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Post by Raoul Duke on Oct 16, 2006 19:21:25 GMT 7
I received prospective job ads today from a school in the Shenzhen area. I did a Yahoo search on the school's name and was taken quickly to a review on Nate's China School Review. There I learned that one of our esteemed senior members had been badly burned by this school.  Needless to say, I gave them several highly entertaining and anatomical suggestions on what they could do with their job ad.  Posting reviews, bad or good, on Nate's site doesn't just help you...it helps everybody! Be there now! www.chinaschoolreview.net |
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Post by George61 on Oct 16, 2006 19:37:24 GMT 7
Wouldst, perchance, this post be referring to an establishment by the name of a certain island in NY?
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Post by Raoul Duke on Oct 16, 2006 23:26:40 GMT 7
No, I don't think so.... But there are so many dodgy schools to choose from...  |
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Post by Noodles on Oct 18, 2006 8:59:57 GMT 7
Hey Raoul.
I'd be interested to know the name of the school.
There is also a review of the company I work for on nates - well it links to esl teachers board - that is pretty unfair. I'm not too worried about it as I don’t think it reads very well and I would hope potential teachers wouldn't take it too seriously, also if anybody asked I could happily provide them with a more factual account.
My point is there are often disgruntled employees that can post what they like and there is little a school can do to refute the claims. It is possible to post replies but in general I think readers will believe a teachers review over a reply from the school.
I'm not saying this is the case with the review you are talking about, as I would be pretty confident in believing a review posted by one of our friends here.
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Post by Raoul Duke on Oct 18, 2006 17:07:36 GMT 7
The school in question is Perlandas. The review I saw was neither of yours.
If you have a review up that even you think is unfair, please edit it ASAP?
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Post by George61 on Oct 18, 2006 18:19:15 GMT 7
I don't think Perlandas has ever received a favourable review!!
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Post by Noodles on Oct 19, 2006 7:59:40 GMT 7
Oh!
Yeah i know that guy. Absolute shark.
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Post by Raoul Duke on Oct 19, 2006 15:56:08 GMT 7
Sorry, Noods, I originally thought the unfair review you referred to was yours. I've had my meds re-balanced and it's all clearer now.  |
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Post by Noodles on Oct 20, 2006 8:45:57 GMT 7
Be Careful!! The last thing we want here is a balanced Raoul  |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Oct 20, 2006 22:36:48 GMT 7
Don't worry. I add other meds to throw the whole thing out of kilter again anyway.  |
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Post by Secret Agent Jane on Nov 30, 2006 10:42:11 GMT 7
Your conversation has made me more and more nervous to post a review on Nate's--could there be others out there like me? How do I know what is an unfair criticism brought on by cranky-Americaness and what is fair game (such as living arrangements, boss interaction, parents in the classroom etc.)?
This is my first teaching in china position and while he has problems holding onto employees for all the same reasons (I've spoken with them and it all pans out), how do I keep him safe from wanton slandering? Because if you get me going about this school, I could go on all night...
Ideas for judicial reviews?
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kzel81
Barfly
Life in not about the amount of breaths you take, but about the moments that take your breath away
Posts: 61
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Post by kzel81 on Nov 30, 2006 12:09:23 GMT 7
This is my first teaching in china position and while he has problems holding onto employees for all the same reasons (I've spoken with them and it all pans out), how do I keep him safe from wanton slandering? Because if you get me going about this school, I could go on all night... Ideas for judicial reviews? I guess the best thing to do is to state in your review is your personal experience, and not what you've heard second or third hand. And if there are good points to go with the bad, or vice versa, write about both aspects. There's no fail safe way to judge a post, though you can sometimes tell the people who are just ranting and may have expected too much when they don't actually give a reason for why they are bagging the school, and just go on about how corrupt China is. I find that personally I tend to pay more attention to the well written reviews, with reasons backing up their good/bad experience. At least you know some thought has gone into the post. |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Dec 2, 2006 20:53:38 GMT 7
Yeah. All such reviews, on Nate's or anywhere else, are presented as-is and should always be taken with a grain of salt. Bear in mind that with two teachers at the same school at the same time, it's easily possible for one teacher to have a terrible experience and another teacher to love it. I like kze's ideas about the depth of the account. If you have the luxury, try to find multiple reviews of the same school...if more than one person has at different times panned the school, chances are good that there really are serious problems. Of course, with any given Chinese school the chances are good anyway that there really are serious problems. I think it's a massive public service, and a borderline duty, for all foreign teachers here to write about their experiences in various schools.  If you have a bad experience, definitely write about it and help warn others away from that school. Be fair and honest and back up your displeasure with specific examples, if you want people to believe you. If you have a good experience, reward that school with a good review that will attract in more people for them. If you see another person badmouthing a school and you know they're telling the truth, it's valid to support them. If you see someone deliberately lying to slander a school, it's valid to jump in and challenge their account in defense of the school. However, I'd definitely avoid defending a school when you know that they do indeed have some dodgy practices. It tends to result in your being perceived as being in the enemy camp. Don't hold back, it's important. On most such boards, it's possible to post anonymously. If you're smart about your writing, you can make it difficult for anyone to figure out who you really are. |
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Post by Missi on Dec 3, 2006 7:02:08 GMT 7
Write the story. Let other know what happened and how they may be treated at that school.
