Job Discussion Forums

roadrunner · Joined: 09 Mar 2003 Posts: 22 Location: London, UK

Does anyone know what standard number of teaching hours would be? I have ehard quotes of 25 hours per week.

This seems quite heavy to me, when one considers preparation time, plus possible travel to off-site teaching locations. All this could add up to about 50 hours a week.

Does anyone have anything more precise? Thank you.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

I would say it depends on the outfit.

For example, in a place where there are plenty of materials, syllabuses and clear guidelines to follow and admin is required but supported well i.e. perhaps checklists created and simple forms to fill in, 24 contact hours is fine.

But if you are in a place where there are no materials, the power is intermittent, you don't have a desk to work at and you are required to file lesson plans in detail and in triplicate, 24 contact hours is beyond a joke.

So, what kind of place are you working at and where are you?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I agree with shmooj. What kind of teaching job are you referring to?

In Japan, language conversation schools usually offer 25-30 classroom contact hours per week, from noonish to 9pm. Weekends are usually Sat and Sun, but not always.

High schools vary on the type. In my private school, teachers have about 15-17 classes per week (45 minutes each), plus extracurricular activities and meetings that keep us at work from 8 to 7pm or later 5 or 6 days a week. Can't say about public HS's.

JET ALT's have fewer hours in the classroom. Perhaps 1 or 2 classes a day on average?

Universities offer jobs with about half a dozen classes per week. Depends on the position.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

I've got 20 classroom hours now, plus five office hours and prep time (I think my contract says something about 15 prep hours, but there's nobody there watching over me, and I often end up prepping from the comfort of my home). All on-site, too, so no traveling.

In Prague, my school offered contracts with a maximum of 26 hours (fewer for returning/experienced/head teachers). There was a mixture of on-site and off-site classes, and the school really did its best to be fair and go easy on the teachers with the most off-site classes. Example: I had a class twice a week at--gasp--7:30am, at literally the other end of the city. I also had evening classes that required a bit of travel--the typical split shift. I never, however, had more than 20 teaching hours.

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Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

My next job is a university position. 16 contact periods spread over five mornings. Afternoons off and free to engage in more lucrative sideline jobs, or shopping, going to the concert on Ersha Island, doing sports, imbibing Starbucks coffee or boozing on Torres wine in a bar just across from the cafe.
It's a laid-back sort of life!

Preparations? before I hit the mattress!

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

When I was in Canada, standard teaching hours were about 20-25 hours/week for most language schools.
Now, at my current uni job in Japan, the hours are so short, eight-90 minute classes/week. Sometimes doesn`t feel like work. I can kind of relate to Roger`s last post.

Guest · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2003 10:59 am Post subject:

I only have 15 - 40 minute classes per week. There are no books or anything provided and being a Newbie myself (4 months) I do take a bit of time preparing for my classes but if I were a veteran as some on this site, it would only actually have to work 10 hours per week. I think it is great.

The money is not wonderful but I can live quite well and take presents each week for 60 Orphans so I cannot complain.

Personally, I would find 25 hours per week too much for me. It is okay if you are young and fit but I am neither of those things.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

For Sichuan colleges and universities, I would say the standard gig is 14 contact hours/week (usually 7 classes/week) and also two office hours. That would be Monday through Friday with occasional Saturday classes to make up for October First and May Day holiday and maybe a lecture on a special topic and open to the campus once a semester.

Jeff Mohamed · Joined: 18 Oct 2003 Posts: 34 Location: Houston, Texas

In my experience, weekly teaching hour vary a lot. In language schools, a typical weekly load is about 22-25 lessons of 50-55 minutes each; so perhaps 19-23 clock hours. Berlitz-type schools, where teachers are expected to teach pretty directly from a prescribed manual, may expect up to 35 lessons a week while college/university jobs often require only 12-15 lessons.

ilunga · Joined: 17 Oct 2003 Posts: 842 Location: China

I'm in the same boat as you Rhonda, ie being a newbie and only doing 14 periods a week (45 mins). Great isn't it? I hardly know what to do with myself Laughing

I was doing 22 at one point but even that didn't feel like a heavy load.
What kind of place are you teaching at? A private high school by any chance?

yaramaz · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 11:37 am Post subject:

I teach in the highschool of a private K12 here in Turkey and I'm currently working 18X45 minute lessons. Last year in the primary section I had 24 teaching hours with the 12 year olds so I'm significantly happier with this year's fraction of the workload. We are expected to be in the dept around 9am until around 3:30 or 4pm, but I usually drift in and out, doing email, drinking tea in the garden with other teachers, etc. Some days I have 7 lessons, some days I have one. I have textbooks and a set curriculum for the first time in my teaching career so I'm not as stressed about lesson planning as I used to be.

In Canada, I used to have to fill 5 hours a day, five days a week, with my own material for one group of students in an ongoing immersion program--- very difficult when some of the students stayed in your class for months on end. I was grasping for ideas by the end of my time there. There were some materialsavailable but most weren't relevant and the students had no text of their own to refer to. Lots of photocopying. Lots of my own activities and worksheets. I felt like it wasn't a very coherent or fluid setup, esp as I was basically a newbie when I started that job. I could cope with it better now but at the time I used to almost cry every morning before school because I was so stressed.

august03 · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 159 Location: Jiangsu, China

I'm at a Primary School at only do 18 classes of 35mins, but I must be at the school from 7:30am until 4-5pm Monday to Friday. The local teachers do much less hours but they have heaps of homework to mark. As all my classes are oral I have none.

Go the oral classes!!

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I think any more than 20 in a week and you are in danger of overworkin.

If you are doing the job properly, with some time for preparation, reflection, and marking go for 20 MAXIMUM

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

Unfortunately, many employers demand their pound of flesh. Last year, a pal of mine in B*rl*tz was doing 48 contact hours a week. With travel time on top it was nearer 60 hours. He did his lesson planning at home on Sunday. And the management wonder why they have such a high staff turnover. Duuuhhh!!