METEN english Suzhou

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eggcluck

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METEN english Suzhou
« on: July 04, 2013, 04:57:16 PM »
There was a thread dating back to 2008 on them but nothing recent, has anyone got any up to date information?

From the Website it does not appear to be particularly brilliant (40 hours possibly at 8000!?) Supposedly the person that is trying to get me to consider them (they are not related to METEN, but having me there does suit their purposes) knows some people that work there and all they seem to be able to say is "it's good" they cant say why and nothing more is particularly forth coming.
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Re: METEN english Suzhou
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2013, 03:05:54 PM »
I actually had an interview with them and they seemed pretty upfront about everything but they said they would make me take a certification course of about $500 and they would reimburse me. It seemed shady but they put it in the contract. I was looking for something else anyway.

I took a TEFL course that reccommends some schools directly. This was one of them. But of course that doesn't mean they're reputable

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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: METEN english Suzhou
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2013, 05:47:05 PM »
Meten is a big chain.  Your happiness or despair will be highly dependent on local management.

I did an interview with them in Dongguan.  The offer wasn't quite good enough and there were some other drawbacks, so I ended up declining.

Pluses:

1.  The local contact at the moment was fabulous (but was about to transfer to a different city).

2.  It seemed like a fairly laid back place to work.

3.  Lots of filing cabinets jammed full of lesson plans.

Minuses:

1.  ALL the classrooms and offices were glass-walled.  Imagine working in a compartmentalized fish tank.  Imagine trying to get through a boring, yet necessary, part of the curriculum while the teachers in adjoining rooms are doing something entertaining.

2.  Evaluations are done by students after EVERY class session.  If they want to dump you, it won't matter if your average score is spectacular - you will have off days and an occasional student will have an off day and take it out on you in the eval.  All the ammo needed to get rid of you will be sitting in a folder.

3.  Alternating morning/evening schedules.  Not bad when you end early one day and don't have to drag in until lunch the next.  The other way around sucks big time.

4.  Office hours.  They want you at the facility 40 hours per week.  Enjoy your time in the foreigner zoo glass walled office.

5.  I agreed with my contact to give a demo lesson.  Hey, no problem, it was fun.  I then got called in by someone else to do an English corner.  OK, I'm not on the payroll, but one more hour can't hurt.  Then, that 2nd person called me again to schedule another English Corner.  I declined.  She seemed a bit put off that I wasn't willing to make myself indefinitely available for free before an offer was made or accepted.
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Guangzhou Writer

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Re: METEN english Suzhou
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2013, 05:56:46 AM »
She seemed a bit put off that I wasn't willing to make myself indefinitely available for free before an offer was made or accepted.
I think you stole her face.

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eggcluck

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Re: METEN english Suzhou
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2013, 02:41:32 PM »
Fish bowls, evaluated by everyone and anyone, any excuse to cut people they don't like.

Sounds a lot like where I am now just not as bad, which is a place I am trying to get out from!

I was not impressed from what I read on the website since it said you could be doing 40 hours for just 8000. Though I was promised I would get more than 10000. Where I am now promised professional development, induction, living support and at least two consecutive days off blah blah , I never got anything they said they would give, so I have learned not to listen to "promises".
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Re: METEN english Suzhou
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2013, 07:59:26 PM »
Always always always get it in the contract.  Even then you could be screwed, but at least you did everything you could to not agreeing to be screwed.

Eval policies and glass walls may not be universal to this chain.  Ask for photos of the offices and classrooms.

Ask what exactly they expect for those office hours?  The one in DG had a movie room (one of the few places with non-glass walls.  If sitting around eating popcorn and catching up on the latest movies counts, that 40 hours may not be such a bad thing. ahahahahah  I wouldn't want to do it forever, but I think 15-20 hours of movie/TV time a week for a year would just about let me catch up on what I'd have seen had I stayed in the USA.

And, as said - get EVERYTHING in the contract.  A "generic" contract with a bunch of promises means you've only got a generic contract.
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