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shaka
Joined: 19 May 2014
Posts: 23
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 Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 3:54 am Post subject: Office hours for an international school job |
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I wasn't sure where to put this. Move it if need be.
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a teaching license to teach subjects in schools abroad, but I'm concerned that it would qualify me for jobs I don't really want.
The sticking point for me is how, at this point in my life, I have no appetite to warm a desk. A few office hours a week? Sure. 15-20? No thanks.
So I was just looking for input as to what the typical int'l school job would require in this regard. Anyone can chime in, as I don't really have a particular country or region in mind. I'm open to most places.
Thanks. |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 6:15 am Post subject: Re: Office hours for an international school job |
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| shaka wrote: |
I wasn't sure where to put this. Move it if need be.
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a teaching license to teach subjects in schools abroad, but I'm concerned that it would qualify me for jobs I don't really want.
The sticking point for me is how, at this point in my life, I have no appetite to warm a desk. A few office hours a week? Sure. 15-20? No thanks.
So I was just looking for input as to what the typical int'l school job would require in this regard. Anyone can chime in, as I don't really have a particular country or region in mind. I'm open to most places.
Thanks. |
A typical school job is a 40 hour work week (40ish weeks per academic year) with 18-24 hours/week of that time being "in class" per week.
The remainder of your time is spend doing other work related to teaching (lesson planning, prep, research, professional development, material creation, marking and evaluations, etc).
Those who consider the "out of class" time as nothing more than "desk warming" do real teachers a dis-service and should stick to dodgy language academies where "prep" and lesson planning amount to 5 minutes at the copy machine before walking into the classroom.
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 6:53 am Post subject: Re: Office hours for an international school job |
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| shaka wrote: |
| The sticking point for me is how, at this point in my life, I have no appetite to warm a desk. A few office hours a week? Sure. 15-20? No thanks. |
What do you mean by "office hours" and "warm a desk"? As suphanburi said, 'real' teachers spend a lot of their time on preparing lessons, in committee meetings, marking, etc. Is that what you mean by "warming a desk"?
Especially early in their career, a teacher often spends much more time working than the 40 hours per week for which they are paid. The 18-24 contact hours that suphanburi mentions seems accurate, or possibly low. The number of hours spent working outside of teaching isn't so much a matter of what is required by the employer, but how long it takes to get everything done that needs to get done. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 9:03 am Post subject: |
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| I had to be at school by 8. Usually came a bit earlier. Then had to stay until 430. |
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shaka
Joined: 19 May 2014
Posts: 23
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| Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 3:25 pm Post subject: Re: Office hours for an international school job |
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| suphanburi wrote: |
| shaka wrote: |
I wasn't sure where to put this. Move it if need be.
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a teaching license to teach subjects in schools abroad, but I'm concerned that it would qualify me for jobs I don't really want.
The sticking point for me is how, at this point in my life, I have no appetite to warm a desk. A few office hours a week? Sure. 15-20? No thanks.
So I was just looking for input as to what the typical int'l school job would require in this regard. Anyone can chime in, as I don't really have a particular country or region in mind. I'm open to most places.
Thanks. |
A typical school job is a 40 hour work week (40ish weeks per academic year) with 18-24 hours/week of that time being "in class" per week.
The remainder of your time is spend doing other work related to teaching (lesson planning, prep, research, professional development, material creation, marking and evaluations, etc).
Those who consider the "out of class" time as nothing more than "desk warming" do real teachers a dis-service and should stick to dodgy language academies where "prep" and lesson planning amount to 5 minutes at the copy machine before walking into the classroom.
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I wasn't asking for holier than thou dismissals of my preferences or presumptions regarding my professionalism and commitment to the job, but thanks anyway.
For those who are able to check their elitism at the door, by "desk warming" I meant any sort of requirement by which I must be present on campus for 40 or more hours/week.
I have asked an incredibly simple question. Please provide a commensurate response.
If you answer nicely, I won't call attention to how you somehow hyphenated disservice, you scholar, you. (and I'm not even an English teacher)
Last edited by shaka on Fri Dec 05, 2014 9:12 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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water rat
Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica
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| Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Ignore them. Desk warmers are quite sensitive when you point out what they are. |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 10:18 am Post subject: |
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Just sign me,
Holier than a pissant-wanna-pretend-to-be-a-teacher teacher.
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water rat
Joined: 30 Aug 2014
Posts: 1098
Location: North Antarctica
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| Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 10:39 am Post subject: |
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| suphanburi wrote: |
Just sign me,
Holier than a pissant-wanna-pretend-to-be-a-teacher teacher.
