Job Discussion Forums

[BigWally]

Hey folks...I dont normally like to post negative stories, but this one is a doozy, and it directly impacts myself and one of my very good friends so I thought that I would pass it along as a precautionary epic tale of woe.

Our story begins 2 months ago when 5 new teachers were hired for this particular school, 3 of them being good friends upon arrival (my gf (she'll be M), my buddy (lets call him J) & me (BW)). The other 2 teachers dont really matter too much. Anyways, back to the matter at hand.

Now in our particular institution there is a training session offered for the 1st week before employment, and during this time the 5 teachers dutifully "learned" how to teach students, even though both M & J have B.Ed degrees from a university in Canada. During this time we realized that the training it self was nothing more than the trainer treating us like they wanted us to treat the children. After enduring this for 5 days we were thrown in to our classrooms and told to "go".

I wont get into all the trials and tribulations of the 1st 2 months for all parties involved but, lets stick to the story of J, as he is the major reason I write this story. J comes into a new school (the same branch that M works at, while BW works at a branch a few blocks away), and has the unenviable job of replacing a teacher (his name is P) who had been teaching at this particular branch for 3 years. During that tenure, said teacher did not follow the policies that all the new teachers were now being taught to do during class times. For example, instead of reading and repeating stories with the class as we are instructed to do, this old teacher would throw the kids around the class, and play dodgeball with them. I'm sure many of you can see where this is going already.

Inevitably, once J starts teaching the classes with his own style, and his own forms of discipline (that is having discipline in a class that previously had none) the complaints start rolling in. Director then comes to J and says, "Listen J, the parents are complaining that you're not teaching like P, and we think that you should start acting more like P did to be successful". Thats all good and well, although this is still during the observation period, where the training supervisor has to come in to observe your class, and decide whether or not you meet the school standard for teaching. So as another week or so goes by the mixed messages continue for J. He is told to teach more like the old teacher P by his director, but is also told to follow the "new" school standard for teaching by the training supervisor (who is the one who makes the final decision on being hired or not). You must be thinking that this is quite the conundrum for poor J, but the story continues to excite the senses.

So the day comes for J's formal observation and he "fails" miserably, for not teaching the way that they "expected of a teacher holding a B.Ed". Now, this is not the end of the road, after the 1st observation you have a chance to redeem yourself by having a 2nd observation. So not all hope is lost for our hero, yet. He is told after his observation, by his director, that several students are now dropping out of his classes because he is so unlike P, the teacher of old. Well, as this business 1st, school 2nd wheels start to grind into motion, many players in the story are beginning to get worried, but have no idea of the events about to unfold.

This past Monday J recieves a notice that he has to go and meet the BOSS after classes at the main branch of the school. Naturally, J fears the worst, and after an hour long meeting the text messages start to relay the message to all (now repeat after me) "F....ffff.....fired". Basically they dont feel a teacher with a B.Ed, over 5 years of in class experience overseas meets the high standard that this particular school requires. Bombshell is dropped. They are going out of their way to help him, which makes for an interesting twist, offering him severance pay, offering to hold his ARC till he gets a new job, even offering to help him find a new job. Everyone is shocked by the news, no one can understand why they are being so nice to poor, screwed over J. It goes on, and gets better.

Tuesday night, BW gets called in for a meeting with his director and the right hand man of the BOSS.
"BW, we really need your help.." they say, "I'm sure by now you know of what happened with J?".
"Of course" replies BW "He is one of my best friends here in Taiwan, and he lives in the same apartment complex as me, I see him pretty much every day".
"Thats good" they say "Listen, we've been looking at all of the teachers that we have available to us, and after looking at the performance of all of our new teachers, we think that you would be best suited to move over to the other branch and replace J, and take over his classes."



"You want me to be the one to replace my friend that you just fired?!"
"Well yes, we're really in a bind and you're the most qualified to do this"
"Well what about my classes here? What about my students?" asks BW.
"Dont worry about those kids, we'll just split them up into other classes here."
"What about the fact that you're asking me to work in the same office with my girlfriend M, and that it could be a bit uncomfortable to be spending all day every day with her" asks BW.
"Well why would you not want to work with M, what would be uncomfortable about that?" (Clearly the north american not mixing work with pleasure rule doesnt apply here, or the bringing home to the office rule either)
"When do I have to let you know my decision?"
"Well you have to tell us right now"
"So I cant discuss this with M first?"
"This is your decision, not hers, she'll like having you at her school wont she?"

At this point BW realized that this wasnt so much a decision, as he was being told that he had to take the position at the other school. After picking his jaw up off the floor, he dejectedly walked back to the staff room where the teachers were waiting to find out what happened in the meeting. Pandemonum ensues. No one can believe what just happened. The gun shot came from the grassy knoll, but they are asking us to look at the book depository. Unbelieveable.

