Workload ?

[alexis]

I am curious how my workload compares to others. I teach primary grades 3 and 4. I have 18 classes Monday through Thrusday. The classes are 40 minutes long. This comes out to 12 hours per week but I am at school 14 hours per week with all the breaks. My salary is 5500 per month. I actually am getting my medical paid. We live on campus, the apartments are actually very decent. We have been given two apartments since I have my three teenagers with me. My kids attend art, music and P.E. and my son is starting martial arts on Monday. The school provides all of this free of charge and $600 per month on a meal card we can use on campus for food, shampoo, etc. I am curious if what I have is a good thing or did I get a crapy deal? Thanks for your input. Alexis

[Nate M]

I teach University students, most of them about 19 or 20 years old. I am contracted to teach every week for 16-18 teaching periods. Each teaching period is 45 minutes. In actuality, I have 7 classes, each of them two periods long, so I'm only teaching 14 periods a week. The other few periods on my contract is supposedly alotted for things like English corners and the like, but it is up to the teacher to attend them or not. It's a public school as well, so that means public holidays, (payed public holidays, as well), which is nice. I think I'm going to have something like 6 weeks off for winter break.

My salary is 4,000 RMB per month, which is probably crap compared to what most people here are making, but it's been pretty easy to save money, so I'm not complaining too much. I have an apartment all to myself with washing machine, broadband internet, satellite TV, etc. I don't get any extras like a meal card or free classes, but food on campus is dirt cheap and pretty decent, so it isn't much of a problem.

To me, what you have sounds like it is pretty fair. I wouldn't be turning up my nose at it if my school decided to offer me this, (Oh, except for the teaching primary school, thing. You are a stronger person than I.).

[Raoul Duke]

I'm with Nate on this 100%. If you can stomach teaching kids, this deal sounds pretty decent. Not the best in China, maybe, but definitely very far from the worst. I think you did OK for your first gig here!

[Lager]

My schedule is 16 classes (8 doubles.) The nice thing is they are blocked well-in my case all mornings. So I'm 10-11:40 for 2 days and 8-11:40 for the other 3...Pretty hard to complain about that. If I wanted I could flip one and have a 4-day week. One teacher here gets them done in 3 days. Students are pleasant. And I have nothing (in the contract anyway) as far as office time or E Corners or meetings. They ask us to do this but it's not necessary (and won't be done by me but thats another story.)

Your deal sounds fine---the 600 is a nice little perk I have never heard of. Yes it could be better but I think most deals are not so good.

As for money I'll just say this. My first term in China I started at 3500 and it seemed like plenty. I got overtime and saved most of that--travelled etc. Year and a half later and I cannot get by on 4000. I dip into savings each month. Winter I was getting 6500 and did not save much---just the bonus and last month. I suppose it's my own fault

[hankuh]

I teach at a teachers college in Crap City. I teach 16 hours a week for 8 classes at two 45 minute periods. My pay isn't anything to write home about, nor is it worth quoting about (You're making more than me! But damn if I will teach primary or middle school students). I usually teach monday through friday, but this semester I only teach monday through thursday, which was a fluke I suppose.
I teach literature and western culture survey classes to junior and senior English majors. I don't go to English corner or have office hours. I can teach the way I want to, with no one breathing down my neck. Student evaluations here are looked at with contempt and rightly so.
I have a three bedroom apartment, with television, which I never watch, a computer with broadband internet, a washing machines, a western toilet and shower.
I pay for a maid and a cook. I haven't ate a western meal since I was in Shanghai this past July. My english is terrible, my Chinese not much better. I often reflect on why I chose to come to China more than four years ago, but find reading postings on another ESL forum (not this one) is a great sport and realize how few people know what they are doing and are brave enough to admit.
I have a wife who is Chinese and teaches here too.
I am bitter, morose, and wish to god, that my Hongdou, Chinese underwear didn't ride up and clench my scrotum, but overall, I am insane and am thankful for being so. My students usually become the best people in Shanghai to clean the sidewalks and busstops.
I am a survivor. I can squat really well.

You have a great deal going for you there.

[alexis]

I guess the best thing about our deal in China is that we always have three day weekends. We got paid for National week. We had the week off this week as well paid because our school had a sports meeting all week for the primary kids. We get paid for all of Winter break (Jan 17th-Feb 20th) and we get paid for Summer break which I think is July and August. Teaching primary is not so bad, my kids are smart and seem to know alot of english. I have a TA every class and they really are sharp teachers and speak english well. I mostly just play games and do dictation for the 40 minutes and give out stars. We get our travel expense back at the end of the year for both my husband and I. The school gave us 3 year visas each (I had to pay some for the kids but ours were free). They keep begging us to stay for atleast 2-3 years but we are only in our first 4 months. Maybe....we will, who knows. The campus is larger than the college I attended in the States. It has grades 1-12 here and they all live here which is kinda fun for my kids. It is nice although because everyone just leaves us alone unless the kids want to play. I would appreciate more feed back, Thanks, Alexis

[Raoul Duke]

Alexis (and Z)
I knew things would turn out for you. Glad to see it's coming to pass already.

And it gets better! You've been here some time now, and (more importantly) you've started posting again. So it's time you got more to read.

Welcome Upstairs, brethren and cistern!

[George61]

It sounds like a good job. I've got 4 classes...3 double periods each =24 classes...TV, no computer at home, the school canteens are filthy, the teachers and students drop their rubbish everywhere, and have allotted gangs of students sweeping 3 times a day, everyone spits...in the classrooms, staffrooms, on the stairs....
I'd say you are lucky, Alexis.

