Job Discussion Forums

[TeachTravelTattoo]

Hello. I'm new to the site and have been learning a lot. I'm still fuzzy on information about teaching at the university level.

Are you required to have taught at another school, say a high school, in China before universities will consider you?

I have been teaching since 2003. I've been a tutoring consultant and literacy coach, have a BA (English), MA (Contemporary English Literature), an Advanced Certificate (Secondary English Education), and New York State English certification (7th-12th grades). I have been working at an international school in Manhattan since 2008 as their only upperschool (6th-11th) English teacher. I'm the 6th-9th grade Social Studies teacher, was a co-librarian one year, and was the Dean of Students (1st-11th grades) this past year. I will not be the Dean next year. I turned it down for various reasons. I'm the upperschool trip coordinator and take students on eductional, historical and aesthetic trips at least once a month. I love my school and students, but have a great desire to live abroad, experience new cultures, new schools, etc. I lived and studied in the UK from 2000-2002. It was an exciting, challenging time.

Almost all of my students start off as ESL, then ELL learners. I work very closely with the ESL/ELL teacher. She taught in Japan for fifteen years and has been suggesting I look into teaching at a university in an Asian country.

How would you high school and/or university teachers describe the work? All of my students are 'global' kids - well-travelled, liberal. Kids are kids, and they've put many a gray hair in my head, but since it's a 99% ESL-structured school, I feel that I have the skills to work with similar students. I really enjoy working with the eldest students, the college-bound ones. Is that what a university English curriculum in China is akin to? A great 12th class? I'm really in the dark, so excuse my ignorance.

I am excited to seek out a university to work for, to be a part of. It'd be a series of challenges, but my school is all about adapting to other cultures, the needs, work habits, quirks, gossip, etc of each culture. They've adapted to me. I've adapted to them. It's been my best working experience yet.

So, high school and/or university teachers, how would you describe the work, the commitment of time? Can you make your own curriculum or is there usually one set in place? Is it a part-time position usually, and then you find supplementary work? I read that in a thread too.

I do have student loan debts (about $335 a month). Do you find that you can make enough to live, pay debts, travel, save? There's just so much "the streets are paved with gold" junk about teaching English in Asia that I'd love to get a little truth.

I love being a teacher and can certainly stay at my school or find a new school (in NYC or elsewhere), but would certainly welcome a change of scenery, daily routines, meeting new people, and seeing if I'm "up to snuff". I think working in an international school where French and Japanese, and various African languages, are spoken more readily than English, but where I've made my mark, helps me feel that I can do this.

I have no interest in teaching students younger than 17, 18. I've gotten to know myself as a teacher, and that age group, plus older students I've had tutoring, are what I prefer.

I'm working on a tattoo "suit" (not head or hands) and it is easily hidden in the suits I wear to work, but if someone work-related sees any of my inkwork outside of school, can I be fired? I've read about how tattoo art is frowned upon in Asia. I love wearing suits, but don't plan on wearing long sleeved shirts in the summer. What about the beach? Saunas?

Also, I'm gay and my partner will be staying in NYC to go to school for graphic arts design. If I like Asia after a year, he will get a job in the same city and join me. I'm out, but always mistaken for being heterosexual. I don't take it as a compliment; it just is. I work in a gay-friendly school and am open with my colleagues. Would that be something I'd have to hide in a Chinese high school or university? I'm only interested in teaching in large cities, and people are usually more cosmopolitan in large cities.

Any comments? I'm sorry if I was longwinded. I've read that many people who go abroad don't consider themselves teachers, that it's just what pays the bills, but I'm a career teacher, so I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing for myself. I've never "babysat" as a job and won't start now. Teaching is too important to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. And I'm sorry if I asked something that's a FAQ. I read up on teaching at the university level, but still don't feel that I know enough.

[kowlooner]

Um, Hong Kong's not China. Not really, anyway. It might be becoming more like China, but still.

I believe there have been a number of threads about university positions in HK, so it might be better to do a quick search to see what's already been said. In short though, jobs are highly competitive, much more so than in the mainland.

[TeachTravelTattoo]

Thank you. I'll keep researching.

[Perilla]

A lot of Qs, TTT! To answer a few, in short:

HK and China have little in common - a bit of Googling will set you right on that.

HK uni students are remarkably immature and un-worldly. Not much fun to teach but, on the plus side, few disciplinary problems.

Uni jobs are competitive and, unless you're at the top end (ie. PhD professor level) you're unlikely to get employed from outside HK, IMO.

For older students, all the unis run continuing education programmes, such as SPACE at HKU, which I used to work for. Classes pay well and if you get enough you're on a reasonable income. Again, you really need to be on the ground here to get these jobs.

If you want to make better money you'll probably need to look at secondary teaching. With your quals you'd stand a good chance of getting onto the HK govt NET programme, which pays pretty well, or into one of the international schools, which also pay well, but competitive.

Tattoos don't go down well here though, especially not in the teaching profession. You'd probably need to keep a lid on them.

The gay scene in HK is good, though you'd be advised to keep it quiet at work. HK professes to be progressive but in reality is rather conservative.

[colecold]

Sorry using my phone...

[TeachTravelTattoo]

Perilla and colecold, thank you very much. You've given me a lot to think about.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

Several postings have been deleted for being offensive and otherwise inappropriate.

Future ones earn the authors permanent bans.

[Perilla]

Just to add a bit of detail: One of my closest friends here was gay. I say "was" because he has just retired to NZ. He taught on the NET prog for 11 years, but at school always kept quiet about his sexuality. He is a very outgoing, confident, intelligent guy, but was well aware that he would have done himself no favours by being open about being gay. He was aware of many gay colleagues in HK over the years, but they also kept it quiet at work - even if other colleagues were perfectly well aware they were gay - just don't talk about it ...

He didn't particularly enjoy the three or four schools he taught at for the usual HK reasons - too much work, backward principals/colleagues and/or a frustrating syllabus, etc. Socially though he had a ball and generally enjoyed himself. In recent years he bought a house in Thailand and had many great hols over there. He didn't have much money or assets when he arrived here but saved enough - along with an Oz property purchase - to retire at 61, albeit he'll need to do some p/t work back in NZ.

[TeachTravelTattoo]

Well yes, nothing's perfect, and I spent years living and working in the South Bronx, so I'm no wilting violet. But posting on this forum, and the Japan one, has gotten me to really think about where I belong - American high schools or international high schools abroad. So I'm going to shift my focus to TIE Online.