As a number of people have pointed out, paranoia amongst Taiwanese bosses is huge because they assume everyone is out to screw them. How do they know that? Because they’re always trying to screw everyone else. Bosses try and get their employees to rat out others as well. I was ratted out a few times for minor things which seemed really stupid. I then realized that my colleague had done it which really surprised me because I thought we had a pretty good relationship. Anyhow, regardless of the legality, Taiwanese bosses look for any loophole to screw, lie, and cheat. You’re not going to change it so, learn to deal with it as best as possible. Ignore the bullshit and just do your job, quit and find something else…what ever it takes to do your thing.
At my school every room has a camera. I just ignore it. Anytime someone complains about me I just tell the boss to look at the video footage and it ends there. If they ask me to change something or not do something I just say sure and go on my merry way. “Be like water” Elmer Fud
Taiwanese office culture can be really hurtful. They try to get rid of people by gossiping around the office so you’ll quit. Take care of yourself and find a better place to spend precious time.
They take foreigners for criminal by doing all this unfair stuffs. It’s immoral
I’m so worried of a thing is…they cancel my arc without noticing me.
I just hope everything can be done smoothly.
Thanks for your support!
Someone told me a woman at their office got on the boss’s bad side and they did
Not related to your situation yet, but it means after you’re not working they have to provide proof you worked there, like if you need proof of experience to get a work permit for another job.
It throws the whole chemistry of the class off. I had about a dozen kids in the class and yet if you have “Amy’s” Dad in the back of the class he will be judging you on how much attention you give (or don’t give) his little girl. An extra adult figure in the back creates a level of tension in the class, which affects everyone’s mood. The kids are a bit uptight and you’re keenly aware of how much you’re calling on one student in the class because you get a small scowl or throat clearing every time you don’t.
As for CCTV, I find it a general breach of trust. You’re basically saying you don’t fully trust the teacher, so they must be watched by others to make sure they don’t screw up. However, the really objectionable part was the land-line phone that would ring every time the ‘turtle hair’ director perceived some minor error in the teacher’s performance. Usually their perception lacked overall context (for example, I mentioned above I got called to stand even when I had to sit in order to type in the students’ attendance) and this would throw off my teaching and make for some awkward moments.
This “buxiban” wasn’t all bad. I have a lot of fun memories as it was my first teaching job and I was young. Nice students and I had some great coworkers (my fellow Western teacher there even ended up marrying his Korean co-teacher), but boy am I glad I don’t work in that kind of environment anymore.
It took me a few years to learn this. The locals use this method all the time and I tried to buck the trend by arguing if I didn’t agree. Now I just say yes, sure, thank you for telling me and do the repeated head bowing thing then walk away and do what I was doing originally.
Yeah. I agree. I don’t pay attention to it and just do what I normally do. That said, on a few occasions a parent complained about something I did in class and my response was, “look at the video”. Case closed as soon as they heard the “little prince” talking shit.
The phone is too much for sure.
IMO the CCTV should also have audio. Then the parents can really see the class but don’t need to cause interference by entering the classroom. CCTV protects both students and teachers because there is always a record of what happened.
I agree with @Wee that it protects both parties. It also solves other things for the school like if one kid hit another or someone marked up a wall or stole something. There’s little assumption of trust anyway.
What I find really strange is the kindies that livestream to parents what is happening in the classroom. Although, some nurseries do that as well, and caregivers have been caught being abusive. Haven’t heard of it in a kindy, but parents of little-bitty kids are panicky. I have known of parents who I guess don’t have jobs spending an inordinate amount of time at their kids schools watching through the windows or when the kids are playing outside.
Grandstanding on rights is pretty useless in Taiwan. One only needs to try walking across a crosswalk with the little green man to know what rights you have and how flagrantly they can be conveniently ignored. Legal action, arbitration and like is pointless and emotionally draining. Gonna lose days of your life off that crap, and not worth it.
If it were me, and I had serious doubts I would be paid or fired in the future, I would get a new job lined up ASAP, get the paycheck on the 5th or whatever then it would be what school?
I totally get that it is usually pointless but sometimes we should stand on principle even if we lose to show that it isn’t right rather than throw in the towel. Although I fully understand why many people choose to.
