Job Discussion Forums

Itsme · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 624 Location: Houston, TX

Ok so I want to figure out the going rate per 60 min.
I was making 8000 RMB per month IN BEIJING for 80 sessions of 30 min each so really 8000 RMB for 40 hours which comes out to 200 RMB per hour. Plus they threw in a 1500 RMB apartment so (8000 + 1500) / 40 = 237.5 RMB per 60 min of teaching. They also gave me a free lunch everyday. Let's say the lunch was worth 2 RMB. So 2RMB/day X 30 Day/month = 60 RMB for food so. (8000+1500+60) / 40 = 239 RMB per 60 min of teaching. They also threw in 6000 RMB for the plane ticket home! So 10 months in a school year makes for (6000 / 10) = 600 RMB. So finally: (8000+1500+60+600)/ 40= 254RMB per hour.
Ok so some of you may argue that there is preparation time. There is. Some may say that the apartment may not have costed 1500 RMB per month, it might not have. Some may argue that the lunch was worth 1.5 RMB. Ok.. Some may say that they might cancel the contract at the last second to keep from paying the 6000 RMB home. Perhaps.
Use your own mathematical equation to exclude whichever of the terms you wish.

The fact remains that I was making 254RMB per 60 min of teaching class and I did not even have to travel all over the place by subway!

I have changed jobs and it seems that everyone I run into wants to pay me 100 RMB per 60 min of teaching without ANY of the above expenses paid for. Question

So what's up?

vikdk · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 1676

lots of teachers accepting 50RMB (and less) Laughing

Itsme · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 624 Location: Houston, TX

Well good. Now they know better.

thepreferrednomenclature · Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 80 Location: Beijing, Chaoyang

It's me:

Why did you leave the job you had? The job you describe sounds awesome.

Based on your own math, you were averaging two hours of work a day-- assuming you worked five days a week. If you worked fewer days but more hours it means you got at least a three day weekend every week, which is also frickin' sweet.

Step back from your moaning and growning for a second and realize:

Apparently, you were getting paid more than two times the going rate to not teach very much.

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

I have the same question. If your job was so great, why leave?

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

you were indeed ripped off.......

vikdk · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 1676

wow amazing - sample the constructive comment -why did you leave your job

somebody used the term bottom-feeder to describer some posters and their contributions - never more appropriately used than here Laughing

Why shouldn't a person leave a job to get new experience - why shouldn't a person be pissed off to find out that the wage level is being held at such an artificially low level because some FT's are seemingly willing to except almost nothing.

Problem is can't do much about - unless you start to teach in more demanding areas where the FT competition isn't so hot - such as kindy (not too many stick this out for too long - good proven reliable teachers here can expect and demand good wages). So letting off a bit of steam here seems the next best alternative - and at least it gives you a chance to see what's grubbing about at the bottom of the tank Laughing

stil · Joined: 23 Jun 2003 Posts: 259 Location: Hunan

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Itsnem
an interesting tale but a little short in details, wasn't it? Na, I do believe every word you were saying, no problem.

But let's become a trifle more specific:
Most of the posters here teach at training centres or at public institutions. Their timetables are fairly well structured and they go by textbooks which take care of the "syllabus" (which is usually conspicuous by its absence so the FT has to rely on that blasted book or on his or her intuition).
In YOUR case, however, I noted your lessons were only 30 minutes long.
That says a lot about the kind of job you had: it was a kindergarten job!

20 hours a week? Five days? OK, you put in 2 hours a morning, and 2 hours an afternoon, right or rite?

That's five almost full days of work - 2 hours in the morning, two hours in the afternoon, or 4 periods each time.
Eight periods a day?

A long nap time? Were you watching over your kiddies? Or were you free to roam the streets?

I envy you too - I love kindergarten work! But I do not really envy you for your workload you had there! Those 4 periods in the morning or afternoon were back-to-back, right? That can be quite stressful! No break in between, yet the kids take all your attention and might dawdle so that you come under extra pressure!

If you enjoyed that job, my congrats! It takes an energetic person to perform under such circumstances! I did it for two years. My pay was not quite that grandiose (but it was generous, really generous).

Let me add that kindies in Guangdong often pay 8000 a month for 20 weekly hours (or 40 periods).

What varies is how much spare time you have; some FTs are expected to spend more time in the playrooms with the kids on top of their (paid) teaching activities, some can clock off right after the last period.

But it's a hectic way of life, - mostly! That's why some bow out earlier than others.

Itsme · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 624 Location: Houston, TX

Hi Roger.

Are you SURE that only kindergarden agedchildren have 30 min classes?

Are you SURE that IF I did teach at a kindergarden then I was putting in a split shift?

I don't see where you pulled this out of...

thepreferrednomenclature · Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 80 Location: Beijing, Chaoyang

Roger- I think he was working a bit less than you imagine. He said 20 sessions a week, and that would get him down to just two hours a day, not four.

I also don't think of my question as being that of a bottom feeder vikdk. Just pointing out that the job was pretty solid moneywise.

vikdk · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 1676

point taken preferred - but to be quite honest most people should be able to see that!

Most useful thing about the original post is that it shows that employers will and can pay higher wages - a useful point for those about to go through wage negotiations.

Surely it's a strange forum when somebody talks about leaving a job, and their frustrations surrounding finding a new one - that all they can read is -"why did you leave". Do posters have to proove every darn detail of their lives before they can talk about job hunting? - which, by the way,is the real topic of this thread!!!

For the people who realy enjoy interigating posters, please leave your feeding frenzies for those you suspect as being midnight runners - you seem to have more fun with them Laughing

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Alright, ITsme,
if your question is rhetorical ("are you SURE only kindergarten periods are 30 minutes long")
then I would like to be put right in the picture: where did you work such short periods?

vikdk · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 1676

as a footnote to my last post -

Strange thread when it sinks to level on argueing how long a teaching period should be - But maybe I have missed out on something - are there PSB enforceable regulations surrounding period length - has Roger been talking to more mysterious goverment officials - surely not more bribes to be paid Laughing

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

I've got to join VIKDK on "why argue" on this thread. Then, why haven't others on provided more of their ongoing rates in their cities since the thread's heading does say so. Here is mine of Huizhou (Guangdong) at 5,500 monthly for about 20 real hours of weekly teaching and Nanning (Guanxi) as well as Fuzhou (Fujian) at about the same. That goes for the private centers.
OP, sorry but I haven't noticed that you posted your location there. What city are you/were you in?

Cheers and beers