Job Discussion Forums

[dolmie]

Someone brought this up on the Singapore link, so I wanted to bring it up more publicly.

It's to do with hanging in there on a contract when things are going badly. I have a feeling that a lot of people will respond to this. We are all over the world and thus governed by different contract law, so let's not talk law.

I don't know if new teachers know this, but breaking a contract at any school is not particulaly respected by anybody in education (teachers and admin). Even at bad schools (Your pain is my pain--been there, done that).

We had several teachers walk off the job this year at my bad international school--not only did they walk away from F- management, but they also walked away from innocent young people. It's hard, you know, the morality in education is driven by the teachers, bottom towards the top.

On the itinerant international teaching gig, occasionally you end up in a very bad situation that is harmful or personally damaging to you. There are ways out of it--serious illness (dyssentery, malaria, etc.), pregnancy, death in the family, not being paid (and therefore unable to afford that country)--but that's about it.

If it's a purely ESL/EFL school and classes are of mixed ages, and for shorter periods of time, it's doable, of course.

To be perfectly candid, "it was hurting me," "I was getting depressed," while valid reasons, do not help win respect in education or another job in teaching. This is not meant to judge others, but talk about my perception as a teacher who has worked in a lot of countries and systems.

[Gordon]

So what you're getting at is regardless of how badly a school treats its teachers, teachers need to stick it out for the students.

I understand that some teachers walk out when they encounter minor problems or have unreal expectations and this is unacceptable, in my opinion. However, there are many cases where schools screw teachers over and the only power we often have is to walk away. Sure students get caught in the cross fire sometimes, but that is not the teacher's problem.

[TwinCentre]

Domie,

I have been in this game for a good 10 years, in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Breaking contracts isn't cricket in my opinion, but sometimes one has no choice.

In my opinion you are not reflecting the real world, and making a number of dubious assumptions in your message.

You assume that:
- schools are interested in 'the whole person'
- schools think other schools are good places to work
- schools have time to worry about previous school politics
- school are going to find out that you broke a contract!!!!!

Yes, it does not look great, but why should they know! They barely have time to get references, just don't give them the school you ran away from as a referee! Leave that school off your CV, or put it down, but don't write in bold letters "I broke the contract here", they are not going to know under what circumstances you left if you don't say. They do not know how long the contract was supposed to be for!!! If they ask you, then tell them the truth, but argue your case well.

Schools are under great pressure to find teachers, they don't care about the whole person and his/her morals, they want a professional teacher, if you can prove that, then you are in. And most schools know that even professional teachers break contracts anyway!!

Good schools , in my opinion, are well aware that there are alot of bad schools out there, and might even respect you for acting.

Everyone, including the schools, know that this is a rat race.

They want happy students. happy students, happy students.

[dolmie]

I was talking about the kids... Depending on your students, it is not helpful for teachers to walk out on kids under most circumstances, those listed in the original post. In purely ESL schools on short contracts, leaving contracts is doable. Any employer who accepts a teacher who has broken a contract, on some level should be fearful that you will do the same with them (bad for their business), unless the new school is fabulous.

[dolmie]

Don't mind me while I eat my words.
I agree that there are simply some schools that don't deserve you and mess you around so much, that you have no choice but to preserve yourself, your integrity, your emotional stability, marriage, etc. and HOP ON THE BUS GUSS--get out of town!
Dolmie