Job Discussion Forums

radiodaddy · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 10

Here goes, my first post as an actual user on this site:

Greetings and salutations from the [almost] departing American in Northeast China!

I've been working for a company since February 2006 and in the last few weeks I have left before I go back home, I've been fired for being a "bad teacher", even though my schools and all my co-workers consistently claim my work to be that of a "good teacher".

After seeing the same thing happen to at least six or seven other foreign teachers inside my company, and after reading about the countless examples of "This school/university/company screwed me over!" on this message board I can say I'm not surprised at what happened to me.

I joined this board about a week ago so I could post and reply, hoping to find some more work abroad or even, dare I say, IN CHINA! (audible gasp)

And maybe I'm just reading the wrong posts, but it seems to me that not a lot of FTs around China are actually happy. Sure, we may have a great time with our students from time to time (I know I do), and we may have a great time with friends and other FTs dining, dancing and hanging out (I know I have) ... but ...

... I would LOVE to hear from some of you about your POSITIVE experiences with schools and/or univerisities and/or companies!

As the subject reads, help me to understand that China is not all that bad. After a solid 10 months here, I know the country isn't horrible. What with all of the problems with our companies, our schools and even (for some of us) the infallible Chinese female ... I know that China is better than what I've read and experienced in my first year here.

Give me some positive messages on this, PLEASE! I know that when it comes to FTs in China, life is never perfect ... but it HAS to better than some of the posts I've read.

Thanks in advance for some uplifting news, everyone!

-Radiodaddy[/quote]

saint57 · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:08 pm Post subject:

When I was in China, I was worried about crap like that happening the whole time I was there. It never came though.

The school left me alone. If I had a break, I went to my apartment on campus.

Total prep time for the week was about one hour. I taught 18 sections the same lesson and it never got boring.

I didn't make much money, but I didn't do a heck of a lot either.

Life was simple. If I didn't have such expensive tastes, I'd still be there.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

i work 2.5 days a week, 4.5 days consecutive free every week. work a two minute walk from where i live. decent salary. decent apartment. life is pretty stress free for me at the moment.

i've had it worse in china, but not much better than this current job.

if you've been reading this discussion forum for any length of time then you should know that people come here to do a lot of venting. those who have no problems dont post much thus you just dont hear about the good stories as often. and besides, the good stories arent nearly as interesting to read.

radiodaddy · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 10

The thought has occurred to me, 7969. Why take time out of your fun-loving job in China to post about HOW fun it is? I know more FTs would want to talk about how much their job sucks.

Hence, the call for telling me about how many FTs have good jobs/lives out there!

Thanks for your notes on your job. I know some teachers that do have your kind of work schedule. It strikes me as odd that NEW teachers don't seem to get those kinds of jobs but SCREWED OVER teachers always do! Maybe not so odd as poignant ....

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

Plan B · Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 266 Location: Shenzhen

Unfortunately, most young Americans do not thrive in the Chinese work environment. Working here requires some flexibility and open-mindedness, which with your background - as an American - does not put you at an advantage.

My best suggestion is to forget about your suppostions you may have founded in your country of origin, but treat China as a new beginning. After a while, you will become accustomed to the way things are done out here.

Living and working in China demands an open-mindedness that is essential to progress to the next level of your own self-development, and if you are willing to open your mind, and overcome the difficulties deep-rooted in your nationality - you can achieve anything in this country.

Be positive, and remember that a walk of a thousand miles starts with a single step.............

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

It could be delusional to depend on the assessment of oneself by students or by one's best friends.

If students are happy with their teacher the two sides may simply be operating at cross-purposes of education goals.

saint57 · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 3:38 pm Post subject:

No Moss · Joined: 15 Apr 2003 Posts: 1995 Location: Thailand

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

I couldn't ask for much more than what I have in China. I won't bore you with all the positives but I will say that you just need to use those positives constructively. That's what the complainers don't manage to do .

Lobster · Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:51 am Post subject:

I hope that the school is going to pay you the pro-rated bonuses and airfare for the 10 months you were a good teacher and not try to weasel out of their obligations by cooking up an end-of-term excuse to save some money at your expense.

It seems that there's a big difference between coming to China as an adventure and actually being happy living here once the novelty's worn off. That's when the inner person becomes important, because there are many who, after managing a successful exit from their previous situations, quickly become victims of the old ways and habits that plagued them in the past.

Anyway, I hope that you can wring some benefits out of them in some way and an rest assured that, while your experiences are shared by many, there exist a greater number who are enjoying their lives here.

BTW, I think that was a pretty pathetic attempt to run down young Americans. That kind of stereotyping, like the recent blast at Aussies in another thread, shows a surprising narrow-mindedness and shallowness of thought.

RED

prof · Joined: 25 Jun 2004 Posts: 741 Location: Boston/China

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

Truth be told..China is a sh*t hole...and the Chinese for the most part view themselves as soring eagles gazing down upon foreign lambs with fat pocketbooks....but saying that betrays my opinion .. not my attitude...

If you can get along with a lazy slow witted lying populace..then China is the right place for you...because there is beauty in all of this...the predictability of it all leads one to a comfortable existence..if they can stand muster..
I love it here..but the main reason is ..I can do what I want...and aggressive behavior is rewarded..

be mean as much as you can be...you may start to enjoy it ..

as to the firing...I 'll bet you have been fired from better places than that...
don't sweat it..let down that professional ego and accept the slack behavior of someone who just wants to ease up and get comfortable..and always the last peace of advice..buy a motorcycle...it will make you feel better...

clark.w.griswald · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 2056

How you view your time in China is entirely up to you.

I doubt that there is a single foreigner who does not come to hate the country at some point during their stay here, but in my view it is how you choose to view these bad experiences in the course of your life here that makes the difference.

I think that the people who really come to enjoy being here are the ones who really decide to make a go of it and set up a life here. It can be difficult to really appreciate any country if you are living out of a bag, but once you start to do more than just working then you start to find that there is another life out there.

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

nothing to say