Job Discussion Forums

[AdrianG4]

I'm being offered a contract. It's to teach kindy kiddies and it's downside pay is 6500 to 7300 yuan. It's mon-friday and it requires I teach one hour of english a day, and the rest of the time I help the Chinese kinder teachers keep the kids in order in an "English speaking Environment"

Honestly, it sounds pretty decent to me compared to some of the junk I've been offered. But the downside is the accommodation The school says I have to find my own accommodation and that they will "help me pay it" Nothing about providing all of the accommodation expenses. And I've focused a lot on this issue between the back and forth process via email/phone. In the end, the guy simply said, "we will help you pay it, I will make sure you get payed over 7,300!"

It's important that I have rent payed for because I have a car note/credit card I need to pay every month (a little more $300. ) Aside from that, I have no other bills, but I also don't want to be totally suffering in China financially.

Has anybody been through similar issues like this ? When they say, "we will help you pay it in your paycheck," and the only thing in the contract in regards to accommodation is, "Help teacher with accommodation"

what does that really mean!?

[randyj]

To me this kind of vagueness related to an important detail does not speak well for the school. No sincere person would offer such an indefinite proposal. If the school cannot be serious, then it is a harbinger of future problems.

[Silent Shadow]

Ｗｈａｔ　ＲａｎｄｙＪ　ｓａｉｄ．

Ｉｆ　ｙｏｕ　ｐｒｏｃｅｅｄｅｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｐｏｓｉｔｉｏｎｙｏｕ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔ　ｔｈｉｎｇｓ　ｃｌａｒｉｆｉｅｄ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｃｌｅａｒｌｙ　ｗｒｉｔｔｅｎ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｏｎｔｒａｃｔ．　

Ｆｉｒｓｔ　ｏｆ　ａｌｌ，　ｙｏｕ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｆｉｎｄ　ｏｕｔ　ｈｏｗ　ｍａｎｙ　ｈｏｕｒｓ　ｃｏｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅ　ｔｈｅ　＂ｒｅｓｔｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｄａｙ＂，　ａｎｄ　ｙｏｕ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｆｉｎｄ　ｏｕｔ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃａｌｌｙ　ｗｈａｔ　ｔｈｏｓｅ　�Ｈｅｌｐｉｎｇ＂　ｄｕｔｉｅｓ　ａｒｅ．Ａｌｓｏ，　ｙｏｕ　ｎｅｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｅｘａｃｔｌｙ　ｈｏｗ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｍｏｎｅｙ　ｔｈｅｙ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｐａｙ　ｙｏｕ　ａ　ｍｏｎｔｈ　ｔｏｗａｒｄｓ　ｙｏｕｒ　ａｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔ　ａｎｄ　ｇｅｔ　ｉｔ　ｗｒｉｔｔｅｎ　ｉｎｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｏｎｔｒａｃｔ．　Ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｈｏｎｅｓｔ，　ｔｈｅｉｒ　ｖａｇｕｅｎｅｓｓ　ｄｅｅｍｓ　ｔｈｅｍ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｎｏｔ　ｆｕｌｌｙ　ｔｒｕｓｔｗｏｒｔｈｙ．

Ｉ＇ｍ　ｓｏｒｒｙ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｏｎｔ，　ｂｕｔ　Ｉ　ｓｅｅｍ　ｔｏ　ｈａｖｅ　ｐｒｅｓｓｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｗｒｏｎｇ　ｋｅｙ　ｏｒ　ｂｕｔｔｏｎ　ｓｏｍｅｗｈｅｒｅ． [/b]

[struelle]

Give it a pass. Trying to sort out an accomodation issue on your own in a city like Wuhan is a daunting task, and if the school won't help, then forget it. The reason why you'd need others to help is that Wuhan is notoriously difficult to get around in due to the traffic nightmares and the poor sprawling layout of the city (if you can even call it that).

So location is of the utmost importance, and you'd want a local who has the knowledge of which places are convenient for getting to work, the bus routes, how to reach the airport, train station, and so forth. Plus you'd want someone who knows about quality housing agents, what price is reasonable, where to avoid, how to bargain, and so forth.

If the school expects you to tackle all this on your own, then they must be crazy.

[AdrianG4]

Ok, I got the school to commit to paying 7,300 yuan (they rewrote the contract, so it didn't have the varying pay) and they said that 20 teachers are coming to Wuhan from USA/europe etc. for the sept 1st semester and that typically, the teachers get together and rent an apartment together (teachers pay it.)

He called me to explain why -- something about how the apartments are used for the Chinese teachers, and all the teachers are girls so they rent together, while foreigners always want their own rooms, so they just decided to pay more than most kinder schools and have the teachers get together to rent themselves. Hm. Still kinda funky, but I like the pay -- how much do teachers that rent 2 bedroom apartments usually end up paying ?

