Job Discussion Forums

[Lei Feng]

I would love it if people could add more to this topic. I am looking for things that you could directly say to a "NEW TEACHER MANAGER" or FAO.

I am not sure which is the best title, so I just included all my thoughts. Please, add more!

1- Plan ahead �Give as much info as early as possible - Do your best to avoid things at the last minute.

This particularly includes teaching schedules in regards to regular classes, demo classes, marketing events, outside activities (best guess at to number of students and language level), student ages, jobs and learning needs.

2- Don�t play around with the teacher�s money. � Know what the contract says � Follow the contract- Control the finance department.

Be sure that the teacher is paid on time and in full for all the hours worked and bonuses promised. No nickel and diming. Even if the end result is that the teacher gets paid (but late) that will result in �hurt feelings� and higher than necessary teacher turnover.


3- Make any required meetings are to the point. � Have a point to meetings � Only have meetings when necessary.

Long, pointless and especially unpaid meetings just cause unnessary headaches and prevent the teachers from preparing their lessons which will result in student complaints.


4- Student complaints should be filtered � Don�t relay every little thing you hear � Use better commonsense to understand what matters and what is just stupid � Have empathy before providing feedback.


5- Just do the visa stuff you promised. - Follow the contract.


6- Pay the teacher if you are going to pimp or farm them out.



7-To repeat, but most importantly, plan ahead. Almost anything will be ok if you can give the teacher enough notice.


Anymore to add?

[vikeologist]

Frankly, LF, I was so put off by the title you gave this thread and your tone, I was tempted to just ignore it, but I think there's a valuable idea underneath it, so here's some advice and a couple of examples of good practice I've seen by DOSs and their equivalents.

Act as a conduit between owners / bosses and the teachers. Stand up to unreasonable demands and then the other side will respect you more when there are things that 'need to be done'.

Ensure that the ethos of your school is to put the students and the quality of teaching first. The teachers will be fine, and the owners will get rich. Don't let anybody treat the students like footballs or piggy banks. Put them first and everything else will follow.

Treat the teachers fairly. You're not their pal. If you want to be loved get a dog. Just be transparent, open and fair.

[daCabbie]

Pay me on time.

I have had every cr*p job known to man. Trash trucks, concrete factories, taxis. I flipped concrete blocks in a concrete block factory for ten hours a day. I stood next to a toxic plastic injection machine for $5.95 an hour. It didn't matter as long as I got paid.

That's all that maters to me. Oh ya, a thank you is nice now and then.

[nickpellatt]

I must be the lucky one...the things listed in the initial post have been all pretty standard with my last employer.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

Two postings have been deleted for being off-topic. If you wish to start a thread dealing with the opposite of the topic of this one, please do so.

If off-topic postings continue on this thread, there will be sanctions.

[Miajiayou]

I haven't had any major issues, but I'd love it if I could write an open letter to FAOs about some of the minor ones.

Like...
I know you probably haven't been out of China. But, after someone gets off a flight that was anywhere between 12-30 hours, they generally want to shower before being dragged to a banquet.

Please don't try to hold my arm when we cross the street. I'm not 5. If I need it, I'll take it.

Don't constantly trash other FTs to me. Maybe the teachers that didn't renew their contracts really were sex-crazed alcoholics who showed movies all the time and were nowhere near the amaaaaazing, woooooonderful, priiiiiiiiiceless teacher that I am - but I seriously doubt it and only the most desperate people will accept such overt and insincere flattery.