For two years, I was employed by Beijing WITT, a company that hires teachers from around the Anglophone world and assigns them to one in a network of schools around China. I was quite happily employed there (am now a full-time student) and would like to encourage anyone interested in a new job in a new city to give it a look.
Here's how it works. You would work for and get paid by Beijing WITT, not the school. The school will help you get set up with a Chinese bank account and your monthly salary is directly deposited there. Beijing WITT currently employs a Canadian HR Manager who would be your recourse in the event of any living/working issues.
Your monthly salary, for a new teacher, is 5,000 RMB per month. In addition, you receive a bonus of 1,000 RMB per month which accrues monthly and can be collected at the completion of your (one-year) contract. Teachers who re-up for a second year are also paid throughout their two month summer break, and there is the possibility that WITT will increase your salary.
At each school, one of the foreign teachers is the "lead teacher", essentially acting as a go-between among the school, the head office in Beijing, and the rank and file teachers. Teachers who are well-received by both the company and their school have the opportunity to apply for a lead teacher job, which provides a very generous bump in their salary. The lead teacher typically teaches less per week but has additional responsibilities, such as observing other teacher's lessons and organizing end of semester exams.
The curriculum is standard throughout each of the schools in the WITT network. Your job is to prepare Senior Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 students for the IELTS exam. Each student is given a workbook and a textbook, but teachers are expected to prepare detailed lesson plans for each class to be checked by the lead teacher. Teachers are also encouraged to use outside source material to supplement lessons in the book. Before the start of the schoolyear, WITT flies its teachers to Changzhou, Jiangsu for a training seminar in which you'll be taught the structure of the IELTS exam and exchange ideas with colleagues from around China about how to best teach toward the test.
Here's the downside. Most schools ask their teachers to do additional classes that have nothing to do with WITT. You do have a certain amount of leeway there, and if you feel that you're being taken advantage of or working too many hours then you do have the HR manager to complain to. In many cases, though, there's very little he can do to ameliorate the situation.
Where are the schools? Most are in medium-sized cities along the East Coast, though there are a few scattered elsewhere. Few of the locations are all that attractive, though there are exceptions such as Suzhou and Chengdu. Many of the schools are located in cities that frankly have very little to offer other than an authentic China experience. In some cases you and your colleagues will be among the few laowais in town. If you insist on living somewhere very interesting, you may well be disappointed. All the same, I find living in a random place a worthy experience that will prepare you well for other experiences you may have in China.
Accommodation varies. The school arranges your apartments for you and pays for your rent and bills. In most cases you won't have to flat with a colleague or stranger. Some of the accommodation will be located on campus and some will be off (if you're lucky). Again, lucky ones will be getting a very nice place to live with all of the amenities you could ask for. Others will be living more modestly, but remember that your Chinese colleagues in all likelihood will have even less. That being said, it never hurts to ask your school to provide you with basic items such as a hot shower and washing machine.
Each school appoints a teacher or administrator to act as a liasion toward the foreign teachers. Usually, these coordinators speak English well and will handle your various PSB/Visa issues. Nicer ones will even help you to handle day-to-day tasks if your Chinese isn't up to par. The school will also have one of its teachers observe your lessons from time to time.
In Beijing, WITT also employs an academic manager who is your resource for anything related to the classroom. Once or twice a year, he will come to your school and observe your lesson, and he also will help you set up the end-of-semester exams and administer the IELTS speaking test.
Ah...this is getting way too long. If you're still with me, let me conclude by stating what I perceive to be the advantages and disadvantages of working for WITT.
Advantages:
- very competitive salary, especially in smaller and poorer cities
- professional training in teaching IELTS, which can come in handy if you seek work elsewhere
- stability and support from Beijing
- a network of colleagues from across China
- excellent benefits including health coverage, bereavement leave, and vacation pay
Disadvantages:
- no choice on where to live (though if you decide to re-up for a second year Beijing might be willing to accede to your request)
- possibility of on-campus living, which could lead to certain restrictions on your mobility and freedom
- possibility of irregular hours (no weekends usually) and extraneous work foisted on your by the school
- possibility of living in a small, dull city
Obviously, this job doesn't suit everyone, but I think an ideal candidate might be:
- if you don't mind living somewhere out of the major cities
- if you want a earn a good salary with benefits
- if you're interested in pursuing ESL as a career and/or IELTS training in particular.
- if you're in China for only a year, want to make a decent living and save, and don't want to bother with the hassle of sorting out your own accommodation or work situation.
Disclosure: I'm a close friend of the academic manager, but neither he nor anyone else affiliated with WITT asked me to write this post. I myself haven't been employed by WITT since June 2006 in any capacity. My motivation for writing this is to throw it out there for people who might be interested. In my opi