Job Discussion Forums

[RedRoof]

I don't believe I set out to defend a school, just to give a different point of view from my experience - and I only did so because the WARNING thread was locked.

I'm not suggesting this site is a university colloquium, grammar lesson or such. My comments were meant to illustrate the sorts of concerns which MIGHT make a DOS think twice about hiring someone if presented with multiple emails showing errors.

I was primarily concerned with two things :-
a) state factually my experience
and b) ask people to consider professional reputations without the inuendo about private lives.

For the record, I empathise with P/T people who lost hours with the advent of the "summer contract" F/T teachers. Unfortunately, this is the story of management economics world wide - public and private sectors. If management anywhere hires F/T people they want their 0.454 kg of flesh and timetable accordingly. For this reason, most Teachers Unions in the world have in recent years maintained a constant opposition to the increasing casualisation of the teaching workforce and the consequential insecurity of working hours and conditions for the P/T teachers.

In terms of my view of Apollo

On the positive side:

- they do pay on time, as already noted.
- they have to date honoured our visa refunds (within their stated limit) and 50% / $500 airfare refund promptly on arrival.
- they have agreed (after intervention by ADOS) to make our final pay and balance of airfare refund available the day BEFORE our contracts finish to allow for money changing etc. Actually a little brave of them considering the "runners" who've left without notice.

On the negative side:-

- they expect teachers to hike to another office in another street to collect pay. Given offices close for our two hour lunch hour, not easy for those in the building around the corner, damned difficult for the staff at the other two remote campus locations.

- they are currently attempting to insist that there is NO CLASS SIZE LIMIT, something that the DOS and ADOS have been consistent in opposing in the time I've been here.

- even casual conversations with colleagues suggest this is not the company paying best rates in Hanoi.

On the so-so side - probably not different elsewhere - I have insufficient depth or breadth of experience to know:

- having all staff break for lunch at the same time can be infuriating if I need assistance with resources, malfunctioning photocopiers, whatever. Oh for office and supprt staff on a staggered roster for breaks.

- size of classrooms, the amount and condition of furniture in some, the air-con systems leave a bit to be desired.

- I'd kill for a classroom with a decent sized TEACHER desk at the front where resources could be organised and arranged for SEQUENTIAL access and smooth flow of a lesson!

- I've never worked any place where I had to sign out consumables (pencils, cra�on, glue, scisors etc) for a lesson - and maybe not find enough to accommdate all clases.

That �ill sufice today.

And I'm MS not MR

[/code]

[xulagu]

I am currently working as a teacher at Apollo in Hanoi.I have many years of experience teaching English at various levels and in different countries.Apollo in no ways whatsoever is perfect.It's another language school doing its own job and we are all aware what that job is.

What I would like to say is this however.I take affront to some of the comments being posted here suggesting that all teachers presently working at Apollo are unprofessional stooges and sycophants to the management.

"It is not a place for professional teachers, just Yes and No people."

"I find it interesting why a "teacher" on a 3 month contract ....."

"Maybe you should have one of your "teachers" write the next advert for the school"

Such comments are insulting to the teaching staff who have remained.The insinuated sarcasm on the word "teacher" I find in particular downright rude and incomprehensible considering the fact that the teachers are professional (most have several years experience) and maintain high standards in class no matter what some might think.

Talking about professionalism, I hope norbdemn was drunk while posting his or her comments.If so,no worries, as my own brain to eye to keyboard coordination is not the best under such circumstances.If on the other hand this was not the case,then I have to admit that I am frankly appalled at the level of written English on display in a forum for teachers of this language.It's GCSE pass at best and I'm taking into consideration the current generosity in assessing and awarding such grades.

I also found the personal insinuations against the DOS and ADOS vulgar,unprofessional and somewhat cowardly in a forum open to the public.This is coming from me who in very few ways could be described as even having the slightest bent towards political correctness.

As I made clear at the start,I am not a Quisling for Apollo.I only want to state that I found that some of the original comments insulting and demeaning to all the teaching staff employed there at present.

[Tue]

look at this, another new poster (on their first post) fighting tooth and nail to convince everybody that this a great place to work.

xulagu wrote:

[Tue]

Re-posted from "Apollo Warning".

Could this have anything to do with these "mystery" teachers starting a counter positive thread ?

[lawalsh]

Hi,

I volunteered in Ha Noi last summer and I am a very interested in returning for a stint as an Esl teacher. Anything you could tell me would be helpful. How long are the contracts/ 3 months? Do you have to get a special work permit before leaving or do you get it in country on a month tourist visa? What are the pay rates?

thanks,

lawalsh
milwaukee, wi

[Tue]

[Blade]

xulagu

Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 1

This is really becoming LAUGHABLE.

Redroof and now xulagu.

All of a sudden. Poster appear out of nowhere and in their first posts ever, defend ONE school in Hanoi.

The more you troll, the more this will backfire. It's best to just let some things die.

[xulagu]

In my original posting,one would have noticed that at no point whatsoever do I defend or attack Apollo as an institution per se and that was never my intention when I was writing my piece.I thought that was self evident.

The reason why I did get into this skirmish is because I was pissed off at some of the weasel words in the thread regarding teachers at that school.That's the reason and no other and that is also why Xulagu is so new to this forum.

[norbdemn]

RedRoof and his alter ego (Xulagu): This is a casual discussion forum, not a TOEFL exam.

MOD EDIT

Blade and Tue:

I couldn't agree with you more!