsh card while you are telling them something new. Also don't speak too fast nor use too much vocabulary. Guess from the material that you are being asked to teach what level the students are at. If they are learning immediate family then don't go on about extended family as it will be beyond them.

4. Repeat, repeat, repeat - Make sure that you do enough repetition work and that each student in the class gets a chance to repeat something during the class.

5. Classroom control - Don't be tempted to concentrate on the best or the worst student in the class. Try to spend equal time with each student.

6. Basics - the basic procedure for a demo should be a warm up (could be asking a few students their names), presentation (teach the new materials), practice (this is where students have a chance to repeat individually or in groups - you can give them points for good performance), and finally use what you have been teaching in a quick game.

Patience is one of the most important requirements of a kids teacher in my opinion. Even the best teacher with the best laid plans is going to be derailed at some stage. My advice is don't fight it, but try to go with the flow. Try to acknowledge the problem or behavior and then turn it around so that you can get back on track. All the while with a big smile on your face.

If you want more specific advice maybe you could outline where you think you are encountering problems.

[robert.near]

thanks Clark, once again. The amount of time and effort that you put into helping strangers like me is astounding. Thanks again. It's very much appreciated.

Just a quick update. I've gone to about six interviews and demo sessions. The first few were pretty bad, as I had NO idea what I was doing (20/20 hindsight says that Rob should've taken a TESOL course. That way I would at least be semi prepared for the classroom). But the last three have all went well in my eyes. The problem is, since I don't have any experience or feedback, I'm not sure if they went well or not. I haven't received any call backs or job offers, so that in itself should tell me that they didn't go so well. I'll stick to your three principles of P, Clark, and keep on plugging away.

It should be noted that my girlfriend has found full-time employment at a school. So, it can be done (it took about two and a half weeks for her).

[Pop Fly]

[robert.near]

yeah, i figured as much. Argh. I feel that I'm way over my head here. I don't know what I'm doing and it shows. In hindsight I should've gotten some training and learned more about teaching.

But I'm here now, so I've got to keep on searching and making mistakes. It sucks, but I chose to be here...

[clark.w.griswald]

Robert why not ask the schools that don't take you on why they are not interested. This information may help you with future demos.

Tell us something about yourself. There may be something that you are missing that we may be able to help you with.

Also, tell us what areas you think may be a problem in your demo. We might be able to offer some solutions.

[Wonder]

Hey Robert.

Regarding your frustrations with demos....one thing you could do is ask to sit in on a couple of classes with either Chinese English teachers or native speakers and pay attention to what they're doing. Clark is right in one respect but he has experience and it's one thing to read about it, another thing to actually do it.

Find out in advance which books they're using and ask for teacher's guides. There are some excellent tips in the teacher's guides so you could also go into an ESL book store and read the teacher's guides for advice.

Another thing is limit your demo to 20-30 minutes. Ask all the kids their names, and have them spell their names out loud. Bend over and make a funny face at one of the shy, smiling students when they're not looking. Make them laugh and relax to begin with. Have fun for a few minutes. Then do a few sentence patterns with the same verb/noun/adjective for each sentence and have most if not all the kids read the sentence as a class and then individually.

Finally, draw a big circle like a dart-board on the whiteboard and have the words for the sentence pattern in the circle at random positions. Make the kids throw a sticky ball at the words and they use that word with the sentence. Even point to the word and the blank spot and say it out loud. That is how they learn. Demonstrate this for them. The time all adds up!

Get their attention when you walk into the class by taking the sticky ball and throwing it at a target on the board yourself. Don't say a word just do it. Throw it underhand and throw it hard. It might sound crazy but it really impresses them. Then immediately afterward, while they're still buzzing from your demonstration, write the grammar point on the board in big letters and ask: what is this? What does this mean? And then use it in a sentence.

Go slowly. Make sure you know where the eraser and the makers are and make sure your markers work. Use black. If you drop the eraser let it stay on the floor for a few seconds. Try not to fumble about up there. Move around the class. You're the boss. Forget about the teacher in there watching you...block them out.

You have to go in with a very clear plan and stick to it no matter what. If a student is speaking out of turn, smile and ask them their name and make them stand up. Don't tell them why, just do it. You're the boss. That is 50 per cent of what the school is looking for.

Once you have their attention, you will be a God. And don't sweat it. Like Clark said, smile and be confident.

[robert.near]

thanks guys. Your help is really appreciated (and also gives some insight as to why my demos didn't go well. I didn't know that I had to make any introduction beyond 'hello. My name is Mr. Near'.. or whatever). Guess now I have to find a sticky ball...

I've tried asking advice and some have given it to me. Others have said that I did a great job and wouldn't have done anything different. Then they never phoned me back. *shrug* Possible problems I think with my teaching style is that I really don't know where to start, so often I just follow the book, making it boring for the students. I also think I have a penchant for talking while holding something or looking at the board. My boardwork is often messy... um, what else... I talk to fast sometimes without clearly enunciating. The list can probably go on...

Today, however, was a good day. It looks that I might have a job. Or, at least, what might become a job. There are a few things that are keeping me from jumping out of my seat, though. First, the job is 42 hours a week, Monday to Saturday. Of the 42 hours, 25 of them are teaching hours. The pay is 60,000 NTD a month, which is standard salary pay. But when you break it down, I'm only getting paid about $360 NTD an hour to work. But at least its at one school, which is relatively close to my house. I get paid for my preparing my lessons as well, just at a whole lot lower rate than as if I was teaching.

But the first, and most important, hurdle is that I have to get by the two week training course that's mandatory. I think this training course will be a plus, because it will give me some class room experience, which I desperately need. They pay me a little bit for the training too. The training is from 10-4pm for the next two weeks. In the sessions, hopefullyI get to observe and practice my teaching a bit. The possible downside is that I sit in these training sessions for the next two weeks, don't get the job, and then I've only got 20 days to get an ARC before I have to head off. What do you think?

And, even if I do get the job, is the job worth having? My girlfriend's employment, while at two different schools sees her making about 10,000 more NTD a month than me, and working 12 less hours (although she is teaching 5 more hours than I am).

Sorr that I'm asking all these questions guys, but I really look for guidance from others with experience in these matters.

[Ki]

If it is a very easy job, with only one class, block hours and lots of non-teaching time watching kids eat, etc, then there isn't any reason why you shouldn't accept a lower salary but this seems to be quite a bad deal. I would go to the training but still look hard for other work. Also make sure you know what you sign in your contract. Look out for penalty clauses that will force you to stay under these poor conditions for an entire year otherwise you will forfeit $30,000.

If, after the two weeks of training you still haven't found anything better and you pass the training, (which you will because they don't want to invest another two weeks worth of training with another teacher), then you can be firm about not signing to any bad clauses. They will probably tell you that this is the standard contract for everyone. This is a common ruse. Perhaps ask to see the contract before the training. Let us know how you get on, one way or the other.

[Aristotle]

Taiwan is what it is, not necessarily what you want it to be.
Things change by the city on Taiwan. Start in Taipei and you will have a much easier time of it.
Be advised that you are not going to get rich teaching on Taiwan. The money simply isn't here anymore.

Please read this,
10 Steps to Success on Taiwan!
Good luck!
A.

[Borromeo]