Job Discussion Forums

goldhair · Joined: 17 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

Hello all. I've been teaching in Xian for 6 weeks now and thinking of resigning my position here at the school I am at. The reasons being that I have had some personal problems with the school liaison and my heart is just not into teaching anymore. I want to do the right thing and resign with the proper notice stated in my cintract which is 4 weeks. The only problem is that I am afraid of any sort of backlash from the school for leaving early. I was wondering if any out there has heard of people having similar problems of backlash due to leaving early.

Lister · Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 264

Are you relying on the last 4 weeks pay? I'd make sure I had enough money to get home or wherever you intend to go next, was able to get tickets without the schools help and could basically pick up my things and walk away if the school decided to get ugly.

carken · Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:27 pm Post subject:

I don't know what your "personal problems with the liasion" are, but the fact that you've only been there for 6 weeks seems to me that perhaps you could work things out. Of course, there should be a good relationship between the two of you - - makes things much better for you, the FT - - , but much of that responsibility hinges on you. Since you're the guest, you might think it would be the other way around, but TIC.

Also, you say your "heart is just not in teaching" anymore? Why are you there and why are teaching? I don't understand how that could happen in just 6 weeks. Sure, by the end of the 2nd term most teachers are tired and ready for a break, but at the end of 6 weeks??? I don't mean to sound harsh, but sounds like an excuse to me. Are you a real teacher or are you in China for other reasons?

If you break your contract and leave without justifiable reasons, that's just one more black mark against every FT in China. My opinion, and I know you didn't ask for it, is that you should do your best to work out the differences. Maybe then your "heart will be more into teaching."

SnoopBot · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 740 Location: USA

jeffinflorida · Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 3:01 pm Post subject:

Dude if your heart is in then you need to leave.

Once you lose that intrinsic feeling of reward that you should have about your job it is hard to get it back.

What ever happened, you lost your mojo and you need to move on to find it. Hopefully your next stop will be better and you can learn from your mistake.

Leave whenever is best for you emotionally-wise and financially- wise - ie leave when it will cost you the least.

Don't worry about your contract, we all know they mean squat.

If you have no financial concerns then run now, run quickly, don't look back, just go and start a new job in another place...

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Oh Jeff, Jeff, Jeff, JeffinFlorida - - this time I must heartily disagree with you my friend. If any and all teachers who are somewhat despondent with their jobs (and like Snoopbot says, we really don't know the full story, only the little bit the poster gave us), then we'd have FTs running all over this country throughout the school year. So, I'm going to give the best advice of all Question

OP, if you have a half-term contract, then why not just endure until then. That will be until about mid-January or so - - only 3 months. If your heart's not in teaching, then just going to another school may well not be better and it could be worse. If you have a year-long contract, then negotiate with the school to leave at mid-term and this way you can save money for your travels, for the penalty fee of breaking the contract (if the school demands that), and you can feel better about yourself because you left in a professional and orderly way. If you just cut and run now . . . well, I don't know who you are of course, but if I were to do this, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth for awhile.

But, if the pattern holds, the OP will read a couple of pages of advice, never respond back to tell us what's what, and all of us regular posters will start snipping at each other because we disagree with this and that.

So, I'm sorry Jeff, your advice is just as sound as mine. Friends again?

jeffinflorida · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:52 am Post subject:

therock · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 1266 Location: China

If you plan to do a runner just remember it will be extremely difficult for you to work in Xian again. If you want to quit and leave China then doing a runner is basically a moral issue. If the school has treated you well, then try give them some notice, but as a previous poster mentioned have a plan B ready to leave at a moments notice.

latefordinner · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 973

<OK Kev, let's try it in A>
Oh Jeff, Jeff, Jeff, JeffinF, Jeff, Jeff, JeffinF, Jeff, Jeff
<You didn't know that we used to sing in a Doo-wop group, did you?>
As Kev, I intend no personal disrespect, this is strictly on the issue at hand, touchy-touchy feely-feely and warm and fuzzy all around, but