Job Discussion Forums

[RL]

As to the OP's description of the hours of work, is he/she expected to work both the 7-12 and the 5-10 shift each day, or is it one or the other?

[Richfilth]

[dynow]

[Daktari]

Richfilth's done ok for himself, so it's all possible. However, the vast majority of teachers in Poland are in the hand-to-mouth situation more or less, especially the newbies. When you're younger working 12 months of the year ain't so bad, but it gets boring after a while. I've always maintained Poland is a younger man's gig. Living like a student, scrimping and scraping isn't for me. 1,000 quid a month is barely a living wage in Europe.....I just couldn't do it and most earn less than that. With kids and all that entails you need more like 1,800 pounds to really give yourselves a life.

And Richfilth-hope you didn't get burned too badly with a low interest Swiss Franc mortgage....what's the rate now?

[Richfilth]

[delphian-domine]

[Master Shake]

dynow's not far off the mark. Most language schools in PL do close for all or part of the summer.

There are courses such as the ones Richfilth mentioned, but these are the exceptions, not the rule.

The summers I've stayed in PL I've made considerably less than I did in a 'normal' month. And I have done the odd summer camp in BFE to make ends meet.

Delph, it's great you get paid regularly throughout the year, but this is not going to be a reality for 99% of people teaching in Poland.

So, yes, you have to take into account that you will very likely earn less over the summer in PL. I've accepted this and compensated by teaching summer camps in PL and abroad, working temp jobs back home in the U.S. and just making do with less cash.

[dynow]

Mastershake wrote:

[Daktari]

2 categories is an oversimplfication. Let's see shall we?

1-Many of my friends work at universities in Poland. Salaried 12 months of the year but with only the basic, which is low, during the 4 summer months. All of them therefore work for most of the summer.

2-Those who do more translation/proof reading than teaching as they've been there almost 2 decades. They work 12 months of the year.

3-Those who teach and do other stuff...ie writing, privates or play in paid bands...erm they all work the whole time.

Which of the above don't take it seriously? My pals in POZNAN ;-) are not arrivistes who like to wax lyrical about what is normal. I applaud Richfilth's succes but it is atypical. I'm not a naysayer about Poland....I just like to keep it real. From what some people post here teachers will arrive in Poland expecting the Land of Oz.

And the quip about drinkers? In the 17 years I've been associated with Poland (lived in 3 cities), I've yet to meet a native speaker who doesn't drink more than he should....come to think of it....any expat, the profession's irrelevant. The boozing, sharking culture is what attracts most blokes....except those bible thumping Americans you see in white shirts with name badges. Seriously, the reason you don't see many holiday brochures full of holidays to Poland is because most of Europe is just 'much better'.

[delphian-domine]

[Daktari]

Just read Pawel's link and he's not an EFL teacher, so what's he got to do with the price of fish?

Come to think of it....how many of the thousands of EFL teachers in Poland have anything like those quals and that experience.......probably less than 10. You're hardly speaking in general terms.

[delphian-domine]

[Daktari]

Aye indeed and that's why most of them are getting out of dodge and doing other stuff. I know 2 journalists, many translators and quite a few who do other media work.

When I was at UAM in the mid 90's, I worked for a magazine as a writer and did voiceovers for commercials and tv documetaries. I also did privates but hated them....not just because of the cancellations and running around but because I personally don't like 1:1 classes.....they bore me silly.

'It's all about response-ability' Get it? I remember that gem from one of the development courses I was forced to attend, 2 nights a week for endless weeks, on 1:1 teaching, wayback when.

[PeterParvo]

"unless you're on guaranteed salary with paid vacation/govt. holidays year round, you can't budget without taking these things into consideration."

This is one of the main reasons I chose to take my wife and kids out of Poland. I just couldn't deal with the uneven pay calendar. I often imagine if we'd stay if I'd be selling t-shirts to tourists in Sopot in the summer to make ends meet.

[delphian-domine]