Job Discussion Forums

[sheeba]

I�ve been teaching at a Music University for 6 weeks and am starting to run into problems . I�m not so bothered about the job as it is only 3 hours a week part time but I�m really wound up .

I am supposed to get paid monthly and yesterday I was told that I would not be paid until next month. That will be over 2 months from when I started . I was in a stinker last night after teaching all day and phoned the University to complain about this . They told me today that I was angry but I don�t remember being too aggressive on the phone . I just said that if I wasn�t paid I won�t turn up for another class . They told me that they had problems getting the money off the government and that they would help me . All the teachers had got together and raised the 2000 yuan they owed me . When I go to the lesson next Thursday they�ll have my money for the last 5 weeks .

Ok I thought . I even felt a little bad that the teachers have to dig in their own pockets to help me .Then she proceeded to say that because they were so good in helping me get paid that I should be a really good teacher . Some of the students had complained that the lessons were not active enough . Also some of the students can�t understand what I am saying . So you need to take the job seriously . If not then the classes will be cancelled .I just said OK and put the phone down however now I am fuming . I always think about my lessons and how I can make them communicative . I like to try different things to keep them amused . Ok I have the odd bad day but to suggest I am not taking the class seriously was an insult to me . No constructive criticism was given . Just you need to talk more and make the classes active .


I�m thinking of leaving them now as the money situation seems dodgy and I just feel completely pissed off with the class and the University superior�s .It�s not such a big deal I know but am I being a bit over sensitive ? I left a job before because of the same non constructive critical comments given . Maybe I just can�t take being told what to do . Maybe I am a crap teacher !! I hope not . I am about to do the DELTA and follow onto a MA in TESOL!!

[Super Frank]

Possibly you are being over sensitive yeah. Sometimes the sublteties(?) are lost in the translation and people say "There's been complaints" when they mean one person might have said, "He speaks very fast". Don't do anything hasty, try a different technique, but no point staying if you really don't like it.

[kev7161]

If you like the job, then stick around at least until next "payday" - - do some anonymous student feedback forms or something (simple and to the point) and keep doing what you're doing unless someone tells you differently. If you don't like the job, it's just a little parttimer, so what's the big deal? You've been working there a month and nobody has observed your lessons or given you any feedback at all? Typical Chinese school.

[shenyanggerry]

I've been teaching here for five semesters. The closest thing to feedback I've received is a renewal of my contract.

[Voldermort]

Has anybody noticed the feedback? How often is it that your school will come up to you and say "hey, well done, the students really really like you, heres a pay rise"?. Not as often as they should, thats for sure. But when it comes to the part when the school wants to save a bit of money, before a contract negotiaition, it's "well, the students have been complaining".

[China.Pete]

The phrase "be a really good teacher" is virtually meaningless as it is generally applied in China. FTs are sent into a class, the existance of which they may have been informed of as little as a day or two before, with few if any resources and no in-service training. No rational, thinking western educator would say that good teaching would be the expected result. Saying your classes are "not active enough" probably just means that the novelty of the FT monkey show is starting to wear thin. Had the course been properly resourced in the first place, this wouldn't require nearly so much extra effort on your part. In any event, the alleged complaints may simply be a tactic to discourage you from the expectation of getting paid regularly for what you do in the future. The renewal of your contract and your most recent pay packet may be the closest you'll ever get to obtaining constructive criticism.

[HunanForeignGuy]

Sheeba,

I have been teaching at this university for one year..and I sure do understand you.

We are paid late, we are paid irregularly, we are paid with attempted deductions off the pay, etc., etc. and every time we raise the issue...

the university comes back with a long list of complaints ...

It's just a tactic...I've learned that a long time ago...nothing more than a filthy diversion...

don't buy into it...don't believe it...and part-time or not, don't role with the punches.

They have eight foreign teachers here and all are leaving at the end of term...and gee, I wonder why...

My advice -- after four years in China -- just move on. Go and get another part-time job -- there are so many.

And we are like you -- we tell 'em -- no money, no show up. But it's disgusting to have to do this all the time.

Don't let anyone berate you and don't let anyone put you down so gratuituously-- that's just another domination tactic. Don't roll with punches and no matter how hard they are to stomach, dish it right back and move on.

If they are crooked and ain't behaving nice now, it won't get better...and that is a lesson that I have very bitterly learned.

HFG

[Midlothian Mapleheart]

Edited to remove offensive content.

Middy

[therock]

Are you singing songs or making yourself look like an idiot? If not you're a crap teacher

[sheeba]

Thanks for the support guys . I like the suggestions on what to do and say and I have been thinking along the same lines anyway . I t makes me think how lucky I am at the University I am working full time . I've been asked back for the 5th Semester here. Never had complaints , always paid on time and the students are generally pretty sound . They are Business students.I think the fact they are Music students may makes a difference .They are so 'naughty ' I was told . Sounded like 5 year old kids and to be honest many of them are . One class is of 60 and at the start some would walk in and out like my class was a drop in session . They would have a sniff for 10 minutes then go back to the playground to play basketball .Some of them when I approached them to ask questions simply stood up and walked out of my class !!! From day one I thought to myself that they were a bit of an odd bunch . Energetic but with no real creativity.Mr and Mrs 'Hey look at me I'm so cooool'No respect and feelings from day one that they were of great importance and knew exactly their's and my role in the class . I think they just want to sing songs (and yes me to be the singing ,dancing puppet )On day one I had ' Let me give you some advice on teaching ' which I responded to 'let me give you some advice . I am the teacher and I decide what goes on . I was locking students out for using my class as a drop in .You're right guys- time to get away . I feel for you that deal with this day to day with full time positions . I agree with you that we should not put up with crap from these people. My feelings are if I start to let people walk over me and tell me what to do then I lose all my creativity as a teacher . I don't know if I sound a little out of line but it seems many Chinese in Universities like to feel they have power over their foreign teachers. I say bolloaks especially when they have no idea about teaching methodologies and just simple rational thinking

Amyway cheers Dave's for the rant . It's 3 am and I don't know how I ended up on the forum again !!!

[Malsol]

All public unis get their money from Beijing at the same time. Some operate over budget.

A public uni that does not pay on time? Never heard of such an thing.

Chinese teachers donated to save a foreigner's job? And you really believed this?

GET OUT! LEAVE! RUN, DO NOT WALK!

[stil]