Hey Everybody,
I’ve been living and teaching in Taiwan for two years now. Recently felt like changing jobs so I’m starting at a Sesame Street school next week. Does anyone know much about their mandatory training days? I’ve heard really bad stories so far. Can I refuse to do the training? Considering I’ve got two years experience already.
Sounds like a great idea. What could go wrong?
If you tell them your reason for why you feel it is ok to skip their training, because you already have experience. They will probably say something like… “but you don’t know our system”. And then if you press on it, your manager or whoever will feel annoyed. It’s your job, and your sanity, so feel the need to do whatever that will give you peace of mind. If they totally overreact they maybe you will learn this branch is not good and you need to move on.
This branch should be good because their previous foreign teachers all have good reviews, plus stayed along time. It’s more the fact that Sesame Street is infamous for very toxic people at the headquarters training place. I’m thinking to use refuse the training, I’m in a remote area where it’s impossible to find foreign teachers, so they might have to accept that.
I wonder how the PBS show of the same name feels about this blatant copyright violation. Maybe someone should inform them…?
Not sure bud, but it’s a very old school. So it’s been happening awhile now.
The Taiwan teaching scene is known for very toxic people at head offices lol.
Usually the ones who have done that same job since leaving college and are now in their 40s and bitter. I think most people would end up toxic sitting in the same office for 15 years , working with the same system , but not getting the same benefits and pay , as say a civil servant .
That’s very true I can imagine in many places, however the training I got throughout 2 years at Eagle was not bad. Well, one guy was a bit annoying. But overall it was positive and actually fun.
That’s good to have some good news about American Eagle . I reckon you should just go. Get half drunk or something ha
I think HBO owns the rights to it now. I have thought about letting them know, just because I hate that such a fun way of teaching children life skills through the screen was co-opted by traditional Chinese “kill the spirit of the child” cram school, but I don’t care enough. Im sure with HBO’s ownership of it though, there could be much $$ thrown at the cram school for a lawsuit. I don’t doubt they dont have the rights to the name and likeness
FYI
Nope. Do the training as they have specific things and the way they want it taught.
Go ahead. They have been in Taiwan over 30 years. Perhaps you might find out they negotiated a contract to use the name. No violation of anyone’s copyrights at all.
Just put on a happy face and play their game. Once it’s done you’ll never hear from them again
sesame street english is an education program created by sesame workshop, which is a non profit organization producing sesame street tv show. sesame village in taiwan is a licensed partner of sesame street english.
Damn. How could the folks at sesame workshop have been so stupid…
Did Jim Henson lose a bet?
I would read the contract very closely (sounds like you’ve already signed up). A lot of these chain schools use the training as leverage against teachers. (For example: if there were a situation where you wished to break the contract prematurely, they are entitled to deduct the cost of training.) If the job is at a franchise, that branch may be contractually obliged to send all teachers for training.
In any case, by flat-out refusing to go to training you will be labelling yourself as “difficult”. This is a sure fire way to get off on the wrong foot. Tread carefully!