Of course, I just burned out, lost my marbles, and ran back to my mammy with my tail between my legs and got a lame-o desk job, so don’t take my advice… but you seem smart and cool. You can definitely do better.
And I’d never have imagined joesax doing that either, 'til I saw the website.
This is true. But with a little courage and a leap of faith it’s amazing where you can end up.
[quote=“bismarck”]This is one of the reasons why I often stand astonished when some folks claim to get paid NT$700 plus with 25 hours, or more, a week. It’s a rare buxiban laoban that recognises things like ability and experience in this industry and who’s willing to employ such a teacher for NT$700+/hr and give him/her enough hours when a fresh of the boat lad would happily take NT$500 with much more bullshit besides…
So…yeah…unfortunately, I can completely believe this bullshit from your school.[/quote]
Maybe it’s because the school was sick of fresh of the boat teachers who firstly couldn’t teach, were unreliable employees, and cost the schools students due to bad classroom management.
The school I worled for asked me to work for them, not the other way around. There are teachers I know who get this level of salary and stay at the same school, some for mor ethan 10 years.
[quote=“bismarck”]Well my main school (main as in ARC school) gives resigning bonuses, dependiing on the exchange rate, anywhere between 20-30 000.
Ah well…it’s just money right? [/quote]
WOW you get a resigning bonus, so how many times have you resigned?
Or did you mean a re-signing bonus for staying? It’s no wonder many teachers are paid low wages. Basic language skills in their own native language seem, well, rather lacking. 
Yes and JFRV holders can alos walk out on poorly managed schools. It works both ways. The benefits for schols now are they find people that are perhaps going to stick around for a long time. On the other hand a JFRV teacher can just RESIGN if the schools is not following contracts or they are not getting paid properly.
The smart JFRV teachers stay loyal to the school and build up a good reputation with both students and parents. A few years later on down the road they leave and start their own school, taking with them a larger proportion of their current students.
:bravo: :bravo: :bravo:
[quote=“Satellite TV”]
Or did you mean a re-signing bonus for staying? It’s no wonder many teachers are paid low wages. Basic language skills in their own native language seem, well, rather lacking. [/quote]
If you ever need any help with yours, I’ll give you a discount. I do adult literacy as well as ESL. 
:liar: :blah: 
:neutral: :raspberry: :bluemad: 
[quote=“Satellite TV”][quote=“bismarck”]This is one of the reasons why I often stand astonished when some folks claim to get paid NT$700 plus with 25 hours, or more, a week. It’s a rare buxiban laoban that recognises things like ability and experience in this industry and who’s willing to employ such a teacher for NT$700+/hr and give him/her enough hours when a fresh of the boat lad would happily take NT$500 with much more bullshit besides…
So…yeah…unfortunately, I can completely believe this bullshit from your school.[/quote]
Maybe it’s because the school was sick of fresh of the boat teachers who firstly couldn’t teach, were unreliable employees, and cost the schools students due to bad classroom management.
The school I worled for asked me to work for them, not the other way around. There are teachers I know who get this level of salary and stay at the same school, some for mor ethan 10 years.[/quote]
Sure, but they’re not as common as scooters…
[quote=“Satellite TV”][quote=“bismarck”]Well my main school (main as in ARC school) gives resigning bonuses, dependiing on the exchange rate, anywhere between 20-30 000.
Ah well…it’s just money right? [/quote]
WOW you get a resigning bonus, so how many times have you resigned?
Or did you mean a re-signing bonus for staying? It’s no wonder many teachers are paid low wages. Basic language skills in their own native language seem, well, rather lacking. [/quote]
hmmmmm…yes…re-signing…not resigning…
Now if I knew the language police were going to be here today I would’ve type my post on MSWord first and ran the spell checker… :bluemad:
[quote=“bismarck”]hmmmmm…yes…re-signing…not resigning…
Now if I knew the language police were going to be here today I would’ve type my post on MSWord first and ran the spell checker… :bluemad:[/quote]
Well a spell checker won’t help when words are spelled correctly. The meaning of the words should be look at. Maybe a comprehension class would suffice.
Good thing I don’t each English anymore lol.
First I’d have to make it to adulthood in the English teaching forum.
Don’t need a lot of literacy to satisfy clients who are TV junkies… Which is why I rarely watch TV.
I’ll leave those adult teaching classes to those no longer resident in Taiwan who have the proper qualifications.
[quote=“Buttercup”]And I’d never have imagined joesax doing that either, 'til I saw the website.[/quote]It’s good to learn new skills!
So it seems that all you get from teaching English is a bit of money, which is not all that bad, mind you. But what if you are tired of being treated as somebody who can be replaced any time the boss feels like it?
What are the best long-term plans (if leaving is not an option)?
Translation? Editing? Writing? Teaching?
What makes people feel that their whole life is not just a complete waste of their skills, time and education? And how does one go about getting some financial security, combined with some respect and joy of life? Is self-employment the only option?
Are there any other Dragonbonesian types out there who seem to be doing well not just teaching? This school has really gotten me at the end of my patience with this teaching thing.
[quote=“twonavels”]So it seems that all you get from teaching English is a bit of money, which is not all that bad, mind you. But what if you are tired of being treated as somebody who can be replaced any time the boss feels like it?
What are the best long-term plans (if leaving is not an option)?
Translation? Editing? Writing? Teaching?
