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RiverMystic · Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 1986

As for the comment for writing teachers. Yep, this is the job to avoid, if it is a specialist one. I did academic writing last semester. I had 80 students all up. You do the math. If I check even one paragraph of an essay, and it takes me three minutes per student, flat out, not stopping for any breaks, that is 240 minutes or 4 hours of work. If I have to mark an entire essay, and it takes 15 minutes per paper, 1200 minutes of work, or 20 hours. Flat out. No breaks. Then you gotta give it back and mark the final submission...

Tazz · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 512 Location: Jakarta

One thing more that amused me once I had departed was finding out that during the Spring semester there is a 'weekend retreat' for the SCIC English teaching staff- I'd been on one to a really nice Japanese built hot spring resort in the mountains close to Shenyang years ago. Teachers chilled out, ate, drank, and enjoyed the facilities. SCIC's idea of a retreat involves taking the staff to a middle/ high school and having each teacher complete 2 40 minute teaching sessions on the Friday afternoon. What kind of retreat is that? Shocked

astrotrain · Joined: 18 Apr 2013 Posts: 96

^^^

We had a similar experience last year for my H.S program, wasn't really a retreat thing but they asked us to go to this far out rural village still in Guangxi to donate school material to this impoverished grade school. Textbooks, writing material, desks etc. We were all bused there, gave a little speech etc. I didn't mind it much as it was like a charity thing but it was marketing PR for the school as press was there to take pics for the owner of our program in the hand over ceremony etc.

Funny as I recall our bus took out the overhanging roof of one of the village buildings as the road was quite narrow since it was a small village. We came, gave and took out a part of the village all within a day. lol

Hey Tazz, where are you teaching now, still in Nanning? I am itching to go back there, G.F, friends, better climate, familiar surroundings. Not sure if I should risk the tourist visa route, but man my job in T.O is boring as hell.

ymmv · Joined: 14 Jul 2004 Posts: 387

Is Sam Rong-a Chinese Canadian-still a part of this Sino-China SCIC franchise? I remember its first footstep into China in Liaoning in 2000 with plans to spread.

Tazz · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 512 Location: Jakarta

As far as I know he's still the major owner/investor, and occasional visitor. The whole enterprise has grown significantly during the last 15 years. I'm no longer in China and never likely to return again. Having worked at Dalian University of Technology for a year, back in 2004-05, where we were well treated and housed in the campus hotel- I found everything about SCIC a major let down. As Catbird's blog points out-the only real positive is the students and their commitment.

danshengou · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2017 12:21 pm Post subject:

The name of the place lures them in I suppose. And the next thing you know, a bunch of smiling faces are doing time in a hole. But there's many a hopelessly idealistic TEFLer out there who would, despite all warnings on this thread, love to sign up, you know because hey, it's all about travel and adventure and excitement and wow look at the rice paddies I had to travel half a day to see! In the end it's a matter of perspective though isn't it. So any happy non-complaining westerners 'doing time' there? How many opt for a second contract or beyond?