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Anda
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province
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 Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:25 am Post subject: Um |
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This game can be what you want to make of it. No effort results in no respect from your students. I go for positions where I am left to do as I please in a class more or less provided student marks don't drop and I don't upset the host government. The other thing I require is to be allowed to print out handouts for my students. Public schools both in South Korea and here in China have allowed me to do this.
I noticed in my first public school job that students liked to pair work on conversation scripts. I used to edit scripts written by Korean English teachers for school plays. This got me started into writing my own scripts for use with my students. I've also developed my own types of exercisers for teaching my students.
Here in China I find that bosses are mainly interested in money full stop but seeing that most are not making a mint and have a family to support then it is understandable to a point. However the more they seem to earn the greedier they seem to be. The part time boss that I had used me to get one institute up and going and then replaced me with a teacher who would work for 30% less an hour. Now he wants me back to get a new institute off the ground. I'll probably do a bit for him again but not like before as I replaced what I had going with him before quickly and have ended up better off.
So put the effort in and you make a better life for yourself and normally end up making a better living.
The good times are gone back home except for the lucky few. If I see someone complain here for a long time about everything Chinese as well as their job then I know that they have nothing better on offer back home and should shut up about downgrading their life here to such a degree as they do. A contract here in Asia does not stop a person from being able to hop on a plane to back home. If you want to stay long term here then seeing out your contracts is important but that is all. Me, well it took two small truck loads to move me from the last place, so is life.
I�m off now to get a good massage so bye!
Last edited by Anda on Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| This game can be what you want to make of it. No effort results in no respect from your students |
If you just want easy - and your employer lets you get away with it - well who cares!!!! If an armchair, a booze-up and a massage or two are the heights of your ambition - who gives a darn over student respect.
Maybe another point where the FT may start to show signs of bitter - the quality and ambition levels of their fellow workers  |
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Anda
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:49 am Post subject: Um |
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Once you have the respect of your students then you have class control plus a good time with your students. Um, I have a rare social drink so that doesn't count with me.
I couldn't care less with how other foreign teachers teach as I have my own life. However some places stop employing foreign teachers if they get a bad run with our lot. My current position hasn't had a foreign teacher for about two years before I started with them. The last teacher was okay but left after six months but they had some bad ones before him.
I also think that over complaining by Westerners is resulting in more and more places employing non Western foreigners as English teachers.
Last edited by Anda on Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:55 am; edited 1 time in total |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:54 am Post subject: |
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| I couldn't care less with how other foreign teachers teach as I have my own life. |
You must care a little bit - otherwise why do you offer all that advice in your posts 
Surely the best type of teaching - when students are subject to differnt teachers - would be one that involved team-work - but when one reads, in the last post, that an experienced China FT doesn't care what their fellow teachers are doing - because they have their own life - seems rather professionaly short-sighted - if not a tad bitter 
Last edited by vikuk on Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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loboman
Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 238
Location: Despite all my rage I'm still just a rat in a cage...
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:23 pm Post subject: Re: Um |
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| Anda wrote: |
| I also think that over complaining by Westerners is resulting in more and more places employing non Western foreigners as English teachers. |
It probably doesn't have anything to do with the fact that many English "teachers" who come from third world nations will work for beans and be happy with them beans because it's still more than they make in their own country. |
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Anda
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 12:53 pm Post subject: Um |
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Vikuk you are twisting things again. I don't team teach for one thing with other Western teachers. I avoid it.
Loboman wages are one thing but many positions are being filled in set wage government positions by them also where they earn the same as us. |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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Anda when you write
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| I couldn't care less with how other foreign teachers teach as I have my own life. |
together with
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| I don't team teach for one thing with other Western teachers. I avoid it. |
then its difficult, especially if one thinks of being part of school staff as normaly indicating one is part of a teaching team, not to make some twisted comment - but, because I know nothing about your specific circumstances, I'll try to resist - and leave you to get on with your job in what seems to your favoured environment - isolation from other FT colleagues.
