I'm a teacher, show me my limits!
Tuesday, 10 May 2005 08:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cathay_stray*
Написал тут в коммьюнити по tefl. Может, интересно кому.
*
They invited me to their office to finalise the timetable and some minor arrangements.
I called the vice-principal asking her for directions.
"Take the tube to ABC station, then change to 123 bus", she started to explain.
"Thank you but I think I will go by car", I interrupted.
"Then call me as soon as you get into the car, and I will tell the driver how to find our place."
"Err... there will be no driver."
"Oh I see, a friend will give you a lift... No matter, just ask your friend to call me and I will give directions to him."
"I will drive myself, so please could I finally get the directions if it doesn't sound demanding too much?"
"Oh, you know you can't drive in China!"
"Why so?"
"You must have a Chinese license."
"I do."
"But you can't have a car."
"And why is this?"
"Teachers don't have cars!"
I could have kept on pressing and at the end of the day perhaps I would have got the bloody directions. But what I did was - I cancelled the meeting and nulled our agreement. I was not desperate for a little side income I could have earned from them - and other chances to reap a dollar or two are plentiful around. Sure, they didn't mourn much over losing me - in fact, they very probably got someone twice cheaper. Maybe that someone was even able to cater to their needs well. I don't know. What I know is - as soon as "they" start telling me what I can and what I cannot, it is time for me to hang up, or, if the conversation is held in person, to stand up and leave without bothering to look polite.
Honestly, I don't have a car at the moment. I sometimes borrow a friend's VW Passat. But not having a car means nothing as I am simply between the cars, a new one not bought yet as I had to buy a flat and put too much cash into that deal. I think I will buy a car some time late this year or early next. Still, in my 8+ years in China at least 7 years were behind the wheel, and this is what "they" chronically fail to fathom. "They" experience problems trying to understand you are not a backpacker, but a businessman marketing yourself and not willing to lose a single fen of your possible earnings or a single square inch of a flat you want "them" to rent for you. If you come to an interview driving your own unluxury but fancy car, "they" start hiccuping, and if you mention you had bought this car for the money you made as a teacher in 7 months, this is when "they" faint. "They" hate you knowing too much about the trade. "They" much prefer you naive, silly and flap-eared.
When I was sniffing around before deciding to relocate to Guangzhou I met a man who offered me a teacher's job. We had a [more or less] nice conversation negotiating the conditions of the contract. The man, let us call him Jason for convenience, offered me a room in the dorm.
"I don't live in dorms."
"Why??" - he looked really perplexed.
"I just don't."
"But it is a nice place, and you should already feel privileged to have a separate room with a private shower."
"Jason, you know my number, please don't hesitate to call me whenever you think you are ready to talk business", I stood up and proceeded to the door but was stopped and asked to stay.
We did sign a contract for a year at that time. He had to put up with most of my demands. Next time he nearly lost his consciousness was when he saw my 39 crates, boxes and containers delivered to my flat (2 bedrooms, big living room, big balcony, 3 aircons) that he had to rent for me.
"Oh, you have so many things."
"Don't you?"
"But..." - "but you are a teacher", I could read in his eyes the words he was too cautious to utter.
This is it. You are a teacher - hence, you are stigmatised. Depending on your age, you are seen either as a yesterday student, wet behind the ears, easy to cheat, enslave and totally fuck up - or as a lifetime loser, deserving even less respect. You are generally taken as a person for whom a coffee at Starbucks is a Sunday treat. Forget all that crap about a holy mission of spreading the word of English "they" give you. "They" are going to make money on you, this is a material world, and the Chinese are world champions in materialism. "They" will perhaps spend hours telling you about low costs of life in China and about how cozily you can live in a shared flat "they" provide for a salary of 3500, or 5000, or even 6000 yuan. Thing is - yes, really, you can live cozily for that money. But the sums mentioned above are for the first-timers and real losers. Facts are - being an English teacher you can easily make 8000 - 12000 yuan a month, and this is not a limit if you are willing to work hard and if you know how to dodge attempts to cheat you. For "them" it is practically impossible to get a white foreign teacher for part-time teaching for less than 120 yuan per hour, and 150-180 is more or less average (more in big cities), so don't waste time if "they" offer you 80 or 100.
