First I would like to point out that my intention here is not to rant about how I was abused at my old school, or to put it another way, that I got an
One more thing before I sign off. One of the worst things that happens is with new classes. We were told to make up a test and that only the best scorers would get into the class (with a maximum of 20 per class for all the teachers). We were promised this several times, in meetings and otherwise. The classes they could choose were essay writing or news reading, both of which I think require smaller groups (20 is even too much, but the school needed that many to open the class I think). In any case, the week before classes started we were all a little surprised when our boss came in and told us that there were about 40 or more students in each of our classes. Apparently, ANYONE who signed up to take the class got in, regardless of their grade on the placement exam or their ability. And there are some students that do not have the ability to keep up with the class, not even from day one (hence the placement exam). We asked Kenneth what happened to the promised limit of 20 students, but he just said that
I’m not sure that being at the last minute is really incompetent, nor is buying books from CAVES…
but Caves do deliver!
Anyway, class enrollments may be more to do with financial constraints than administrative. i.e. does your class make money or not? huaxing is a private school, so $$$ is very important there.
Possibly he was overridden by the boss himself…
Kenneth
Possibly, though, hiring so many teachers is odd… but not unusual in Taiwan, I fear.
I used to work in a buxiban where taiwanese staff turnover exceeded foreigner turnover by quite a large degree, and we hired more taiwanese, so theoretically that shouldn’t have been so easy!
A friend just told me about her company where they’ve turned over 60% of staff since December only! Taiwanese company of course.
My school turnover rate now… 1 teacher in two years… not so bad, I think (crow! crow!) and our foreign teacher turnover rate is 0%. So it is possible to find such good places…
Anyone want to work here?
Kenneth
where in taiwan, and is it a problem if i don’t have any experience? i’ll be arriving the second full week of august.
Well, you have a point. However, I was trying to point out one (of many) things that happen there. I didn’t say he was incompetant, just that he is a horrible manager. If you’d like another example, you should never get sick at this job. One guy got sick and was put on an IV. When he called to tell kenneth this, Kennth’s only response was “So, can you be in to work tonight or not?” Another time, a different teacher had the flu. The day he came back, Kenneth made a big show about how he (Kenneth) had a cold (and here he paused to cough), but he wouldn’t be calling in sick, no way.
To address the class size problem. From day one, we were promised certain things for those classes. They were electives and some were even outisde our normal teaching hours, so we agreed to do them on the condition that there was a size limit (hence the placement tests, otherwise there’d be no use for them). Huaxing makes money, but not on a per class basis (since they deal with tuition). When your manager promises something for months, and then when the class starts just tell you to throw away all you placement exams. It’s not about his boss overriding him becuase we were told from day one this is how “the school” wanted the classes to be. Basically, my point is that Kenneth will tell you whatever you want to hear, but when it comes down to it he will do what he wants.
Just avoid teaching in actual high schools/elementary schools period. They’re the shittiest English teaching jobs you can get. Teaching 30-40 students with levels varying from "I’m fine sank you, and yooOUUU?’ to writing competent essays, is just demb.
Brian
I think 99% of taiwanese managers care more about money than education.We had our graduation show last night and the manager told the parents how he loves the children and how important education is.The foreign teachers just stood their and shaked their heads.How can anyone tell lies like that.Its just about MONEY.He told us many times its not a school,its a business.
And worse of all is that all the parents believes him.
IT SUCK…
You said it. 'Cept the class sizes I’ve usually dealt with have been more on the 50 to 60 side.
It’s probably not Kenneth personally…haven’t you figured out yet that a “promise” to a teacher is different from a garden-variety “promise”?
Here’s how to handle big writing classes…it worked for me. I used to teach research writing at a certain prominent medical school in Taipei. Of course the admin wanted like 150 students in the class (yeah, and I was going to have every one of them write a complete research paper plus homework every week!! Not!)
What I did was to design a library exercise. Everyone who came the first day was warmly welcomed, etc. etc., taught the first period, then told everyone, “Now, I am going to give each of you a disease name. Your job is to go to the library (you will lose about 50% of them right here, they don’t even know where it is 
) and find one book, one professional journal article, and one Web site each in English and Chinese dealing with this disease.”
I got the list of diseases from some list of incredibly obscure tropical health problems. They were all legit, and anyone who put the time in COULD find the required items, but you had to…actually…work.
Second class, average size was always 35-40. Worked like a charm. And the school never caught on. 
Just change “diseases” to something else, and – this is the key – make sure you have a UNIQUE topic for each student, so they can’t copy.
There are generally two circumstances in Taiwan where there will be a huge turnover:
1)The company is so well run that employees are extremely sought after and poached after they have some experience.
2)The company is so poorly run/salaries are so low/job is so boring that employees quit since they can’t stand it.
I’ve seen both types of companies…
Please tell us the names of some of these kinds of companies! I’ve certainly never run into any here yet.
Anyone worked at Huaxing HS or elementary school recently?
What was your experience like?
Same question, four years later. They’re one of the few schools repeatedly posting job ads this late.
Perhaps we can unpack this issue and use it as a learning experience. If a certain business is always posting wanted ads, then that means they are doing this for one of two reasons. Either business is incredibly good and they are constantly expanding or …………
You fill in the blank. What do you think the answer is?
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That’s a fair question, but I’ve seen companies I’ve worked for and thought were good repeatedly posting ads until they filled a position. The hiring manager could be overambitious or under pressure, and also that school is in a somewhat remote area.
What, I think, is more telling is the fact that I’m reaching a point of desperation as the school year approaches, I’ve yet to find a job, and I’m picking over what’s left. I’m waiting to see what recruiters come up with, but I need to have options, even if they are bad ones.
I have also seen schools described as bad post one ad, and not repost it.