Hi everyone! I have had two job offers and need to make a decision. I wanted to ask for some of your opinions about which seems the better offer.
Job 1
I worked for this school for three years a year and a half ago. The owner recently asked me to come back. It’s a fairly small privately run school with one other foreign teacher. No Taiwanese co-teacher. There are 19 hours 4 days a week. I need to be there from 12pm - 7:30 pm on Monday, Thursday and Friday. I would start at 4:00 on Wednesay and Tuesdays are off. I would need to go to their summer camp and organise Christmas performances and also be there to chat with the kids during the lunch hour. I left the school mainly because of the owner who is a really nice person outside of work and who does seem to care about me but is also extremely critical. I was told every small complaint and felt she was always looking over my shoulder even after three years of working there. I have also never seen such a high turnover of staff at a school. Teachers seem to stay just a few weeks sometimes and I know this has a large part to do with the owner. I know she thinks I am too mild with the kids but my classes were always well managed.
Job 2
Similar hours but 2:00-6:00pm every day. Very big chain school, lots of foreign teachers. I would have a co-teacher ( although I think they have a very background role and didnt seem very in control of the class when I gave a demo). Much less personal and less prep , office hours. I dont know if I would get the same support as the first school. New surroundings, and I felt the kids were a bit unruly.
What do you think? Go back to what I know even though it’s not perfect or start anew ? I am not someone who can adapt to somewhere new very quickly which is what I am worried about. At the same time, I dont want to be afraid of trying somewhere new.Thanks in advance for any ideas!!
See if you can get the contact info of at least two of the foreign teachers who work for that branch, and find out how they like it! Get them away from the school, buy em a couple of drinks, and let it rip. Then you’ll get the real news about the second school
It sounds like a case of the lesser of two evils to me (can I just say one more time how glad I don’t work in a buxiban?!), but this could definitely be the clincher.
The boss could be a highly critical micro-manager at the chain school as well. How does the monthly pay compare? Keep in mind that chain schools often promise a certain number of hours, but don’t deliver. If you never had any problems with getting enough teaching hours, and with getting paid, at your old school, that is a big plus.
[quote=“hannah3381”]
Job 1
I worked for this school for three years a year and a half ago. The owner recently asked me to come back. It’s a fairly small privately run school with one other foreign teacher. No Taiwanese co-teacher. There are 19 hours 4 days a week. I need to be there from 12pm - 7:30 pm on Monday, Thursday and Friday. I would start at 4:00 on Wednesay and Tuesdays are off. I would need to go to their summer camp and organise Christmas performances and also be there to chat with the kids during the lunch hour. I left the school mainly because of the owner who is a really nice person outside of work and who does seem to care about me but is also extremely critical. I was told every small complaint and felt she was always looking over my shoulder even after three years of working there. I have also never seen such a high turnover of staff at a school. Teachers seem to stay just a few weeks sometimes and I know this has a large part to do with the owner. I know she thinks I am too mild with the kids but my classes were always well managed. [/quote]
If you worked here before and didn’t like it why do you think it will be different the second time around. Have you talked to the boss about your concerns and why you quit last time? Has the boss said anything about taking a different approach to management?
Seems to me that if you didn’t like it the first time you probably wouldn’t like it the second time
The pay is the same for both jobs but job 2 has less office hours and there is a lot more responsibility with job 1.
I am still friendly with my first boss and we have sat dwon numerous times to discuss the problems I had. But who really knows if it will be any different this time round. I know we did have a lot of misunderstandings and I needed to talk with her more about issues I faced but she just has a very strong personality. I get it - the school is her family’s income but it wasnt fair to put the pressure on me. I also know its not just my problem hence the large turnover of staff.
Anyway thanks for all the responses.
but by going to back to Job 1, you could go back “on your terms”! Things would be different because you know what you are getting into and you have discussed this with your friend. It’s much better to have your own classes, and no annoying “helper” who your students will always look to when they have a question. Job 1 also has a smaller structure and you wouldn’t have to deal with the organizational problems that many chain stores have. Just remember to be open, set the ground rules. People with strong personalities can take criticism and will hold to the promises they make.