Of course, if you know a thing or two about the situation in the labour market. But as a newcomer to China you are mostly likely going to be cheated, harrassed and intimidated. You will find your work load twice as heavy as stated in the contract - and you will be asked to take it thus making a contribution to the development of China. Trust me - you only need to take it once, and you are done forever. You will have to beg "them" for weeks to fix your shared washmach. And so on and so forth.
But the problem is - it is your fault, not "theirs". "They" simply know that if time is not pressing, "they" will anyway find you - a naive newcomer, recruited through David's ESL cafe or some other place, screw you, cheat you, squeeze you and dump you.
So please, be armed by the information above. Don't feel embarrassed to ask for more input. I will happily help you in every way - not because I am so good (I am not) but because I don't want you to break the market for me. Don't forget, I have to make enough for a car, and I want it soon.
Написал тут в коммьюнити по tefl. Может, интересно кому.
*
They invited me to their office to finalise the timetable and some minor arrangements.
I called the vice-principal asking her for directions.
"Take the tube to ABC station, then change to 123 bus", she started to explain.
"Thank you but I think I will go by car", I interrupted.
"Then call me as soon as you get into the car, and I will tell the driver how to find our place."
"Err... there will be no driver."
"Oh I see, a friend will give you a lift... No matter, just ask your friend to call me and I will give directions to him."
"I will drive myself, so please could I finally get the directions if it doesn't sound demanding too much?"
"Oh, you know you can't drive in China!"
"Why so?"
"You must have a Chinese license."
"I do."
"But you can't have a car."
"And why is this?"
"Teachers don't have cars!"
I could have kept on pressing and at the end of the day perhaps I would have got the bloody directions. But what I did was - I cancelled the meeting and nulled our agreement. I was not desperate for a little side income I could have earned from them - and other chances to reap a dollar or two are plentiful around. Sure, they didn't mourn much over losing me - in fact, they very probably got someone twice cheaper. Maybe that someone was even able to cater to their needs well. I don't know. What I know is - as soon as "they" start telling me what I can and what I cannot, it is time for me to hang up, or, if the conversation is held in person, to stand up and leave without bothering to look polite.
Honestly, I don't have a car at the moment. I sometimes borrow a friend's VW Passat. But not having a car means nothing as I am simply between the cars, a new one not bought yet as I had to buy a flat and put too much cash into that deal. I think I will buy a car some time late this year or early next. Still, in my 8+ years in China at least 7 years were behind the wheel, and this is what "they" chronically fail to fathom. "They" experience problems trying to understand you are not a backpacker, but a businessman marketing yourself and not willing to lose a single fen of your possible earnings or a single square inch of a flat you want "them" to rent for you. If you come to an interview driving your own unluxury but fancy car, "they" start hiccuping, and if you mention you had bought this car for the money you made as a teacher in 7 months, this is when "they" faint. "They" hate you knowing too much about the trade. "They" much prefer you naive, silly and flap-eared.
When I was sniffing around before deciding to relocate to Guangzhou I met a man who offered me a teacher's job. We had a [more or less] nice conversation negotiating the conditions of the contract. The man, let us call him Jason for convenience, offered me a room in the dorm.
"I don't live in dorms."
"Why??" - he looked really perplexed.
"I just don't."
"But it is a nice place, and you should already feel privileged to have a separate room with a private shower."
"Jason, you know my number, please don't hesitate to call me whenever you think you are ready to talk business", I stood up and proceeded to the door but was stopped and asked to stay.
We did sign a contract for a year at that time. He had to put up with most of my demands. Next time he nearly lost his consciousness was when he saw my 39 crates, boxes and containers delivered to my flat (2 bedrooms, big living room, big balcony, 3 aircons) that he had to rent for me.
