Job Discussion Forums

davidmsgi · Joined: 01 Feb 2011 Posts: 62 Location: Mexico City

Please don't start guessing, because in just a few guesses my school can be identified by process of elimination.

If I say you're wrong, you'll guess again until you get it right.
So I won't respond to any probes for my school's name.

Let's just say that Franchise offices can be a disaster without strong corporate oversight and constant quality control, and leave it at that.

It's not fair to the company that you identify with your 'guesses', because they appear guilty by implication if I don't respond with a denial.

Obviously, we all know the identities of the 4 -6 'chain' school operators in Mexico.

Here's my response to all 'guesses' - YES, IT'S ONE OF THEM.

mejms · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390

Does it really matter if we know which franchise it was this time around?

Every franchise has its horror stories, and there are no lack of poorly managed schools in Queretaro.

It's no news to most of us that most language school management, foreign or national, are people who couldn't hack it in the US or other more developed markets and barely get by on the low standards and acceptance of the status quo here.

After working for several of these places, I got tired of the circus and went off on my own. My salary tripled, I got rid of the hassles and incompetence of "management," and I do what's best for my clients without trying to meet the empty requirements of a lackluster school.

Job security is much better than when I worked for schools because I've got my finger on the pulse of my clients and I know if there's going to be a change. I'll never work for a language school again, and my standards for any employment in Mexico are at a whole different level than a few years back. It really is night and day.

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:17 pm Post subject:

davidmsgi · Joined: 01 Feb 2011 Posts: 62 Location: Mexico City

One of the things that amazed me was my school 'culture' where the teacher is a disposable and interchangeable resource, simply a 'spoke in the wheel of the system' - it felt like a communist political system.

I was admonished repeatedly by my management for consistent requests from my students for 'repeat' classes with me!

To my school, this was a BIG problem. They didn't want a teacher to stand out, but 'blend in', so that the students did not perceive any difference, no matter what teacher was assigned to their class. My students consistently requested repeat classes with me, and I was told that this was completely unacceptable, and that I was not doing my job properly if my students felt that their teacher was a factor in their advancement or instruction.

What ever happened to striving for excellence?

My students loved my classes and wanted more - and my management resented hearing these requests, and told me I wasn't doing my job.

It was a relief to resign - I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone!
Everything was upside down. It was George Orwell, 1984!

"Don't be too good - that's bad."
"We don't want your students to like you too much - that's not good."

This is a true story - can you believe it?

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 3:06 am Post subject:

Isla Guapa · Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 3:16 am Post subject:

davidmsgi · Joined: 01 Feb 2011 Posts: 62 Location: Mexico City

So, what is a teacher to do?

I had no control over any contacts, conversations, or requests being made by my students to my school's management.

What's the lesson here?

DON'T be a good teacher?
Or - mediocrity equals job security?

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 5:42 am Post subject:

davidmsgi · Joined: 01 Feb 2011 Posts: 62 Location: Mexico City

I believe that satisfied students refer other students - TO THE SCHOOL.

If I'm a popular teacher, it's a positive reflection on the school that employs me, isn't it? If students believe that I'm an excellent teacher, it becomes a credit to the school Director who hired me, doesn't it?

What do happy students tell their friends?

"I have this terrific English teacher WHO WORKS FOR school xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. If you take classes with school xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, you can get this teacher, too."

If I am generating referrals, and I work for a school, those referrals go to THE SCHOOL, don't they?

So now I have left the school due to being chastised for doing a great job, and my former students are contacting me asking for private classes. I wasn't looking to leave the school - they DROVE me out.

For the school, the situation has now become a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Maybe I'm naive, but the better alternative outcome from my perspective should have been accolades from my superiors, and an increased schedule of classes as student requests are granted, and the students get more classes with their favorite teacher. The students are happy, I am happy as I get more hours, classes, and money, and the school and the Director should be thrilled - more students, more classes, more referrals, and more money - FOR THE SCHOOL.

Isn't this Business 101?

Isla Guapa · Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 3:34 pm Post subject:

Maybe the directors of the school never took Business 101 Wink

.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

mejms · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390

mejms · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 390

Ah, and I also want to add, that not only have these business owners never taken Business 101, a lot of them don't care that much for business. I've seen plenty of school owners who do it because there's nothing else they could even really try to do-- no other market where they could even get their foot in the door-- and so run a school more for ego and status than to run a good business.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I've worked on and off over the years with a an HR manager at Grupo Penafiel and I've picked his brain a lot on a number of issues in people management, hiring, and the like. In his case, quotas ans sales targets were the determining factors on hiring, firing, and raises.

There's definitely a lot to what your saying, mejms, but I also think there is a strong awareness of the value of retaining talent and developing it. Perhaps some industries value this more than others, but to use an example within our field, look at how many companies are willing to invest in English instruction for the employees. It's certainly not uniform across all industries of course.