Battery: It’s okay to be sceptical of a jaded hack like me. In fact, I’d be a little worried if anyone but another jaded hack wasn’t. Of course, I’d still call them naive. 
Naiive I am. Which is why I ask for help 
@Battery: Sometimes suggestions made on these forums -especially regarding ESL- can be over-the-top discouraging to the point of having no constructive use. But I ask for them anyway in the hopes that people will give me, and the others who read this later, thoughts based on their experiences and suggestions of what I might be able to do. “Go home fool! You’re wasting your time” isn’t constructive.
Actually, maybe it would have been for me!
That’s pretty much what I think.
Already did. Okay, slightly cynical perhaps, but you could scare them off the other way with overkill. Probably what you need to do is make the “serious lesson plan”, but have the references to all of the stupid shit also. Hedge your bets, in other words, and make it look like you’re serious “wink wink” so they can make it look like they’re serious to the parents “wink wink”.[/quote]
Right… so why is it everyone is disregarding the point that I made about the kids actually seeming like they’re learning something??
I mean I was FLABBERGASTED at these 6 year old comprehension level. And when I asked how they managed to get them at such proficiency, the teachers said they use California textbooks.
Doesn’t this sound like they’re serious?
[b][color=#0000FF][color=#0000FF]Unfortunately not. I teach kindy kids who are between 4 and 6. All have a great level of English. They have been learning English for a few years.
The school is still a joke. The reality of ESL teaching Taiwan. Haha, California textbooks![/color][/color]
[/b]
{jimi: #1 for 8/13}[/quote]
But nobody’s saying that. All they’re saying is that it sounds very much like you are being played for a patsy. If that’s cool for you, then go for it. You have a whole bunch of very experienced people giving their takes on how you are being played. Its probably about THE most common ploy on the books for schools who hire from overseas.
You ought to be asking yourself WHY these operations are willing to spend the time and money to fuck about with emails and skypes and whatnot. As you have no doubt seen already, just from reading this board, there are LOADS of experienced teachers here looking for work. The reason your prospective employer hasn’t been able to attract them is MOST LIKELY to be that he or she is a cheapskate fly-by-night. You can take that advice, or you can leave it and arrive here like just another of the hundreds of wet-behind-the-ears newbies who come here and get royally shafted. Up to you. I’m pretty sure nobody here really gives much of a shit one way or the other.
Lesson Plan
1-Throw ball.
2-Whats you name?
3-My name Winky.
4-Repeat for eight hours.
I think what the other posters are saying is probably correct. Nonetheless, if you have the time, it might be worth up giving it a shot. How long can it take to write up an eight hour lesson plan? A job near where you live is one of the keys to happiness in Taiwan. And if the kids actually appear to be learning something, this might be a good gig. Isn’t $600 hour on the higher end of the going rate? If it is, there won’t be much room to negotiate. It’s take it or leave it in 99% of cases.
I say go for interviews in spades. Do as many demos, lesson plans and negotiations via email, skype, snail mail, smoke signal or banging of the drums as you can manage to dig out of the interwebsearch. You are a newb. What you need now is experience in demos, lesson planning and most importantly, negotiations with the Taiwanese.
I know, I know…it started out like I was gonna be facetious, didn’t it. But actually, I am giving you the best advice yet. Here’s the caveat. Do not sign any contract from overseas. In fact, I’d strongly recommend taking what you can learn from overseas interviews and taking a tour of the lesser buxicons for a week or even two when you get here before applying to your A List of boiler room outfits. Apply to the ones that are always looking. They are most likely your C List candidates. Take em to the mat demo wise, and burn em negotiation wise… If you are really serious about this, then get your research done and spare yourself all the grimness most newbs go thru.
You’ll thank me later. -Mr. Adrian Monk.
Mine’s 90 minutes from home by puyblic transport, 30 minutes by car and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. ;^)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150192442491573&set=a.470734496572.253341.581961572&type=1&theater
Mine’s 90 minutes from home by puyblic transport, 30 minutes by car and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. ;^)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150192442491573&set=a.470734496572.253341.581961572&type=1&theater[/quote]
OT, nice view. Is it humid during winter?
Lesson plan sent out.
Let’s see. Either I’m had and they reject me, they don’t like the lesson plan and reject me, someone cheaper came along and that’s what they care about so they reject me, someone they like better for any other reason came along and they reject me, or I’m given an offer.
I like these odds.
@ToeSave, Your advice is sound and I like it. Also, I would under no circumstances sign a contract without first seeing the place lol.
They already know if they want to hire you or not.
They already know if they want to hire you or not.[/quote]
HOLY FUCK, BATMAN!
You read minds!?!?
They already know if they want to hire you or not.[/quote]
HOLY FUCK, BATMAN!
You read minds!?!?[/quote]
Funkymonkey is right.
I’m with Lili. What did she have to lose? Not much. I’m probably more cynical than the next guy, but it’s hard to imagine it’s some kind of “extract lesson plans from naive foreigners” scam actually. If she liked the school for whatever reason, why not.
While I do agree to a point, I strongly believe that after an interview and a demo the decision is made. Especially of the school is the usual kindy/buxiban.
They could also be stringing her along to see if someone better pops up. We all know how 99% of the schools work.
I really agree with an earlier post regarding schools that recruit from overseas.
In my opinion these are the schools that will struggle to find teacher that has some experience teaching here, because everyone knows they are generally crap.
Yes she has nothing to lose as she is not here yet. She does however have a lot to lose if she signs up. To many the security of a job on arrival trumps everything else.
They already know if they want to hire you or not.[/quote]
HOLY FUCK, BATMAN!
You read minds!?!?[/quote]
Funkymonkey is right.[/quote]
Yeah, but how do you explain that to a newbie? 
They already know if they want to hire you or not.[/quote]
HOLY FUCK, BATMAN!
You read minds!?!?[/quote]
Funkymonkey is right.[/quote]
Yeah, but how do you explain that to a newbie? [/quote]
I believe this thread explains it clear enough. You can take a horse to water but cannot make it drink, is the quote that pops to mind. Maybe I am also a cynical fuck. Hindsight and all that.
The trick to reading minds is often stating the obvious.