I use to to teach in Korea and I have been teaching in Taiwan over a month and a half now. My teaching schedule in Korea was pretty demanding with 30 hours a week at a private school teaching both kindergarten and elementary. While I had a lot of hours I found that the teachers were very laid back in terms of your teaching ability and a lot of them seemed too busy to be checking up on my class. Often it seemed like as long as there’s a foreign face in the class and you can control the class everything is fine. So they hardly ever checked up on my class, I wasn’t expected to prepare for classes and they never questioned my teaching ability.
Now I’m Taipei County and teaching very few hours at one school. It takes me 50 minutes to get to my school and I have to be 30 to 40 minutes early to teach just a two hour class each day. I know that the time it takes me to get there should not matter but I thought I should just mention it since it is a bit difficult to get to and I’m living near one of the closest MRT stations to my school’s area so this school isn’t located in a prime location for foreigners. My classes are always being observed and on average I’m being watched about 50 minutes a class usually by my supervisor or one of the other two more senior figures. They are constantly taking notes about me and always criticizing my teaching ability. They also want me to attend workshops and observe the other teachers classes in my free time.
I’m pretty sure that this school is looking to fire me and they’re shopping around to see if they can find someone else. I know I’m not the best teacher in terms of ability and enthusiasm, but I’ve been extremely reliable such as never late, I always hand in paperwork straight away and I never complain to them. I’m shocked that this school expects so much from me especially when I’m only doing 8 hours a week and I’ve calculated that I’m doing an extra one hours work for every two hours without getting paid.
I’m just wondering if it’s normal for a school in Taiwan to expect so much from teachers here such as teaching skills and are they always so serious about teaching? Like I said I never had problems in Korea and everyone always told me over there you’re such a good teacher. I know demand and supply is one of the reasons. Does anyone know how strict they are on teachers in Japan as well because I’m starting to think about going over there soon to teach? Also if it is normal here, is it just like that in Taipei County?
Sounds like you found a working environment that is not suitable for you. Either you are not skilled enough for the job, or you are skilled enough but your approach/method doesn’t match the school’s agenda, or you are more highly skilled than anybody there and they don’t understand you and think there’s something wrong with you - in either case, what’s the point of working there? If i were you i’d move on as soon as possible.
I can’t answer your question about what is normal, though: it is impossible to generalize to that extent… in general the school systems and the cram school cultures in the three countries you mention are pretty similar, compared to the rest of the world…
When I first moved here, I temped in two cram schools and was never observed once in either, although I know one had security cameras so they were watching from afar.
I moved into private junior/senior high schools through a contract at TLI. I taught in one for 4 years and temped in 2 others and was never once observed by local staff. TLI sent out their “lead foreign teacher” once a year to observe and give feedback.
Can’t speak for your current situation, although I would be looking for either a larger block of hours or a shorter commute time.
IMHO if you are traveling 50min each way for a 2 hours class and having to do 40min prep either the pay must be really good or you must love the job. If neither of these are true, and it sounds that way, then can it. This is my 4th year teaching in cram schools and have been observed by someone higher up than me once. In a public school it was once every semester. If you have been there more than a month and they are still observing you for 50min a class there has got to be something wrong. Oh and having a Korean tell you you are a good teacher is like your Mum telling you you are handsome, you just can’t believe it.
damn. Well there goes any confidence I might have had with the ladies.
Anyway, I agree with Hightop there. Go look for another job, or at least hang on a few more months until summer season. There should be a few more hours going at a lot of places.
My first overseas teaching experiences were in S. Korea and all anyone cared about was having a foreigner in the classroom. They just did not expect anything more than a few games.
In Taiwan things are actually much the same. No substance is really needed, but appearances are vital. You may be observed often. You may not. My experiences were that I was observed much more in buxibans than in public schools or university/business classes.
When you’re working with children, the parents expect the buxibans to appear monitor you carefully. Your employer must appear to be serious about education–any profits he/she makes must be incidental to assuring that these precious little children have the best possible teacher and best possible education.
While I have not taught in Japan, my impression, (from my time spent there as a student) is that they have much more formal expectations for how their teachers should look and, to some extent, behave. You still may not need much substance as a teacher, but you will likely be expected to wear a shirt and tie to work and at least look like you think you’re an actual teacher.
In S. Korea, it’s possible to be paid a ridiculous amount of money for clowning around and no one is ever going to call you on your lack of any real teaching skills. In Taiwan, they will expect at least a pretense that you take your job seriously. In Japan, they will insist on at least the formalities of professionalism. Hope this helps.
I have co-teachers in most of my classes but they pay almost no attention to me and are correcting homework almost the whole time. But I have been observed once by the boss since I started and I can understand why you don’t like it if it is happening so much. However I did get constructive feedback afterward.
But you should be looking for a new job. Travel time, prep time and a generally unpleasant situation is a bad combo for a job.
I personally would hope that my kid’s teachers have teaching skills. :eh:[/quote]Haven’t been reading up on teacher education much have you?[/quote]
Guess not. Teaching skills are no longer requirements for teachers?
I personally would hope that my kid’s teachers have teaching skills. :eh:[/quote]Haven’t been reading up on teacher education much have you?[/quote]
Guess not. Teaching skills are no longer requirements for teachers? [/quote]Depends on the school they come from and the country. Read up on rubber rooms for teachers in New York City and Los Angeles.
I personally would hope that my kid’s teachers have teaching skills. :eh:[/quote]Haven’t been reading up on teacher education much have you?[/quote]
Guess not. Teaching skills are no longer requirements for teachers? [/quote]Depends on the school they come from and the country. Read up on rubber rooms for teachers in New York City and Los Angeles.[/quote]
Weird! Them Americans, eh? Whatever will they get up to next, those strange, strange alien creatures? I don’t see how it relates to me expecting the people looking after my sprog to have the relevant skills, though.