[Nate M]

Hey George, is that the oil worker's college you're talking about?

[wOZfromOZ]

G'day again

Alexis
Back in the 'wild east days' (1992) I lived in China -Shanghai with my 'ex' and first 2 kids for 12 months and it was great. This time I'm back here again for mark 2 and this time, 12 years later I'm in much the same position - 2 more young kids (1 of them born here) with one at home and the other going to a Chinese Educational institution (all be it a kindergarten)

As far as the kindie goes, we get treated really well still and that's after Bradley having gone to that kindie now for over 2 years. I've been at the same workplace now for nearly 3 years and am quite happy there.

You ask about your situation in your post......

alexis said:

I guess the best thing about our deal in China is that we always have three day weekends. ................................It is nice although because everyone just leaves us alone unless the kids want to play. I would appreciate more feed back, Thanks, Alexis

I think your situation sounds good. We do get paid a lot more in Shanghai but you need it as the cost of living here is so much higher primarily as there's so much more to 'blow' your money on
eg last saturday at the bullfights - kid you not - full on Spanish bull fights - tickets 500Y and 800Y - and those were the cheapest!!

Do you want to do company classes - again if you NEED money then they're the GO but I came here to enjoy the experience of China and a much lower level of stress in my life ( even with 2 little ones and boy, can they be noisy at times)

Good luck to your family here.

wOZfromOZ

[alexis]

I agree about the Chinese and trash? I can't believe they just through their trash down everywhere. I do not understand why no one has taught them any different. I also do not understand the spitting. They even spit in the lunchroom....I don't get it but I am sure eventually we will get used to it.

[George61]

No Nate...tis the Electric Power school. Big mistake signing on here....and I did it against my better judgement!! Silly Boy!!
Ah well...I leave at the end of the week, thank the Lord.
Mutual agreement...they are happy for me to go...and I am happy to go.
Probably head off to Jinan....dunno where yet. Have irons in the fire, tho.

[Lager]

Alexis---I remember your posts now. Did you end up in Suzhou after all? I worked with a teenager (18) my last job and he used to get along great with the kids and he picked up the lingo really fast. Never heard of 3-year visas...

George---Moving to Jinan? I recall that place shandong Light(?) are always hiring. Michelle knew the place when I mentioned it. Uni age students though if you want that. Got an e-mail from Chase---says crazy Bernie (remember her?) is offering him a job. Haha.
I shouldn't call her crazy---think I stuck her with a beer tab at the Sofitel one night. ;D

[alexis]

We ended up in Ningbo. It is on the coast below Shanghai. It is a big city but not as big as Shanghai.

[Ruth]

Alexis, you work harder than I do and you get paid more. I think you have a good deal, comparatively speaking. I teach 6 45-minute lessons Tues-Fri to high school (senior middle school) kids. My husband does the same. We hang out in our respective offices most weekdays, but it isn't mandatory and we come and go as we please. We would like to teach more, but the school says they can't pay us more, so we can't work more. We're in a small town and making 3-4 times what our Chinese co-workers make. We have a 2 bedroom apt. with western bathroom, good kitchen, TV set with cable (that we seldom watch - no Eng channel in our small town), and internet connection (that we pay for). We brought our own laptop with us. No meal bonus like you have, but meals on campus are cheap, and reasonable in local restaurants. We manage to save all of our pay from the school and live off of what we make with private students. Round trip airfare was reimbursed early on in our stay, although that is not typical. Most employers pay it at the end of the contract.

I think the school is being generous giving you two apts and free lessons for your children. Lucky you. Be thankful your first experience here is such a good one.

[alexis]

Our internet broadband is free and our apartment is nicer than we expected. It has everything we could need or want. I am happy we are in a bigger city such as Ningbo. I do not think the kids would make it in a smaller one. We do not have the CCTV channel 9 here but would really like it. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get it?

[MK]

You only think you want CCTV 9....wait till you actually get it
It should be possible to get cable TV with some decent English language channels in Ningbo...harass your school to get it for you!

[alexis]

Oh believe me I have harrassed. He has written a letter to CCTV but we have not heard back yet. I thought about just calling them but their main office is in Beijing. I had CCTV 9 in Suzhou and it was better than nothing.

[roaming kiwi]

It's been too long since my last post. Too much work as follows:

10, 90 minute lessons Monday to Thursday. 1st to 3rd Year university students who've had no placement tests to shuffle them into "lovely but no English", annoying "I speech gooda England" types, "My English is so poor that I cannot expouse the irroneous flaws in my character, nor my teacher's spelling abilities, succinctly" types.

Plus the best bit is that they've all been given the same book - 1st to 3rd year! The book is a lot better than a previous unnamed teachers college in Baoding, Hebei, but for the 3rd years it's been scrapped for "real" English learnin'.

Class sizes range from 15-35. Much better than the 40-400 I got dumped with in my last tour of duty.

I've also over-extended myself by taking on 12 filthy rich expat kids for piano lessons. Except it involves a 4 hour round-trip commute from the arse end of Shanghai (the university no less) to the spanking new sprawl of Pudong.

I live in a heightened state of fear of peasants revolting once they find out the decadence of the expat community, the light-rail flying off the rails, the Chinese university re-scheduling classes, and the wrath of Raoul for not getting in touch with him for a beer.

[Raoul Duke]

Alexis, CCTV is the wrong tree to bark up here. They just uplink the programming to a satellite and then lapse back into a coma. You need to have someone "important" go wake up your local cable company. They're the ones who make the decision to have 6 channels showing CCTV3 and none showing CCTV9.

Yes, Kiwi, be afraid. Be very afraid.