Or should I still not consider this ? I really like the school -- I've had like, 5, 6 job offers and I do like this one, aside from the bogus accommodation situation.

Sigh, more confused than ever .. and I still have another interview at 8 pm ..

[xiaolongbaolaoxi]

I would be/am very nervous about "helping Chinese teachers..." This sounds like, "You will be teaching almost every moment, including being a recess nanny." If it was something like all morning or all afternoons, that would be kind of refreshing in the sense that you can see the same children in multiple environments/situations [if you are "kindy compatible" that is, otherwise=pure hell for you], but as I read this, I don't see a direct mention of number of working hours. Also... 20 teachers! how big is a kindy that requires 20 native English teachers? Is it possible you get farmed out to other places? Not good. I loved kindy, but there is a reason why full time kindy teachers got paid more than others, and this offer doesn't sound like it's good, even with a higher wage so you can share an apartment with someone you have not met in a country that you are not from. Not good.

A friend of mine did part time in a large kindy program essentially spending 10-30 minutes with each 20-30 kid classroom. He has learned to enjoy it, but it has taken him about a year to get to that point; thoroughly exhausted, hoarse, etc. If this is an environment that the employer is providing, it's a pretty tough way to go, unless you have a background as something like a STIP sub [permanently assigned substitute/supply teacher whose job is to rotate throughout all classrooms in the school to allow various contractual things to take place for the classrooms teachers; when a teacher does come in sick, the sub (you) are not a complete and total stranger to the kids and there is more of a chance for everyone to enjoy the change in routine.]

Slightly off-topic, but relevant (at least to me). If you have multiple classes, you have multiple classrooms.... That is, in China, many teachers move, the students don't [although I worked in a language mill where I was able to have the same room for up to seven different levels including adults, so I quietly added things/stashed materials ahead of time]. So, you don't have a classroom full of materials that you have developed throughout the years, or posters, library corners, etc. to fall back on. It's you and whatever you brought with you. That means direct instruction instruction up the wazoo (which is what is expected in China anyway). That could be a major adjustment.

[SandyG20]

other duties - diapers or clean up after or clean up messes in bathroom?

cook meals? help feed the kids?

Mop floors, clean bathrooms, do laundry? wash dishes?

So you are to share an apartment with 20 girls?

[xiaolongbaolaoxi]

"So you are to share an apartment with 20 girls?"

I take back everything I said. Go for it. The time of your life.

XLB

[AdrianG4]

The hours go like this - it was hidden in the contract

Mon-fri

0800 to 11:30

14:30 to 17:00

So six hours a day.

[AdrianG4]

It just kinda says that the teacher must comply with the Teaching assignments given by the school.

The teacher helping is just stuff like setting up videos, running around, tell stories about my culture, english corner etc.

[cormac]

Honestly, check out what exactly are your duties with the children apart from face-to-face teaching...

I can remember being told to go into the bathrooms with the boys of my class, and monitor them as they went to the toilet. These were ages from 3-6 years old. Many of them pissed or the other on the ground, and somehow I was expected to stop it. I did it once, and told my school never again. Not my responsibility and it should never be.

So be careful.. Kinder teaching can be very messy as it is in the classrooms, you don't need other duties like toilet training.

Also find out if there are any short breaks of 5 or 10 minutes in the morning or afternoon. Believe me, you'll need them, just for a drink or go to the toilet yourself, or just to have a moments peace(a smoke in my case). I know of two schools that didn't have any breaks at all, except for lunch, and all the FTs burned out and left after 6 months.

On a side note, my classes were originally 45 minutes long, and then got ramped up to 1.5 hours long. The original was too long for the kids, never mind about the "upgrade". And it was too long for me too. Teaching kinder is hard work, both on your energy and your patience. While it was an interesting experience, I will never do it again. I'd suggest it to people for a year, but don't focus on it for the long term unless you already have previous experience and know you enjoy it.

Lastly, it might be worth checking out where the parents are going to be while your classes are on. Will they be outside, or will a few of them be selected each week to sit in on your classes. Different schools have different setups. It can be a good thing at times, but you need to have control over who gets in, and make sure that no phones are brought in, and ensure that the food/drinks are moved to the far side of the room to that of the parents... otherwise you'll have constant disruptions, and toilet breaks.

[xiaolongbaolaoxi]

Cormac raises a good point about parents... Another friend was teaching a newer school and was doing various things to entice parents. Very slick setup, nice curriculum, good prices, but the major selling point was that while you were teaching in your classroom, the parents were in the lobby watching you/their child's every move on big screen. Fun times. (Avoid.)

XLB

[cormac]

[AdrianG4]

Thanks a lot guys,
I just did a phone interview with another company in harbin. If it doesn't work out, then I'll ask a few more questions and sign with this school Wuhan.

[RonHex]