Job Discussion Forums

[william wallace]

...OTHER ESL teachers! I overheard a conversation(quite amusing, as this FT has been here soooo long-almost 6 years in China-And I'd say he'll be intermediate Mandarin in 20 more years) He was talking to his Chinese supervisor about how poor and inexperienced his fellow FT's are,and China in general.What this buffoon doesn't realize is that he's being painted with the same brush he's promulgating to this Chinese person-Chinese people do not as a rule,speak ill of strangers.
Look at some posters here who ALMOST come across as saying that if it wasn't for themselves, China's FT situation wood be grim.

Seems like we are our own worst enemy!


P.S. And I include those that go into the esteemed roles of pseudo-management

[Anda]

Twelve years in this game and ten working without other Westeners. The life is much better I find by working with Koreans or Chinese staff. Not saying no problems but less than having to work with or under other Foreign teachers.

[7969]

[Anda]

Chinese people do not as a rule,speak ill of strangers.

He was talking to his Chinese supervisor about how poor and inexperienced his fellow FT's are, (and) "in" China in general


The FT was trying to put down FK in general that he didn't even know. In other words strangers.

[Mydnight]

...are students.

[Anda]

I knew one not so young Canadian woman in the EPIK program in South Korea that backstabed about four teacher and got them the sack from the program. She didn't even work at the same schools as them.



On this thread you can read about two FT so called directors and see what William means!

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=52474

[william wallace]

Dear Pin number 7969 (wasn't it?) What I "means" is that while Chinese like to gossip with the best of em,but only amongst select few- and in the conversation I overheard, she the full-time English teacher(Chinese) was listening to this foreign guy, but never saying boo to him about the FTs he was ..well,either berating or putting himself above the crowd-two faux pas to the Chinese. In other words: what ever he was tryingto accomplish was backfiring.

[mex2005t]

Sadly it can be other foreigner teachers... but sometimes -- you can have the students and the Chinese teachers as well or was in my case, a lot of 'em against you for reasons that are not your fault or control.

School I was at, underwent major management changes, a prolonged internal revolt, apathetic foreign teachers and then stabilized with major effort and sacrifice to be the #1 in the region. I was drained, triumphant after a Pyrrhic victory. But I survived, yeah I am built that way.

I would say choose your foreigner friends carefully if you are in school management. Most will be on your side but some are too sloppy or internally unstable to care.

[william wallace]

Well, ummm, ahhhh, Token that was very.....Sorry, my thesaurus doesn't have the word. Though,I can mention that your posting numbers seem to be going DOWN.....we've got an EXTREME TOKEN situation happening here ?

[7969]

this has to be one of the most non-sensical threads going right now. at least half the posts are completely unintelligible. and that link given by anda is only tangential to this thread..... the biggest complaint there was the school. the teacher in question is just a sidebar to the complaint at large.

thanks for comin out anyway....

ps: WW i usually see your posts/threads as well thought out. not this one.

[william wallace]

Oh well, I'm trying to get to 2,000 posts before I leave China,and...well..I have a point,but I'll let it go. And my spacebarisbroken. Token has EXTREMED ME.

[william wallace]

It's not uncommon(in my experience) to hear ELT's speak ill of co-workers to either elevate/distance themselves, or in an attempt to self-promote,but the Chinese folks I've known/of, tend to take this as a negative for either all FT's or the one speaking ill of the others.

[clark.w.griswald]

I really think that the greatest single threat to any foreign teacher is the teacher him/herself.

If you fail to research you will likely find yourself stuck with a bad employer.

If you look to what others are getting rather than concentrating on getting what you want to get yourself then you will likely be unsatisfied.

If you fail to stand up for your rights then you will likely find that you have none.

If you fail to learn from your experiences and adapt to the society here then you will likely become bitter and resentful of those around you who do adapt and thrive.

If you fail to follow your heart then what is the point!

[james s]

...

[Steppenwolf]