I agree with Raoul, Noodles, George. and anyone else who has posted that if you have had a negative experience or even a posiitive one, to name the school and the story behind it. Think of the feelings you had before you came to China. Did you find information about your school, city, teacehrs on the internet? was there anyone you could call to get more information?
Posting helps others. Bottom line.
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Post by Secret Agent Jane on Dec 6, 2006 13:28:15 GMT 7
Don't hold back, it's important. On most such boards, it's possible to post anonymously. If you're smart about your writing, you can make it difficult for anyone to figure out who you really are. unfortunately, we have been the only teachers here since july. If I post actual stories...he's gonna know. But then, do care? It's so hard to hold my tongue (fingers) until after my time is up! Come on January....! |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Dec 6, 2006 15:22:01 GMT 7
Understood, Jane.
I doubt many school owners mans read these pages, but I can certainly respect wanting to be clear of the school before posting. Do whatever you comfortable with. But do it eventually.
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Post by The Canink on Dec 7, 2006 13:17:47 GMT 7
DEFINITELY make sure you're clear of the school before you post anything negative. I had nothing but grief after posting a bad review of a school I worked at while I was still working there. I was barely able to get another job at all, and that only after doing a whole lot of fancy footwork around the issue.
While you're at the school? Be goodness and light and a smiley, happy, shining face. Then stab the bastards in the back the minute your foot is out the door.
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Post by Raoul Duke on Dec 7, 2006 17:36:05 GMT 7
Then stab the bastards in the back the minute your foot is out the door. Sounds harsh but I can't say I entirely disagree. They'd be oh, so happy to do the same for you. |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Dec 7, 2006 17:40:13 GMT 7
Meanwhile, Jane, you can't be responsible for other people's posts. Just make sure yours are honest, the way you see it. Please don't let the fact that a bad review kept a weasel school off our pages dissuade you from posting a review!
For one thing, I actually knew this particular reviewer and trusted their judgment. For another, there was no shortage of corroborating testimony...
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Post by The Canink on Dec 9, 2006 12:19:45 GMT 7
Then stab the bastards in the back the minute your foot is out the door. Sounds harsh but I can't say I entirely disagree. They'd be oh, so happy to do the same for you. Keep in mind here that I'm talking about schools which have done you wrong. I'm a "dobule-tit for tat" kind of guy, morally speaking. Do me good, I do back better (if possible). Do me bad, I do worse back (if possible). My default start is "good", but it switches to bad very quickly if I see someone acting in poor faith. My last school was the one I had in mind for this message. Advertised a two-bedroom unshared apartment, then delivered a two-bedroom shared. Or tried to. When I refused to let another person join my apartment, they locked (and bricked-over) the door to the second bedroom and converted the efficiency next door into a single-bedroom using that room. Their defense? "Oh, that (the wording in the job offer) was just a mistake." Then they felt "betrayed" when I posted a bad review of their school on ESL Teacher's Board and did their level best to screw up any chance of getting another job after them. (This is a mindset I'll never fathom.) |
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Post by Raoul Duke on Dec 10, 2006 5:37:01 GMT 7
Simple. You, as A) the employee and B) the foreigner are supposed to just bend over and uncomplainingly take anything they care to hand you. It's their right to be sneaky and underhanded; you had no right to blow their cover. Exposing them for the weasels they really are was, quite frankly, unspeakably rude of you.  |
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Post by The Canink on Dec 10, 2006 20:28:39 GMT 7
 So that's how it works, eh? |
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