Job Discussion Forums

[tarzaninchina]

I'm not sure if you've had a similar experience, but this is something I've noticed for every school, public or private, that I went to while job-hunting over the past 1.8 years here in China.

I've noticed that if a school offers a microwave without needing to be asked, then they do tend to care a bit about their foreign teachers.

Mind you, I haven't used one in my time here in China, even with cooking on my own. Anyway, I just saw this and coincidentally none of the school admin outrightly hated foreigners and actually wanted to be sure they were taken care of (if only in a minimal way) when a microwave oven was thrown in the initial offer.

[brsmith15]

Our school has a large lounge area for teachers complete with faux leather chairs and couches, sat TV, frig, microwave, hot and cold water machine. Very nice! AND, they just installed two massive overhead a/c units that can turn the place frigid even on the hottest days.

After my last school which actually went out of its way to make things miserable for teachers (no amenities whatsoever and you had to constantly beg for paper for the mostly broken copier), this is paradise!

[Roger]

The respect I enjoy comes from some INDIVIDUAL administrators, not from token actions they might take. I have the best rapport with my FAO and with many colleagues; but they often complain about the stinginess of the university.
For example, we get no pay during the summer months.
We have to pay for the ink of our printers!
We often get no, or highly inadequate, materials (textbooks that require you to use a VCD or a tape which is not given you!);
We often get informed about administrative measures at the last minute;
FTs have a teachers room, but it happens to be the only teachers room with no telephone...
We teach in classrooms that have fans (some of which actually work but make a hell of a noise!); CHinese teachers work in aircon classrooms or lecture halls!
Still, I have signed my 3rd contract with the same employer.

[lostinshanghai]

It really depends on the school. Sometimes these token acts are a sign of respect. I once taught at a school where it took them four months to tell me where my office was. They also kept forgetting to give my a food card which caused problems at lunch. Oh what fun! I won't say the school (KJ!)