Job Discussion Forums

[Stosskraft]

I need some advice.
I am working for a small private English school in HuaiAn. Everything has been going great, but a couple of days ago, I got a phone call early in the morning asking if I would mind meeting with a headmaster from a middle school for about 20 min. I said "no problem" and went to the school later in the afternoon. Once I arrived, I was rushed into a class full of kids aged around 14-16years old. I was told that I was EXPECTED to teach this class, conversational English(I have no experience with children, as I teach adults only at my school). I did not have any warning that I was going to be teaching, so I did not have time to prepare any sort of lesson plan.
So I struggled through a 1 hour class, with the staff of the school all watching and was very relived to be finished. Then I was promptly driven back to my school before I could ask any questions. When I arrived at my school, the owner gave me my "schedule" of teaching hours at this middle school. My school had contacted me out, to this middle school without even asking me about it!
At this point I informed the owner that I do not have experience with children and did not enjoy being thrown into a class without warning, she got have angry and said that I have to do it or else!
At this point I showed her my contract with Modern English, and the section that forbayed me from teaching at other language institute's.
Needless to say this situation is getting worse and worse. Today they even put a notice on my desk of when they expect me at this middle school and the books they would like me to use.
Does anyone have any advice on this situation??? I really don't want the situation to get worse, but I did not come to this school, to teach children and be misled about being contracted out to other schools.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

PS. anyone out their have a similar experience???

[anthyp]

Holy crap! What a terrible situation. If worse comes to worse, though, you could always pull a midnight runner. Although it's the height of unprofessionalism, I don't know what legal recourse you have here or if you even want to bother getting into that considering that you are just plainly getting screwed. Maybe somebody else out there has been through a similar situation and could offer some advice.

[lagerlout2006]

My advice is this: Say you cannot do it--the sooner the better. What they have done --in a "Chinese way" is made you agree to something you don't want to-and shouldn't -do.. Are they at least talking more money???
I had this happen...Before I knew what was going on I was being asked (ie told) to teach illegal classes for 100 per shot...WAIT let me think about this. Don't let them pull a fast one. (In my case I called my FAO's boss and got it sorted.) They cannot ask you to do illegal things. But they will try.

Not being critical but you made 2 mistakes. The first was answering the phone early morning.---Unless you have friends that call at this time..The second was agreeing to this "meeting" Meeting in this sense means they will tell you what to do and when.....Have you spoken to your real boss about this???

The good news is this..They will back off fast when you remind them it is illegal..Just say you respect the law here etc. etc. and they will back off. I was barely off the plane when my first school (otherwise good) tried to pull this stunt. In my case I ended up doing it because the 100 a class was worth it. But don't let them push you into it. Who proposed this meeting anyway???

Good luck!!!

[Wolf]

Did they tell you that Modern English is a "small private English school in HuiaAn?" It isn't. They have their own frickin' TV show. They're a big franchise company based in Beijing.

I worked for Modern English part time. For three weeks. Then they made up a lame excuse regarding why they wouldn't may me as much and as often as we had agreeed upon (100 per hour, every time I showed up.)

So I left.

If you can at all arrange it, I would suggest a new job. Universities and middle schools are going to be looking for fall teachers soon.

If you don't want to do it, you could always refuse. This isn't 100% free of peril, but it's worth a shot if you really don't want to teach that class.

[kev7161]

I am one of ten foreign teachers at my school. I am the only Senior department foreign teacher. All the others teach Kindergarten, Bi-lingual department, primary and junior departments. After our Winter Break, I was told that my Senior 3 class was cancelled due to the fact they had to spend all of their time preparing for the college entrance exams. Also, two of my Senior Two classes were combined into one, so I went from teaching 16 periods per week to only 12.

Shortly after this, one of our foreign teachers left and so I was 'told' I was going to teach 4 lessons a week to some Junior 1 classes. Well, I've heard horror stories about these kids (I was to be the third teacher this year to be thrust in there). But, I went in with a positive attitude, my teaching supplies at the ready, prepared to teach these little monsters some English, darn it!

Oh the horror of it all! Both classes were unruly, undisciplined, overly talkative . . . just downright chaotic. My first class I endured, the next class I walked out on after 5 minutes - - telling a teacher in their department that they (the school, the department) needs to do something about the students' behavior before I come back. Then I had a meeting with the director and discussed the problems. They gave me a couple of textbooks and bade me "Good Luck - you're going to need it!" (not really, but you know what I mean). So, I started showing DVDs to the kids. Suddenly, they were quiet and interested. I noticed two or three didn't want to watch what I was showing . . . so they READ A BOOK instead. Fine with me.