What makes people feel that their whole life is not just a complete waste of their skills, time and education? And how does one go about getting some financial security, combined with some respect and joy of life? Is self-employment the only option?
Are there any other Dragonbonesian types out there who seem to be doing well not just teaching? This school has really gotten me at the end of my patience with this teaching thing.[/quote
Haha you should try teaching at MY SCHOOL. I am the HEAD TEACHER and I have AUTHORITHY. BEWARE MY WRATH!
[quote=“Satellite TV”][quote=“bismarck”]hmmmmm…yes…re-signing…not resigning…
Now if I knew the language police were going to be here today I would’ve type my post on MSWord first and ran the spell checker… :bluemad:[/quote]
Well a spell checker won’t help when words are spelled correctly. The meaning of the words should be look at. Maybe a comprehension class would suffice.
Good thing I don’t each English anymore lol.[/quote]
You’re starting to remind me of a Commander I once worked for. The bugger had to correct everything from doodles to reports.
I can still hear him say, “Sorry, couldn’t help myself…”
Hehe! ‘Head teachers’ are funny. I like to call them ‘Book Monitors’.
[quote=“twonavels”]So it seems that all you get from teaching English is a bit of money, which is not all that bad, mind you. But what if you are tired of being treated as somebody who can be replaced any time the boss feels like it?
What are the best long-term plans (if leaving is not an option)?
Translation? Editing? Writing? Teaching?
What makes people feel that their whole life is not just a complete waste of their skills, time and education? And how does one go about getting some financial security, combined with some respect and joy of life? Is self-employment the only option?
Are there any other Dragonbonesian types out there who seem to be doing well not just teaching? This school has really gotten me at the end of my patience with this teaching thing.[/quote]
Getting punched in the head used to be a lucrative option, but I think most of us are getting too old for that malarky…
An ex-boss of mine used to say, “Working is just what you do to get money to follow your passions.” Can’t remember that he did much but look after his daughter and sue his ex-wife, but he seemed happy enough.
[quote=“bismarck”]
An ex-boss of mine used to say, “Working is just what you do to get money to follow your passions.” Can’t remember that he did much but look after his daughter and sue his ex-wife, but he seemed happy enough.[/quote]
Hmm. My passions require epic funding. I really hope I inherit the farm…
[quote=“twonavels”]So it seems that all you get from teaching English is a bit of money, which is not all that bad, mind you. But what if you are tired of being treated as somebody who can be replaced any time the boss feels like it?
What are the best long-term plans (if leaving is not an option)?
Translation? Editing? Writing? Teaching?
[/quote]I think not editing. The post of English editor at the China Post seems to have a longevity of perhaps 2 months, for example. Just like bosses in Taiwan seem to think that anyone can teach English, they also think that anyone can edit it.
Hmmm, so you’re a New Zealander? All those sheep! It’s enough to arouse anyone’s passions, isn’t it?
Hmmm, so you’re a New Zealander? All those sheep! It’s enough to arouse anyone’s passions, isn’t it?[/quote]
Hmm. My point was: my salary just about covers my pathetic existence. Paying for my ‘passions’ involves limiting my world view to ‘communing with nature’ and ‘the smile on the face of a child’, ‘enjoying home cooked meals with my nearest and dearest’ and saving my pathetic pennies for the occasional economy class plane ticket.
I want to throw 2009 cellos into Taroko gorge from a fleet of purple helicopters, just to hear them scream. I want to recreate the parting of the Red Sea in the Menai Strait and invade Anglesey with my army of Saxon hordes. I want a historically accurate working trebuchet in the house opposite my mother’s. Am I ever going to get to do these things and hold down a rispecktabul job in a publishing co? NO.
I can never figure out whether Jesus got it 100% right or 100% wrong. Religions teach us to be happy with boredom, boundaries and disappointment. Is that, like, totally good, or, like totally wrong?
Anyway, we are veering off-topic. Suggestions for twonavels?
Haven’t figured this one out myself. The problem with education is that unless you are a world authority in your field, a lot of other people got one too. I’d love to ‘use my education’, but that would involve a PhD in probably something to do with old English philology, which ain’t going to happen for a number of reasons (the main one being I’m not really clever enough). Until I get that, no-one’s really going to pay me to explain vowel shifts, etc. That’s no reason not to read whatever I can about stuff, though.
My boy does research on the most arcane and pointless (to me) stuff you can imagine, and has for ten years. He lives like a monk to manage on what they pay him and teaches languages as well, but his eyes light up when you ask what he does.
Me, I just try to push myself really hard at three different things in my life, in order to develop my skills. Although it doesn’t ‘get’ me much, I have self respect because I know I’m not stagnating, and am doing my best to find meaning.
Try and be creative with what you do. If you aren’t tied to one work permit, you have a great opportunity to do things you haven’t done before. Doesn’t have to be that different, just a development for you. If you’ve always done kindy, go and teach an adult class. It’ll suck at first because you won’t be as good at it, but you’ll improve and then you’ll be good at another thing. Try writing; make your own course. Write for publications in Taiwan. Even if you don’t find your niche, at least you won’t be in the old rut.
The happiest people I know in Taiwan seem to have their fingers in lots of pies, personally and professionally.
Anyway, I hope you don’t think I’m lecturing you or offering irrelevent advice: advice is stupid anyway. I guess I’m just thinking into my keyboard. Good luck. I’m always going through the ‘work’ thing. I think it’s part of the human condition.