|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Ask for help > NEW JOB and I m frustrated and annoyed...
NEW JOB and I m frustrated and annoyed...
|
|
verybouncyperson
|
Hey Cheezels,
If teaching in a school isn �t really an option for you, have you considered telephone teaching - if you google it, you �ll find loads of companies and you can work from home if you have Skype.
Alternatively, try approaching some local businesses and see if they need any English classes.
Good luck :)
|
15 May 2009
|
|
|
cheezels
|
Thank guys! I am off now.... so will let you know what happens..
The Business English idea is good BUT I already have taught Business English here for one of my other employers...it is one of the courses that they offer... so I think that they would be upset and it would definitely be a conflict of interest unfortunately.....
Wish me luck! I will be home tonight with hopefully more positive news.
|
15 May 2009
|
|
|
douglas
|
|
Good luck!
.....don �t worry........be....HAPPY!....  .... |
15 May 2009
|
|
|
missveronica
|
|
Oh dear!
Well, Ive had my share of disorganized teaching, its frustrating definitely, but you must try to draw a line to define whats YOUR responsibility and OTHERS responsibility.
I mean do your best with what you have and most of all try to improve your relationship with your stds. Which by your description, dont seem to be "easy"
Plan your classes flexibly and maybe grammar oriented (in this point I dont agree with Douglas "Plan your lessons as conversational lessons") in that way they�ll feel they are doing somthing and, no matter the level, they �ll be able to follow, as grammar is kinda mathematical.
And, if ever possible, plan the division of the groups and sit with your coordinator, she might even like you trying to help her organize (although thats HER JOB!!!) cause in the end, this will only bring her more stds and more money |
15 May 2009
|
|
|
dennismychina
|
|
Hi Cheezels,
Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Mmmmm.
It�s all guess work from our side. I�m sure that in the end you�ll follow
your gut feel.
From the bit you�ve told us, you seem to have caught the hind one here.
I�d say you don�t have much option but to stick it out. Wait for her to
fowl up big time to give you an excuse to resign. (if you feel you really have to)
But it should be a good reason like no pay. Let her break the contract. Take the
next six weeks or so to do the groundwork for starting your own �school�/ English training
centre. Find out the right way to do it. In small communities there are
often unwritten protocols to follow.
I�d be tempted to hand in a weekly invoice for printing and photo copying costs.
Good luck.
Dennis.
|
15 May 2009
|
|
|
zdeena
|
Where in Sweden are you? One of the biggest language schools in the world is Swedish, www.ef.com, maybe they need teachers? If you are on a contract you should be paid for all classes, even the ones with no students, according to Swedish law. Are there no other language schools nearby? Maybe neighbouring villages? It sometimes sounds like you live in a really small community - everybody knows your current boss, there are hardly any schools - and sometimes like you live in a pretty big community - 5 highschools, businesses...
I like the idea of phone and skype classes, try contacting ABA English http://www.abaenglish.com/en, they are based in Barcelona, Spain but do classes and have teachers from all over the world. Good luck! |
15 May 2009
|
|
|
wolfy
|
|
It �s your own fault for falling in love with a swede. �Only kidding. �Have you considered going to a company? �Not an institute. �The institute charges horrendous rates and pay the teachers peanuts. �You can go to companies and say look I �ll teach your staff english for xxxx cheaper than the institutes. �(don �t pick companies already with an institute as this will get you into hot water). �I had a similar expereince here in Chile. �I worked for several institutes (some better than others) before going private. �My advice for you would be to do everything yourself. �Tell your boss that you �d be happy to take the extra responsibility off her hands. �Use it as a training exercise for your future business. �Prepare or download a quick evaluation test to give all new students in the first class, then organise them into groups yourself. �Give your boss a little to do as possible, she �ll love you for it, then the influence she has can be used in your favour when you start your business, but make sure you leave on excellent terms. �Good luck. �I expect to see a Global "Cheezels English inc" in the future :) |
15 May 2009
|
|
|
cheezels
|
Wow after reading your messages both here and the many personal messages I received, I have to say I was a bit choked up...
I will endeavour to reply to all the personal messages during the day!
I was feeling just so frustrated yesterday.... and needed to just have a blow out....
A lot of my frustration also stems from being so disappointed I think from being so excited about getting more work.
Sweden, while I love living here is a very closed society outside of the main cities... and getting work has been a complete nightmare...I have been here nearly two years... the first year I went and learned Swedish and I have been looking for regular work for a long time. It doesn �t matter that I had 12 years experience, that I had worked with all levels, that I was a native english speaker... nothing actually mattered.. getting a job here is radically different from other countries....with high unemployment even for Swedes the AVERAGE time for an immigrant (as I am) takes SEVEN YEARS.. I kid you not... these were the statistics released last year if I recall....The realisation that the rumours about finding work here are actually true shakes you up a bit.... I hate not being in fulltime work after working for so long, or even halftime...when I am not teaching I am thinking of how to make a lesson better or how to teach something... when you can �t do what you are made to do.... well it �s just hard.