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Having a really bad period? |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea
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| Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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| I would not move into K-12 if you want less office hours/"desk warming". When I did my TESL degree, there was so much more prep work involved compared to adult courses. Things like IPP, documentation, even just communication from home was a lot of work. International skills deal with all the same administrative headaches, with the added involvement of parents who tend to be more interested than average. |
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Guerciotti
Joined: 13 Feb 2009
Posts: 842
Location: In a sleazy bar killing all the bad guys.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2014 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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This is my second year at an inter-national school. Last year I re-sented my office hours. I wasted a lot of time. Then I woke up.
This year: more lesson planning, re-hearsing, taking old exams (any I could find), reviewing my lesson plans to improve them, creating better exams, reading other textbooks, and some data-mining to make every-thing easier. Damn, what a difference.
I doubt I'm the only one who takes this approach. |
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adaruby
Joined: 21 Apr 2014
Posts: 171
Location: has served on a hiring committee
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| Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:57 am Post subject: Re: Office hours for an international school job |
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| shaka wrote: |
I wasn't sure where to put this. Move it if need be.
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a teaching license to teach subjects in schools abroad, but I'm concerned that it would qualify me for jobs I don't really want.
The sticking point for me is how, at this point in my life, I have no appetite to warm a desk. A few office hours a week? Sure. 15-20? No thanks.
So I was just looking for input as to what the typical int'l school job would require in this regard. Anyone can chime in, as I don't really have a particular country or region in mind. I'm open to most places.
Thanks. |
To be honest, even at a decent language centre you'll be expected to do a 40 hour week.
Occasionally, it will be a little more (INSETTs, end of year reports, parent meetings etc) but you get back what you're willing to put in just like you would do at a quality international school. |
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shaka
Joined: 19 May 2014
Posts: 23
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| Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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| suphanburi wrote: |
Just sign me,
Holier than a pissant-wanna-pretend-to-be-a-teacher teacher.
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I didn't impugn your teaching ability/commitment as you did me.
Try again. |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014
Posts: 916
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| Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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| shaka wrote: |
| suphanburi wrote: |
Just sign me,
Holier than a pissant-wanna-pretend-to-be-a-teacher teacher.
. |
I didn't impugn your teaching ability/commitment as you did me.
Try again. |
You impugned every real teacher out there with your "desk warming" reference.
Real schools rather than simple language centers or schools who are more interested in profit than learning expect teachers rather than just English speaking language machines to be teachers (facilitators of learning), not hourly employees who are free to leave after class is finished.
Don't waste your time, money and effort on getting certified and licensed as a teacher (required for properly accredited international schools). The work load will be too much for you. 18-24 classes +
You are expected (in that time when students aren't in school) do do things like:
(before term) create the scope and sequence for your classes for the next term.
research and evaluate new trends, approaches and methods, and consioder how they may impact your teaching practice over the next year.
(after term ends) complete your marking and final reports
evaluate, assess and reflect (academic and personal) on your work during the term. (write it down)
When the academic term is in session
You are expected to actually create lesson plans with clear learning outcomes based on the required curricula (not just download and print something convenient from booglesworld or waddle your way through the book a couple pages at a time).
You are expected to properly prep for classes and create material (not just download and print off some convenient worksheets from the internet).
You are expected to do marking and correction of students work.
You are expected to create valid assessments of your students learning according to established learning outcomes and fixed learning indicators.
You are expected to participate in school events.
You are typically expected to continue in your professional development.
You are expected to be at school to do this work (not sitting at home or on the beach).
Impugn your "desk warming" azz?
If your work time outside of class was nothing more than simply "desk warming" then...
I remain,
Holier than a pissant-wanna-pretend-to-be-a-teacher teacher.
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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| shaka wrote: |
I wasn't sure where to put this. Move it if need be.
The sticking point for me is how, at this point in my life, I have no appetite to warm a desk. A few office hours a week? Sure. 15-20? No thanks.
....
I was just looking for input as to what the typical int'l school job would require in this regard. Anyone can chime in, as I don't really have a particular country or region in mind. I'm open to most places. |
I suggest signing up and posting on Teach Away's and International Schools Review's forums and/or facebook pages---both focus on international and public school teaching worldwide. |
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shaka
Joined: 19 May 2014
Posts: 23
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| Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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| shaka wrote: |
| suphanburi wrote: |
Just sign me,
Holier than a pissant-wanna-pretend-to-be-a-teacher teacher.
. |
I didn't impugn your teaching ability/commitment as you did me.
Try again. |
snip
[pompous horseshoot no one would ever want to see again for all their years]
/snip
That's great, champ.
Once more, I don't teach English.
In case you missed the subtext (which you very clearly did), I'll spell it out for you: I don't appreciate schools managing my time as if I am a child who is unable to do this for himself.
Lesson plans prepared on campus >>>>>>>>>>>> Lesson plans prepared anywhere else
(I guess)
I look forward to your future posts in which you insinuate that college professors are inherently worse than K-12 teachers because they spend fewer hours chained to a desk.
mjpopcorn.gif
Last edited by shaka on Tue Dec 09, 2014 1:41 am; edited 1 time in total |
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