Job Discussion Forums

[kev7161]

Well, it's that time of year again. Welcome to all newcomers to China (and Dave's ESL) looking for that ideal TEFL job. Usually we "oldtimers" get asked a host of questions about this and that when it comes to finding, securing, and teaching at a job although most answers are scattered throughout Dave's site and others as well. I understand the search function is just about useless unless you're really in-the-know about those kinds of things, but here are some things to ask yourself if you are seriously considering coming to TEACH in China:

1. What is your first day/week activities going to be?

2. What age group are you going to be given by your school?

3. What games/activities/lessons are you going to present for a class of perhaps 60 students?

4. What teaching resources will you bring with you?

5. What will you do concerning discipline?

6. What will you do about missing/non-attending students?

7. What do you honestly know about sentence structure, grammar, pronunciation/enunciation skills (phonics, essentially)? Granted, many "Spoken English" classes don't require a lot of knowledge in this area, but what if the one you get does?

8. What will you do if you get a school that has no heat/AC, no electronic devices (such as computer, TV, DVD player etc.), seats bolted to the floor, and a cracked chalkboard with no chalk to be found?

9. What will you do if there are no textbooks for you to glean ideas from?

10. What websites do you know that will give you lesson ideas on how to teach "Spoken English" to 50 students who range from no English to almost fluent?

Geez, anyone else want to continue this list of questions? Sure, Dave's is a good resource to come to get some of these questions answered but I don't think anyone here at Dave's can actually teach you how to teach. Without practical classroom hours from your home country, it's not that easy to step into such a foreign situation and start from scratch (hell, it's not that easy if you DO have teaching experience!). Without any sort of an educational background, while do-able, it's not as easy and romantic as it sounds to come here to teach in a totally foreign situation.

But, welcome to China . . . and good luck!

[malu]

Those newbie posts that do ask about what goes on in the classroom rather than just: "how much money do you get?, how few days can I work?, how easy is it to date girls/boys?" get a whole lot more help from me than those that don't.

If people actually want to do pseudo-teaching jobs of the performing white monkey variety then fine and dandy. Never did that stuff myself, so I can't help you much.

[mcl sonya]

I actually have a couple questions too, if anyone would answer. I'm supposed to start teaching first year college students next semester.

IS it normal to occasionally hang out with your students? In some threads I read about people eating out with students, in others I read it's not professional. I mean, I never socialized with any of my professors, and I was hesitant just to add two of my GSIs on facebook. But, my dad has all sorts of ideas on the way things are in China, and he keeps swearing it's normal to get a bowl of noodles with students after class. I'm thinking, since I don't need to have office hours, maybe I'll have informal office hours, where I'll just hang out a cafe studying for the LSAT during certain hours certain days, and if students have questions or just want to chat in English they can come. I think that sounds professional enough. I knew of instructors who did things like that -- not professors, but the grad students who teach undergrads sometimes did things like that.

How formally are you expected to dress? Can I just wear whatever's clean, or am I expected to put in some effort and a pair of heels.

[malu]

The examples you give shows that you are pretty well aware of what is the difference between informal meetings with students and 'hanging out' with them. I can't imagine anyone having problems with teacher having lunch or dinner with students (note the plural) now and then. I was a postgrad tutor at university in the UK and quite often I'd catch up with tutees over coffee in the cafeteria.

The Chinese teachers that I work with don't do this for a very practical reason:- the teachers are economically excluded from the expensive places where my rich students eat!

Required dress depends very much on the college or university. I've never heard of anyone having to dress really formally, but smart casual seems to be the buzzword.

[arioch36]

[Lorean]

[Anda]

Hi mcl sonya I would wait and see what happens when you arrive. If the college has a lot of foreign teachers then the students might not take a lot of interest in you. If you are the first foreign teacher to teach there then expect your students to go a bit crazy at first. At the begining groups of students will want to go out with you but after a while it will just be one or two asking you to join them in the street for lunch.

Be ready for a bit of a shock teaching at a college as your students might not be of a high level. The students at the college where I teach are dropouts from middle school. If students get a high pass at High School and their parents have the money then they will attend one of the better universities here in China.

Dress casual and clean and you will please most places.

[vikuk]

[jeffinflorida]

How you dress depends alot of where in china you are.

In the summer it is hot as hell!

My summer hot weather dress is a Ramones T Shirt and a nice pair of shorts...

[roadwalker]

I teach at a uni where there aren't a lot of other fts in a town without many foreigners. The Chinese teachers for the most part aren't that social and there isn't much of a structure for them to even get to know each other, let alone the laowais. So the students are a welcome break from time to time. I couldn't care less whether it is unprofessional or not (but no physical relationships). However, it is important to set boundries, just to keep them from driving you crazy with instant best friendship.

As for dress, the Chinese generally don't dress up much, with a few exceptions. I think it is on some other threads, but some of the students inadvertantly (or knowingly perhaps) end up wearing some mature themed English on their clothing. Laughter ensues...

[malu]

[mcl sonya]

Cool, sounds chill enough.