Job Discussion Forums

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

What's the best deal for teachers? I found this one from Sunhill. Is this the school be the school that will finally beat the Mac schools. I callenge you to find a better deal. And what's the experience of teachers working for them? How are they?

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/posting.php?mode=newtopic&f=20

RUSSIAN FEDERATION: MOSCOW REGION (Solnechnogorsk, Istra) [FastView] 29 April, 2008
SUNHILL SCHOOL (MOSCOW region) is searching for...
Sunhill School

SUNHILL SCHOOL (MOSCOW region) is searching for native certified and experienced DOS(conditions by request) and EFL teachers from September 2008. We offer: high local salary ( from 1200 USD with fixed exchange course ); paid work visa and registration; paid holidays; bonus system; air flights compensation, transfer from/in airport; free comfortable accommodation very close to school; comfortable time-table with 24 academic hours of teaching and 3 free days per week; free Internet at school; home atmosphere at school (www.sunhillschool.ru)

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

OOPS!! I's per month!!!! An other bids.

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

This firm had a very revealing and negative posting about it from a former teacher on this site not so long ago-he was not paid according to his terms of contract and told to vacate his accomodation etc when he refused to renew it for a further year for much less than he had been earning!They used to be part of BKC so that should give you a pretty good idea!Solnechnogorsk is a fairly small and decrepid army town north of Moscow off the highway to St.Petes and while I will admit the surrounding countryside is nice and there is a regular bus to the city etc.(takes about 90 mins,depending on traffic) I found people there were at best unhelpful when I went there for a day back in 2002....If the job is in Istra,this is actually quite an attractive place but has now become very popular with the Moscow elite who are building dachas with security walls and fences around them.....
Finding a well-paid contract job teaching in Russia has become very difficult nowadays due to new visa-rules etc.

zeke0606 · Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject: what?

BELS

Can't you do better than the "Mac schools"? After all, you almost have permenent residence and a 2 room school?

Why not start a trend in Moscow -- honest schools and honest employers!!! Just joking!!!!!

Zeke

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

No, mac schools are out for residential families, they are for back-packers and young volunteer singles looking to do some good for others. Whereas I want to do good for my family.

Most certainly, if I am eventually allowed to employ native speakers, I will pay them very well, and I will market quality. I am already aware that Russians are prepared to pay more proportionally than what those schools charge, providing they are convinced of quality and see results.

hughesie · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 63

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

But the question remains, who's currently the biggest bidder in providing a big salary packege for EFL teachers in Russia. I'm afraid it's BKC or language Link , wen it's the whole package for newbies. As for freelancers it's also BKC for freelancers, with 1500 rubles per academic hour and over 2000 rubles if you are prepared to travel outside Moscow.

However there are high incomes offered in the Western region, for children, that have even tempted me Smile

But how many teachers want to teach children, as it takes great management skills as well as teaching skills to do it. How many times have we read "I'll never teach these little brats again" No!! You have to learn to love kids, and learn how to keep their interest, and manage the group.

It's a special skill that goes beyond teaching skills. But no!! It's not what some parents state as the Russian way!! It's not tough discipline of making them read and write in a disciplinary manner. There's another way, but much more complex, such as keep them interested, like playing a game, and learn to change your style of teaching if they get bored for example.

hughesie · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 63

Sorry Bels mate, I should have written 'with experience working in south Korea and Peru' Embarassed

I would love to work in Moscow - just as long as you put a washing machine in my flat! No need for nannies just yet! Laughing

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

And what about the company car, a BMW or a Rangerover ? Which do yoo prefer?

hughesie · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 63

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

The fact is that Russians are looking for regular stars in teachers, and they can't find them in large language centres. They try try to find them, but they are limited in Russia.

The language centres try to make themself the centre of attraction, and this is the wrong image of what Russians are looking for, it's let's know our teachers, are they backbackers, do they love their job, how good are they, and do they love their work, and want to stay in Russia. If the school doesn't have its well satisfied stars its not worth bothering about. If they have different teachers every few months they will get peeved off.

After all they are seeking results, and to be honest with you, these large language centres cannot always provide this, until such time they start treating teachers as any other form of Expat proff=essional expat in Moscow. But that won't happen for a long time. EFL eachers will continue to be used and abused as long as this international promotion continues with travel the world and teach, for anybody, as long as you are English native speaking person, OOH!! and by the way, get a CELTA wih us !!!

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

hughesie · Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 63