That’s not really very much money.
It’s average if you’re new here and don’t have a lot of experience of anything. Had I known about them when I first came here I would have been tempted.
But, as Toe points out, it’s not all about money. If he’s happy with what he’s doing then bully for him. That counts for a lot. Why spend money trying to make yourself happy after work, when you can just earn a bit less and be happy AT work?
Personally I view a tie as an abhorrence, symbolising nothing more than your willingness to endure any indignity in order to please your boss. Asking someone to wear a tie is nothing more than an exercise in control. And wearing a haddock around your neck in the name of individuality is just dressing up your subservience.
Yeah yeah. It looks professional. Tell your professional clients about Richard Branson and ask them who’s doing the best?
Toe, you’re a decent guy. If you’re happy then stay happy, but I have to ask why the people you mentioned were so unhappy that they had to bail?
The guy who went back to school may have had his reasons, and parting on good terms may be rare in Taiwan, but it’s hardly a revolutionary idea to just negotiate an end to a contract. I would have done the same.
Doing anything except fucking a person who drops you in the shit is just stupid. The other guy deserved to be punished as much as is possible, and keeping his ARC open is just stupid. A sign of desperation, maybe?
I have never made a claim that it was. I have always said teachers can make more money elsewhere. As Strag says:
[quote=“stragbasher”]It’s average if you’re new here and don’t have a lot of experience of anything. Had I known about them when I first came here I would have been tempted.
But, as Toe points out, it’s not all about money. If he’s happy with what he’s doing then bully for him. That counts for a lot. Why spend money trying to make yourself happy after work, when you can just earn a bit less and be happy AT work?[/quote]
[quote=“stragbasher also”]If you’re happy then stay happy, but I have to ask why the people you mentioned were so unhappy that they had to bail?
The guy who went back to school may have had his reasons, and parting on good terms may be rare in Taiwan, but it’s hardly a revolutionary idea to just negotiate an end to a contract. I would have done the same.
Doing anything except fucking a person who drops you in the shit is just stupid. The other guy deserved to be punished as much as is possible, and keeping his ARC open is just stupid. A sign of desperation, maybe?[/quote]
Let’s not jump to conclusions. The Californy guy left because his parents didn’t want him to get SARS. He wasn’t unhappy. I only knew the guy for 3 weeks but he was a fun, successful teacher. He was very popular with the students and staff. They kept his ARC active in case he wanted to come back after SARS had blown over. He quit without notice because experiential evidence from boards such as these warned him that a midnight move would be the wisest way to go. He couldn’t know he was working for a fair and decent employer who would’ve supported his decision to cut out.
[quote=“Then stragbasher”]Personally I view a tie as an abhorrence, symbolising nothing more than your willingness to endure any indignity in order to please your boss. Asking someone to wear a tie is nothing more than an exercise in control. And wearing a haddock around your neck in the name of individuality is just dressing up your subservience.
Yeah yeah. It looks professional. Tell your professional clients about Richard Branson and ask them who’s doing the best?[/quote]
To each his own, right? I, personally, don’t care about “having” to wear a tie. My first teaching job was 14 steps away from my bedroom. I’d wear shorts and a T-shirt to class. Given that my students were mostly 6 yr old boyz…that was the right costume for the gig.
Then came the big yellow school bux. Dress code…no shorts or sandals. Sometimes I’d wear dress pants and a nice collarless dress shirt…sometimes (most) I wore jeans and a T. Depended on my mood.
When my senior class had their final test (to submit themselves to a job interview with me), I wanted them to get a sense of professionalism, so I insisted that they dress the part as well as act it. I wore a double-breasted suit that day.
Now I wear a tie…so what? If that’s what’s gonna get one’s knickers twisted-sisters, then may I suggest one go work for KoJen. I’m sure you will be very happy with each other.
God, I can’t think about a better “direct to weed-out” question to ask in an interview than “What’s your opinion about wearing a tie?”.
and I smiled. But…
and a
but at least he, [quote=“a moron thinking hard,”]Toe “Jam”[/quote]
I haven’t been able to respond until now 'cuz I’ve been laughing too much to type over that one all weekend.
Another weed out question must have been "Do you go by the name of BackPacker at www.forumosa.com? An affirmative answer would have been sure to get his “application” form filed post-waste.
But thanks anyway Strag my man. Good to see you can recognize talent when you see it. I think I’ll buy you a nice tie for Christmas… 
And finally, from the files of “It takes one to know one”…
Calling me an idiot surely relfects something. However, this mirror requires much deeper ponderance. I am no mere idiot. I am a Fool. Only an idiot would see an idiot when reading my posts.
