My school (buxiban) just handed me a new permanant schedule without even discussing with me the extra classes. I’ve never taught longer than 2hrs 40mins without a break in my years of teaching in Korea and Taiwan. Suddenly on this schedule they expect me to teach 1-5:10pm without a single break on one day a week. Just back to back classes. Another day doesn’t get much better at 1:40-5:00pm no break again. Is there any kind of labor law or teaching standards that states how long is too long?
Ha. My first job here, I got up at six to get to work at 8 and teach from 8-10, then was off from 10-4 and on again from 4-9. I lived too far from the school to make going back home interesting. I just hung out near by, or napped in the classroom. There were no breaks longer than it took the kids to file in and out.
I like teaching adult classes that last three hours. That’s my favorit kind of block. And usually, my students have to stop me and beg for a break. I just tell them to go and come as they need. Once I hit my stride, I don’t like to stop in the middle. But I wouldn’t like to do that twice in a row.
I guess it’s odd how our bodies have to be fit for our work hours. But I don’t think there’s any law against asking you to work a block of four hours. You can try to talk to your boss about this, or you can work to structure your class so that you have some relative down time at the beginning. Give your students bell ringers to work on as soon as they’re in their seats, or give them time to read ahead for the day’s lesson material, or something like that. Something that’s less intense for you. Even assign one student to be in charge at the beginning of class so you can get a bathroom break. Depending on the age and ability of your students, of course.
Is there a 5-10 min break between classes?
There is a rule that was introduced when the MOE brought in the 32 teaching hours a week rule. I’ve looked at the MOE website but I can’t find it. As far as I remember it is 4 hours maximum.
Having said that, your employers will find it hard to understand your request OP. Firstly, they’ll think that 4 1/2 hours teaching is easy in their opinion. Secondly, most other foreign teachers would love the block hours. Thirdly, it isn’t culturally acceptable to complain about a working situation - certainly not in an open and formal way (much better to talk to boss and give bs excuse why working hours aren’t possible). You’ve placed them in a triple whammy of confusion.
Good luck!
There no 5-10 minute break between classes. It would make a big difference if there were a few 5-10 minute breaks. The first thing that went through my head when I saw the schedule was that I have go over 4 hours without eating. I exercise a fair bit and eating smaller meals every couple of hours is part of my routine also I have a big appetite from all the exercising. It’s funny that they would give me this kind of schedule towards the end of my contract when 6 months ago I remember them thinking of giving me a similar block of hours but then they woud quickly point out that they don’t want to make me work that long since I’ll get tired, to show their consideration. Now that I have a month left it’s more like we don’t need to show how considerate we are and maintain a good relationship since he’s going to leave soon anyway, so let’s just give him what suits us best. haha
So if you’re leaving in a month, tough it out.
Do you honestly think that by giving you 4+ contiguous block hours that the employer is doing what’s best for them when you only have a month left in your current contract? :ohreally:
Sandman, you’re absolutely right about these people 
Have you ever taught for 4 hours straight?
Have you ever taught for 4 hours straight?[/quote]
Nope but I would find other means to rest myself during those long 4 hours such as giving them a 10-15 minutes silent reading on a subject which I will ask them questions later on while eating, drinking, blabbering on my iPhone 5 that I just got while on a trip to China with my fine Taiwanese chick that I just hit upon at Sparks 101 last night…whatever 
I wish I worked at that school! I’ve yet to see a school, including my own, where any of those things would be allowed. 
Jesus! How far away were you? I can’t imagine sticking around the school for 6 hours waiting for my next class.
To the OP, my first job in Taiwan was a block of 4 and a half hours which had three 5 minute breaks for the kids, but for me most of that time was spent listening to my idiot boss explain what I was doing wrong. Couldn’t put a sentence together to save his miserable life, but stood in the window and watched me and the other teacher(small school) and bitched about whatever we did. Play a game, tell us we we should drill. Drill, tell us we should play a game. Give a kid 50 on a test, tell us we should mark the score up. Give him 80, ask us why we gave him 80 when he got so many questions wrong. Anyway, I seem to have gone off on a rant. With regards to your problem, if snacking is your #1 concern, surely you can sneak a bag of cut up fruit into the classroon and have a pick evrey now and then. If you only have a month left in your contract and your employer has the point of view that they don’t have to be considerate of you, why should you give a rat’s ass what they think of your teaching performance in this last month? Tell the kids to draw a cat and go sit in the corner and have a power bar. Create your own breaks.
I was living on one end of Kaohsiung and working on the other. The reason I got up so early in the first place is because that was when I first got here and hadn’t developed the dare to drive a scooter yet. I was using city bus service. Now, I understand that in TPE the bus service is pretty prompt, but down here, especially back then, it was NOT. One had to wait up to thrity minutes on either side of the dial. Then it took quite a while to get all the way across town, even though I managed to find one bus that would go almost point to point. So it wasn’t worth it like that. Today, of course, I’d go home, or go do something else.
