Job Discussion Forums

[eslstudies]

It seems from postings on this board that a great many FTs don't stay any longer than one year - sometimes less - at a school. How many schools have you taught at, and over what period of time? Why have you left? Were the reasons professional , financial , or a hunger for new horizons ? Was it your decision to leave, or was it made for you?
I'll start. Two schools in five years. Each initial contract was extended. Reasons for leaving?
School 1: Long service leave at home ran out.
School 2: Son had turned 5. Our experience with Chinese kindergarten meant we didn't want him starting school there, so we headed home.

[kev7161]

1st school - - 2 years (one year too many in hindsight). Left due to dissatisfaction of job. Was ready to move back to the states when I came across a job advert for . . .

2nd school - - finishing up the 2nd year and have signed for at least one more, possibly 2 more. Not only is the school (overall, without nitpicking) superior to my previous school, I've managed to triple my income since I've landed on these shores. I've also negotiated guaranteed salary increases during the length of my stay so I know what I will (well, we can hope, if it all doesn't go sour sometime in the future) get every year for the next 3 years.

Also, I actually kinda sorta like Suzhou (regardless of some dissatisfactions - - see the "Stench" thread in off-topic). It's close enough to everywhere to make day or weekend excursions do-able and there's enough to offer within the city to keep me MOSTLY happy . . . -ish.

[Laoshi1950]

I have taught at 4 different universities in 3 cities during my 6 years in China.

First year was spent in Nanchang (Jiangxi). It was my decision to leave. I accepted a job in Zhejiang province at a higher salary.

My second two years were spent in Wenzhou. It was my decision to leave that university for a new job in Shanghai. But, as sometimes happens in China, that job 'evaporated' towards the end of the Summer vacation. I had to 'scramble' to find a new teaching position at the end of the Summer holidays, online from Australia.

I accepted a 1-year consultancy Contract at a new university campus in Wuhan. The job was with a Sino-Canadian Joint Program. When that consultancy ended, I found a teaching job at another college in Wuhan. I have stayed here in that job for 2 years. Despite a very attractive package offered to me to stay on for a third year at the college, I have decided to leave to "explore new horizons". I hope I don't regret my decision to move on.

From September 2007, I will be working at a university in Beijing.

[danswayne]

I was gonna say I heard 7 inches was average until I read the question. Oh well.

[Yu]

First job. SJTU (aka Jiaoda). 1 year. School was not a good fit for me. I taught there because my husband had been a student there, so it seemed like a good starting place. I landed the job from the US.

Second job. Another uni in Shanghai. School has been good for me. I like it here. The pay is about 1100RMB more per month than Jiaoda. I have English majors. I will stay here for 3 years.

So, after next year, we plan to stay in China for 1 more year. I was also offered a position as a DOS at EF in Shanghai for this year, but decided to stay in the UNI. Next year, plan to really learn Chinese, and hope for different opportunities next year.

I dont think we will stay longer than 5 years total. It just seems time to move on. What more can I gain from living in China longer than 5 years that I have not already got? And the longer I would stay in China, the more difficult it becomes to return back to the US.

[tw]

First job in Qingdao was at a vocational college. I lasted 2 1/2 months and jumped ship (my biggest mistake in China) because I was angry with the lies -- both to me and to students about me -- and broken promises.

Second job in Qingdao was at a private language training centre which had just opened and was definitely not legally allowed to hire FT's. I was the only full-time FT there, and that was where I learned no matter how loyal, dedicated, devoted and hardworking you are, you are just nothing but a used tampon when the employer has made enough money thanks to you (90% of potential adult customers enrolled after listening to my class for an hour). Not only was the owner not able/willing to help renew my green booklet (the vocational college had kept my FEC and also wanted to keep the green booklet), she couldn't (probably wouldn't) even get me a tourist visa for another 30 days. I had to scramble for a flight out of China via Beijing a day or two before my green booklet was to expire. That is why, to this day, I stay clear of any jobs at a private language training centre. Oh BTW, I was there for about 6 1/2 months.

There was also a third job in Qingdao. It was part-time job teaching IELTS Oral English and then doing English Corner at one of Qingdao University's colleges that was located in Laoshan. The IELTS job didn't last long because the students complained about anything and everything (including me sitting on desks). The Chinese teacher who was responsible for me apologized and even admitted that it was because of my Chinese face.

My job in Dalian was for a full school year. I wanted to stay, but I guess failing too many students and being too serious of a teacher didn't go well with the deans.

My job in Hohhot was for another school year. The pay was low in a city with high cost of living. I couldn't wait to get out of the city. I'd wanted to experience "Mongolian culture". Imagine the huge disappointment. Oh, the frequent duststorms made it an easy decision not to stay for another term.

My job in Changchun is finishing and while every white-faced FT who the school wants back has been told or approached about renewing their contract, I'm the only one who's still left in the dark. I called the FAO on Friday, my second time about my RPF status (expires in early July), and he told me to talk to the Dean of the Foreign Language Department. The Dean told me that it was not her only decision to make, that she'd have to talk to other teachers and the students before giving me an answer. Translation: if they can find a white-faced replacement soon, then they won't need me back.

I hear girls in Harbin are very pretty. Maybe I'll head up there and befriend some Russian chicks.

[tofit]

I'm feeling like the used tampon right about now. I've been working with a company called guangzhou literacy education group. Also called Grim Sala Grim English. I've been here for about 2 months. After the 2nd week I figured out that they didn't need me to teach any classes, all the chinese teachers do that. I teach a "natural environment" Class on the weekend.
We go to the Zoo, or the Park, and when they ran out of ideas we went to the managers apartment to have class. I did my best to make the classes interesting, I wrote stories for roleplay and came up with new game idea's. They tried hard to nit pick my classes, the first time they said I was "too happy." "Class isn't about having fun. If you don't do it right we will have to reduce your money." Two months have passed and now they have recruited students to fill 6 new classes, earning the school close to 30,000 RMB more per month. Now that they are finished recruiting I'm sure I can kiss this job goodbye.

[shenyanggerry]

I did five of a possible eight at my first university. Now I'm signed up for two at another. My contract wasn't renewed. I suspect it was because the Uni is moving to the boonies this summer.

I demanded a clause in my contract that it only applied in the district we were currently in. If they wanted my services elsewhere, we'd have to re-negociate. I expect everyone will experience a 45 min to 1 hour commute to the new campus. They didn't want to pay. I'm in a nicer uni, a nicer apartment and the pay's the same. I'll probably renew after a period in Canada.

[alex_ssf]

I tought Bulgarian to some British adults this year. Comes out they were really into it at the beginning and then after realising Bulgarian grammar was not as easy as they expected... they started making excuses for not having classes.
This summer I am going to China to teach for a month, possibly longer at a public school in Shijiazhuang. I expect it to be nice, since one of my Chinese teachers recommended it

[william wallace]

Well this kind of ESL work suits short-term employment. I was 4 years at one school, and would have been there longer,but greedy hands allowed for bankruptcy. Shortest was 30 minutes.

[stillnosheep]

How Long Is Average?

On average, about so long.

[Mydnight]

I usually don't stay at a school for more than one term. I usually get fed up with the nonsense and want to get out in hopes I can find a "good" one. Doesn't seem likely to happen here...


I did stay at a "college" for 2 terms, I think. It was an accident.

[stillnosheep]

[james s]

...

[Craig!]

3 years, at my 1st teaching job in China
Because, the school and terms are quite good.
And, more importantly, i'm cleaning up the mess of those very transcient backpacker-teachers.
.