Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

I recently replied to a PM about this. HOpefully this will help others out there. All schools have good and bad things about them. Some have mostly bad. Here's some warning signs about bad language schools.

There's no sign out front. A language school should promeniently display the name outside of the building. If it's not there, be aware.

Bad first impressions. Peeling paint, delapidated furniture aren't good signs.

New teachers. Teachers come and go but if all or most of the teachers have been there for less than three months, that's not very good.

No material. They want you to create everything and don't follow a structure. Supplementary material is great, but you need to follow something.

Mixed classes. Sure, mixed classes are a bit normal, but if you have poeple with basic English thrown in with those who are advanced, that's a sign that the school's after money.

Disgruntle teachers. If everyone's complaining, it says something about the school.

Late pay. Talk to the teachers and ask if they get paid on time.

No specialisation. Large language schools can cover a lot of ground, kids, adults, exams, remedial. Smaller ones usually dedicate themselves to a couple and make it their area of expertise.

Everyone's afriad of the boss. Respect is one thing, fear is another.

Threats, sexual harrassment. THreatening to fire you, for no reason is bad enough. Another is when you're on a tourist visa and you want to quit and they threaten to go to immigrations. (First off they'd get in trouble for hiring you). Lastly, sexual harrassment, follow your instincts.

Lots of changes, tons of cancelled classes, changed times, salary differences, shouldn't be put up with.

NO recipts, even if you're working on a tourist visa, you should sign some receipt that shows that they've paid you.

Dangerous places. The institute is located in a bad neighbourhood or they want to send you to classes in a bad neighbourhood, walk away.

Hello, you're hired. YOu should at least have an interview, and some places are asking for demo lessons. If they want to hire you once you walk in the door, that shows they're desperate.

Anyone have any others to add?

[slaqdog]

yes if the owner is either the same nationality as you OR foreighn then beware!
Apart from that I think you covered the bases.I'll add:
Schools that don't answer the phone, return emails and regard the contract as a bothersome piece of paper not worth printing out or sighning really.

[Kootvela]

There's no or little public information about the school: newspapers,advertisments, websites, etc. It might be a new school that will close down soon.

[fluffyhamster]

I tend to get worried when there's no sugar for the tea; that, or a nuclear device button on the boss's desk (it's MAD, I tell you!) that his siamese cat could accidentally set off at any moment.

[Justin Trullinger]

For the record, the red "end the world now" button on my desk is a joke novelty. And when I start pushing it continuously, my assistant gently reminds me it's time to go home.




Justin



PS- sign of a bad school: where the boss has no sense of humor.

[Kootvela]

Teacher's room is 500 metres away from the boss's office and you still can hear her yelling at a) teachers b) office managers c) clients.

[Jetgirly]

Nobody in administration ever asks what you're teaching and/or how you're teaching it, and they never observe you teach. Bonus points if they don't allow you to observe a more experienced teacher during your "orientation". Extra bonus points if there is no orientation and you're just thrown into the classroom. Extra extra bonus points if they expect you to make a minute-by-minute year plan before you meet the students for the first time, when they know you've never taught in the country before and have no idea what the students' level is. Extra extra extra bonus points if you actually do make that yearly plan and then admin admits they gave you the wrong textbook, so you just planned a year's worth of lessons for a class you're not teaching. At that point, you should just go home.

[Phil_K]

[naturegirl321]