Job Discussion Forums

SandyM · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:56 am Post subject: Summer Schools, 2005

Yes, it�s that time of the year again, when a whole range dodgy summer school operators swing into operation, advertising their miserable jobs on tefl.com. What follows below was originally written three years ago � and have things gotten better since then? Do you really need an answer�?!

Residential Summer Schools are the modern equivalent of the 19th Century workhouse. Give them a miss, please!

Most companies will pay you around 200 quid or so (after tax) and work you for 12-14 hours a day, six days a week, which works out at around 3 quid an hour! (Not counting their measly grub and some of the tackiest accommodation you can find, of course)

You could make more than that selling ice-cream in your local park, or cleaning car windscreens at your local traffic lights!

So, do yourself a favour this summer: make a smart career move and don't do a Summer School. Try something else, instead � anything else!. You'll probably be very surprised - you might even like it! And you'll definitely end up better off, financially and in spirit and nerves.
Anyway, let�s leave this thread open for warnings and horror stories, shall we?

Who�s gonna be the first, now�

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

I actually find summer school a rewarding experience - It's tough work .Those that moan about it tend to always be the same type of lightweight.

SandyM · Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 11:32 am Post subject:

Sheeba, what do you mean by 'rewarding'? Please explain - it can't be the money...

I can't imagine what's at all rewarding about working a 14-hour day, six days a week, for 200 quid. Unless you've never done anything else, that is...

Perhaps you're the 'lightweight' here - a bit short of brains, I mean.

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

I begin tommorow again and have to say I am looking forward to it.

I find that I made some good friendships in Summer school)with teachers and students) . The intensity of the whole thing really brings people together. I got to teach TESOL which I cannot do in China. This TESOL experience is good if I want to carry on my career in this direction and take the DELTA. I also work with Children over a wide age range - Just good overall experience and fun working and playing sports/activities with kids.
In China I have no feedback, criticism of lessons and just general conversation from experienced teachers. I meet a whole range of enthusiastic teachers with a wide experience at summer school. Maybe I have worked at a better one and have been lucky but of course there were those that moaned about conditions. You know the crack before you start - If you don't expect hard work before you begin then I�m afraid you are the one with little up top. You Sandy unfortunately sound like one of those moaners.

SandyM · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:05 am Post subject:

Good luck then, Sheeba, but I fear you're a glutton for punishment! It's not the hard work that I'm afraid of, it's the lousy compensation. But I suppose that, after China, 200 quid a week would sound like a fortune to you!

Fact is, you can probably get almost double that in the UK for doing a normal 40 hour week as a temp in an office. And you do seem to have forgotten to mention all the non-teaching duties, which can take up as much as 40 hours a week in themselves - supervising afternoon and evening activities, weekend excursions, getting the kids up, putting them to bed, mealtime duties - the list is endless.

Well, if you like being taken advantage of in this way, that's your prerogative, I suppose.

Or maybe you're just a gullible American?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

sheeba, you are aware that the DELTA is only concerned with teaching adults. I'm not saying that you will not find transferable skills. But the centre where you decide to do the DELTA will look at your experience with adults.

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

No they won`t look at your experience with adults. What they will do is go through the bare minimum or getting you to fill in a form which they won`t check. Maybe they will get you to write a few hundred words on how you see your role as a teacher. The trainer even told me that I could copy it from the Jeremy Harmer book if I wanted. If you have a face to face interview it will just be a few questions like how would you teach modal verbs-any answer if correct.

DMB makes it out to be serious but it is a business and if you are paying 1200 quid you are in if you will pay. Nobody checks anything which is just as well since when you get the delta that is what it is going to be like when you job hunt.

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

Sandy -
My money is increased every year I come back here . I am only a teacher/activities staff but I earn more than a temp in an office. I am here now enjoying the banter and the challenges. SO no time to speak -

PS - I am not gullible - You should not make such assumptions when you really know so little about me.

steven_gerrard · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 155

I did summer school for three years in London and loved every minute of it. Yeah, it was tiring, we were overworked and the pay was rubbish (but being a non-resident for the rest of the year meant I was tax exempt- hurrah!) but I met some great people there and most of the teachers had a better time than the kids! In those days I worked in schools which closed for three months in the Summer and short of signing on or working in some soul-destroying temporary job, Summer school was an ideal alternative. I was spending the Summers living and working in the centre of London and loving it.

No, I wouldn't do it now- my Summer School days are well and truly over- I doubt at the age of 30 I could take the pace! Besides which, I only get a month off in the Summer and I'm not going to spend it working but if you're young, don't mind a bit of graft (and no sleep!) then you'll love it.

rory1 · Joined: 26 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

Hi Steven G,
Man I really enjoyed your banter with Sheeba. You're wasting your time arguing with the like of Thatcher's children!!! She actually believes she's on a good deal, my Jesus!!!There are so many MUGS like her in the summer school game as well as so many SWINDLEMS that it�s no wonder these shysters have been able to carry on for so long!!! I first started in 1983 (yes!) and have done more than a few since then. God knows why, to keep fit I suppose!!!Here's
A few to avoid like the GODDAMN PLAGUE:
Thames Valley "Cultural" centres ( tax dodge, that one). Ex Army boys running centres...woe betide you if you don't have a revisionist Daily Telegraph view of history......
OISE...oh jesus, got to be the worst. Offer to compensate you for travelling from the far end of the universe to their wretched centre in the middle of nowhere, a 10 minute walk to the canteen...and then fire you after a week....without the agreed compensation!
EAC
cowboys, cowboys, cowboys
As you rightly say yourself, you're better off selling ice cream in your local park!
Salud compa�ero
Rory O'Brien