Job Discussion Forums

[spiral78]

Not a bad idea, but remember that the school itself will very often be just an office and maybe a couple of classrooms. Most teaching in the region is done at the offices of your students, meaning that you'll be travelling to businesses to do most of your work. There are usually some in-school classes, but it's not at all the bulk of the work of private language schools.

When looking at a school, you'll want to evaluate stuff like computer, internet, printer, and copy machine access, and how extensive the supplies of teaching resources are. I'd want to see a large variety of books, along with cds and tapes. Ask about whether the school will supply you with audio equipment when needed.

[anospi]

I'm working in Wrocław at the moment. I was at IH in Opole last year, working monday to friday with classes from 3-9pm. Easy.

Wrocław is a different story. There's certainly more money about, but it will be difficult to find a good timetable. Yes, a lot of the work is done in-company, and I'm currently dragging myself out of bed at 6am three times a week to get out to a company for a 7.30am class. Then it's quiet during the afternoon before you start teaching students around 4pm.

Perhaps if you were looking just for privates you could find something that works a little more in your favour. Personally, when I came to Wrocław last semester I was after a contract offering full time work, with medical insurance. The salary is good, but not great, however given what I was after it was the best deal I found for myself in the city. There are a lot of schools about run by 30 something Polish women which didn't feel right for me, and after reading through the contracts I decided they weren't worth it, even if I'd be netting a couple of hundred zloty extra each month.

I found this website useful. In the beginning I emailed a lot of schools, but almost no-one replied. Much better to pop in, wearing decent slacks and a shirt, clean shaven with a copy of your CV in hand. The winter break is in mid Feb, so there could be some openings for the second semester. Here's that link: http://www.ang.pl/szkoly_jezykowe.php?mid=1

Happy hunting!

[Vairocana]

Thanks again for all the good advice. As for my arrival into Wroclaw, I won't be moving to that city until the end of Sept '08 or the very beginning of Oct '08. I read elsewhere on Dave's and other teaching boards that the private schools and Universities begin their major recruitment in the Fall semesters, so their should be a lot more job opportunities available at those times.

On a side note, schools run by "30 something Polish women" hmmmm... was it one women in her thirties, or was the school run be 30 Polish women. The first is no problem. The second I might have to start drinking Red Bull by the case.

[anospi]

Haha! Now I've reread my post I can see the confusion in that sentence. When I said '30 something Polish women' I meant I went to many schools that were run by women approximately aged between 31 and 39. In fact, of the twenty or more schools I visited, half of them were run by women in this age group. I'm not sure about their teaching qualifications or anything like that. Whilst they were nice enough women, I'm not sure I'd like to work for them, with the contracts and working conditions they gave me.

[Vairocana]

Thanks anospi, I figure that was the case but I couldn't resist the tongue in cheek humor.

But let me be serious... "contracts and working conditions" that wasn't agreeable for you!.

Can you please give some examples of the stipulations that the women managers/owners required that you found disagreeable.

Were those conditions required by male managers/owners?

Thank you again,

[anospi]

"Can you guarantee I won't have sunday classes?"
"I can't answer that until you sign the contract."

"Can you tell me how many other native speaker teachers you employ?"
"No"

One director would not let me speak with other teachers prior to signing the contract.

And from the contracts:
- I would have to pay 10zl to the school if I was absent for any reason other than sickness. (Yes, an insifgnificant amount, but it was the principle)
- I couldn't terminate the contract before the end of the second semester. If I did, I would "be obliged to pay a contractual fine in the amount of double remuneration for each group which [I] would receive for the period of termination of the contract to finishing classes"

That's a bit of a taste of what I came across. The director of the school I find myself working at now was very flexible when it came to the details of the contract, and we spoke about every point before I signed it. Negotiable rates of pay (which I wasn't offered at the other schools) and more generally, the place felt a lot more open and honest than most of the other schools I visited.

Hope that helps. My advice for anyone job hunting in Wrocław is this - give yourself plenty of time, and shop around. And read those contracts!

[YakTamer]

and if you're in Wroclaw you could get the chance to participate in some of the ground-breaking research carried out at the University of Wroclaw.

For example:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7192597.stm

[Vairocana]

Thanks again anospi,

Now that's makes the situation you wrote about crystal clear. Your questions seemed very reasonable to me; in fact, any Director should have viewed those inquiries as proof that you are serious about your job.

Just asking those type of questions shows me a person has given thought to what he/she is doing and not merely winging it!

Well I'm happy you found a school that was able to accommodate you. I'll definitely make sure to allow enough time to interview and search out the best school for myself.

