Job Discussion Forums

[Nano]

Hey everyone,

So now I am going through an issue with my school in Qinhuangdao. The first few months I was here, I taught around 12 hours of class a week but since December, it seems they are trying to make an effort to make sure I teach my maximum hours (25 hours) per week. I teach high school grade 2 and 3 and a few weeks ago they opened up a whole new grade 2 class for just ONE newly enrolled student in my international class instead of simply putting her in the currently existing grade 2 class which only has 13 students in it. So now I have double the teaching hours just because of that.

When one staff member had to remake my schedule to accommodate this student, my total teaching hours was like 28 or something (wtf was she thinking?) and another foreign teacher complained so they ended up reducing it to 25 hours. Now that my grade 3s are practically finished their program, this same staff member asked me yesterday if next week I will not have anymore grade 3 classes so they could add more grade 2 classes even though it is unnecessary. I told her it was absolutely not okay and she just nodded and walked out of the office.

Something weird is going on here. The director of my program seems to be trying to control everyone. Just recently he made it a requirement for the Chinese teachers/staff in his international program to check in/check out using a fingerprint scanner. Luckily foreign teacher don't have to do it but you never know. The admin staff have also been told that they have to do more work regarding helping the students so they are probably trying to have me work as much as possible (since I probably make more money than them) so that they don't have to do as much work.

Wtf is going on and what should I do?

[Alien abductee]

[mike w]

[Scrabble King]

You came to China to work right? You have a contract right? You are getting paid for the hours you work right? Honor your contract and make them do the same. The End.

[Non Sequitur]

In my experience the max hours can be averaged out over the contract period.
If your max is 20 and you teach 18 in semester one your FAO or Teaching Affairs people will see 22 as acceptable in semester two.
Obviously, there is an exhaustion limit, but the theory is there.
OP probably thinks each week exists on its own and once it's over there is no effect on later weeks.

[SearchingChina]

I kinda get where the OP is coming from. It doesn't sound like there's a genuine need for more classes, just the director has decided the foreigner needs to work for the sake of working. I mean, doubling the class load because of 1 extra student?

Yes it's in the contract but this falls under the universal rule of 'don't be a dick'. It's a bit like if your contract says there are no office hours, you finish a class, but right when you step out the door a student asks you a question about the material that would take you 20 seconds to answer. Would it be OK for the teacher to say 'sorry, not working now, class is over'? By the contract that's your right, but...

[davelister]

[Unchained English]

"it seems they are trying to make an effort to make sure I teach my maximum hours (25 hours) per week"

What does 1 hour equal? 60 minutes or the average 40-50 minute class?

At best, you have about a 4-5 hour complaint of unpaid work.


"I teach high school grade 2 and 3 and a few weeks ago they opened up a whole new grade 2 class for just ONE newly enrolled student in my international class instead of simply putting her in the currently existing grade 2 class which only has 13 students in it."

I doubt the validity of this. However, if you are required to teach 25 forty to fifty minute classes a week, and you agreed to this in the contract, then why are you complaining? It doesn't matter why or how you have 25 forty to fifty minute classes. You agreed to it in the contract.


"Wtf is going on and what should I do?"

Looks like you are getting too paranoid. You complain about extra hours, but you spend the time you have off now to observe the Chinese teachers? Isn't there something better you could be doing?

Do you have a hobby or interest? Girlfriend or boyfriend? Normally, you would teach your classes, go into the office, "Hello", then leave, "Goodbye". Smile, and go home.

That's what I do. Why get caught up in all this Chinese teacher fingerprint drama? Do your schedule according to the contract, go home after your last class. Simple.

Leave the drama for the Chinese to sort out. I got paid last week and the halls were flooded. Apparently water piping burst somewhere. Got my pay, returned home, stayed in a dry apartment. I have no idea what the classrooms are like now. I am on holiday

Use your time wisely and sanely.

[water rat]

I agree with what every one else has said so far. Then, have you considered that soon will be the spring break? Likely you will have the whole of February off and maybe bits of January and March. If upon your return if you find you can't handle the rather light and agreed upon schedule, you have only to resign.

[davelister]

As for the finger-scanning to log in & out of work; same system was introduced at my place of work, with Chinese staff only required to use it at first and later FT's too. Fines are issued for 'tardiness',

[3701 W.119th]

Heaven forbid an employer expects you to teach 25 lessons a week.

What are they thinking?

[litterascriptor]

[SearchingChina]

I don't think OP's complaint is with the 25 hours a week really, it's the fact that they've added classes to make up that number for no reason except to seemingly make him miserable.

If on your first day you show up, and there's 25 classes, then no problem, it's what's in the contract. If there's 12 however, and class sizes are already small, and for no specific reason they decide to double your classes, you do have cause to complain simply because it's a total dick move.

It's like I posted above - if your contract says no office hours, should you refuse to answer a simple question from one of your students after class has finished? It's your right as per the contract, but there's some unwritten human law about not acting like an asshat, or at least there should be.

[BleedingBlue]

Sounds to me that you're being a cry baby. "my maximum of 25 hours" ... you're complaining that they are trying to make you work the number required in your contract? GOD FORBID

[Nano]