Job Discussion Forums

[Rooster_2006]

I think that 150 RMB in China is kind of like the "standard" 50,000 won per hour for privates in Korea.

It's advertised on enough sites to make it seem like it's everywhere.

All the teachers are sitting around with cold ones at the local Canadian bar saying "50,000?! That's NOTHING! I get 60,000 won an hour. And I know a bilingual Korean-American making 100K. If the parents say no to 60,000, I just say 'sorry' and walk away."

...and yet, I was wrangling kids for 20K or 25K an hour (with a one-hour subway commute each way, paid out of pocket, effectively cutting my hourly wage to 7K an hour since I was frequently standing up on the subway and couldn't do anything), and the people I actually knew personally seemed to have trouble getting more than a few privates per week without seriously exposing themselves to legal scrutiny.

Maybe I'm just a loser, and all the people I know are also losers? Still, though, I think there is a very wide gap between real wages and the "standard" quoted on certain magical ads and by certain magical over-earners.

In fact, I can't help but wonder if certain English teachers are vastly over-exaggerating their pay to get other teachers to demand more and raise the wages.

[creztor]

It is the same as people in Taiwan claiming they make 1,000 hour doing privates. I've never met anyone in person who made that, but I see plenty of people making a reference to it. I don't know about anyone else, but in my world there is a huge difference between what you can get in theory and what people are prepared to pay. I don't consider exceptions to be the norm.

[JZer]

I am quoting ads from a website no just someone from Dave's. People on Dave's also agree about 150 an hour. This is not for privates. This is for part time language school work. Furthermore there are business classes advertised in China. I hardly ever see advertisements for business classes in Taiwan. I know some agencies will pay 700NT an hour or 800NT an hour to go teach business English at a company. They are probably collecting 1500 and hour and paying the teach half.

[yamahuh]

[creztor]

It wouldn't be the first time that I am WWWWRRRROOOONNNGGG

[yamahuh]

At least you're willing to admit it

HeHeHe!!

[JZer]

Except I am not wrong. You can check Hangzhou expats. A lot of postings are for 150RMB an hour for language school work. Business classes can fetch up to 250RMB an hour.

You do the math. 5000 for a university job plus 12 hours in a language school a week. That comes out to 12,200 RMB a month for 24 hours of work.

Of course I make more that 12,200RMB a month so no reason to go to China.

[JZer]

I also get 1000 an hour on Saturdays but that is a special class and not privates.

[JZer]

[Rooster_2006]

Well, the first week of the new job has worked out great. I made 9,250 NTD in just five days, and I project I'll break 40K this month. My boss has had all positive feedback for me so far. I've kept myself on this 2:1 rule -- for every two hours of class, do at least one hour of prep.

In addition to the fairly extensive lesson prep time, I'm going to prepare one SUBSTANTIAL game per week. I'm not talking about the old Hess-era whiteboard games -- I mean actually creating and bringing in a game. This week it was the Saint Patrick's Day Game -- a beautifully rendered St. Patrick's Day-themed board game which I spent several hours drawing. It involved sticky ball throws AND dice throws...

This week, I'm having kind of a golf kick, so I think I'm going to buy a 60 NTD green table cloth and a 55 NTD children's golf set and create a "golf course" in the classroom, complete with bunkers made from free (and abundant) Cijin Beach sand. Ask the kids an English question, and then they get to have a few putts. Have each team do maybe 3 - 6 holes. That'll keep 'em answering.

I aim to keep this job by just about any means necessary. I'd rather put in 40 hours per week for 18.5 teaching hours than put in 25 hours a week for the same teaching hours and get fired, or have an awful experience because my boss is constantly sending me laundry lists of "20 reasons why you're an awful teacher."

I've also had some ideas for cheap prizes to keep the students motivated:
- Cool stuff I find on the beach like interesting shells, sea glass, etc. (free)
- Freeware (public domain, not pirated) English language games burned onto CDs, especially computer RPGs, which I bet the boys will love. I'm thinking Dink Smallwood for starters. It was a formerly commercially-sold RPG that has been released into the public domain and is a free download. I'm going to print out some screenshots and stick them up on the board and say "this can be yours if you get the most participation points this class." After all the boys have busted their @$$es to get a copy, I'll move on to other formerly-commercial-now-freeware games such as Ultima Underworld and Castle of the Winds.
- Foreign coins (I still have a bunch from Korea)

The trouble is that the prizes in the prize case generally suck, which undermines the in-class points system. Without points to keep kids motivated, all but the most motivated 10 to 20% will goof around in class. I mean, seriously, why would kids bust their @$$es to get Amigo cards so they can buy dollar store Barbies and pencils?

We'll see how it goes. The boss never has complaints in the first week. We'll see how I'm doing after one month...

[yamahuh]

Hell - your classes sound like so much fun I think I'd like to give them a go myself.



Hope it all works out for ya Rooster.

[JZer]

[creztor]

Rooster, if they do fire you they have problems. You are going above and beyond the call of duty. I would never do that, shoot me, BUT considering how tough things are now I can understand and think that it is probably a very smart thing. Congrats.

[zipper]

[NorthofAmerica]

Good on you Rooster! Makes me remember all my old kids classes and how much fun they could be with the right attitude.

I just started back at my uni job today and sometimes I really miss small intimate classes. I teach 47 kids in some of my classes! :O All in all I have over 300 students, maybe even closer to 400 between 11 classes.

People earlier assumed I was looking at Taipei but I am actually leaning towards Taichung, any major differences in the terms of job hunting??