So while I �m poor but happy my situation is not unique just to me....
The population just isn �t that big and my first two employers are in competition with each other for students on their courses. They have both said that they would love to give me more classes and more work... but the demand just isn �t there right now. (They both were a little unhappy that I was doing courses for both of them... but I said to them unless one of you can give me more regular work then I need to take all the work I can get)
Which is why I was really excited about the "new job". Which I got because someone I had met professionally put my name forward...that �s how it works here... its all about WHO you know....otherwise it probably would have never even had been advertised.....
So it has been a rough two years....lots of pasta, potatoes and rice were eaten, living frugally has taken on a whole new meaning... which was a shock after having a very well paid full time job in London for the previous 8 years before I moved to Sweden...
My partner is training to be an electrician so we know that there will be a better future in hopefully another year or so.
This job even though it was only for 10 hours meant that it was regular money for groceries and transport. So again it was more than just a job for both of us....(As I �m not a permanent resident here yet I do not qualify for any government assistance even though all my savings ran out a year ago....)
Anyway.... about yesterday....
1pm rolled around I am ready to start but there are no pupils... they decide to arrive about 1.20....I started calling the students that I had taken on my own list from the previous week... where are you? Class is starting? I have told two people that if they do not come for the next lesson I am taking them off my class list so others can take their place....time for a bit of hardball.
Also one student is trying to play me for an idiot as he was the one that started in the beginners course, decided he wanted to come to the intermediate one as well and I specifically said to him - right you are in the intermediate course so do not come to the beginners... but he did as he wanted more english. So giving him the benefit of the doubt I said that if he was to stay right now for the beginners course then he would not be allowed to come to the intermediate so what was his choice. He stayed. So if he turns up yet again trying to sneak in I will have to be really strict on this.
So after yet again explaining to everyone that class begins at 1 we got started.... The next class was going well when 1/2 an hour in a completely new person shows up. Because the boss had told her to join this group (again no advance warning). Now with this group we had already done greetings and introductions the previous two weeks... and the new person was unable to even repeat the word hello, even though the students were awesome and were role playing it out for her. Hello, hello, what �s your name? I �m Mussa... etc.... She had not a clue... and the students became annoyed they wanted to move on but we could not leave a new member just hanging there!....
Then to top it all off my boss came while I was in class, she knew I needed to see her, the reception girl also knew... so when I came out after class and asked where the boss was the poor girl looked really embarrassed as the boss had taken off...for the day.
So I am taking a deep breath. I have to distance myself.. teaching is my passion, I personally hate not being prepared. I want to give great lessons, but these are obviously my own standards that I am imposing on myself... no one else obviously cares... I can �t help caring about standards...I would feel ashamed and embarrassed to give anything less than what I am capable of...
I need to just bear with it now until the end of June. Should they want to contract me in the Autumn, which I am not sure if they can as I think they will have to apply for funding..but if they do it will certainly be on my terms. Maybe a week or so before classes start there will be a levelled test. Everything will indeed be arranged and students grouped. It will also be made very clear that if you don �t turn up with a calling or emailing then your place is lost.
Re: Zdeena online teaching idea... This is a great idea and I already teach the FCE and the CAE Cambridge prep courses for Swedish students throughout the whole of Sweden for my main employer (the biggest one in Sweden) but it is only 5 1/2 hours per week.-(Don �t even get me started on that as it takes a lot longer than 5 1/2 hours week to mark 28 written assignments and pairwork reports, give video feedback and also have online chat times/ phone times and of course reply to their emails....)
So I am definitely going to write to the Spanish based one to see if they are hiring! I have the experience with what they are looking for (FCE course) so that was an awesome suggestion... I never thought to look outside of Sweden!!!
Regarding EF they do have vacancies, just not where I live... most of the time their vacancies are in Stockholm and the like... I emailed them last year with all of my details in case anything came up in my region.
Wolfy: There are only two places here where I live that offer language classes, one of them works with most of the local companies. I have already done business english for the same employer that I have the online classes with. You see if I start approaching companies here then it is definitely putting my current employment with that employer at risk... as it would be in direct competition with them.. which is essentially big no no... I guess I would have to give up any work with them to be able to approach companies independently.
So which leaves me with the idea of private teaching. Maybe it �s time. I need to find out how to do it as the tax laws here are a minefield. Time to tidy up the spare room and make it an office?
Thank you everyone for your kind words and support...it really has made me pick myself up, brush myself off and get back on the horse.
Today is a new day and I have some more options to check out!
|
16 May 2009
|
|
< Previous
1
2
|