So I write this tale, dejeceted, before work on Wednesday morning, trying to decide what to tell my class of 6 years olds that I've fallen in love with. The class that I've taught them everything they know in english, and in a mere 2 months have been called (by the training supervisor) the best class he's seen in years. How do I tell them that they now get to forget my style and go a learn from another teacher, who I know teaches much, much differently from me. The real capper for me is this, all this time I've been teaching kids between the ages of 6-10, all of the classes I'll be taking over range from about 8-12. I'm sure that all the talents that they saw with my young beginners will apply to the kids who have been in English school for 5 years now. I hate working with teens & pre-teens, all my talents lie with working with the younger kids. I guess I'll have to spend the next two months re-learning a job, that I had just begun to understand for another level. I hate business. I hate Wednesdays. I hate stinky tofu.

Not to mention, my friend J, who understands that I had no choice to take over his spot, is now considering the long road back to the home of Captain Canuck. I've loved everything about Taiwan up until Monday, this is the 1st real bump in the road, and whooweee it bottomed us all out.

But dont worry folks, it takes a lot more than a bump to derail BW and the crew. We'll all be back for another day, and more adventures in the land known as For-most-screw the foreigners.

Cheers/Ganbei!

[MomCat]

Bummer story. Really sorry to read it.

I haven't been here long enough to have experienced anything like what you've been through so my opinion may be pretty worthless. But, in your place, I'd refuse to take the job. You'll just be setting yourself to be fired at best and miserable for a very long time at worse. I'd be hitting the streets tonight looking for the replacement job for the one you have now. If they do fire you for refusing to take the new job, you've made some contacts. If they don't fire you you've still made some contacts and have had a look at some other schools. More importantly, you'll be taking the control of your future away from them and retaining it yourself.

I doubt the school can really afford to lose two teachers. I suspect they may offer your happy 6 yr. olds to J once you've taken his classes.

A suggestion. Never give the school a reason for refusing a job or a request. They'll just argue with you until they beat you down. They have a lot more experience and patience than you and will never see your point of view. Simply tell them, "No, thank you." You can add something vague like, "That doesn't work for me." Or "Sorry, that's not convenient."

It's been my experience (elsewhere) that a school will push you as far as they can at the beginning of your contract. My suspicious mind believes it's so that they know how far they can tweak you and to create a mindset (in you) of compliance while you're still at your most unsure, insecure and vulnerable stage.

Good luck to you. I really enjoy your posts and hope to see many more.

Cat

[Dr_Zoidberg]

momcat has dispensed some good advice, BW. Take control back from the school. Your tenure there is going to last only as long as it takes to replace you, so tell them to get stuffed (ie: I'm not taking J's job, end of story) and start looking for another employer. It would probably be wise of M to do the same.

Tell J not to despair. If they're holding his ARC, then he should look for another job, but just to be on the safe side he should go down to the FAP after about a week to check if it has been cancelled. You never know, eh. If you, M, and / or J end up losing your ARCs, just go ahead and do the visa run like everyone else, come back and start again. It's not the end of the world.

Or you might even want to do something radical, like telling the laoban if J goes, BW and M go, too. I would really like to hear how they react to that!

[SanChong]

Sorry to hear about that Wally, that's a tough situation.

I'd be firm but polite about wanting to keep your old schedule/classes. Use the classic, "Saying no without actually using those words" method. If you do it the right way, I think you will gain your school's respect and still get what you want.

Best of luck and keep us updated!

[yamahuh]

I'm lurking on these forums with a mind to coming over to Taiwan from the mainland in February. That sure is a tale of woe BW and I'm not going to dispense any advice because, quite honestly, it sounds like they'd already made their minds up anyway and asking you was merely a 'polite' but not overly important detail.

That being said, I've been in China for over two years with my wife and we have found different ways of dealing with the initial, searching-for-limits pushing and prodding that goes on in new positions.
In my current position I was asked to teach the day I arrived because they had a sick teacher who couldn't make classes. I agreed even though I had been promised a few days to observe classes and familiarise myself with the curriculum. I thought it would go a long way towards proving that I was flexible and accomodating. Trouble was that after that, they asked me to come in on my days off three weeks in a row to observe business classes that I would be also teaching.
To this I categorically said;
'No, if you want me to observe classes that I'm going to teach then you arrange for me to do it on my working days not my days off'.
It never happened.

