Job Discussion Forums

mongrelcat · Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 232

i've seen a lot of posts in the past about people who have gripes about their contracts.

i don't know whether they were language school teachers or university teachers or what...or if it matters.

at my school my contract is exactly the same as the Turkish English teachers. and of course if they were told (off-contract) to jump thru flaming hoops they would.

but there is so much last minute shite that comes up, and extra things i wasn't told of prior, that i'm starting to get pissed off. i know that yes, we have two months off in the summer and we work really hard during the semesters. but at some point i have to live my life. oh, and i'd like to get paid on the day i'm supposed to and not in cash, either. (once they paid me my entire salary in ten note liras.)

i don't even have time to take my cats to the vet, don't have time to go to the post office to pick up the packages that are of course 3 months late and irreparably damaged, i don't have time to exercise or shop.

but because my contract is the same as the other teachers, and they don't complain, i'm afraid to say anything. i like the school and i like the teachers and all. but really, WTF???

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Never mind mongrelcat, things could be worse. You could be in ankara Twisted Evil

seriously though you said you like the other teachers. it's better than working with a bunch of whinging foreigners.

mongrelcat · Joined: 12 Mar 2004 Posts: 232

i always wondered how you British people pronounce
"whingeing" ??

oh yeah, i've also been given 5 extra classes that put me over my contract limit. (one of the other foreign teachers left)....

almuze · Joined: 25 Oct 2004 Posts: 125

I assume you shopped around before you took the job? In Istanbul conditions can vary wildly from school to school. I understand that Doga Koleji has started keeping its teachers till 6:30 everynight for little performance review mtgs, plus teachers do in-service every Sat. and the "occasional" Sun. to go stand in malls and do promotional work. And for all that fun and excitment, they offered me 1,100 usd/mth. with no benefits.
But there are a lot more schools that offer normal teaching hours, no sundays, (sometimes no sats), extra benefits....seek and ye shall find...or, negotiate and ye may have a chance.....

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Whinge rhymes with binge and minge.

Got that !?

billybuzz · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 219 Location: turkey

"Whingeing" is a right to which all civilised people should aspire to ,especially when they feel they are being right royally shafted as is the case most of the time .
Hopefully this is a thread that will last longer than the regulation 2-3 pages we all get the sticky end every so often,would be nice to know we are all in the same boat .
The big question what are we going to do about it apart from moan ?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

billybuzz · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 219 Location: turkey

I was generalising,I personally have no sad tale of woe to offer but I'm sure their are others who have . Perhaps you for example ?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

harry the hobbit · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject: Oh here we go !

Gosh my first post ,just to say that like someone else I dont feel as if ı have been taken to the cleaners at least not yet . From what ı have observed on this forum ım in a minority justlucky ı guess . At least you get to meet a lot of interesting people and make fun of them and get paid for the pleasure ,great .

harry the hobbit · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 2:24 pm Post subject: Oh here we go !

Gosh my first post ,just to say that like someone else I dont feel as if ı have been taken to the cleaners at least not yet . From what ı have observed on this forum ım in a minority justlucky ı guess . At least you get to meet a lot of interesting people and make fun of them and get paid for the pleasure ,great .

yaramaz · Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 2:49 pm Post subject:

I've never had the, er, pleasure either. Not yet anyway. So far everything has gone relatively swimmingly. Cross toes and fingers etc.

ugurgazanker · Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 13

The conditions at Doga College for native English teachers is not as bad as almuze heard. However, the conditions are terrible for Turkish teachers and so the work envirionment is depressing and toxic. I was working in a beautiful forest and I thought I would feel good and that I would get in condition, but instead I became depressed so I had to quit. I even gave up my bonus money by leaving... you have to live with yourself!

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

Have you met the owners and what do you think of them? I am sorry that you did not have a good TIME there.