Salaries, Standards, Locations.

[burlives]

My department head is giving me grief over staffing. It seems that many apply, but few foreign teachers end up coming here. I didn't think to tell him that 4000 a month in a backwater town with maybe 50 kids in a speaking class is not the drawcard it once was. Their supposedly fearful attachment to me will cause troubles in a month or two when I try to leave.

But I got to thinking, what are people looking for? Is a school like mine a newbie trap or would experienced staff actually want to come here? Two staff are staying on: one for a second year, one for a fourth. I came looking for another small town, found it, and that's enough for now.

So what is the big negative? In practice this is one of the nicest schools I've been at, but most people end up not coming without having been. Something else catches them, I suppose. Salary? Class size? Amenities?

(This is by way of developing a profile for whom this school might reasonably target as employees and thus where and how they could advertise, but it's mostly for me to know and them to find out.)

[Wolf]

So tell me what you want, what you really really want.
I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want.

Salary: Given how much experience and formal training I have - and a good portion of that in China - I'd ask for something around the 6000 range at least if I were staying. Round trip air fare to my home (so I can visit and come back.) Enough that I can live well here, and still be able to save a bit in case, you know, I wanted to visit my home one day, or take a vacation somewhere else. I'd want juicy benefits I have now like free housing, broadband, medical, etc. Yeah, that's a lot for China. But not for outside of China. It would be great if I could get away with 16 - 18 classes per week at most.

Location: The blatant racism at least 5 times a week is the biggest sub standard (more on standards in a moment) that I won't put up with if I don't have to. It's also the single greatest reason I'm leaving (need for $ is #2.) I know that I'm different, but it must be possilbe for me to have a life. In my current location it isn't; I've tried. So I'd probably be looking for one of the larger centers with something of an international community present. While I don't have a great desire to have most of my firends be expats (don't really mind who my friends are as long as they're worth the title "friend) having larger numbers of different looking people around would numb the locals to my presence. And that's worth quite a bit. Shanghai or one of its wannabes would suit me, I suppose. I've lived in a big Asian city before; traffic, crowds etc I can adapt to. Being ostricized 24/7 I can't.

Standards: No stealing from me. Get paid on time. Private accomodation. Have contract clauses honoured. Have the management make some effort to work with me in terms of what I need to know, scheduling, etc. A reasonable (for the circumstances) degree of privacy for when I'm not teaching. Class sizes? I manage 30 in my speaking classes. I don't think I'd want any more than that in a speaking class. I had 60 in my writing classes last year and 36 in them this year. The smaller classes went better. "As small as circumstances reasonably dictate" is the best answer I can give. I'd feel better as a teacher in the long run if my classes were small enough that I could actually make a difference to my students.

What I will do:In return I promise to behave professionally, do my job as best I can, always show up for class, use my background and experience to its fullest, consult with the dean/management/whoever in a friendly and reasonable fashion, take my job seriously, and be as responsible as I can for the welfare and learing of my students (at least to the extent that they care to learn.)

There. I must be the least desirable teacher in China.

[Lager]

would say the problem is the 50 kids part..And I think people who are happy with 4000 will more than likely look for a College. Last year my first gig here paid 3500. Shaoxing is famous in China but a backwater anywhere else. The staff were...a couple of old hands who liked the soft hours and location..Some people from well off homes not worried about money who liked a College and low hours. and a couple retirees and grad students. By the way none would accept overtime - all were happy at 3500...

Others I have met are more focused on money...Kids with student loans for example. Or people with the "wrong" passport who would rather be in Japan.

I guess stress the nice location and explain the salary is excellent for that area...and benefits. MMM yeh there are so many schools really..I (and others) post they are getting fired and get flooded with offers...

That may be no help at all but it's free.

[burlives]

Wolf said:

There. I must be the least desirable teacher in China.

I laughed. It's funny how "professional circumstance" and "the real China experience" have become contrasting offers.

For myself, I was a crap teacher and deeply, naively puzzled when I got here, but three years later I'm pretty damn good, nowadays offering a curriculum of utility and virtue. I still don't save money beyond ferreting the unused pinkies away for restocking and resupply missions back home once a year. So far, strange administration has been water off this black duck's back and "hello" is another part of the truce. Genuine friendships, relatively sophisticated would be nice.