[phantombedwetter]

Vairocana,
There's plenty of stuff from you about how you are going to vet the schools, but little about what you have to offer.

I'm afraid CELTA/degree 1st year teachers are easy to get hold of for us employers, what makes you special? Why should I employ you? What makes you different from the thousands of other glorified backpackers wandering the globe?

This is not meant to be insulting, in fact quite the opposite, it should fire you up a little bit to think of some answers.

Less time designing school vetting procedures, please, and a little more thought about what you can offer a school. Degree, CELTA, native speaker, 1st year won't cut the mustard with the good schools.

[Vairocana]

I currently have 15 years experience in teaching and teaching related fields for starters! I have worked in educational/training employment since the age of 15.

I was a successful personal trainer for 3 1/2 years, I primarily trained persons between the ages of 21 to 45, but even have experience training clients above the age of 55. I supervised an Fitness Center at a summer camp in Upstate NY.

I have tutored students in various subjects including English language Arts, Mathematics, and various sciences.

In under 3 months I reformed a failing after-school program. I successfully managed to turn that program around; despite being stifled by both the charter school's administrative staff, who did their best to sabotage me, and the lackadaisical attitude among my superiors at the community center that provided the after-school services to the charter school.

I currently provide educational services to children that attend low-performing (failing) public schools in NYC. I tutor students from elementary school into high school.

Just to give you an idea of some of the skills and experiences I have to offer.

P.S. I also been fortunate to travel to other nations and even lived in the Nordic countries for a season.

[phantombedwetter]

Fine,
Some of these things are relevant and some are not.
Try to focus on the points that you think English schools would be interested in as an extra to offer eg. the after school programme, but less of the negative stuff as employers might think you are a whinger and a troublemaker.
Also, focus on the ESL elements rather than every subject in the curriculum.
Good luck!

[Vairocana]

Hi phantombedwetter,

So you claim some of the examples I posted are not "relevant", please point out which ones! I already have over a decade of teaching experience (practical knowledge), working with diverse groups (ages, ethnicities, social-economic), amassed numerous transferable skills, and posses great ability to adapt to changing/difficult circumstances.

So is it being negative to show I get results even when not in the best of working conditions? And if by chance an employer thinks I'm a trouble-maker and won't hire me, then so be it, it's their lost. I know my worth. I do not have to degrade myself for a paycheck.

The old adage goes: People will always treat you the way you allow them to treat you. And yes that's confidence my friend!

[spiral78]

The bedwetter's right - labeling former work colleagues and bosses as 'lackadasical' characters who tried to 'sabatoge' your valiant efforts isn't likely to endear you to potential new employers.

I'd personally weed out your points about 'adaptability' to difficulty and clarify 'transferable skills.'

Also, I'd beware of adjectives such as 'substantial' and 'great.'
This because, in a new teaching context, you don't really know to whom you are comparing yourself. Your potential new work colleagues may, in fact, hold more substantial skills than you currently do. Many people over 30 from the region you are considering may also consider your examples of 'changing/difficult circumstances' rather trivial in comparison to their own life experiences...

Remember your audience!! That's the key...

[Vairocana]

Thanks spiral78,

I would never mention/explain the scenario to a potential employer that way, especially during an interview. I was merely giving specific details about the working conditions that I was under at that particular time. And I still make no apologies about being confident in my abilities to deal with any challenges that may come up in this profession.

You should see the neighborhoods I go to on a daily basis to provide my services. And I'm not making fun of those neighborhoods, they happen to be the highest crime areas of NYC, where any person would be attacked if they seem apprehensive. In other words it takes a certain mental toughness to navigate and perform well in the areas where I currently work.

[spiral78]

I agree that confidence is useful to you as a personal skill, but I wouldn't want to emphasize this to the director of a Polish school, who may well infer that you consider Poland to be a similarly risky region, and take offense.

I, too, worked in inner-city schools, in the South of the US. It was also relatively very tough and dangerous. But the characteristics that made that work possible for me aren't among the ones I emphasize on my teaching CV.

Confidence is fine, but you'll also want to approach working in a new country with respect for challenges that will be unlike those you've conquered in the past. Especially in the first year or two, we are all visitors in the culture/context of others - and a strong sense of respect for those 'hosts' helps quite a lot. I've known newbies who have a sense that they are there to provide invaluable service to the 'natives,' and this invariably comes across as patronizing.

Not saying that you would have this sort of attitude at all - but I'd suggest that your level of confidence will serve you well on a personal level, but would be best moderated in terms of how you plan to present yourself to new employers, and to others in your new teaching/living context.