Job Discussion Forums

[Paji eh Wong]

Hello all

Has anyone worked for AIEN institute at Shanghai Ocean University?

Any first hand stories?

Cheers

[Lhenderson]

I worked there before splitting and not looking back. Here's my first hand experience.

Positives:

1. You don't need to lesson plan or anything like that. Just show up and use POWERPOINT and the students will be happy to have a native English speaker and not yet another teacher they have on staff from the Phillipines. The sophomore students are the best. They care about just showing up themselves and making their presence known and nap most of the time.

Negatives:

1. The campus is in the middle of no where. And I mean, Chinese siberia. No shopping. No good transport.

2. The aussie academic director is about 80 years old, has no real experience, and likes to spend his time showing up to the classes of the foreign teachers, monitoring each class and recording it with his tape recorder. Once in a while would be ok, but constantly doing this makes it stressful for the teacher and the students. He wont reveal what he does with all the tapes.

3. The academic director told me he wanted me to live beside him in an apartment hours away from the campus. This was very weird.

4. The staff takes their lead from the director and is obsessed with catching the bus. This priority number one at all times: do not miss the bus home! It sounds nuts, but we all thought the obsession with catching the bus detracted from the quality of instruction.

5. If you live near the campus you are pressured to handle all after class student activities which isnt fair.

6. They didnt pay several teachers their airfare as promised.

7. There is very weak communication between the English arm, the local national arm, Ocean U, and the australian university and they simply refuses to share information regarding requirements.

8. They make the foreign teachers be the source of entertainment and laughter at festivals and Christmas events. You are expected to be the "entertainment" and generate laughter for the Chinese audiences.

This is just the start. When other JVs offer twice the salary for better conditions, and Chinese schools offer you nearly as much without the pressure without having to act as a clown, this operation is one you might want to think twice about.

[Lhenderson]

I forgot to add: I can provide a much more detailed day to day experience if anyone wants to read it.

Send me a PM.

My key point: the money is simply not enough to suffer an unbearable 80 year old director who tapes all the classes, nappy students, living in the wasteland, teaching with phillipine teachers who throw all the major stuff to you, while all the staff freaks out about the bus, might not be a great way to spend your limited lifespan!!

[robot]

So you're saying it's not very nice?

[gillheath]

lhenderson, when did you exactly work at AIEN of Shanghai Ocean University? I mean, do you think that's still the current situation there? i'm just wondering?

[flutterbayou]

Wait one moment, please. I know this university from 2007, and have some points to make.

The Australian Academic Manager has his PhD in history and knows his linguistics and how to train teachers. He is a consummate professional in all regards. And though his age is no one's business, he is about 61 years old. As you know, no one near 65 would be permitted to work in China. Next year, no one over 60 will remain.

The manager leads a precise program that covers the expectations of the partner university in Australia, and has the responsibility of checking in on classes to be certain the program is being followed, as prescribed. Perhaps, if teachers were consistently delivering the program, there would be no need to tape anything. At the same time, taping a great teacher is a wonderful way of advertising the success of the program.

I found his model curriculum admirable and have borrowed some of his methods in programs I now collate. He's a big personality with a strong sense of elitism, but he's extremely efficient and reliable.

When I worked with this organization, one of the second language teachers acted as a coordinator, and the other female second language teacher was and remains a gem. Students love her because she does not run to catch any bus; she stays after class and patiently works with students. I do not appreciate the remarks made about second language teachers. Many are excellent because they know what it is like for students to learn English.

My one observation of the staff is a surplus of nepotism. One coordinator was anti-American and offensive, temperamental, and relied on a previous working relationship established years ago with the Academic Manager in Zhuhai. I don't know if she is still there, but she was the primary negative in a sea of pluses.

When I taught at this uni, some students were lazy but others were excellent. I have kept in touch with a handful and some are going on to Australia to work on their MA degrees - already accepted into programs.

Students are doing pretty well on their IELTS exams.

Part of teaching in China is the enjoyment of cultural exchanges. Many of us enjoy the parties. Chinese students like to perform, and they appreciate seeing their teachers join in the fun - it is a shared custom to entertain during holidays and special dinners.

It is true that commuting is an issue, but I enjoyed napping on the way home. . . with no crowds to deal with, no noise, just a time for unwinding and letting go the day. In the morning during commutes, I thought through the day's lessons, and was atop of things as soon as I walked in the office.

When people inquire here about schools, let's give them a fair summing up, all right? It has crossed my mind that the critical poster might have been suffering some culture shock, overall.

[Lhenderson]

I won't go into your personal message here, other than state that if this is ruffling the feathers of the admin there, then they should change things. And, the fact that they will never hire me again doesn't trouble me.

[Lhenderson]

I was recently sent an email from the administration stating they will soon be accepting applications for the Director position in Pu Dong. I turned them down because I don't like the bus ride.

They will be posting in on Davescafe soon. Keep an eye out for it. Someone qualified and dedicated could really change things and make it a special place.

[Paji eh Wong]

I took the job at AIEN.