Job Discussion Forums

[Capergirl]

Do you get along with your boss? Is (s)he crazier than a loon? I was thinking the other day how different it is working for my Canadian boss than it was working for my Korean bosses and especially my Taiwanese boss. My Taiwanese boss was absolutely certifiable...a scary man behind a big phony smile. All of the Taiwanese teachers were petrified of him. I had two bosses in Korea (they co-owned the company and shared responsibilities) and they were always smiling, too, but appeared to be relatively easygoing for the most part. They did seem to have a slight truth-telling problem, though.

So this is just a question out of pure curiosity...what is your boss like?

[denise]

I've had both extremes: My current and previous supervisors are/were both thoroughly professional and supportive, and are/were actually educators, not administrators, so they actually know a thing or two about teaching. If I need help, they offer it, and if I make a suggestion, they respect it. Yay!!!!!

The negative ones weren't too bad, because I always had enough freedom to basically do what I wanted, but still, there was a bit of power-tripping and incompetence.

Interestingly, as I got more qualified, I got better jobs, and the supervisors got better. Hmmmm...is there a connection there? (Capergirl--weren't you the one that posted the thread about professionalizing the industry?)

d

[Ben Round de Bloc]

If variety is the spice of life, I've had lots of spice regarding bosses since I began teaching EFL.

My first EFL job was in a private language school. The owner of the school was a businesswoman and a good one at that. She also had the background experience (years of teaching EFL) and the education (MA in TESOL,) although during the time I worked there, her duties were strictly administrative. However, the director of the site where I worked was the main reason I chose to look elsewhere for a job.

In my current university job, there have been several different department heads during my time there, ranging from excellent to the opposite. With only one exception, all of my bosses during my EFL career have been women. Based on my entire teaching career (nearly 30 years as a teacher, 8 of those years in EFL,) in general, I'd have to say that I find men easier to work for than women, although one of my worst bosses was a man and one of my best was a woman.

Also, at the risk of generalizing, in my experience as an EFL teacher in Mexico, I'd have to say that American bosses are far better organized than Mexican bosses. Granted, I haven't had a huge number of different bosses during my EFL career so far, so admittedly my perception is probably limited.

[dduck]

My mexican boss has a background in teaching, though I doubt he has any qualification. He's also claims to have years of experience co-ordinating teachers, which may be the case but he certainly is rubbish. In part, his rubbishness is due to his lack any formal training in man-management (though I think he's do well in the military where listening isn't important) and the general poor management of the school.

Iain

[Corey]

[dduck]

[khmerhit]

My first western DOS boss in Cambodia was a friendly if quiet Brit who went to jail for a few months. Whether he was guilty as charged I rather doubted at the time.

My second western DOS boss was another conspicuously quiet Brit who was never charged with any crime, but probably should have gone to jail to teach him a lesson. A friend of mine gave him a thrashing.

My third DOS boss was a beautiful and sympathetic Cambodian woman who was also very funny. That was the best school.

A prospective boss was a mad Malaysian Baptist woman who asked such questions at interview as: Do you have any tattoos? Are you gay? Have you ever been charged with a crime? She did not wait for replies, however, thus making the interview process almost useless.

[guest of Japan]

In my current job I have so many bosses that I can't even get a uniform job description.

Let's see if I can name them all;

Dispatch company owner-the one who actually give me my salary.

Principal-responsible for me getting a salary.

Vice-principal-in charge of all day to day duties of the teachers.

Aministrative Manager- He controls my house and paperwork.

Curriculum Developer- enough said.

Head of Disciplinary procedures- He helps me with the bad kids.

English Department Head- Supposed to be my on-site boss, but rarely makes a decision on her own.

In addition to these there is also a board of directors for the school and at least another half dozen folks of power, but whose titles I have yet to discern.

I bow a lot at school.

[Cobra]

I took my boss under my protective wing with the attitude that just maybe I could train him to do his job correctly and thus allow me to do mine professionally.

After one year together he now calls me his older and wiser brother.

I like my boss and we get along well both at work and socially. He is Chinese and no longer untrained for his supervisory position.

I could have taken the position that I detested working for the ignorant SOB but that would have been the easy way out.