Job Discussion Forums

[james s]

Hello world!

Just saw an advertisement for this above mentioned school and felt compelled to post about the realities of this harsh school.

1. 12000yuan per month. This is what they will tell you until you are there, when it drops to 9000.
2. No apartment.
3. No travel compensatiion
4. Must be dependent on city transit to and from work.(2+hrs daily).
5. No air ticket
6. No bonus.

Now, lets say that the school DOES decide to honor their word (which they never do) and pay you the 12, here is a breakdown of job duties, and a final hourly rate:
Since 'in school' hours are usually filled with "busy work"(i.e. mini projects, extra paperworks), the school requires you to take all necessities home with you.Here they are:

20 teaching hrs per week.
15 office hrs per week.
10 hrs travel time per week
20 hrs grading forms and homework per week.
5 hrs doing lesson plans.
Now, let me pull up my computer calcutator: 70 hours per week*4 weeks in a month=280 hrs of work per month.

A whopping 42 yuan per hour.

Still thinking of having a life? No time.

The money sounds great at the start but once you get there, the games from the management become too much.

The good thing is that you challenge your brain by teaching subjects to students. It is these same subjects that require the most work and planning. in a nutshell, if you are not prepared to go to work, and work hard to point of exhaustion daily, this may not be for you.

If you like the loot, try for a bit. If you are in Qingdao, there are a ton of westerners who know about this place now. Ask any of them what they think.

james

[jammish]

Is that for ESL or do you have to have full QTS to do it?

If it's for ESL it's OKish, although does sound like a lot more work than the average ESL position, but if its for a qualified teacher, stuff that.

[james s]

Its a lot of money and a lot of work. You just gotta see whats best for you.

[NathanRahl]

Sounds like a crap job to me, the typical deceptive chinese business practices, saying one thing, then the reality ends up to be something else entirely. I'd blow that pop stand. Whether a lie of omission or one that is outright, your not obligated to stay there at this point. Being honorable is fine, being stupid is another thing, and it's stupid to think your being honorable when the other party broke their word, but you still remain.

As to the hourly pay, 42 per hour, thats a joke period. You can find yourself a position very easily which has no office time, no papers to grade, and the only thing you need to do is create lesson plans.

You said five hours a week, howm many grade elvels are you teaching. If it's just one or two, I just have to say wow. I suppose it's just hard for me to imagine it taking that long, after 13 years of teaching I can crunch out a subreb one in an hour. However if you have the same students twice a week, thats two you need, more then one grade, two more, so I can see that if your teaching more then one grade.

Sounds like a job that just is not worth the time or the effort. Look for something else, tons of jobs out there, an in my view, you are not obligated in any way. Later.

[Steppenwolf]

What matters the most is: do you get a position there legally?

If they renege on their own word given to you by e-mail (I suppose), then how can they snare FTs? ANd how can they make them sign contracts and still want to stay on after they learn that their working conditions are much worse?

A contract must meet certain formal criteria that the P.S.B. have to approve.
The above doesn't seem to fulfill legal minimum requirements!

[cj750]

No apartment.
No travel compensatiion
Must be dependent on city transit to and from work.(2+hrs daily).
No air ticket
No bonus.

A contract must meet certain formal criteria that the P.S.B. have to approve.


I have seen many contracts with the above criteria...and the PSB can and often approves them..it is a better contract to deal with just money than with amenities..or benefits..
as to the hours..

20 teaching hrs per week.
15 office hrs per week.

Likely this is your normal work week..

10 hrs travel time per week

an hour to and from work is pretty normal. Going back and forth to work is usually not paid anywhere..

20 hrs grading forms and homework per week.
5 hrs doing lesson plans

you may be able to accomplish some of this during work hours..

again normal for a teacher..Canadian teachers by contract only get 90 paid min per week prep time..am I wrong?

sound like a fair wage for the hours involved.(although I wouldn't take it)..certified teachers work under this kind of a contract normally..it s the FT that is a (uncertified)new hire on the ESL team that finds a 14 hour week..

20 hrs grading forms and homework per week.
5 hrs doing lesson plans.

anyway..no matter what..an applicant should check and clarify this structure to see what is the expectations of the work unit...

[james s]

1. They are not Chinese. They are Korean.
2. 20 different classes per week.
3. Did you read the stuff about the "busy work"? There is no time to do your stuff and take home stuff in school hours.
4. Travel time: Normal, ok. No problem, but many other schools are closer, and for 42yuan per hr, who wants it?

Again, money good. Job demanding. enjoy debating.

[NathanRahl]

Cj is wrong, and making some very general statements. Folks who get jobs under 20 hours are not all uncertified, I am a certified american teacher and I work less then 20 hours a week. be careful what you imply CJ, your very often wrong.

This is not a good job, not at all, too mny hours, and like I said to the poster, you can do better. 9,000 for this amount of crap work? I know folks who work around the same hours, but have no office hours or long commutes, who clear 9,000. Don't be suckered in by Cj's pro china pro chinese employer everything is great mumbo jumbo, he's far from realisitc in his always turned on biased for the chinese.

Like I said man, find yourself another job, and do so quick, or burn out will ensue. Take care.

[cj750]

[james s]

cj750,

One of two things is happening here.
One, you are not reading the posts.
two, you are not understanding the posts.

It is not 32 hours per week. It is clearly 35 "in school" hours. THEN homework. There is no time in school to do your stuff.

I dont understand why you dont understand. Perhaps we are having a misunderstanding about understanding this misunderstanding. Understand? I understand that it may be difficult to understand this.

What I just wrote was challenging, but can be grasped. The earlier entries were clear.

Got it?

You should pass your resume to them. They would love you.

[Bayden]

So what do you do during office hours?
My guess is sit around on your pigu looking white. Use that time to do your lesson planning.

[cj750]

In many schools that have a 32 to 34 hour week..there is little prep time...as in most western countries ..and by contract...it would be hard for me to believe that a 70 hour week must be spent in the office or classroom..grading time and prep time is usually not paid and performed any time you get a chance..I often go to meetings with teachers who are grading papers between sessions..although..I would think 12000 is a little light..the hours do not seem out of line..

[DistantRelative]

James S Wrote:

[nickpellatt]

From reading this thread, I would like to mention that I often see people berating employment hours and wages etc.....but I agree with CJ, a QTS teacher in the UK would, Im sure, have to work 35 hours plus...so to some degree these hours should be classed as normal?

I also think, that a teacher working 35 hours a week in the UK, would certainly not enjoy the disposable income that one would in China either.

Now I now that we are not in the UK, but I think the vast majority of posters have quite a favourable job compared to UK teachers...and indeed compared to many working in the UK in other fields.

[NathanRahl]

CJ is applying some very subjective definitions to what a "professional" teacher is, as if all of us who don't work at least 35 hours a week are hacks, ok CJ