During my third movie being shown in class, the director said to me that he was not so sure it was a good idea to always be showing movies in class. I said, it keeps them quite and calmed down. A week later, I'm no longer in the Junior department. I'm still revered in my Senior classes and I just signed a new contract for next year that states I will ONLY teach grades 10, 11, and 12.

So, my advice is . . . well, I don't have any advice. Just thought this story might help you by seeing a similar type of situation.

[Roger]

It seems to me you were unwittingly giving a TRIAL LESSON prearranged between your employer and that primary school.
This is not uncommon though in your case they should have informed you way before it actually happened.
Training centres routinely farm their FT's out to public schools.
You should insist on having things written in stone, with changes to your timetable having to be communicated to you one week in advance.

The behaviour of Chinese of not telling you what's in store for you is rather typical and in my view, this show how disrespectful they can be. Next thing: classes will be cancelled the day before you go there; your salary will be cut accordingly.

Negotiate a new agreement!

[Stosskraft]

Hey thanks for all the great responses.

The person who "arranged" all this was the accountant, who I have never dealt with since arriving. Even the guy who hired me (the Executive teacher supervisor) was told I was only going to talk to the headmaster. I see now that I did a "trail lesson", and now they expect me to teach there every day. Now I do have a firm contract with Modern English, and it even states that I am NOT allowed to work for any other schools and it has no mention of being contracted out. Naturally they want me to do this for free, and I do not feel properly qualified to teach children. I don't think it is fair to them or to me.
Now, another rookie mistake on my part: They director still has my passport in Nanjing. They took it there to get my visa, and now trying to get it back is proving difficult.
Any suggestion on this one??

Thanks for all your input, it is great to have a line other teachers in similar situations

[Teacher Lindsay]

Same school, different city?

http://www.englishschoolwatch.org/notebook_detail.php?topic_id=693

[Roger]

I think now is the time to twist their arm and insist that without your passport you can't go on holiday...
It's not even your property, and you are responsible to your government for it.

Demand it back, firmly but politely. Banks and hotels will want you to show it to them!

[davis]

I was posting this:The passport question is easy. Give them a reasonable amount of time (about a month) and then tell them how it's worrying you because it's not really your property but your government's property. Tell them you are not supposed to relinquish posession of it and maybe you will need to contact your embassy to replace it. That will usually speed the process and at the very least it will probably spur your boss into communicating with you as to the progress that's being made...at the same time Roger was posting his. Considering the holidays are nigh go with Roger's advice if you plan on traveling.

[lagerlout2006]

So they want to include it in regular hours ??? That is beyond the pale. You will take the risks and they get paid. You wont likely get busted but that's not the point.

If you trust them dont worry about your passport too much.

[Cowboy Pete]

Two choices.
Runner or stay
I choose leave. Get your passport back. Act all nice and then leave. That says *beep* you!
Go to Beijing, Get a room at a hostel. I can fill you in where if you want. And never go to a god forsaken SMALL chinese town again. Then find a job and live in the hostel till you make other arrangements.
Goodnight!

[lagerlout2006]

So the cowpoke is giving advice? Who are you Oprah now???

"Act all nice and then leave." That's good advice. That is the sort of nonsense that gives EFL people a bad name. You say I'M LEAVING OK. That is how you do it. Give people a bit of credit. Besides it doesn;t sound that dire. All he has to do is say no thank you I am a law abiding guest here and so forth.

Have you taken up residence on Sanlit bar street? Buy me a drink cowbypete they are very money here. Too many money.

[Cowboy Pete]

Advice ? Why not. Oprah. Thanks!
What do I care about giving EFl people a bad name? Do you? How noble you are!
Sure, lie, cheat, that is what the school did. I don't lie until they lie. Then it is all fair honey.
O.K., so he says he is a law abiding guest, they still require him to teach at that horrid middle school (my slant). If you think leaving (runner) is bad, then YOU are the chump.
Sorry lagerlouse, you lose.
You want some advice? Become an atheist. Then you can be yourself without the guilt of consequences.
Love, Cow or Cowpie

xxxxooo

[lagerlout2006]

What did I lose Oprah? Lager is getting low so I will be quick.

Anyway Ef maybe sucks but my policy is not to run away in the night. I walk away and tell them I am walking.Assuming I have not been fired. I don't agree with the so-called midnight run. I have a degree and I am very handsome (just ask me) so I can go. Maybe if you had better things to than hijack posts you would get somewhere. Maybe if you went to University you would be like me --- employable.

Why don't you share the apparently heinous experiences you have had in China? Why? If you are really in Peking list the metro stations. You are a piss artist who has never set foot in China. And don't call me honey.

On that note I will go and make something of this day off. Besides yapping with post-hijackers and...