Job Discussion Forums

gregoryfromcali · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 10:19 am Post subject: Kojen or Hess

Hello,

I have noticed that Kojen and Hess have been mentioned a lot.

As someone who isn't even fresh off the boat but will be this summer. Which one would you recommend?

Afterall I would imagine that chains do guarantee a certain amount of professionalism and stability although the pay may not be as high. Am I correct?

Thanks in advance,

Gregory

puiwaihin · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 91

Hess is ok. Some teachers have worked for them for 7 years. Most quit after 1 or 2.

Hess pay starts at 570NT/hour or something like that. Pay increases a maximum of 60/year, but you can expect closer to a $30 raise at the end of the year since school managers try their best to find reasons not to give you a good raise.

Hess curriculum is good for beginning teachers who know nothing about teaching, but it is far from a perfect system. If you've taken any classes in secondary education or if your English grammar is exceptional you'll cringe at some of the things that take place in the teacher's books.

Hess is all about making money, not about keeping teachers happy or even about giving kids the best education they can get. But they aren't overly bad to teachers and their general programs are at least intended to educate kids according to modern pedagogical approaches.

Anyone have comparable data for Kojen?

Fortigurn · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 390

gregoryfromcali · Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:56 pm Post subject:

I realize that recruiters make lots of promises.

But you do think it is a good or bad idea to sign up with Kojen, Hess or another chain school before arriving?

Thanks in advance.

Gregory

markholmes · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 661 Location: Wengehua

Good or bad? Well, I'm sure there could be lots of discussion about that. People have different opinions. If you feel better having everything arranged on your arrival then why not sign to a chain.

At least there is plenty of info on this forum about individual chain schools, but little about individual recruiters.

I worked for Kojen and Fortigurn does now. We both have had reasonable experiences with them.

Its not a matter of it being a good or bad idea, it is simply a matter of opinion.

mr.bojangles · Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 58

I am curious which language institutions hire teachers for six month contracts.

TaoyuanSteve · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 1028 Location: Taoyuan

In reference to your question about 6 month deals, it's going to come down to individual locations, owners and their needs at the time. 6 month contracts aren't the norm as work permits are for one year. Employers tend to favour applicants that will go the distance. Given the choice between an applicant who intends to work a year and one who doesn't, the choice is easy. However, I have known some to take people for six months. The contract was still a one year agreement (needed for the work permit), but the understanding was that the teacher was leaving after six months. You'll have to ask companies etc yourself to get a feel for the availablility of this type of arrangement.

mr.bojangles · Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 58

I am 37 years old, is that an issue?

TaoyuanSteve · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 1028 Location: Taoyuan

markholmes · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 661 Location: Wengehua

Certainly with Kojen age was not too much of an issue. We had people working there from the ages of 22 to late fifties.

I think chains (as with most schools) would prefer to hire early twenty year old blond blue eyed North Americans, but the reality is that chain schools recruit an enormous amount of teachers and realise that they have to be a bit more diverse than that in order to keep the numbers up.

You shouldn't have a problem. At Kojen a lot of the late thirty something guys taught adults. Most but not all.

Mark
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Greenislander · Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 24 Location: Taipei

Good luck to them wanting "Blonde Blue-eyed Americans" Really! But can they teach?

markholmes · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 661 Location: Wengehua

Ok, it might be a slight exaggeration to say they all want the blond blue eyed Americans, but there is a pecking order in looks and age.

A lot of schools are more interested in presenting what the parents believe is the real deal as opposed to actually hiring a half decent teacher. For the most part the parents can't tell the difference anyway.

My last school hired white teachers only, half of whom were Afrikaans (English as a second language) and had appalling grammar. If a black guy from London had come for an interview they would have turned him away.

As for 'can they teach? Most people turn up in Taiwan with no teaching experience, no teaching qualifications, so how are schools judging you if its not by looks and age.

Anyway, my point remains that chains are a good start for older teachers and/or minorities because the sheer amount of teachers that chains require means that they have to look beyond what most parents would consider the ideal.

I would say at 37 you will not have a huge problem finding work.

Greenislander · Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 24 Location: Taipei

Very good, I agree with that.

gregoryfromcali · Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 7:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

Just to follow up my own thread, I am planning on working for Kojen.

I've been doing a lot of research and I haven't heard any strong complaints about the school that would stop me from working there.

I am hoping to work near CKS park.

Can anyone recommend a school in that area?

Also I am planning on teaching adults. Does anyone know the latest I'll probably be off work? I ask because I plan on taking Tai Chi lessons at night.

markholmes · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 661 Location: Wengehua

I think Kojen adults can go up to 10pm.