Things I Just Won't Do For Work

In my time here I have met two people who paid to come here.

 One paid 1200 USD and recieved a 3500 per month job at language center. When conditions went from bad to worse the agency told him "to hang in there" and they'd see what they can do.I'm not sure the details of the other person but she cliams to have saved for over a year to cover the fee and she was making less than 4000 as well.

 This is what we're up against folks....

I won't stay in the office all day unless there is a reason.  I don't understand why people put up with crappy office hour rules.

Well, as it happens I am going to a job where there are office hours.  I know it will be difficult to get used to but I figure it's going to help get me ready for my reentry into the real world when I go home in the summer of 08.  I did negotiate a decrease in the amount of office hours initially requested and I'm hoping having a bit more of a schedule will be the incentive I need to make more of an effort to learn Chinese.  On the brighter side, my hours of teaching decrease from 16 here to 14 at the new place and my salary goes up. And there will be a computer/internet at work so I think I can kill a 2.5 office hours a day.

If you have a decent office with access to a computer (which isn't choked up with QQ and zillions of horrible virii etc), heating, a real desk, etc, then fine.  And assuming that there are proper facilities and access to lesson planning resources in said office.

But at my old school in Wuhan, for a mere 4500 RMB a month, they expected us to stay in a horrid, cold, dirty, unfriendly, office, where we each had a titchy little ancient wooden desk, no access to computers, no resources for lesson planning, we still had to go to the shop to buy card to make flashcards etc for lessons. 

Ah - edited to add: that only lasted a term.  6 out of 7 teachers inexplicably left (I wonder why) and they dropped the office hours!

I will work 1pm to 9pm, in spite of the difficulties it creates in getting enough time with my wife... but I won't give up my dinner hour to go do an oral assessment or level test.

I won't wear my company's stupid little badge around my neck (new policy they just instituted). I talk and I teach with my hands and don't like shit flappin' around while I'm doing so.

I won't pay any fine for not wearing the badge, nor will I pay a fine for clocking out at 8:59pm instead of 9:00pm or for clocking in at 1:01pm. I'm never late anyway, because I use my office hours every day to do lesson planning (which I enjoy doing). If I'm late, it's because there was a train crash at the tracks next to my home and the entire place is shut down. But, if I'm not going to be paid for the time I work before the clock clicks over to 1:00pm or the time I sometimes am there helping students after 9:00pm, I will raise holy hell's holy hell if someone then wants to take 20rmb for 1 minute.

I won't teach kids ever again. Frankly, I kind of enjoy it... but my puny ass immune system can't seem to handle it.

Speaking of immune systems, I won't be responsible for finding a replacement if I am sick. Personally, I think it's the school's job to cover those classes and most students understand if a teacher gets sick. I quit a job in March when the teachers were threatened with firing if they were sick (ironically, from an Australian manager who was once so hungover she had to be sent home).

I won't hide my feelings. When I'm happy, all of my coworkers know it. When I'm not, all of East Asia and most of Africa and Europe know it. I know that many will disagree with this, because of cultural differences and what not... but it's just how I am. I get angry when I should, such as when I walk into a class with the wrong material because the receptionists didn't tell me the original student canceled and the time was rescheduled to another level. I will admit my mistakes, but I won't tolerate looking bad because of others'.

As others have said, I won't give up the limited free time I do get with my wife to answer emails from students, talk on the phone with students, or be pestered. Those that invade my private time are subject to nuclear retaliation.

I will teach from the material provided, but I won't hesitate to alter it to improve it (keeping the goal in mind). I (same as above) won't make myself look bad by teaching crappy material just because it's "the system". I'm not as old as George (but then again, neither is the Han Dynasty), but I do have enough experience to discern the goods from the shit when it comes to material. I know a lot of people would disagree with this, but I'm a cranky old stubborn curmudgeon.

You missed out "work without a proper working visa".

Some schools want you to do that, just go to Hong Kong and get another tourist visa, apparently because they are too cheap to get the proper certification to request working visas. A friend who started a school and did get the ertification told me it was expensive (30,000?) and took two years, even with a Chinese partner with good guanxi. But that does not mean any of us should work for someone without it.

Some schools even lie to teachers on this, promising a working visa in ads or email and then not delivering once the victim is here. A Chinese friend's suggestion for a teacher in that situation was interesting. She was here on a tourist visa; the school wanted her to go to Hong Kong at her own expense to renew it, and of course they were paying her a pittance so she couldn't afford that. His suggestion: threaten to turn them in. They give you cash in advance for the Hong Kong trip or you go to the PSB with a trusted Chinese friend and a copy of the email promise; ask them what you should do since of course you don't want to work illegally. She just got a better job elsewhere, but I've often wondered how following his advice would have worked.

I think a lot of the schools that are willing to risk the trouble of hiring a foreigner on an illegal visa probably have enough guanxi to get out of trouble, so the threat likely would be less than effective.

Lono Tiki,
          You sound like you work at Web.

No, not at Web... but I have worked for two of the largest training center companies here.

You are guys after my own heart. Don't take any guff, man.

Let me fix you a drink on me. Have you tried my Triplane Etha-Rita^TM yet? It's the bar's signature drink. It's a yummy margarita made with one shot tequila, one shot ethyl ether, and one shot aviation fuel.

It's good for what ails ya, and it sounds like youse guys is ready for one.

Steeenking badgees and fines for not needin' no. Sweet Jesus. 

I always have problems with a lack of functioning white board markers, which is really uncalled for given the size of the company I work for. Today I got fed up when I tried to write and got a faintly light greyish line, so I chucked the marker over my shoulder and nearly clocked a student.

I won't do that anymore.

 

Chalk hates me too.  It breaks as soon as I start using it.  Last one that broke my finger nail went down the board instead.  Students all cringed from the sound.  But at least broken chalk writes - empty markers don't.

Chalk hates me too.  It breaks as soon as I start using it.  Last one that broke my finger nail went down the board instead.  Students all cringed from the sound.

I cringed thinking about that sound and imagery!

Gee, we've come a long way here...
If insanely brittle chalk or dying whiteboard markers are the worst things that happen to me in a Chinese school, I got life pretty good. 

I'm fine with either chalk or marker. I would definitely prefer everyone having a computer connected to teacher's computer of course. But oh well!