Job Discussion Forums

[larksong]

I came to Baotou, Inner Mongolia, for the Spring, 2008 semester. I teach ESL at a college in the U.S., so I'm not new to the teaching or the population, though there are differences. And I was prepared for and loved the cultural differences, even in the hinterlands. But this school, I have learned, is awful in many ways. I am considering a return to China because I have loved my experience, but I want to warn other teachers against the International School of IMUST. Even FT's in the English dept. of IMUST fare better than we did.

The teaching management office, yes, a whole office to manage 6 people, micromanages us with tedious, pointless paperwork of no benefit to students. The text is pedagogically unsound, but we must use it. We can supplement, but we have to teach everything in the text as well. Video material is seen as a waste of time and hence forbidden, despite the fact that "viewing" is now considered the 5th language art. Common final exams are given, but we don't teach from a common syllabus. Everyone has input into the final, but only the single teacher writing the final is allowed to know the format or even see the exam. And although we were furnished with a calendar of working days and holidays at the start of the semester, they tried throughout the semester to take away the holidays. The first time was early on, and I threatened to leave, so they backed down. The second time was near the end. I insisted on being paid for the lost holiday if they made us work. They told me too bad, I had to work if they told me to. Fortunately, I had learned enough to know that this is NOT the "Chinese way." Other schools in China do not treat their teachers, foreign or not, in this way. My colleagues showed up to work, but I didn't, though I made sure my students knew ahead of time. They may dock my pay, which is probably illegal, but I'm going to make sure every prospective teacher has the chance to learn what kind of operation they run.

BTW, the director of the International School is MOD EDIT. I didn't find out until after I got there, but he is well known among FT's for his abuse of them. I heard his name in advance, but no one knew exactly where he was. The school had changed names since the last time anyone had heard of him. Now we know where he is.

If you are offered a position at IMUST, find out if it is with the English department or the International School. If it's the latter, run. Run far and fast. If it is the former, well, you can take your chances. For the most part you'll be given more freedom and respect, but some of the mentality is the same. I have heard nothing bad about the teacher's college in Baotou.

The town is nice enough, but there's little culture. Decent accommodations, but the water is iffy. Good salary, and you can save a lot, because there's nothing here to spend it on. Just a few Western items at the stores and 2 or 3 Western cafes. But the students are great. They make it all worth it.

[GeminiTiger]

It's hard to find a private school whose sole purpose is not to exploit money from both the teachers and the students any way possible. IMHO.

[larksong]

[China.Pete]

"I am considering a return to China because I have loved my experience, but I want to warn other teachers against the International School of IMUST" -- Lark Song

What you've described--a tendency to micromanage, being required to use a pedagogically objectionable text, last-minute calendar changes, etc.--is not too dissimilar from what you'll find at many schools in China. (The fact that you've apparently been well paid, provided adequate accommodation, and given good students to teach would persuade many old hands that this is not such a bad place to work after all!) My advice, if you're inclined to stay here, would be for you to focus more on what does work at your school. Try to find a school that's at least as good in those areas, but will allow you to address one or more of the major drawbacks of your current situation, such as being able to select your own textbooks. It's good that you've been able to keep a generally positive attitude about China in spite of the job not being all that you'd expected.

[evolving81]

I'm interviewing with this school soon. I will have to find out if the position is with the International School. On a side note, a school that can go by the name IMUST seems pretty awesome. Seems like they can do a lot with that in terms of marketing, etc.

[MisterButtkins]

Oh my god, a school in China was having you teach a text that was pedagogically unsound? How could you handle such insanity? I think if I had to teach an unsound text I might fling myself off a tall building or poison myself with rat turds.

Sorry, but comparing your post to most other posts about bad schools, it seems like most of the issues you are describing are not particularly serious. You are going on about their testing procedure and, oh my god, they won't let you show videos in the classroom; other posts about bad schools complain about huge overtime hours, not being paid, students threatening them in the classroom, one guy got stabbed and was told not to press charges, etc. You said you taught ESL in the US, and it seems like maybe you are trying to apply the educational standards of American colleges to Chinese ones. If the accommodations are decent and you got paid on time it seems like a reasonable enough place to work and I think making a thread about how utterly terrible the school is is perhaps unwarranted.

[LanGuTou]

[Zero]

I agree. The areas that might suit the OP are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou Province and Taiwan Province.

[kev7161]

Surely the above poster meant Guangdong province as Guangzhou is simply the capital city within that province?

[Zero]

Right. Sorry, I mistyped.

[kev7161]

No apologies necessary. I think it's normal for one to make mistakes about what is or isn't a province sometimes.