Job Discussion Forums

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

Would you work in a big city here for an institute that farmed you out to other places? Please this is for a couple who are thinking of coming here to work. They are European also so they can't work in many places due to their nationality. Degrees etc are all in order and they have experience in teaching English in Europe. What are the risks and chances of getting into trouble?

vikuk · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 1842

upchuckles · Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 111

Why not? Some traditionalists (narrow minded ESL zealots) will roar on this topic but I look at it as a means to network, make more friends and get a broader experience. So long as I'm getting paid on time, etc.. The only downside to it is when they call you up at 8:00am and tell you there's a class at 8:30am in a town 45 minutes away and you got to be there.. Somehow my phone runs out of battery immediately after that call..

jeffinflorida · Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 4:01 pm Post subject:

Being farmed out means lots of unpaid travel time, lots of sitting on a bus or in a taxi and wasting your time and not getting paid for it...

vikuk · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 1842

therock · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 1266 Location: China

upchuckles · Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 111

To each their own.. I enjoy it, beats spending an hour on Interstate 95 and I-84 back and forth to hartford in that grind everyday.. you bet I enjoy the fumes.. I even make a few of my own and I don't have any problem making new friends.. What do you think of those cookies VitKukkee? Whatever your name is..

Its the highs and lows in life that make for a rich existance..

james s · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Raincity

'Farming' is lillegal. The school only has a right to employ you to work on the grounds where they rent or own. At least in Central China (including Beijing).

Move on to the next. We have all done it once for 2 or 3 months and quit that job. It is an important part of the esl growth experience.

boubou · Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 61

Like James S said, farming out is illegale. Your visa is provided by a school, it is made to only work at that school. As for non-native speakers. I am right now working with a German guy, speaks perfect English and has a proper job. I've also met a Danish girl who speaks fluent English and also got a legal job, as long as you speak correctly, I wouldn't see the problem. On the other hand, it will be harder if they are black... A buddy of mine had a hell of a time finding a job, he is Americain, comes from New York, has a TEFL, speaks nothing else but English, but schools wouldn't hire hime because of the color of his skin... (All they want is white monkeys, heh?)

vikuk · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 1842

SnoopBot · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 740 Location: USA

NO!

From experience again NO!

It might start out as an easy job position with lots of networking prospects and an interesting change and then turn into hell.

I accepted a farm out job position to go to the BBD (Beijing Business District) to teach at a large company. I felt a good change of scenery for me. What started out as a few hours once a week was later changed to 2 times a week with a horrible work load for me.

I taught normal classes at 8 AM and usually had breaks and finished around 4 pm. I had to go to the BBD and teach from 6-9.

With traffic jams I ended up having hours changed to leaving a 3 pm and sitting in traffic jams till 5:45 class started at 6 ended at 9 pm and then another hour or 2 of jams getting back hiome. When additional Chinese teachers were added they were dropped off first which made my day last till almost midnight before I got home.

Moral of the Story:

Farming is marginally ok if the schools are located near the main school within a logical distance. Places like Beijing , across town = 3 hours or more of travel time.

Will travel time be paid?
Who pays the travel expenses?
What are the max hours per day?
Will they teach in the mornings , then be expected to travel/teach at late hours?
Will you have enough prep time, and time to eat?

Farming usually is an indication someone is looking at making $$$ from you. Some of these are back room Guanxi deals that are made to loan FT's out to friends and fellow schools because the school either cannot legally hire or has such a bad reputation to retain FT's.

I would be very concerned about too many details to ever work at a place that requires farming out.

Again my experience says NO

upchuckles · Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 111

Vikuckee, James and BouBou.. WRONG; Universities lease their licenses to middle schools ALL THE TIME. Ever heard of Zhejiang University? Largest summer program in all of China.. Half the middle schools in their summer program wouldn't be able to operate without leasing the license from them.. and you know why you don't know about these other middle schools? Cause there aren't any problems with them for people like you to complain about.. Illegal? Definately not..

The school who issues you the invitation assumes responsibility for wellbeing. As their employee you are required to satisfy the number of periods in your contract for the venue that they provide.. If the provision is reasonable, and compensates according to a market standard there's nothing you can do about it except explore the possibility before you sign a contract and avoid accepting the job if its not the flavor of cake you are looking for.

If the farming is optional and the teacher is looking for the overtime, WHY NOT!? Teachers wouldn't be able to work in Summer programs if what you are saying were true.

vikuk · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 1842

clark.w.griswald · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 2056

Legalities aside I think that there are a lot of positives to working in different locations that some people choose to gloss over to make their own point.

First is that a lot of the jobs that have you working in different locations pay a lot more than those that don't. Sometimes you lose out on travel but sometimes you don't. It is really a case of what you negotiate based upon what you are worth.

It is nice to see fresh groups of students in my opinion. Just because your time with them is short does not mean that you cannot actually teach them. If you are good at what you do then you will be able to consolidate what they are learning with their daily teachers.

It keeps you away from the politics that envelopes most places. If you don't like a school that you work at then you just make it clear that you won't go back there.

Travelling to different locations and sometimes different cities, being put up in hotels, wined and dined, and meeting people you would not otherwise meet are all bonuses on top of the teaching.

I am sure that it is not for everyone, but what is for sure is that there is nothing wrong with working for many schools if you enjoy the change!

upchuckles · Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 111

Vikuckee: Perhaps someone should inform you that image setting machinery and education industry are as much alike as apples and retarded boomerangues.

And I suspect if your business was doing well you wouldn't need to be teaching..