Job Discussion Forums

[Seasoo]

So, me and my friends contracts are up in a month and a bit. During the summer we are planning on going to a summer english camp in Tianjin that is paying five hundred per working day through a three week period, one week of which will have zero classes.
I'm just curious what these camps are like. Obviously every one is different, but how different im not sure. What was your experience like?
Thanks.

[therock]

They are not really "camps", they are just normal classes, expect to teach 5 or 6 classes a day and then be involved in "other" activities. They're a good money earner for the school or organizer.

[choudoufu]

you're not gonna be whittling birdhouses or going on
nature hikes. you're gonna get to spend 6-10 hours a day
in a sticky, sweaty classroom with 50 or so bored
middle school students.

better ask how many hours/classes per day.
if only five, you're getting 100/hour, from there it's all downhill.
and how many working days in a week.
and how many students in a class.
they have books/lessons, or do you have to prepare?
and what about those extra activities?

[TexasHighway]

The notion of "summer camps" conjures up images from our youth of sleeping in log cabins, singing around the campfire, and making some arts and crafts to show off to our folks. Chinese parents would probably think those experiences are silly and a waste of time and money. They demand that those "camps" drill their children with intensive English training, in which the kids have little or no interest. As the above posters have indicated, these camps are money-makers for the schools and tiresome, tedious work for the FTs.

[Javelin of Radiance]

[TexasHighway]

Actually, I was thinking of the Allan Sherman 1963 novelty song:
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh. Here I am at Camp Granada. Camp is very entertaining. And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining."
If only summer camps in China could be that much fun!

[theoriginalprankster]

[kev7161]

For the first five summers I was here (or was it six? lost count), I did a summer camp. Each one had different levels of swellness. Some were quite pleasant with great groups of kids and cool co-teachers (both CT and FT) and some fun activities. Others were not so "swell" (won't go into details here). But yeah, most everywhere you go it's going to be hot, humid, sticky, almost unbearable. I remember one of my first camps in Yiwu. It was so hot they put big blocks of ice in the middle of the classroom floors (in plastic containers). By the time lunch time had rolled around, the ice had semi-melted and all the kids had a lot of fun playing with the water. Good fun for them, a MESS of a classroom and dripping, water-logged kids for afternoon lessons.

The biggest problem is that it gets so HOT and after lunch, nobody wants to go back to HOT classrooms even after a two hour rest period. If you can latch onto a program that takes kids swimming in the afternoons or shows movies in dark, coolish, auditoriums, or takes the kids shopping in an air conditioned shopping mall or things of that nature, it might not be so bad. But conducting afternoon lessons? No thanks!

It's already started to get hot here in Suzhou and the lethargy in my students is ALREADY evident (granted, a majority of my students this year have been lethargic since September 1st!) and my energy levels are on the wane as well. Imagine what mid-July will be like.

I'm very grateful that I earn enough now that doing a summer camp is no longer a necessity for me. It's A/C all the way for me this summer!

[GeminiTiger]

Instead of a summer camp consider taking a part time job at an English training school with verified conditions suitable for human life. IE- Make sure that school is air-conditioned.

[Seasoo]

hmm, so the general opinion on summer camps is that they are too hot and have bored students. from what i read it sounds pretty negative. the thing is we need more money in order to fully enjoy our summer, and this provides us with quick cash (for lots of hard work). teaching at some training centers is another option but in my experience they tend to start you off slow (not many hours) then add more as they see fit. we want quick cash. but i agree five hours a day at 100 an hour is not good. I will ask them about exactly how many working days for the contract and about special activities. the camp is called crazy english. pretty famous name, but i havent heard many reviews about them. anyone worked for them before?
it would be greatly appreciated if anyone could hook me up with some contacts of good summer english camps. especially if there are log cabins involved.
thanks.

[Craig!]

[xiguagua]

[Craig!]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Imaginary summer camp situation:

15 RMB/class--- cheap classes!

Each class gets 1hr with foreigner and 1hr with Chinese teacher, then switch

7:30AM-9:30AM

34/30 (510x2 + 450x2) =1920

9:30AM-11:30AM

22/41 (330x2 + 615x2) =1890

Boss makes 3810, pays teacher 400.

Boss could not make 3810 without the foreign teacher.


Imagine a husband/wife team doing this now. About 4k in the morning, 4k in the afternoon, and 2k in the evening. 10k a day. Work a full month and you got yourself 300000RMB.

Now see why foreign teachers are in demand? And see why I won't work for another school ever again? We are worth SO MUCH MORE than the pennies they throw at us...

[zootown]