"Oh, you have so many things."
"Don't you?"
"But..." - "but you are a teacher", I could read in his eyes the words he was too cautious to utter.
This is it. You are a teacher - hence, you are stigmatised. Depending on your age, you are seen either as a yesterday student, wet behind the ears, easy to cheat, enslave and totally fuck up - or as a lifetime loser, deserving even less respect. You are generally taken as a person for whom a coffee at Starbucks is a Sunday treat. Forget all that crap about a holy mission of spreading the word of English "they" give you. "They" are going to make money on you, this is a material world, and the Chinese are world champions in materialism. "They" will perhaps spend hours telling you about low costs of life in China and about how cozily you can live in a shared flat "they" provide for a salary of 3500, or 5000, or even 6000 yuan. Thing is - yes, really, you can live cozily for that money. But the sums mentioned above are for the first-timers and real losers. Facts are - being an English teacher you can easily make 8000 - 12000 yuan a month, and this is not a limit if you are willing to work hard and if you know how to dodge attempts to cheat you. For "them" it is practically impossible to get a white foreign teacher for part-time teaching for less than 120 yuan per hour, and 150-180 is more or less average (more in big cities), so don't waste time if "they" offer you 80 or 100.
Of course, if you know a thing or two about the situation in the labour market. But as a newcomer to China you are mostly likely going to be cheated, harrassed and intimidated. You will find your work load twice as heavy as stated in the contract - and you will be asked to take it thus making a contribution to the development of China. Trust me - you only need to take it once, and you are done forever. You will have to beg "them" for weeks to fix your shared washmach. And so on and so forth.
But the problem is - it is your fault, not "theirs". "They" simply know that if time is not pressing, "they" will anyway find you - a naive newcomer, recruited through David's ESL cafe or some other place, screw you, cheat you, squeeze you and dump you.
So please, be armed by the information above. Don't feel embarrassed to ask for more input. I will happily help you in every way - not because I am so good (I am not) but because I don't want you to break the market for me. Don't forget, I have to make enough for a car, and I want it soon.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-05-10 01:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-10 01:22 pm (UTC)Весь этот "teacher" stuff относится только к иностранцам, или же они и своих учителей гнобят тоже?
no subject
Date: 2005-05-10 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-11 01:11 am (UTC)Дело только в том, что скоро начнется новый сезон отлова и привоза в Китай нового набора учителей, и хотелось бы, чтобы кандидаты имели немножко больше инфы - не потому, что меня так уж заботит, чтобы их не наебли, а только в силу того, что большое количество дешевых рабов на некоторое время - сезонно - осложнит конъюнктурку для "старослужащих".
no subject
Date: 2005-05-10 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-10 08:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-11 07:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-11 12:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-12 06:53 am (UTC)Однокурсницы сидят дома большей частью.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-12 11:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-12 12:01 pm (UTC)Для студенток - во все времена законная форма подработки. Я в их возрасте брала 10-15 долларов/урок, а этим кто же столько даст.
Языковые школы так или иначе получат своего клиента, пустовать не будут. Девочки думали, что если они демостративно из этих школ уйдут, что-то поменяется. Опять же, незаменимых людей нет.
In a fix, how do I not break the market
Date: 2005-05-12 06:40 am (UTC)Re: In a fix, how do I not break the market
Date: 2005-05-12 08:29 am (UTC)********************
Judging by your userpic you are not the one who should accept 300 USD a month for any sort of work ;)
If you don't mind I will quote my own reply to one of the comments I got to my post in
Then do some field research on site, find a few schools, go from one to another offering your services and I would give 85 per cent probability you'll get a job within the first week.
