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SimonM · Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1835 Location: Toronto, Ontario

My appartment is becoming like the Durseleys home in the second chapter of the first Harry Potter book; full of stacks of letters. But instead of invitations to a school of wizardry they are phone numbers from students and (more to the point) prospective secondary employers.

I've been trying to be good. I've been trying to wait until I have my timetable set out with the teachers college before I start taking on extra work. As far as I was concerned they are the group that extended me my invitation, they are my first priority. But the offers just keep coming in! I have a growing stack of phone numbers from girls who used to be students at the Teachers college - OR WHO STILL ARE STUDENTS - and although half of them are just interested in meeting the new teacher in town a full half of the numbers are from people who want me to work for their brand-new summer program!

This isn't a big town, I am pretty sure that it won't support 7 summer ESL programs yet that is how many I personally am aware of right now! There are only two FTs (including me) in the whole city!

Despite the fact that I would rather wait until I work out my schedule with the school one girl was so persistent that I agreed to come in tomorow morning to do a half-an-hour to fourty five minute once-off for 100 RMB just to get her to stop bugging me! She telephoned, then she got a friend to telephone and when I still was non-committal the two of them showed up at my appartment!

In another incident had a 17 year old bringing me gifts to butter me up to work at HER school teaching her friends remedial ESL!!! The cynic in me wishes that 17 year olds in Canada would show the level of maturity necessary to try and start their own summer business but still...

Anyone wants work they can certainly get it in Lishi. Just get used to answering the phone to hear "are you free? I want to talk to you about something." Several times a day!

On the plus side I don't have to worry about money. If I look like I'm about to run out I can probably find a cash-paying job in less than 24 hours!

burnsie · Joined: 18 Aug 2004 Posts: 489 Location: Beijing

Ever thought about starting your own school in Lishi?

Teacher, director, marketing all done by you. Sounds like a captured market.

I heard of a couple in Shenzhen did just that. They bring in about 2 mil RMB a year with a three bedroom apartment converted into a two classroom school.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Ask them to pay upfront for a whole month and to come precisely on time on given days and hours - you will see how many still are serious...

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

SimonM · Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1835 Location: Toronto, Ontario

Ok try two...

I'm still so green that opening my own school is something I don't feel ready for. Give me a few years to learn the trade and the lay of the land within the local community and then I'll consider it.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

Well those people who you said are still students in the college and looking for you are undoubetdly working as TA's in summer camps and are helping their employer finding at least a FT.

SimonM · Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1835 Location: Toronto, Ontario

I was being hard-core wooed today.

School on three campuses in the city. Disorganized structure but in three years they have expanded significantly. The headmaster has good English and the Chinese staff have passable English (though I understand why they want an FT). The kids were great though the third bunch I met were much more outgoing than the first and second group. Part of that could have been that I was more relaxed by the third time through! This was (after all) my first actual time working as a paid ESL teacher!

After I was finished the headmaster took me out for brunch and I discussed a few suggestions I had for helping to improve the effectiveness of his ESL program; third year students should not have to review ABC.

CajunJoe · Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 9 Location: Wuxi, China

RUN, DON'T WALK to the nearest hardware store (yes they do have them in China, at least in Wuxi) buy some good strong locks, a sign in Chinese that says "Not Available" and disconnect your phone. If you give these egar students take an inch, they will take a mile. I enjoy my teaching, but the classroom is enough.