Job Discussion Forums

[Gringo Phil]

As all the posts I have currently seen about Nanyang Teachers' College (Normal University) have been negative, I wanted to take the time to give another perspective to prospective employees. I currently teach at the college and have for the past 9 months, and have signed on for another semester. No, I am not being paid to write this by the school. I am doing it with my interests at heart, and, as we're losing most of our teaching staff after this semester (having completed their 1-year contract), I would like to have some informed and competent coworkers.
This is my first teaching experience in China, and I have been very happy with the accomodations, the administration, and life in general. I haven't had any problems with my apartment, besides mosquitoes in the summer, and a backed up toilet. Most of the other foreign teachers here currently have also had problems that are similarly minor. Pay has always been on time, questions of electricity and water bills are always straightforward, and monetarily I have never had a problem. The FAO has also been very accomodating to either accompany teachers directly or find someone competent to acompany us in case of a medical situation. The academic administration gives teachers nearly absolute freedom in lesson planning and curriculum, which can be frustrating for inexperienced teachers, especially due to the lack of teaching resources. However, foreign teachers are expected to teach strictly Oral English, which saves a lot of time grading, preparing tests, etc. Photocopies are paid for by the school, and all apartments have computers with internet access.
Besides, the students are great. They are sincere, disciplined, and really interested in both English language and Western culture. They are the reason I'll be coming back next semester, as some of them will be graduating. This is rural China, and it will be for many students their first encounter with a foreigner. Even more so for the general population of the city.
Outside of the school there is not much of a foreigner community, but I didn't come to China to hang out with a bunch of ex-pats. If you need that, I recommend a larger city. However, the past year we have had a close knit community among the foreign teachers here, and have dinner together at least once a week. Some teachers and I also managed to form a band, and have played a few concerts for the students. The lack of foreigners also makes it a great language learning environment for those who are interested in Mandarin. The dialect here isn't Putonghua, but it's close, and intelligible with some practice.
Cost of living can be as cheap as you would like it to be. One older teacher who has quite a bit of experience in China says that goods here are about a third the price of things in Beijing. Don't expect a lot of Western goods though. Cheese is impossible, McDonalds is the best burger in town, and "ethnic" food (Japanese, Korean, Mexican, etc. I'm from California originally, so that matters ) non-existent.
However, the local chinese food is varied and delicious.
I hope this gives you a fairly balanced view of my experience here. Of course I'm generally not quick to find the flaws in things, so take my positivity with a grain of salt. If you are interested in working for this school or about life in Henan or China in general, please do not hesitate to contact me.

[Brian Caulfield]

Dear Phil ,
Your situation is much different than mine . You have one of the nicest apartments on the top floor with plenty of sunshine . I am in a north facing dank apartment that is infested with bugs . The few Chinese who have spent the night or attempted to spend the night in my apartment left because of the spiders and other criters that infest the place .
I have long since stopped asking for any kind of help in repairing things . My apartment is full of useless appliances , that have been repared and repared. I have no hot water because I got tired of having the hot water heater break down every two days .
Now the reality of the matter is you are prefered because you are young . I am old and experienced . It took me three months to get a book shelf because " Foreign teachers don't need to use books and the teachers in the past didn't have books "
I have learned one thing here and that is to stay away from places that allow teachers to do their own thing . This means no curriculum no program . This means that they are looking for Macdonald's teachers .
The school wants white people and has turned down applicants from qualified blacks . The last African who worked here was not happy when they left also . You know this or maybe you don't . I can supply you with their e-mail if you want verification .
Good schools require lesson plans and tests because it makes it easier for the next teacher to continue incase something happens to you and you can't teach .

I work for a lady who has the habit of being angry one minute and sweet the next . If she was a man in Amerca she would be called on as being abusive .
I think they treat you well Phil because you are the good looking kid that every student wants to be friends with . You are good for business. You are the poster boy everyone wants.
I think you opened a can of worms here that will backfire on this school . If you had taken the time to read up on the school you would see a different tale . Dave's is inundated with discrunted ex employees of NYTC.
I am not angry with my situation but I am not continuing at a place where I was forced to count to ten because people pushed too many buttons .
Tell me Phil were you asked to teach the FAQ's kid English ? This is a method she has used with many teachers in the past to make them angry . The fool that I am I actually accepted and enjoyed it . I stopped when I realized that they were not going to honor an employee's contract and send them home . This dead beat who had taught here for six months before they saw him for what he was , would have died on the streets If I had not made a complaint to them . It would have been a media frency for the press back in Canada . The school did not care they were saving money. I care and like China and don't like to have bad things written in the foreign press on the country .
. I was paying nearly 2000 rmb electricity bills when I came here and when I complained the dean said I was drunk .
Yes NYTC is a good school to work for if you are a good looking young white person . Not all teachers are treated the same here though .