Job Discussion Forums

[Spyro]

I have been working in China for the past 8 months at this language mill geared towards teaching kindergarten and elementary school students. All in all, I've been having a great time. Of course I've had my bad china days, however, for the most part I love being in China.

However, one problem I have is being exhausted from teaching. There is nothing wrong with my school. They are honest, they pay me on time, classes are small (8 - 10 students) and things are very well organized. My hours are pretty standard for a private language center. I work around 22 contact hours a week with no office hours. I don't mind lesson planning and the support I have from the school is great .

Nonetheless, I feel absolutely drained after every class (even if it's just a 90 minute class). My whole week feels devoted to teaching and I always have no energy to do other things such as learn Chinese and experience the local culture. Obviously, work is work, and it does tend to dominate your week (no matter what field). However, considering my hours, it doesn't seem like it should be that way.

I'm trying to figure out exactly why I feel so drained. I do get sick often in China and my health may contribute towards my decreased energy level. In addition, I do find teaching kids to be energy intensive (as I have to be very active in my class). However, another side of me thinks that maybe I'm unsuited for teaching or I'm just plain lazy. I am a young 25 year old and energy shouldn't be an issue for me.

Is teaching 22 hours a week supposed to be this tiring? Is it because I am teaching kids? Or do I need to seriously re-evaluate why I feel so burned out?

[liebkuchen]

There's lots of possible problems- not getting enough good sleep, your eating habbits, getting enough exercise...

Remember, that they say you need to go through several stages of adjustment to a new culture. Depression is one of them and manifests itself in exactly the way you describe. But usually it does go away in a few months, some quicker, some longer.

Don't be hard on yourself. I too came dreaming of becoming bilingual (slight exaggeration) but studying regularly alongside everything else that's going on is hard. Let yourself have a lazy month or two with no pressure and see how you feel.

Me, I have clinical depression. I'm on tablets. Coming to China has been a great motivator but after the initial 'wow' of the change which lasted 3 weeks, I've been having a good month then a bad month. Currently on a bad month. No one at work or my friends here suspects anything as I request a skype with family when I feel myself boiling over and this works for me.

So don't worry right now. Just take good care of yourself and accept the depression is part of the new country thing. If the feelings get worse or are still there, then see a doctor back in your home country but for basic depression exercise really does help with the brain chemicals even if your brain is screaming 'don't move a muscle'!

[Guerciotti]

Spyro, you're tired because you're teaching kids. 22 hours per week is full time. Getting sick is another matter but you have a full time job at 22 hours. I believe others will tell you the same thing.

I occasionally teach kids on the side and I love it. Kids are so much fun but they wear you out. The material is easy (What is this? Yes, a dog! A dog is big! A mouse is small!) but the work is hard. Of course I thought all the people who said so were full of it before I actually tried it myself.

Culture shock is another difficulty, but you probably passed the worst of it. There's a chance your illness is a result of culture shock, which is good news because it fades away.

Make sure you get enough rest. That means you probably can't study 100 Chinese words per day, but in my opinion it's better to be rested than to try and do too much unless you're obligated.

Just my 2 jiao.

[Opiate]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Not only are you pretty much full-time teaching, but teaching full-time with the littlest of kids that the industry has to offer. And yea, when I saw you mention "even if it's only a 90 minute class", I was shaken.

Hope you are getting paid a lot for the year of your life you just gave to the school....

[steve b]

I teach kids (aged 9-13) for a couple of lessons a week at 40 minutes a pop. I am drained after every one of them, so God knows what Kindergarten is like. Ok, you are half my age but your workload is high (especially if you have to lesson plan as well). Personally, I would hate to teach kids full time. I love doing one-off guest laowei slots at various places (we are remote so it happens every couple of months) because I get door to door transport, taken to outlying towns/villages and then wined and dined, but on a regular basis? No thanks.

On the other hand, teaching at uni often sees me running over time. It is rare for me to have more than 2 classes a day (double lesson each) and the only time I feel knackered is on the odd occasion they give me three. Maybe you are putting too much into the lessons, which whilst good for the students, it may just be depleting you. If you are a new teacher it is understandable but I am sure it will get easier - over time of course you will plan lessons less and less.

[doogsville]

I agree with all of the above. Teaching eight hours of kids and teenagers on a Saturday does me in, and then another half day of it on Sunday means Mondays are my stay home and switch of the phone days.

I would also add that Chinese beds don't help. Most of the foreigner teachers I know, myself included, don't always feel like we have had a good nights sleep, due to feeling that we actually slept on the floor rather than in a nice comfortable bed. Quality of sleep is as important as quantity, and I don't feel like I get as good a sleep on my slab of a Chinese bed as I would on a nice double sprung, upholstered marshmallow of a matress back home.

Chalk it up to the first year learning curve, and think about what you want from year two. Maybe look for a job where you teach older kids and a sprinkling of adults for your next contract?

[kev7161]

[steve b]

I specified a western-style mattress before I arrived. Not as soft as back home but perfectly Ok. I couldn't sleep on a Chinese bed!

[hochhasd]

[Guerciotti]

I forgot the 'firm' beds. Did anyone else get a complimentary sand pillow upon arrival? I got two pillows filled with sand. No need to spend good money on frivolous things.

OP get some vitamins and rest. It is no surprise you are tired.

[steve b]

Sand? Where can you buy them? I might like them! I did buy a couple of large ones which have charcoal in the middle which I quite like.

[Guerciotti]

I'm not sure where to buy sand pillows! I did not inquire. 哈哈
These don't have sand in the middle, rather they are full of sand and only sand.

I'm sure you can find some if you ask around. I bet they're cheap!

[steve b]

I just might do that

[Non Sequitur]

Off to a uni or vocational college next semester for you my friend!
If there are public tertiary institutions near you, get a few hard copies of your CV together and cold call their FAOs. Avoid 12 to 2pm. Get a Chinese-speaking friend to help you navigate the campuses.
You will be an infinitely better prospect for the recruiter as they can see and hear you. They usually have a lot more clout over at the visa office than a language school and assuming your current visa is legit they can facilitate the paperwork to effect a transfer of employment.
16 or 18 45 min contact hours pw is the max you should be doing.
You will have larger classes than now but this is an advantage as the time it takes for say 45 students to perform their dialogue means less lesson plans so you have quality time off.
At my last gig at a voc college I spent more time preparing for my 5-student Saturday morning language school class than the Monday to Friday.
I loved those little kids but was glad when my contract ended.