Job Discussion Forums

Super Mario · Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:32 pm Post subject:

Mr Internet is actually quite useful when looking for this sort of information.
Start here.
http://www.english-schools.org/index.htm

M109A3 · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 99

I'm on it (as in I'm going to look, ask questions, and derive as much info as I can)!!!

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

Steppenwolf has been in the teaching trap for quite some time so his opinion on the matter, while not exactly based on scientifically accurate input, is well-intentioned, with your wellbeing his concern.

You are looking for a "paradigm shift", right? You want to experience the wild or something, perhaps avoid a midlife crisis? Yes, by all means, China is beckoning and offering you just that - but think about the consequences of accepting a job here - it might have a lot of nasty fallout for your family!

As you said, you want a "well-structureed" teacher life! Just that you will have to bury deep in the soil of your home country - there is never any STRUCTURE in the planning of Chinese school life! It's an adhocist's Eldorado and a normal man's nightmare!

You also want to stay here for years. Why? Are you intent on becoming a white Chinese national? Are you a refugee from Bushistan? Welcome, welcome - Steppenwolf has no grudge against you!

But you will probably start wringing your hands once you have transplanted yourself and your family! The pollution will get to you! The boorishness of some locals will drive you sinophobic! The poor communications skills of your superiors will confound you!

Then there is the schooling for your kid! The only "good" school I can imagine for your child would have to be an expat school - too expensive for you! Should you send your kid to a local school - you and your wife will regret it! Homework just to kill your kid's time, so that he or she has no time to learn to think! And the effect is he or she will learn next to nothing. His or her Mandarin will be good, yes, but imagine his or her Chinese English teacher berating your child for "mispronouncing" his own English name... a distinct possibility, my friend, that holds in it the germ of a lifelong depression!

And you will not be used as a "teacher" but as a white face to lure Chinese to their university. Yes, dispensing education has become big business in China, and business is - about making money!

Thus spake Steppenwolf

no_exit · Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 565 Location: Kunming

It sounds like you've got a more realistic idea about teaching university in China at this point.

As for finding serious minded university students, you could check out one of the elite schools in the country, but these schools being THE top schools in the country, I would imagine that jobs there are not easy to come by. You will also likely run into schools that incorporate these schools names into their own (I used to work for The Middle School Associated With Beijing University: The Yunnan Experimental School), but have nothing to do with the institution itself; beware of imposters!

Honestly, I'd look into other countries. The mid-east (Oman seems to offer lots of opportunities to teach meaty academic subjects to bright and enthusiastic students, Qatar, UAE ... I don't think it all has to be barricading yourself against the locals necesarrily), Turkey (heard great things), or maybe even Hong Kong, where you might stand a better chance of being picked up by a legit school. Japan and Korea tend to be similar to China in that they want white faces and not really educators, although their hiring standards are a bit higher. I don't think Japan hires many foreigners to teach at university level.

I wouldn't give up on possibly teaching at an international school in China though. I think most of these schools have high schools divisions, and you shouldn't have a whole lot of trouble getting a job with one of them if you have an actual teachers liscence from the States. There is an international school right here in Kunming, I see the kids out and about all the time (although, this being Kunming, they tend to be missionaries' children, and the school might have a religious slant), so if you're interested maybe I could try to find out some info ... ? Anyhow, it sounds like you have really good intentions, and I admire you wanting to give your son an international experience while he's still young (he wouldn't appreciate picking up and moving to another country nearly as much if he were 15 instead of 5, heh). Good luck and keep us posted.

Ganbei · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hubei Province

Hi everyone- My son who is nearly 9yr is starting school at the local primary on Sept 1.

I have a job at the co-joined Middle School next door.

During the school day he will be working from the school books he uses back home .At night I will home school and prepare him for the following day.Totally feasible and possible with curriculum books and the net.

He will be in a class with kids his age and the friendships have even now already started.He will go through the daily school routine with his classmates but do his own school work.(that's the plan anyway at this stage.I may need to pull out "Plan B" in a month!-Ha)

We are in a (reasonably) small town and the community has gone out of their way to help and be-friend us.I'm also a single mum so of coarse, money is tight.

It can work -there are heaps of different options.
I hope this has been of some help-it's a fantasic exp for a child.

M109A3 · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 99

Ganbei,

Please do keep me informed of your family's progress. I am keenly interested. Feel free to PM me if you believe posting on this thread is too public for y'all. I'm very interested in finding out about "plan B" as well.

Ganbei · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hubei Province

For sure, M109A3.

It feels good here-I'll let you know the story.

Ganbei!

teachergirltoo · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 7

I worked at an elite private school in Xindian, a suburb in Taipei. The teachers took home after taxes about $3000 per month for a regular class days. It was k - 12. It is a huge establishment and they always seemed to be hiring. There were many people that worked there for years with families and the children attended the school and then went home with their parents at the end of the day. The name of it was Cambridge Bilingual School - I think it goes by its Chinese name also, which I can't remember. Also, Taipei is a great city, with a good variety of housing. You may want to check out tealit.com for ideas if you are remotely interested in Taiwan.

dajiang · Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 663 Location: Guilin!

Go for a private school/uni, they are the ones that pay enough to make it worthwhile in China. I've found that public unis pay suprisingly little.

Anyway, with you wife and yourself teaching somewhere you are sure to make enough money to support yourselves. It's a bit tougher if you've got a son as well, especially if he'll be going to an international school.

Taiwan and Japan might be good options for you guys. Though I've heard that the golden ESL age in Japan has more or less passed by now.

Great replies from most people though (not referring to themselves in the 3rd person that is).

Dajiang

Zero · Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 1402

You might want to think about health insurance. Many schools will claim to provide health coverage, but I'm not sure I would want to depend on that in the event of something serious. International schools might provide reasonable coverage of some sort, I don't know.

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

Depends on the international school..BIBS where I was last year .... had no insurance except the reliance that they would pay you back..which often did not happen with uniformity....