I was new, had the job before I came, had the place before I came, and had no idea how far appart they were. I also was just happy to have a job that was all in one place. I was in Korea before I came here the first time, and they sent me all over the place–many places where the local people had never seen a foreigner before–and I spent more time running around than I did teaching.
You live and learn.
Anyway, OP,one solution to your hunger problem might be for you to bring in enough healthy snacks for the entire class. You’ll be a quick hit! Chances are, they’re also hungry and could use a pick me up. Also, you’ll have a good chance to teach something about good nutrition, or healthy snacking.
I wish I worked at that school! I’ve yet to see a school, including my own, where any of those things would be allowed. [/quote]
At my last and only buxiban school, I had my grade school students (including a few kindy kids 
) perform writing practices for approx 15 mins so that my vocal cords can catch a break.
The owner didn’t bust the door and yelled “you can’t do that!!!” 
So if you’re leaving in a month, tough it out.
Do you honestly think that by giving you 4+ contiguous block hours that the employer is doing what’s best for them when you only have a month left in your current contract? :ohreally:
Sandman, you’re absolutely right about these people [/quote]
Kids today.
Back in Sandman’s day they had not even invented the sticky ball. 
I’m not familiar enough with the laws, regulations, and legal system here to be able to give you a confident answer, but this English translation of Article 35 of the Labor Standards Act, taken from the CLA’s website, says:
[quote]A worker shall be permitted to have a break for at least thirty minutes after having worked for four continuous hours; provided, however, that such break may be rescheduled by the employer to be taken within other working hours if a rotation system is adopted or work of a continuous or urgent nature is involved.[/quote] laws.cla.gov.tw/eng/flaw/FLAWDOC … 930&lno=35
The Chinese version seems to say something similar: laws.cla.gov.tw/Chi/FLAW/FLAWDOC … 930&lno=35
But please be aware that my knowledge of the laws and regulations here is very poor.
[quote=“Charlie Jack”]
I’m not familiar enough with the laws, regulations, and legal system here to be able to give you a confident answer, but this English translation of Article 35 of the Labor Standards Act, taken from the CLA’s website, says:
[quote]A worker shall be permitted to have a break for at least thirty minutes after having worked for four continuous hours; provided, however, that such break may be rescheduled by the employer to be taken within other working hours if a rotation system is adopted or work of a continuous or urgent nature is involved.[/quote] laws.cla.gov.tw/eng/flaw/FLAWDOC … 930&lno=35
The Chinese version seems to say something similar: laws.cla.gov.tw/Chi/FLAW/FLAWDOC … 930&lno=35
But please be aware that my knowledge of the laws and regulations here is very poor.[/quote]
Yep. That’s the one I remember. Thirty minute break after 4 hours. I think there’s something else about a maximum of 7 teaching hours per day. All moot in Taiwan, of course.
I wish I worked at that school! I’ve yet to see a school, including my own, where any of those things would be allowed. [/quote]
At my last and only buxiban school, I had my grade school students (including a few kindy kids ) perform writing practices for approx 15 mins so that my vocal cords can catch a break.
The owner didn’t bust the door and yelled “you can’t do that!!!” [/quote]
I meant the “…eating, drinking, blabbering on my iPhone 5…” part.
I’d rather teach 4 or more hours all in a row, than what I usually had: one hour, then a break of an hour, one more hour, then a 90-minute break, half an hour, then a 45 minute break … all fucking day. There was never enough of a break to actually do anything or go anywhere.
Or even worse: teach one hour in one location, jump on a bus to travel to the next teaching site, teach for an hour, repeat, again, all fucking day.
I taught 7 hours in a row sometimes at Kojen, though there was a 10-minute break every hour (which was no break really, since usually class activities would run over time, or one had to talk to parents or the boss or the coteacher, or whatever).
You’re leaving soon, so I’d just put up with it for the remaining time. Try to alternate tiring activities (for you) with activities where you can relax more.
Yes it is very easy to shove some busy time into your classes. Talking on the phone is a no-no though.
Primary school in England on a bad day you’d have the kids 9-10:30, then do the break duty, then teach 10:45 till 12. Then 20 mins for lunch, followed by a lunchtime class. Then have the kids straight through from 1 till 3:30 with no break at all, then straight into after school club, which can run till five. That’s 8 hours of real teaching, with only a 20 min break. Of course, you’d be at school at 7:30 to prep the smart board, go to the daily 30 min meeting etc, and then you’d stay after school to mark and prep for the next day. Probably a 12 hour day, most week days, then Sunday for catching up. And you ain’t getting no 800nt per hour for all of that I can tell ya.
Or the classic where the bus driver would let every one on apart from you, and when you told him in Chinese where you wanted to go he would lie and say he wasn’t going there. Used to want to stand at the stop with a sign around my neck some mornings saying, “Take me to pingding, I have the right money.”