However the last series of posts, once again give a rather stark indication of how things can differ in a China teaching job - and although I can't talk for Anda, one that could suggest that there would seem to be room for the bitter loner in this trade (However take into account that self-imposed isolation from other FT's can be the result of many factors - not just that of feeling bitter). |
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arioch36
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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Anda
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| I also think that over complaining by Westerners is resulting in more and more places employing non Western foreigners as English teachers. |
Hmm ... complaining about things one should complain about, or "whining"
Certainly someone from the UK, US OZ is much more likely to resist being cheated. Over the years I have found the vast vast majority of "Westerner complaints" to be about things the school didn't do as promised. In the past 7 years, I have only gotten my full airfare as promised twice without complaining.
I'm still here, and easily employed. So I wonder if it is just that fewer westernrs are putting up with being cheated, as fewer try to teach and backpack |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm still here, and easily employed. So I wonder if it is just that fewer westernrs are putting up with being cheated, |
Exactly - seems like fewer from the west are being attracted to this job. And with the prospect of economic recession even fewer may come. After all most look on a China FT job as a holiday type occupation rather than a career move - and in times of economic hardship many take the safe option of putting career first!
I have a feeling that non-western labor could be employed not just because its cheaper - but also to fill the gaps.
Saying that there must also be excellent EFL teachers coming from non-western backgrounds - but I should think their special talents may also go just as unrecognised and unrewarded as our own. Or am I just being bitter when I write that |
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Lorean
Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 476
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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I don't believe the the economic downturn will have any effect on the supply of ESL teachers.
Those tied to families won't leave their families.
Those in the middle-class won't accept some ESL gig paying less than burger flipper salary.
The poor can't afford the flights.
The rich... Well the rich take care of themselves
Most ESLers I've met are either recent graduates or retired. Most of the ones in their late 20s+ usually had some unique characteristic: philosophical; hated people; escaping problems; Chinese wife; etc... |
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arioch36
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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Anda
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province
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| Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:58 pm Post subject: Um |
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Um "whining" arioch36 in the main. I myself have had to battle to get my airfares from Fu-ning teacher�s college both years that I worked there.
My work isolation from other foreigners has come from watching how many foreigners especially at Universities in-flight with each other for position and wages plus choice classes. I have been in this game since 1990. Sure you can get problems with local teachers but in general we all work with local teachers to a degree.
I have long term friends back in Australia that I have had since before I started into ESL so I am not anti my own race. The trouble with here but in Asia is that you get thrown in with other foreigners that you have no choice in the matter over. I worked with a group in Nanjing for a couple of months that were great. I was lucky. But so far in over thirteen years in this game I have worked less than a year in total with other foreigners in actual teaching. I worked for an international company but for 18 months but was there only teacher.
Um, will I last? well I have local friends calling me up most days and I get on well where I work and have many friends from where I worked last. I also have student mothers wanting to know that I'll be staying for a couple of years.
My best friend in South Korea is from Wales in England. He started the same time as me with EPIK in about 1996 and he is still in Korea as he married a local. |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:19 am Post subject: |
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| I am not anti my own race. The trouble with here but in Asia is that you get thrown in with other foreigners that you have no choice in the matter over. |
Thanks Anda about this warning over another potential problem that again could lead to problems, complaints and even the feeling of bitter. Many of us have our ways of dealing with imposed companions - and as you can see, from these posts, some of go as far as breaking off a much contact as possible from other FT's. A lot of food for thought for any newbies - and again an interesting insight into an FT's life |
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eslstudies
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden
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| Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 12:37 am Post subject: |
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| vikuk wrote: |
Thanks Anda about this warning over another potential problem that again could lead to problems, complaints and even the feeling of bitter. |
Umm, Captain Pedagogue here boys. If we're throwing "professionalism" around as a term, then let's not confuse our nouns and adjectives in a way that we wouldn't accept from our students. |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| Umm, Captain Pedagogue here boys. If we're throwing "professionalism" around as a term, then let's not confuse our nouns and adjectives in a way that we wouldn't accept from our students |
Sorry capt. Ped - just thought it read better than using bitterness. But then again I could have been refering to a British pint!!!! By the way four cans of Boddington's Best Bitter now cost 99RMB - although buying them does give me a feeling of bitter it sure is a bitter price  |
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