Toe Rag!! If you call me ‘Strag’ once more I shall scream. I know where you work. Do you want me to come in and scream?
If you must abbreviate, then please use SB.
Hey, I like the idea of ‘weed-out’ questions. If you want someone to wear a tie then make it clear before they go to all the trouble of writing their life story in order to get to the interview. I always enclose a photo with my CV, just so’s people know that I don’t have ‘professional’ hair. I also drop a few heavy hints about my salary expectations. It cuts out a lot of crap, and saves everyone a lot of time.
All the best.
SB
Wait!! Wait!!
WSI defines professional adult in what terms? What successful executive wants to trust his education to someone who:
Anybody with half a brain could assess the risk, measure it against the benefits of staying, and tell mummy and daddy to shut the fuck up.
Teaching adults requires a level of maturity. That’s what I rely on anyway. It appears that WSI will trust anyone with the job if they wear the right piece of cloth around their neck. And look what it got them! If I hadn’t sworn off emoticons I’d be doing the rolling eyes thing by now.
I was just wondering if there are any WSI branches in Taichung City. Their website seems to indicate that they are mostly in Taipei. Are there any branches in Taichung?
Also I am a little surprised at all the fuss over having to wear a tie to work. I thought that in most Western nations teachers in reputable educational institutions generally had to wear professional attire ,shirt and tie or at least something close to “professional attire” ie. collared shirt. While I was teaching in Japan it was also compulsory that teachers wear ties to work although I must admit the dress standards in Japan are probably more formal than any other country I have ever been to. People in Japan always seem to “dress up” even when they are not working. I certainly noticed a considerable difference in the fashion sense of Taiwanese compared with Japanese. Not that being more casual is such a bad thing. I certainly don’t wear ties or collared shirts for that matter on my days off. However, I think if owned a business I don’t think I would want my employees turning up to work wearing board shorts, a singlet and thongs. I am not implying that this kind of attire is necessarily acceptable at most schools in Taiwan but I think if some of the crusty foreigners that live in Taiwan had their way I don’t think they would hestitate wearing this kind of attire. All businesses have to project a certain image in order to be successful. I don’t think you should have to necessarily wear a tie when working as a teacher in Taiwan and certainly not in summer but I do think that there should be some sort of acceptable standards. Personally I don’t know of many jobs even in my rather casual native country of Australia where I would be allowed to wear shorts or even jeans for that matter. Those kinds of jobs are rare unless you work outside as a lifeguard, pool cleaner, gardener or tradesman. But seriously you cannot compare these jobs with teaching because they are taking place in a completely different environment. That’s why I find this kind of discussion a little amusing because I don’t think most of you would be able to dress more casually in similar workplaces in your home countries. Erick
But you must remember that many of these anti-tie protesters (like Backpacker) are probably little more than children who have either never had experience of life in the workplace or who don’t consider teaching to be a real job.
Or else they’re old reprobates (like stragbasher) who makes no secret of the fact that he’d rather be doing something that involves getting wet.
[quote=“strag”]Toe Rag!! If you call me ‘Strag’ once more I shall scream. I know where you work. Do you want me to come in and scream?
If you must abbreviate, then please use SB.[/quote]
[color=orange]STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG STRAG [/color]
A) Every guy in the place wearing one is somehow keeping this trade secret unrevealed from you?
B) They ask for a paragraph…not an essay and certainly not an autobiography, short though yours may be.
So the point of "weed out questions becomes moot, right?
[quote=“strag”]All the best.
SB[/quote]
And you.
What? What?
[quote=“strag”]WSI defines professional adult in what terms? What successful executive wants to trust his education to someone who:
Quote:
left because his parents didn’t want him to get SARS.
Anybody with half a brain could assess the risk, measure it against the benefits of staying, and tell mummy and daddy to shut the fuck up.
Teaching adults requires a level of maturity. That’s what I rely on anyway. It appears that WSI will trust anyone with the job if they wear the right piece of cloth around their neck. And look what it got them! If I hadn’t sworn off emoticons I’d be doing the rolling eyes thing by now.[/quote]
:snooze:
Does anyone know if there are any Wall Street Schools in Taichung??
Have you ever taught at a highschool or university in America? I have, and neither I nor any of the other teachers I worked with had to wear a tie or stuffed shirt. Of course we didn’t wear shorts and flip-flops to work, either, but then again the weather in the States is a might bit colder than in Taiwan. If you have any memory of what your teachers back home dressed like, you’ll remember that most of them dressed quite casually - blue jeans & sneakers, maybe even a T-shirt on warm days.
So far there’s one in KS, one in Panciao and 3 in Taipei. Next one to be opened in Shr Ling, after new year.
Hey!
