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[Big Poppa Pump]

The world of management in ESL is a wonderful (read wonderful with a heavy voice of sarcasm for best delivery) place. I took the plunge into ESL management just last year. During that time I learned valuable lessons, grew to enjoy being in management, and have come to the conclusion there is hope for my wayward wandering existence.

One very valuable lesson I've learned is a good manager takes care of their people no matter how much of a pain in the arse they are. My first month in my management role I had both of the foreign teachers threatening to quit, my school owner abusing our contracts, and the Chinese teachers all grumbling about how crappy their situation was, and me wanting to score a fat bag of blow and crawl into a deep hole somewhere.

Since there is no blow to be found, and the death penalty given out for it here in China, I opted to do my job. I put on a straight face and listened to the FTs as they whinged and groaned. I sorted out the contract situation with my school owner. I reminded the Chinese teachers that my job was to oversee the foreigners and wished them all the best of luck in their efforts to achieve a proper working wage and better conditions.

Mind you, it isn't like I don't sympathize with the Chinese staff, but my job is to manage Foreigner Teachers and there is nothing in my contract about managing Chinese teachers. This frustrated some of them, but once I got them off my back I was able to persuade the school owner to make some reasonable changes to the Chinese Teacher's working conditions.

The school hired a cleaning lady to do the cleaning, and the Chinese Teacher's rejoiced. I took all the Chinese Teachers out and got them silly drunk, and they were merry, drank all my booze, and rejoiced. The best thing is the school owner gave them all more time off, and again they rejoiced. I was able to do this because the school owner didn't think I was representing them and avoid that awkward us against the owner situation.

Of course getting my school organized was no small feat either. I had to force the management to accept the iea that all changes to the Foreign teacher's schedules had to go through me a week in advance. Of course the idea of planning ahead shattered the very foundations of the Chinese management, but the Foreigners loved it. They all of the sudden knew where they had to be and when they had to be there.

Further, I forced the school to do simple things like include travel time as working time for shipping the Foreign teachers to special events. Which drove the school nuts, but it made them plan accordingly. In a meeting just last week the Chinese Owner actually thanked me for making them go along with some of these changes after noticing the Foreign teachers have rarely complained about much of anything for the last six months.

Most of the time they are found scribbling away at their desks preparing for their lessons. Half the time I'm kicking them out of school early and telling them to go have some fun as soon as their prep work is finished. I'm not one to be a huge social butterfly with the foreign staff as I tend to come from that school of management where there is that divide between the workers and those in positions of greater responsibility.

However, I do remember what it was like to be young, single, and in Asia. So I do know they appreciate the extra free time to go forth and attempt to impregnate the entire female population of China.

What I have learned is showing rather than telling Chinese managers works incredibly well. Every event I've planned, I've done so hand in hand with the management of my school. Over the last couple of months I've backed off and let them plan some of the events and noticed the huge change from the beginning to now. Things have gotten much better.

Not to say that the Chinese are incompetent when it comes to management. The particular people in management here are all very new to their jobs, whereas I have more experience with supervision of groups of people from previous employments.

All in all, it has been a great year for me. I do plan on staying in management. I'm going to a new school in March. From there I hope to inveigle my way up the chain of command. Possibly going to consider doing a distance course for business management from an Australian University as well.

I'll tell you though, I'd much rather do management in a fortune 500 company, but I guess my chain school will have to do, for now.

Be warned Proctor and Gamble, HERE I COME!

[mimi_intheworld]

Thanks for sharing! Someday, if I manage to stay in one place for more than 3 years, I'd like to go a similar route (not sure why - glutton for punishment?) and it's good to read your review of the management experience.

[Big Poppa Pump]

The hardest part of it all was being a straight up *beep* at times by looking the Chinese management right in the eyes when they would say,"Well the chinese teachers work x number of hours and you foreigners don't..."

Which is true.. and it is true that the Chinese teachers for the most part get treated like crap. However, I represent the Foreign Teachers.. our contracts grant us certain things and damn it.. fair or not.. I'm going to make sure we get them.

Another thing, though not as hard as you think it would be, is dealing with FTs who just can't figure out they aren't in university anymore. I'm sure it is all good and fine to show up 15 minutes late, unshaven, and looking like you are still blotto when you are in Uni, but out in the workforce.. poor form.

So if you aren't used to confrontation, get used to it. Learn to do it respectfully as not everything has to be one of those things where you are raining down fire on someone from the heavens, though there is a time and place for that.

Another frustrating tibbit..

You have an FT who can't perform, but the school won't let them go because a replacement will take months to get. Uggh..

The list goes on at times, but in the end it comes down to learning how to push for new systems, learning how to manage people, and that management of both systems and people never for one single second ends.

There is always something that needs to be attended to at any given moment in time.

[Glenski]

[Big Poppa Pump]

[naturegirl321]

Hope you're getting paid more for the extra work you're doing. I'd like to get into management as well, but have to finish up the degree I'm working on first.

[Dragonlady]

[Big Poppa Pump]

I love teaching still as well. My job has me in the classroom still. Which makes it alot easier to do the heaps of paperwork I have to do. Just knowing I can escape to class keeps me partially sane.

Though, I think in my case I want to see what else life has to offer. So in the future I'll be pursuing opportunities outside of the classroom more and more.

[naturegirl321]

I'd really like to get into admin or teacher training. I'd like to do something with organisational management. basically going to businesses and watching what people do and telling them how to do it better. I'm very good at organising and it would be nice to get paid for it. I just have no idea how to go about getting that type of job

[Big Poppa Pump]

[naturegirl321]

I can't really get into business now. I'm supporting myself and husband, as well as paying for my schooling and his schooling and thinking of having kids. Right now I earn good money and can't risk changing careers at the moment. Maybe in the future, but for now I'll be tteaching English.

[Big Poppa Pump]

Man, you gotta put that husband of yours out on the street corner. Pimp him out and launch your career in the widely respected world of Pimping.

[tttompatz]

[naturegirl321]

[naturegirl321]