No one will offer you more than 6000 yuan (8.25 yuan for $ 1) a month, but in fact it is quite fair for the newcomer, you can live well on it providing they take care of your flight costs, med. insurance and lodging - which MUST be unshared and airconditioned; DON'T compromise this. Make sure there is no clash of interests clause in the contract - if there is you will not be able to work part time elsewhere. Oh yes, to be able to hunt a spare buck part time you must have work load no more than 15-16 hours a week. They will normally try to get you into 24-30 teaching hours a week, but never agree to this. Also, never agree to have "office hours" - in other words, you must be free to leave the school immediately after the bell rings. Normally they will ask you to sit in the office when you are not teaching, but your firm "no" will sober them up in 99 per cent of the cases.
Visa type can be changed without a need to leave and re-enter.
Now let us calculate:
6000 yuan is what you get - btw, make sure you get it in hand as is - in cash, no whatever tax bull...
1500 yuan they will pay for your flat (may vary but let us take it as a rough estimation)
700-800 yuan they will set aside a month to cover your air fare
250-350 yuan they will set aside a month to cover the visa precedures
100-150 yuan a month will go for med. insurance
Roughly altogether is about 9000-9500, and this is what you need to stick to.
Re: In a fix, how do I not break the market
Date: 2005-05-12 08:29 am (UTC)***********************
Well, now back to YOUR specific situation.
Freelancing in China? Errrrr... How far will they let you go? I think there might be problems with detention or deportation, anyway, Lalaoshi is the one to ask about this scope of things.
Once again, $ 300 in Beijing must be a joke. And, let's see, for how many hours? 30 hrs a week and working Saturdays? If this is not a fuck, then what is? Let me get my good old calculator... 300 dollars at roughly 8.25 yuan, divided by 120 hours a month... click! 20.625 yuan an hour. Mamma mia.
A contract offered to me recently had 60 to 80 teaching hours a month, no office hours, no weekends or holidays, no any unpaid activities like English corners or whatever, overtime at 1.5 to double rate, med. insurance, one return flight to Europe upon completion, Z visa sponsored by the institution, paid holidays and a salary of 8,500 yuan a month. No housing allowance as they knew I have my own flat. This is just an example. I didn't sign with them. In fact I did, but I preferred to sign a very vague and flexible contract - just to allow myself more freedom to get my own private practice, so basically what I got from them is a visa support - for that courtesy I am obliged to work 1 morning a week - 4 hours, at 125-150 yuan per hour. Sure, I may get more hours if I wish but the whole point was to stay free to be able to be my own boss.
Now, how do you hope to have time for picturetaking if you are to work your inside out 30 hrs/wk including Sats?
I wonder what sort of a "US organization" is behind this slave trade shit...
You have no chance whatsoever to save any money living in BJ on $ 300.... unless you are a monk constanly fasting.
Deferring school loans - sorry, I really don't know a thing about this, so I am not a right one to discuss it with.
I can't tell you what you should do, but if I were you I would just smile and leave not forgetting to ask them to kiss my ass.
What would I do in your situation? See the above passage, I would come here on a tourist or (better) business visa and within a week or two find a place to work for.
Key things when talking with them are work permit and Z visa. You do need someone to take care of these, be prepared to promise them something between 5 and 15 hours a week paid reasonably, and make it clear from the beginning that they are not the only place in town you are visiting. You are qualified, obviously creative, charismatic and have some experience in teaching in China, plus you speak Chinese - you will be able to sell yourself easily. There are few teachers with a personality as interesting and appealing as yours so don't go for cheap.
Please don't hesitate to ask for more.
Re: In a fix, how do I not break the market
Date: 2005-05-12 09:15 am (UTC)Re: In a fix, how do I not break the market
Date: 2005-05-12 10:42 am (UTC)(2) Hey, would it help if packing my bags for the USA I told the consul I was planning to get a job somewhere in Trenton, Missoury? I reckon, this would be my last ever visit to the AmEmb... If you have a few spare days, go to HK - a must see place - and get a business visa there. They don't ask questions in HK. If you are not in position to make a loop to down South, just get a 3-month tourist one. You can extend it 2 times and change it to Z if you get a job at an authorised school (not every school may hire us big-nosed monsters).
