I hate the job ad's

[MK]

Next to marking my students' written work, reading the job ad's is about the most depressing thing I do here.

www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=9706

They want this:

All candidates;
* should be native English speakers at least 21 years old
* hold a Bachelor's Degree
* have a recognized TEFL/TESOL certificate
* have ESL classroom experience (highly desirable, but not essential)

But then immediately say this:

*A monthly salary of 4340 RMB for 20 hours of teaching per week
(Foreign teachers are not required to prepare lessons or mark homework)

WTF? Why don't they just cut the BS and post an ad' saying: 'token whitey wanted'?

(And another thing, that salary is shockingly low for 20 hours!)

[Nate M]

And if that isn't enough to dissuade you and you take a job with them, it sounds like you need to make sure you don't ever cut yourself:
p092.ezboard.com/fteachingenglishinchinafrm42.showMessage?topicID=11.topic

[Lager]

Yeh MK ---I posted stuff about the frustrations looking for work. What is worse is these things get snatched up. I don't mind the 4000 range and don't blame anyone---but not with nasty terms.


There are some CRAZY ads out there.

[Raoul Duke]

I hate the job ads, too.

Many of them, like the one Monkey King posted, do indeed combine high expectations and a salary that's positively insulting. And many of them do have little clues that your professional input is not really wanted or respected. IMHO this is not getting better as time goes by, it's getting worse...requirements for some kind of cert are becoming more common, and salaries are certainly not going up to match. If anything, they're getting lower.

The sad fact remains that for the most part, these are not real schools here- including most university programs. They do not provide real education. And they don't give a wet slap about hiring real teachers...all the emphasis is on attractive, energetic 22-year-olds who can keep the kiddies (up to 50 years old) entertained and the moms smiling, and who don't know enough to make a lot of complaints or ask a lot of hard questions. Profits, not programs, are the real drivers in 99.9% of Chinese schools of every description.

By the way, I'm not saying that 22-year-olds can't be good teachers...they can. The point is, you'll be hired here because you're 22 and new to China, not because you're a good teacher.

We CAN help our students learn to speak English. We CAN make a difference in the lives of our students and our communities. Just don't expect your school to give two m'kays in a cat's ass about it.

Those of you who have seen my online posts over the long haul may have noticed that I tend to focus on the fun and the banter and the lifestyle issues, and only very rarely become involved in Serious Discussions of Serious Teaching Matters. It's not that I'm an educational lightweight, it's just that they don't mean much in China. They may be relevant in Australia or America or other countries, but in China they largely amount, IMHO, to masturbation. They are throwing pearls before swine.

Sorry if I seem cynical. I've worked here a few years now.

The sad part is that there are going to be a lot of people back home applying for jobs like the one MK pointed out. They're going to wring their hands and worry about "making the cut". They're going to be absolutely delighted to get hired on to that job, and they're going to consider themselves lucky.

As China's economy ascends and all of ours erode away, foreigners are going to come here in increasing numbers looking for work...and for almost all of us that means teaching English. Chinese schools will have increasingly large pools of naifs to choose from...we're seeing it happen now. There's just too many of us coming.
We need SARS back.

[con's fly is open]

What does NAIF stand for?
I'm going on the premise that the demand for a 30-something Canuck with a year in-country is still vast. Sure hope I'm not wrong about this.

[Raoul Duke]

Con-man,
pardon my French. A naif is a naive person.

I would think that as a Canadian person, and therefore required by law to constantly repeat everything you say in French, you would know that.

Don't worry, bunky. We'll find a nice home for ya here somewhere.

[Lager]

You don't mind kids right? If that's the case you'll be good. Most of my problem is I have decided I will not set foot in a classroom of kids again in PRC.


It aint as easy as 2 years ago though. --- As Duke says SARS was a good thing. Yeh those were the days. I'm hoping I can get a p/t thing here with my zero kids tolerance policy. We'll see.

[Raoul Duke]

Yes, the kiddies do indeed suck massive portions of ass when packed into a classroom. Like Lager, I won't teach them any more if I can help it...at least not in the usual classroom circumstances. If you ever see me in a public school or an English mill teaching kids again, it's safe to assume that I have been hungry and homeless. Or that I've completely lost my mind.

Unfortunately, the university and foundation experiences I've had here weren't any better...and I was teaching core academic non-English subjects in all of them. (Maybe I should have been...the English teachers seemed a lot happier...) In general, the levels of academic performance on average were no higher, if not worse. The behavior was certainly not improved...and coming from people you'd think were old enough to know better. The administrations had the same panem et circenses expectations that I experienced in the places where kids were taught. Disclaimer: my uni/foundation experiences were all in special programs for snotty underachieving rich kids, not mainstream university programs.

In my current job, I am working a lot harder and taking on a lot of risk and sacrifice. However, I absolutely LOVE what I am doing, and actually look forward to entering a classroom! God willing, this will be my last job in China...

[MK]

Teaching Kindergarten/Primary isn't a bad gig if you can stomach it though...I was recently offered some weekend work at a kindergarten...(just a couple of hours sat/sun morning)...that would have doubled my basic salary.

By the way, I teach English on one of the afforementioned foundation years for snotty underachieving rich kids...These kids have failed in the Chinese education system, so their parents stick them in one of these foundation year programmes, where basically, money buys you a foreign degree...it's all very dubious, and I think the bubble is gonna burst some time soon...

[Raoul Duke]

I agree completely...if you simply must teach kids, the little-bitties are the place to be. I actually almost kinda enjoy teaching them.

Those buy-a-foreign-degree-for-your-addled-child places have caused me much disgust and disillusionment. I don't ever want to go back to one...but then, the money's usually good there if you can find a level. I couldn't find one, myself.

Not sure who I am madder at...the parasitic Chinese owners/administrators who make a killing selling meaningless scraps of paper to desperate parents, or the unscrupulous foreign institutions who make it all possible...and also rake in a fortune. One country in particular (I won't name names, but they're near New Zealand) really seems to have the red light turned on, the heavy makeup, miniskirt, and fishnet stockings applied, and the taxi meter attached to the bed when it comes to the outright sale of degrees.

MK, are you by chance at GAC? They're an Australian company who actually does seem to have at least some basic scruples when it comes to a foundation program. At least my experience with them was pretty good. Unfortunately, they franchise to local corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads who do everything possible to subvert the system, so results at the local level can vary a lot.

[MK]

Nah, I work on a programme run by a little-known but ambitious British university...it's just the same as you describe, though - abuse of the system at this end, and a blind eye turned at the other, so long as the money keeps rolling in, of course!
I'd better not say any more, 'cos it's actually a pretty good place to work, and I don't want to be tracked down and get the sack just yet...