Since then they've asked us to;

Pay for our own health check, (we had one a few months earlier in our previous positions that our employer paid for and that was still valid) ;
"No, as our employer it's your responsibility to provide us with the paperwork and documentation to enable us to be granted a working visa, if you insist on us having a health check here then you cover the associated expenses"

Reimburse them for the cost of 6 months of a 12 month visa;
'We didn't ask for a 12 month visa, we clearly stated we were only staying for 6 months'
"Oh but a 12 month visa is cheaper for us to buy per month than a 6 month"
"That's nice."

Give up a day off per week because they haven't got enough teachers;
'Hire another teacher'.

Work six hours per day instead of five because they don't have enough teachers:
"Hire another teacher"

I guess my point here is that you DO have to set limits.
If you don't then your employer will waste absolutely NO time taking advantage of your good nature. I find it very hard to say 'No' to people but it has become a necessity since beginning this adventure. At the end of the day I think that your employer will respect you more if you DON'T do everything they want anytime they want you to do it.

[ghost]

The original posters' tale is familiar to ghost, because it went through the same thing, although one can no longer talk about it.....

Basically in Taiwan, English teaching is a ''business" and a ''commercial" one at that....

English teachers will be very well treated etc....as long as the students keep coming and no complaints are made.

You can be the best teacher in the world with a Ph.D in Pedagogy, but if your teaching style does not jive with the expectations of the particular school, you (as the foreign teacher) will not have a long life teaching in that particular school.

The whole business is highly subjective and a matter of luck, because, as in most situations, some students will love you, and others might hate you.

But, once again, if business is rolling, and all you are doing is playing "dodgeball" with the kids......then carry on playing "dodgeball".....that's what they're paying for.....

Ghost, and other B.Ed. educated people come to Taiwan with the impression that they should impart the knowledge they gained at Teacher's College.....and although many of the things learned at the B.Ed. are useful, other things will just not work, and one has to learn to teach in a very different way. In the buxibans and younger grades it is all about rote memorization and vocab. lists shouted out (at high decibel level!) in unison......ghost quickly found out it could not teach in that way....and found in a niche in the adult conversation school market....and found the most success with adults who were learning English as a "hobby" rather than having a specific objective....

The whole situation is unfair, and such is life. You can be a saint and possess very laudable methods of teaching, but if your style does not rock with the school, you will quickly find out that your days are numbered there.......

ghost

[TravellingAround]

Unfortunately they put you on the spot and were able to exploit you that way to arrive at the decision they wanted.

It's a pretty mean trick...they offered you no warning and like a coiled viper did strike!

Not much you can do now but play along and see what happens while checking out the alternative employers in the meantime. It's too late to go back and say you have changed your mind as they would probably just tell you that the classes have been reassigned by now. "So sorry...not possible."

They obviously are no newcomers to negotiation tactics. Sun Tzu would have been proud...something about catching your enemy off-guard etc...

Learn your lesson and be more wary in future. You don't seem to be about to dwell on it too much though from the way your post reads...so suck it up and move on! You'll be a better man (or at least better prepared) in the future.

[wastoftime]

I sincerely hope you refuse to take this job transfer and take a stand on this. If your friend is the qualified person he is, then this makes no sense at all. He was teaching the kids correctly, and they complained because they actually had to study. That is not right. I have been doing this for a long time, and am not even the greatest teacher. But your friend is a qualified teacher and you are allowing the school to punish him by taking his job position. There are unlimited jobs here in Korea, Taiwan and China. Why would you let them push you around?

[BigWally]

ONE MONTH LATER.....

BW is still employed at the same school, and has taken over all of J's classes. Obviously, not the ideal position, but not wanting to put M's job security at risk, he begrudingly accepted his new position. Naturally, many of the children in his new classes are mis-behaved, and troublesome, and a completely different age group than any of BW's previous classes. Seeing these classes, BW can easily see why J had such a difficult time with the students, especially when being told to go in two different directions, by two different superiors.

On the bright side for BW, the transition has been fairly good, as BW's new director is much more comptitent than his previous director, and very understanding of the position that BW & M have been put in, and the pressure that this "change" would cause a couple.

As for J, also good news. J found employment at a new school within days of being asked to leave. J is now the envy of all his previous co-workers. He has better wages, more benefits, more competent students, and best of all he has met a new Taiwanese "friend" because of the association with the new school. Things are looking up for J in a big way.

Needless to say, the story of BW, J & M could have turned out much worse, and in the end it seems as though things might be okay, but BW will be watching his back from now on. Knowing the warning signs to look for, and the methods of how things are done in Taiwan, are almost as valuable as J's B. Ed degree would be in North America. Priceless.

BW does enjoy Sun-Tzu as well, and will leave you with his quote that reflects his future opinion towards his employer: "It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on."