(3) A dinner sounds nice but I am in Guangzhou, 2.5 hours flight away... still, I won't forget it when/if I come over. Anyway, I still can answer many qs as I lived in BJ 7+ yrs.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-15 09:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-15 12:03 pm (UTC)Но у меня легенда - почти что правда, я ее с порога всем впариваю, и больше вопросов не возникает. Мол, родился в России, в семье ученых, семья постоянно и много жила за границами, в разных странах, в т.ч. ЮК. А кроме того, я еще в 1997-м в Китае преподавал, документы остались, в общем, уже есть некие credentials, не страшно ничего говорить.
А работать канадцем - ну все равно ведь, как ни крутись, а пойматься всегда можно на чем-нибудь, хоть на цветах скаутского галстука, хоть на перечне предметов, преподаваемых в канадских школах на девятом году обучения. Тогда будет лажа.
А не секрет, что по финансам в ШЖ у учителей?
no subject
Date: 2005-05-17 12:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-05-17 03:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-02 02:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-03 10:30 pm (UTC)при устройстве в школы - что-нить спрашивают? сертификат или что -нить такое..
no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 04:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 07:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-17 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-16 04:12 pm (UTC)Спасибо.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-21 02:10 pm (UTC)I am a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. My recently completed dissertation was about historical representation, and I use the Cultural Revolution as my period, so I spent some of my summers in China in various ways, one summer teaching in Xuzhou. They treated me pretty well, paid me OK, did not over-work me (15 hours a week), and included little trips to Qufu and Liangyungong. I had no idea of the real English-teaching market, however. I also had no idea that, um, teachers were not held in high regard! It has been impressed upon me since I started studying Chinese that the teacher has "respect" in Chinese society! I can see now that, really, teachers have the same respect in Chinese society that they do in American society!
sj
no subject
Date: 2005-05-22 12:32 am (UTC)Anyway, who knows - maybe this will give you a push strong enough to pick up one more language.
Looking through your journal I found a few links to the chapters of your dissertation - uhhh, I so much hoped to have a lazy weekend :( but now it looks like I'm going to spend it at the computer.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-22 04:21 pm (UTC)Thanks for the note. Actually, I must warn you about dissertation reading, or rather dissertation writing, which is boring, pedantic and turgid. This summer I will be working on articles distilled from the study over the next few weeks - they will be much more palatable!
sj
Преподам в Китае (русским:-))
Date: 2006-03-01 05:20 pm (UTC)Всё больше и больше иностранцев-"преподавателей" едут в Китай и, к большому сожалению и стыду (за иностранцев), в основном едут алкоголики, бездельники, лентяи и .. короче всякая шваль, которая не нашла достойного заработка у себя на родине. Именно по этому вы никогда (елси только вы не крутой и известный препод) не найдёте парт-тайм больше чем за 100-120 RMB.
заканчиваю...
Date: 2006-03-01 05:22 pm (UTC)Re: заканчиваю...
Date: 2006-03-05 01:52 am (UTC)Так что просто не надо при входе в офис на собеседование изначально чувствовать себя анкволифайд. Да-аааалеко не все носители паспортов англоговорящих стран говорят по-английски лучше нас. Всякое пакистанско-индийское быдло с их дивными акцентами и нетрадиционной грамматикой - что, учителя лучше нас только потому, что у них американский паспорт?
Нормальное отношение работодателя ко мне было всегда. Пренормальное даже.
Re: заканчиваю...
Date: 2006-05-03 10:33 pm (UTC)что для этого необходимо(языки\сертификаты)?
no subject
Date: 2006-11-14 04:01 pm (UTC)You mean "they" like the author of the passage below, right? -
Переработка и неполные сверхурочные - нормальное явление. Мы воспринимаем это как плату за ускоренное развитие страны.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-10 07:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-02 02:52 pm (UTC)