I’m not defending coming to work looking like a slob. I’ll follow a reasonable dress code with the best of them. I just think that wearing a snake around your neck proves nothing except willingnes to endure discomfort in order to conform to some pointless stereotype image.
Education in Taiwan emphasises appearance over substance. You can be a crap teacher but you’re OK as long as you look right. It doesn’t matter how good you are if they don’t like your skin ethnicity, hair, clothing tastes etc. (Hence my own ‘weed out’ process when applying for jobs. No point wasting time going to see people with stupid expectations.)
I guess my feeling about WSI is that if you’re offering high quality education, and trying to attract adult professionals, you need teachers that are able to teach your students properly. How do they find these teachers and lure them away from other jobs? By paying them properly?
I do some pretty high level adult stuff, from IELTS prep to tailored 1-1 courses for senior executives to in house customer service training etc. I get reasonably well rewarded for it. Not as much as I would like, but enough. And it’s plenty more than WSI pay, without having to wear a tie.
I’ve actually discussed this with students, and generally find that adults going back into education don’t want too formal an environment. They like having a relaxed atmosphere, and the dress code sets the tone.
Given the choice between the money I make now, and the money offered by WSI, I’ll stay where I am. Everything else is probably equal as I have a great working relationship too - I’m going for lunch with my academic director today - so moving would be stupid. Everybody else has the same choice, so I must assume that most - except for toe rag who can’t use my name without being offensive - are not able to get a job like mine even though my boss is hiring.
So WSI is hiring teachers who can’t get decent jobs, and dressing them up in ties to make them look good. The students fall for it, put large sums of money on the table, and someone is making a lot of money out of your efforts.
A tie on a teacher is a sign of mediocrity. It indicates faith in symbols, rather than competence and confidence to get the job done on your own merits.
Toe Rag: Take that ridiculous leash off, stop using a name I have told you I find offensive, and get yourself a proper job.
Sandman: I am not a reprobate (well maybe I am) and I enjoy my work. After thinking about what you said about me I have realised that you may be right, and am going to ask my employer to install a jacuzzi in my classroom. I think that most of my adult classes know me well enough by now that they wouldn’t be too fazed by this development, but perhaps I’ll start wearing a tie to distract their attention away from how wrinkled my fingers are becoming.
Can you buy plastic ducks in Taiwan?
Don’t know anything about Wall Street English, but I agree with the Basher about ties. Their only useful purpose is to point out the location of the joystick to exceptionally stupid women, the only people truly impressed by them. Why else would they be shaped like arrows?
Right on. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Getting a haircut improved my chances in interviews 100%. Once at an interview I was told blunt-out that the school was looking for someone more thin and handsome. 
:x
No/little prep? Sounds good, because 27/hrs a week someone mentioned a few pages back is a lot to prep for.
Yes, uni professors and teachers can dress business casual. This is a well-received trend–no ties, but look nice. Sounds like a good move for WSI teacher satisfaction and student satisfaction (from SB’s comments).
What about weekends? Kids compulsory Saturday gigs. IF WSI is for teaching adults, do you get your weekends? What’s the vacation policy?
I show up 15 minutes before my class and leave 2 minutes after. I bring NOTHING home. Except my tie.
So if I see a near-as-dammit naked man walking down the street, with a multi-coloured arrow pointing at his control column I’ll know who to abuse?
You should hang the thing in the window as a warning to anyone who might want a job there. Surely you don’t want to take it home too? I bet you stroke it self-consciously on the MRT.
You know what? I’m not a great teacher. There are many people out there who are better qualified, more experienced, and better at their jobs than me. Many of them earn more money too. But I’m competent enough at what I do that no-one begrudges paying me far more than WSI offer. In fact I’m turning down work again.
I too roll in to work 2 minutes before class, but I don’t have to stay for 15 minutes after. And they’re all good people to work for. All other things appear to be equal, except the money. I just can’t understand why anybody would stay at a job that is measurably less good than another.
So if I see a near-as-dammit naked man walking down the street, with a multi-coloured arrow pointing at his control column I’ll know who to abuse?
You should hang the thing in the window as a warning to anyone who might want a job there. Surely you don’t want to take it home too? I bet you stroke it self-consciously on the MRT.
[/quote]
Hey, you gave me a great idea…I got an early start on my x-mas shopping…and I’m giving out peoples’ presents right here in this thread.
Have a ForHoHoHomosan Christmas y’all…
Try and guess which one is yours, my fellow forumosans…more to follow…
SB, so who IS paying more? Teaching kids only? Is this the best paying shop for teaching adults? I hear those uni jobs are off-limits without a doctorate.
Anyone have some info on WSI’s vacation policy? Weekends?