Job Discussion Forums

[smilebella]

I teach at a vocational school and for the most part I really like it- the school is great, students are great, management is great, etc. I only teach the English majors at my school though, which means that my teaching hours are limited and usually less than 10 hours a week. When I arrived in September, they told me that I should be in the office from 9-11am and 1:30-4:30PM, Monday-Friday, unless I'm in class.

During fall term, I taught 9 hours per week and had about 16 office hours. Next term is even more skewed- about 4.5 class hours and 20 office hours. I don't want to be rude about it because I know I'm lucky that my school is really good about everything else, but is this an excessive amount of office hours? Would it be reasonable for me to ask for less office hours during spring term or should I just deal with it? I'm the only foreign teacher.

Thanks for your advice :)

[johntpartee]

[muffintop]

Quite excessive.

Is it in your contract to work so many office hours? What's the point of having so many? 9-4:30 sounds too much like a full time job. /shiver

You can go ahead and ask for less office hours but likely your request will fall on deaf ears if the time is in your contract. If you like the school and plan to stay another year..it's something to bring up when you renegotiate for a new contract, not now.

Buy some books. Better yet snag an E-reader.

Frankly, that many office hours would make me loopy. Good luck!

[mw182006]

^ Agreed...I teach "English majors" at a vocational school and literally had no required office hours last semester. If it were me I'd ask if they'll allow you to arrange office hours on an appointment basis with the students as necessary. I'm guessing they have no administrative work they actually need you to complete during those times.

[smilebella]

My contract is just a standard SAFEA one with a few details in the appendix. I believe it says something like "up to 25 working hours a week". There's absolutely nothing for me to do other than plan lessons (which takes less than one hour a week) and students don't come during office hours anyways because they're in class. I think they established those hours for me just because that's when the Chinese teachers are there.

Anyway, I'm going to try to ask about changing it when I receive my timetable for next term. Just wanted to double check that it's not the standard to be in the office for that many hours a week. Thanks!

[Shroob]

Does your contract mention office hours? Or does it simply state 'working hours'?

I'm in two minds here, you have a pretty sweet gig, 4 teaching hours a week is a pretty sweet gig! Though it must be tedious sitting around for 20 hours a week in an office. Additionally, do you risk 'rocking the boat', you said yourself the school has been pretty good with everything else. But, by the same token, if they've been good with that, they may be good with reducing the office hours...

[D-M]

Also in two minds ... if everything else is sweet and you are very happy ... these office hours shouldnt be a deal breaker IMHO. They arent even really too unreasonable ... just expecting you to be there between certain hours. Id use the time to something productive, or not ...depends on your vibe. I drink a lot of Chinese tea these days .. Id be bringing my kit in and drinking in the office ... add in some lesson planning, internet nonsense at it wouldnt be so bad. Assuming all the other stuff is good, this simple office hours nonsense can be agreeable.

[muffintop]

[Non Sequitur]

English majors at a vocational?
New one on me.

[wangdaning]

Do they actually monitor you in your office?

Just don't be there as much and see if anyone says anything. If there is nothing to do and no students coming in then why stay in your office.

[smilebella]

Yeah, it's a nursing school so there's 1 class per grade that specifically majored in "English nursing".

They don't really monitor me during office hours, I share an office with two other teachers though. I'll probably wait until the beginning of next semester when I get my timetable and see what would be reasonable. With only 5 hours a week, I suspect that I'll have a few full days with no classes, so may ask to have some of them off or office hours by appointment on those days. If they say no, it's not a big deal- I'm working on learning Chinese and also have a website that I'm working on, so I have things to do during the office time.

They did ask me last week if I would like to re-sign the contract for next year or recommend any friends to take the position if I didn't want it. I was also perplexed by that, as it doesn't seem like I work enough hours to warrant keeping me, but I think the English majors pay more for tuition to have 1 class with a foreign teacher. I really like my school so probably I will re-sign the contract if I can get a reduction in office hours and also a raise.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[thechangling]

[Non Sequitur]

You don't mention salary but I assume it's fulltime rate and I suspect students do pay extra. But surely that doesn't mean you can't have other students for oral?
Maybe the course is pitched 'exclusive access blah blah'.
I agree about going bats with so much inactive time.
George Bernard Shaw once said that 'a perpetual holiday, is a good working definition of hell'.

[Bud Powell]

[chinatimes]