Job Discussion Forums

[foreignDevil]

I know this is a common complaint here, but I am experiencing it for the first time: my boss is starting to really pack them in to a couple of my intermediate classes...not many by some standards...one class has 22 now...but this after she had always said to me "18 is the absolute limit"...and our school is not large...classes usually do not average over ten students.

I won't get into a discussion of class sizes...I know we all have opinions about this. What I am more immediately concerned about is how I should handle this issue, as well as future issues, with my boss.

Up until now she has been great, compared to some of the stories I've heard here. I am paid on time, I have never been jerked around with paperwork, visa, etc. So I am wondering what people think the line is between just letting things go, not rocking the boat, and standing up for yourself as a professional. My boss is well aware of how class size affects the experience the students are getting...I don't need to point that out to her. She is doing this to make more money right now, pure and simple. And that is something else I have to think about... on the next payday and the one after I will be getting more than twice my normal salary, on account of overtime during this busy summer term. So I certainly don't want to rock the boat if that is just going to give her an excuse to jerk me around about paying my overtime.

On the other hand, I don't want to establish a precedent where she feels she can do whatever she wants without at least pretending to consult me. Or maybe I am being delusional...maybe it never mattered what I think to begin with. No! That couldn't be it, could it?

[Redfivestandingby]

Stand to your boss by telling her how you feel. It doesn't need to be confrontational. But you need to do it or otherwise your class will slowly swell up to 40 people before you know it.

Another point to make is that the students themselves hate to see their class number increase. They know it means less time to talk with the NES.

Good luck!!!

[Roger]

There can't be a blanket answer to fit all Chinese bosses. You know they are highly individualistic. Bottom line is: Profits! In your case, I assume it is a private school, so the boss is the law!

It then is a question of how much personal chemistry you have to bring into play to influence her in your sense.

Some of your advantages:
She has paid for your work visa. How long is it still valid? Your power decreases with every day that you come closer to the visa's expiry date!

Availablility of replacements. If you are in the boondocks, well, she will, or will not, know your value.

To tell you the truth, I don't think your employer takes you too seriously. I worked for a young woman on and off. Initially, my classes were reasonably large by local standards. Maximum allowed was 30 or so.
Then it grew to 40.
I complained, saying it was a strain on my voice. It was.
She advertised again, and made new deals.
Now I found myself in front of 70 primary school kids.
I still cost her exactly the same hourly wage (a very decent one at that time, but still...).
You see, if the profit margin does not increase, the employer gets restless!
In my case, she began cutting costs. First it was lunch, then the taxi home.
It had to be a local bus. Saved around 30 kuai a trip (but you can figure out her own revenues from my classes - 70 times 440 kuai for 4 Saturdays of 2 hours each!).

[MartinK]

...

[phillipl]

My personal experience is that one's power INCREASES!

[goeastyoung(ish)man!]

[Peter]

Profits

Imagine you have 12 classes.
The waiban tells you to shave off 5 mins off each class, so he can enroll a new class for 1 hour's teaqching.

You get nothing, since it does not increase contact time.
Your end of year ticket home is 3 months away.
Then your visa will expire too at the same time
You are getting more and more of a cash cow /bull for the boss

[foreignDevil]

As a follow up to my initial post... the other day I swung by work after buying a bunch of stuff at a bookshop- a bunch of good linguistic things and language-learning titles. Anyway, I showed them to my boss and out of the blue she insisted on having the school reimburse me for them, and she handed over the cash right there on the spot.

Now, I know you could be suspicious of this, and say maybe she has some kind of angle going. But for the time being I prefer to think of it as nothing but a considerate act motivated out of a genuine desire to see me develop professionally as a teacher.

Anyway, I just wanted to relate this incident because I too often am prepared to think the worst of people, not just Chinese people but people anywhere.