Job Discussion Forums

[chinaboytian]

I taught part-time at a Middle School in Tianjin. I taught one morning a week for two hours each time. Students were very enthusiasts, much more so than college kids.

I was greated with royal ambassadors with welcome banners draped over their shoulders. Kids were so excited they actually paid attention to the entire lesson, a first! They certainly welcomed me with great ceremony. Each morning I taught a teacher met me at my other school with a taxi that they paid for.,,Teachers in each class session monitored the lesson.
Students participation was the best I ever saw. They asked me to participate in their talent show one day, I played piano. Really they were the kindest reception I received out of all the schools I taught at, which were many. One school worker just did the video taping of my lessons, so they could be shown to other groups of kids.

I was treated like a rock star. Kids wanted me to sign their books. I was paid fairly. The teachers were very nice to me. But you have to realize:
I WAS THE FIRST FOREIGNER THIS SCHOOL EVER INVITED. I think that has a lot to do with it. After schools get used to foreign teachers, they just take them for granted, it's old hat.

[BuzVega]

I had a similar experience teaching out in Xinjiang, except for the paying attention in class part. I was constantly autographing books, scraps of paper, arms, hands, and even the jackets of their school uniforms. It certainly does make you feel appreciated.

[jammish]

On the flipside, once schools get used to foreign teachers, they start changing things so that the FTs don't get quite so regularly irate. My school, for instance, used to have us on a LAN system for our internet connection so after about 7pm some idiot turned it off every evening, and at weekends (even more annoying!). We're now on the proper ADSL line.

ANd now we are notified, by email, of meetings, a good 2 days beforehand, rather than 2 minutes before.