| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
etzelmi2
Joined: 14 May 2011
Posts: 6
|
 Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 8:08 am Post subject: Working at Gloria English School |
 |
|
Hello Everyone,
I am fairly new here. I am looking at applying with Gloria English School. I have read extensively about past Gloria experiences here on the forum, however, none seem to be very recent. Judging from the 8+ years documented on the site, each year seems different.
Wondering if any of you work there, or did work there? Also, what can a newbie expect in terms of teaching difficulties? I'm an assistant ESL teacher currently, and look forward to the challenge.
Thank you |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 4:24 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Is there something particular that appeals to you about working for Gloria English? There are other, better jobs out there and you don't have to work/live in the armpit of Taiwan that is Jongli / Taoyuan to do them.
I worked for Gloria - my first gig in Taiwan.
They consistently under-delivered on promised hours. Some weeks I wasn't even working 18 hours even though they 'guaranteed' 25 per week. The only nice thing about working there was that there were a ton of foreigners working for the school which eased the transition a bit. There are about 17 different locations all in the same area and you will be required to travel between 2 or 3 of them as part of your regular schedule. Class sizes aren't too bad and some of the teaching workshops are actually quite useful. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
etzelmi2
Joined: 14 May 2011
Posts: 6
|
| Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 2:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Thanks for you answer. At this time, I am looking for somewhat of a "safety net" when I get there. No I'm not looking for someone to hold my hand, however, I am looking forward to making an easy transition. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 2:41 am Post subject: |
|
|
If you have any other questions I'll be happy to try and answer them.
Bear in mind that I worked for them in 2007 though.
Last edited by yamahuh on Wed May 18, 2011 4:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
etzelmi2
Joined: 14 May 2011
Posts: 6
|
| Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 6:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Great, thanks for the help. Should I take the job with Gloria, is their anyway to prepare myself at all for the experience? I currently assist in ESL classes part time, so I have experience working across a language barrier in addition to tutoring on grammar and pronunciation. However my experience with kids is very little. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ptm234
Joined: 29 Aug 2010
Posts: 17
|
| Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 3:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I think you can find a better job in Taipei if you're looking to work in a big city. If you want to work in a smaller place in Taoyuan, that is okay but travelling to different schools is annoying. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 4:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| etzelmi2 wrote: |
| Great, thanks for the help. Should I take the job with Gloria, is their anyway to prepare myself at all for the experience? |
The nice thing about Gloria is that they provide Chinese speaking co-teachers to assist with your classes. Discipline and behavioural issues are mostly their domain; the downside to that is that if you end up working with a cranky / p-o'd one (as my wife did) every little mistake gets blown out of proportion and ends up being a major issue. Some can be very insistent that things are done EXACTLY as they want them done.
Not all personalities are compatible.
I agree with the poster above - if you want a more pleasant experience in a city that will give you some culture plus an 'easy transition' you would probably be better off in Taipei.
Taoyuan and Jongli are grey, dirty places devoid of soul or appeal and Gloria English is not the best job out there. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
etzelmi2
Joined: 14 May 2011
Posts: 6
|
| Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 5:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
During the time spent in Taiwan, what was Taoyuan like? And please, do include some positive aspects :)
Taoyuan is relatively close to 6 people who were some of my students here in America. This is why working for Gloria in Taoyuan is appealing for me, as they are living there again now. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| There were some good restaurants and bars - movie theatre was good. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
etzelmi2
Joined: 14 May 2011
Posts: 6
|
| Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 4:58 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Right on. How crazy was scooter driving in Taoyuan? Any tips or tricks? I've ridden a scooter off and on during college, however the streets weren't very busy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 5:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
Treat everyone else as if they are homicidal maniacs who are trying to kill you and you won't go far wrong.
Never trust a red light - if you have a green it doesn't mean that someone isn't running the red.
Never enter an intersection beside a car - he may decide to suddenly swerve for the turn that he forgot he wanted.
Always be aware of who is around you - always, always, always do shoulder checks before making lane changes - Taiwanese rarely even move their heads let alone check their mirrors or shouders. I see at least 3 accidents a week caused by someone just not looking.
Guaranteed - at some point a shouder check will prevent serious injury or may even save your life.
The mountains are awesome, glorious, twisty roads and not too busy on non-holidays. The cities are a nightmare.
Don't EVER drive drunk. I knew two foreigners who died on their scooters after a night of partying. One guy who died was in an intersection and was hit by somebody running a light. The other driver never came forward and was never found. They kept the foreigner on life support until his family could come over from the States, then they pulled the plug.
Cabs are cheap. Your life isn't
Drivers here are careless, unobservant, unfocused and largely incompetent. Don't make it worse by adding booze to the mix.
Here endeth the lesson... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 3:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
After I posted the reply above I was on my way to work when a guy who had just passed me cut right across in front of me as if I was non-existent. I honked my turn at him in a long prolonged blast and he didn't even look around.
Taiwanese drivers - I could write a book...
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dr_Zoidberg
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 406
Location: Not posting on Forumosa.
|
| Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 2:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| yamahuh wrote: |
I see at least 3 accidents a week caused by someone just not looking.
|
Let's not forget driving with face. At least once per week I see an accident where the two clowns were looking right at each other and could have easily avoided the collision if it weren't that they can't flinch without losing face.
You have to wonder about people whose overweening sense of pride is so engrained it can overrule basic survival instinct. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
|
| Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 4:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Indeed |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
