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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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 Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:38 pm Post subject: How many days a week do you work? |
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I've noticed a lot of jobs in which you get an ARC card want the teachers to work 6 days a week.
Where I am at now it is easy to only work 4 days if you want to and you'll still have enough to get by.
I'm currently working 6 days and I'm used to it but it isn't ideal.
How many days a week do you work?
Do most teachers work 6 days week? |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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A lot of teachers who are teaching at standard kids buxibans, or even adult buxibans teach six days a week.
There are however more and more positions that only require teachers to teach Monday to Friday. These are in the conventional kids buxibans, but involve the teaching of kids in what are called 'anqing' programs. In these programs the kids come to the buxiban everyday after school and do their Chinese school homework. Part of the program often includes daily English classes.
This is opposed to the previous standard of two days a week two hours each time. This system saw days paired off such that a teacher who taught on Wednesdays would teach the same classes on Saturdays.
I have noticed a general decline in weekend classes for elementary school aged children. |
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matchstick_man
Joined: 21 May 2003
Posts: 244
Location: Taiwan
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:41 pm Post subject: My working work |
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I work six days a week in a buxiban however I only work two teaching hours on Mondays and Tuesdays. Most jobs used to be six days a week. My workmate keeps telling me jobs in southern Taiwan don't generally have Saturday work. I don't know how true this as I've never lived there.
A little off-topic but there's probably been an increase in Saturday work in the five years I've been here as kids no longer go to school Saturday mornings.
Last edited by matchstick_man on Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:55 pm Post subject: Re: My working work |
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| matchstick_man wrote: |
| A little off-topic but there's probably been an increase in Saturday work in the five years I've been here as kids no longer to school Saturday mornings. |
Actually I think that this is the reason that there has been a decline in Saturday work.
Years ago, elementary school kids went to elementary school six days a week, with Wednesdays and Saturdays half days. This meant that these days were a buxibans busiest days as kids had some free time to study English. Saturday was considered by many to be just another school day.
Nowadays, Saturday is seen as being the weekend. Sure kids still go to all types of buxibans on this day, but more and more families are seeing the weekend as family time. |
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Rice Paddy Daddy
Joined: 11 Jul 2004
Posts: 425
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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| I taught 7 days a week in Japan but now 3 days a week in Taiwan. |
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Fortigurn
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 390
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I work a maximum of five days a week, and love it. Sometimes I work as few as three. |
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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2005 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I taught 7 days a week in Japan but now 3 days a week in Taiwan. |
How did you manage that?  |
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zealflyer
Joined: 22 Sep 2004
Posts: 13
Location: Winnipeg, MB
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| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| I work 4 1/2 days a week (no homework school on Tuesday) but I could work more if I wanted. |
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Aristotle
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan
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| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I've noticed a lot of jobs in which you get an ARC card want the teachers to work 6 days a week. |
It is usually the newbie who takes those kinds of positions at any one of the numerous chain schools simply because they don't know any better.
Tell your employer you won't work on the weekends and won't sign the contact unless it stipulates as much.
If they refuse, you refuse.
Remember be nice, smile a lot and it's all just a negotiation.
Good luck!
A. |
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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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| Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:07 am Post subject: |
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Congratulations you're now at 1000 posts!
| Quote: |
Tell your employer you won't work on the weekends and won't sign the contact unless it stipulates as much.
If they refuse, you refuse. |
Thanks for the advice. I've considered doing this.
My only worry is dealing with the frustrations of being an ABC looking for work, especially since I have all the qualifications necessary to teach.
Last edited by gregoryfromcali on Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:52 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Aristotle
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| since I all the qualifications necessary to teach. |
Qualifications are irrelevant and may even deter Taiwanese schools from hiring you.
The fact that you are ABC means that you are qualified to teach in Early Childhood schools. So long as you have a foreign passport and look ethnically Chinese the goverment on Taiwan considers you qualified to teach in ECE schools.
Welcome Taiwan and good luck!
A. |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 11:17 am Post subject: |
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| Aristotle wrote: |
| Qualifications are irrelevant and may even deter Taiwanese schools from hiring you. |
I disagree. Having a university degree or equivalent is most certainly not irrelevant - it is fact a requirement of legal employment. If you don't have qualifications then you quite simply cannot teach in Taiwan legally. How in the world is that irrelevant?
| Aristotle wrote: |
| The fact that you are ABC means that you are qualified to teach in Early Childhood schools. So long as you have a foreign passport and look ethnically Chinese the goverment on Taiwan considers you qualified to teach in ECE schools. |
By Early Childhood Education you are referring to preschools - as that is the local governments definition.
I disagree with what you claim above, please provide a source for this claim. Whether a foreigner looks Chinese or not, if they are here on a foreign passport then they cannot legally teach ECE classes. Where is the basis for this suggestion?
The only possibility here would be a local Chinese who was born here and a local ID card, but had grown up overseas. They may have a chance of securing work as an English teacher in a preschool legally - but then they would be processed as a local. If you have an ARC then you don't qualify for employment in an ECE program as foreigners are not permitted to undertake this type of work. |
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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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| Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| If you have an ARC then you don't qualify for employment in an ECE program as foreigners are not permitted to undertake this type of work. |
Clark,
How is it that so many chain schools offer these classes to foreigners?
If I teach at this level for a chain, am I taking a risk?
Thanks in advance. |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 12:43 am Post subject: |
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| gregoryfromcali wrote: |
| Quote: |
| If you have an ARC then you don't qualify for employment in an ECE program as foreigners are not permitted to undertake this type of work. |
How is it that so many chain schools offer these classes to foreigners?
If I teach at this level for a chain, am I taking a risk?
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Although the law stipulates that it is illegal for preschool aged children to attend full immersion programs that teach only in English, it remains legal for preschool kids to have an English class. This rather fine distinction is no doubt how many of the chain schools avoid being penalized when they are in fact running immersion programs as that is what the parents want.
In my opinion there are a few reasons that teachers at small independant kindergartens are more vulnerable than teachers who work within the big chains, but at a preschool run by that chain. I don't believe that bribery and corruption are a major part of this, and in fact I suspect that the little guys backed with a lot of money are more likely to undertake illegal methods to remain open.
Most chain schools have an afterschool buxiban for older kids and a preschool for younger ones. Although not intentional, I am sure that this makes it very difficult for inspectors to determine that there is an immersion program for the pre-school kids. If at any time inspectors were to arrive, it could be claimed that the foreign teacher in the classroom with the kids is teaching the weekly English class. It is difficult for the authorities to prove otherwise.
With small independants however, you may find that a school is a preschool only. Assuming that the school has three or four classes of preschool aged kids, and three or four foreign teachers, then a raid would pretty clearly indicate that there is an immersion program at that school.
Personally, I wouldn't bother with working in a preschool, whether it be an independant, or part of a chain. Why take the risk? Although what I say above holds true most of the time, there is certainly no guarantee that it is what will happen all of the time. There is plenty of legal work available with school aged kids and adults. Just say no thanks to any offers of preschool work.
I noticed a post on another forum about the fact that the administration of nursery schools and preschools is to be brought together under one umbrella. I agree with the person who posted this information, that this will give the authorities more power in being able to identify illegal programs, and may well be followed up with school raids. |
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