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CHINOISE
Joined: 09 Dec 2012
Posts: 62
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 Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:33 am Post subject: let's compare teaching kids vs university students in China |
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I teach for a private k-5 chain, but I'm wondering how green the grass is on the other side
I pretty much chose my current job because of the low teaching hours and high pay, but there is a real set back. I work mostly on the weekends in a part of the city with few foreigners.
I get the feeling that most teachers in this city are working in University positions that pay less and provide a lot more professional environment.
I like the idea of actually teaching to a receptive mature audience, but I'd like to get some thoughts from others. When I worked in Korea, university positions provided a lot of prestige, but I heard a lot of cynical comments about the university system and quality of students.
Has anyone worked in both private elementary as well as university education here in China, who can comment on their experience? |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 3:20 am Post subject: |
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| actually teaching to a receptive mature audience |
hahahahahaha!!
I won't elaborate, I don't have much time right now.
I like teaching very young children because usually raising the voice or a dirty look will chill them very quickly.
I like the university jobs because everything is provided; visa stuff, housing, etc. |
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mwaltman
Joined: 07 May 2013
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 3:42 am Post subject: |
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| johntpartee wrote: |
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| actually teaching to a receptive mature audience |
hahahahahaha!!
I won't elaborate, I don't have much time right now. |
What is the reason you can't work or teach back home that your cynicism forces? This amount of cynicism makes me wonder why you even would come here, let alone stay.
Everyone has their own opinion and likes/dislikes. So asking where to work is useless because only you know what you want to do. I prefer the so-called adult-to-adult relationship in my university setting and don't want to play peekaboo or patty-cake except with my own baby. |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 3:46 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Has anyone worked in both private elementary as well as university education here in China, who can comment on their experience? |
I believe the OP was asking for an opinion based on experience. I gave it. |
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Denim-Maniac
Joined: 31 Jan 2012
Posts: 1238
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 4:58 am Post subject: Re: let's compare teaching kids vs university students in Ch |
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| CHINOISE wrote: |
I get the feeling that most teachers in this city are working in University positions that pay less and provide a lot more professional environment.
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Stick around here for long enough and read about the average university job and you will note that they could be considered the least professional of environments for language teaching and learning. Of course the teachers can make a difference, but university work may typically offer no mentoring or feedback, no materials or real instruction other than 'speak English to them', ridiculous class sizes that are not streamed by ability. Add in late schedule changes and all the other politics and nonsense and it would be hard to seriously describe the average uni job as professional.
| CHINOISE wrote: |
I like the idea of actually teaching to a receptive mature audience |
Then you need to teach actual adults ... not students who have yet to graduate and enter the real world. Of course university students will be more adult than your current classes, but still not quite receptive or mature! |
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Songbird
Joined: 09 Jan 2005
Posts: 630
Location: State of Chaos, Panic & Disorder...
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 5:38 am Post subject: |
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Hahaha @ most things the OP said!
I'm into my 9th year now teaching in China- 6 years in these university situations the OP is talking about, 1 in a training centre and 1 in a primary school (international section).
My current primary school position is the most satisfying I've had here. Ok pay, consistent hours but still the challenge with lesson planning and getting students to pass IB and Cambridge exams etc. I'm surprised that I'm even enjoying it, and have re-signed for another year. And the kids are nowhere near as bratty and emporish as I was expecting (some still are though).
Depends on what you prefer, I guess. But as an MA Linguistics holder, the uni positions were totally unsatisfying professionally. |
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muffintop
Joined: 07 Jan 2013
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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| mwaltman wrote: |
| johntpartee wrote: |
| Quote: |
| actually teaching to a receptive mature audience |
hahahahahaha!!
I won't elaborate, I don't have much time right now. |
What is the reason you can't work or teach back home that your cynicism forces?
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Oh dear....him again. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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| muffintop wrote: |
| mwaltman wrote: |
| johntpartee wrote: |
| Quote: |
| actually teaching to a receptive mature audience |
hahahahahaha!!
I won't elaborate, I don't have much time right now. |
What is the reason you can't work or teach back home that your cynicism forces?
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Oh dear....him again. |
This thread is about job choice IN CHINA.
Why or how you got here is irrelevant.
The best set up for me is a 20 hour uni job with airfare and accom topped up by privates.
In privates I've done 1:1 adult, corporates, adult evening classes at a language school, Saturday mornings 10 to 12 yo at language school and summer children and young adults at language school.
All had their merits, but in the end I was always glad to see my regular Oral English freshmen come Monday morning.
Language school and uni all have the large class problem, so I set myself up to teach with resources and teaching style to cope with that situation.
I found downsizing to a small group a problem as the class gets through far more material in a given lesson, than 50 - odd freshers. |
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