More and More Duties and Expectations?

[Mencken]

We have a new director and she is proposing that no holiday pay will be given if we leave the country.

Of course all of you told her she'd have your resignations forthwith lol.

[ldiablo]

I like the response from the guy who says "get to know the Thai culture and you won't have it so bad". Having something put in a contract and then having it changed on a whim, has nothing to do with the Thai culture. It's called getting taken advantage of because there is really nothing we can do about it, except quit. I started with 18 contact hours and once a week gate duty. Now I have 24 contact hours, gate duty, English day activity on Monday mornings for 45 minutes and during the holiday breaks I teach the Thai teachers English. So yes, I am one who has been taken advantage of and I am looking to go elsewhere, but very difficult to do in the middle of the term. And who is to say its going to be better in the next school. I was even told by one of the Thai teachers whom I have become friends with, that that is why they cannot keep foreign teachers, they reel us in and pamper us, then slowly suck us dry.

Amen to that.

[otherstuff1957]

At my previous school a new director came in and announced that ALL salaries (both Thai and Foreign) would be frozen the next year. All but one of the teachers in the EP Dept. left and the one who stayed left the next year.

I felt sorry for the students, because the new director basically gutted a program that was well organized and well run.

Edited to add: He also did not sign any new employment contracts until after the school year started. We left because we didn't know if we had jobs the next year and it would be too late to look for a new job if we waited.

Edited January 16, 2016 by otherstuff1957

[rkidlad]

When I first started teaching at my current school, we taught an average of 15 - 16 hours a week with one hour of gate or schoolyard duty and about 8 weeks paid vacation per year (split into October, New Years and summer breaks). Over the years, those almost ideal conditions have been eroded away. We now teach 18 - 20 hours per week, we still only have one hour of duty ..

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies - I went for an interview at a school - the assistant director said the working hours were 18 because they found this to be an effective balance between contact hours and allowing teachers time to plan stimulating lesson plans. Wow !

When I arrived I found most of the staff leaving at the next semester break - ducking out as much as possible, extending coffee times and phoning in sick on Monday morning were the norm, they certainly weren't doing any lesson plans as the teachers ( the school loved young graduates ) were heading back to start a real career.

The next year the hours went to 20 .. I decided I had had enough after a change in management and I got wind of 22 ++ hours approaching and I believe the guys are now doing close to 25 contact hours with their assembly duty and activity hour.

Sometimes you can't blame the schools.

My problem has been schools tarring all their teachers with the same brush.

Good teachers were just exploited more and bad teachers were left alone 'til their contract was finished.

If one or two teachers were late, they'd pull everyone in and remind everyone to be in on time. Why not pull the late teachers in and tell them only? Because they didn't wanna praise anyone. You're all the same.

I found that the harder you worked the more you were squeezed. Often without as much as a thank you.

Anyway, this is just my opinion from my experience. If you had or are having a great experience, well done. I won't disregard your opinion so don't disregard mine.

[Mencken]

I like the response from the guy who says "get to know the Thai culture and you won't have it so bad". Having something put in a contract and then having it changed on a whim, has nothing to do with the Thai culture. It's called getting taken advantage of because there is really nothing we can do about it, except quit. I started with 18 contact hours and once a week gate duty. Now I have 24 contact hours, gate duty, English day activity on Monday mornings for 45 minutes and during the holiday breaks I teach the Thai teachers English. So yes, I am one who has been taken advantage of and I am looking to go elsewhere, but very difficult to do in the middle of the term. And who is to say its going to be better in the next school. I was even told by one of the Thai teachers whom I have become friends with, that that is why they cannot keep foreign teachers, they reel us in and pamper us, then slowly suck us dry.

My school is also a bastion of sub-mediocrity. It's so bad the only people that stay on are the lazy, geriatrics, the non NES and the non-degreed.

It's too bad, the place has potential, sucked down in a vortex of passive aggressive, incompetent low achievers.

[Scott]

An inflammatory post has been removed.

[alex88]

Yes in most schools that is typical. ...at some point you just say no. Or if you get lucky your schedule shows 22 hours a week, but you work it smart and teach for 10 or less.

Do not share a class with a Thai teacher one hour each......You do the first 9 or 10 weeks of the term and then let the Thai teacher do the last 9 or 10 weeks.

My last schedule showed 22 hours per week, midway thru the term I was teaching 3.5 hours a week, a wast of the schools money and my time educating the students. Up to them salary remained the same.

If they will not let you leave school for lunch or in free time between classes, or want you to meet and greet the students and parents on the street at 7:30 am find another school.

We used to go out for coffee between classes but the Director became angry about that and now the gates are locked between 7:30am and 4:30pm. The Director claims that parents complained when they saw us outside of school during school hours and consequently we are now forbidden from leaving the school between 7:30am and 4:30pm. On gate duty days I need to arrive at 7am and attend the gate for an hour. Most days I only have 2-3 hours of classes but I am still stuck at school for 9 hours.

Edited February 10, 2016 by alex88

[Loaded]

Yes in most schools that is typical. ...at some point you just say no. Or if you get lucky your schedule shows 22 hours a week, but you work it smart and teach for 10 or less.

Do not share a class with a Thai teacher one hour each......You do the first 9 or 10 weeks of the term and then let the Thai teacher do the last 9 or 10 weeks.

My last schedule showed 22 hours per week, midway thru the term I was teaching 3.5 hours a week, a wast of the schools money and my time educating the students. Up to them salary remained the same.

If they will not let you leave school for lunch or in free time between classes, or want you to meet and greet the students and parents on the street at 7:30 am find another school.

We used to go out for coffee between classes but the Director became angry about that and now the gates are locked between 7:30am and 4:30pm. The Director claims that parents complained when they saw us outside of school during school hours and consequently we are now forbidden from leaving the school between 7:30am and 4:30pm. On gate duty days I need to arrive at 7am and attend the gate for an hour. Most days I only have 2-3 hours of classes but I am still stuck at school for 9 hours.

Were you also smoking in front of the school?

[alex88]

Yes in most schools that is typical. ...at some point you just say no. Or if you get lucky your schedule shows 22 hours a week, but you work it smart and teach for 10 or less.

Do not share a class with a Thai teacher one hour each......You do the first 9 or 10 weeks of the term and then let the Thai teacher do the last 9 or 10 weeks.

My last schedule showed 22 hours per week, midway thru the term I was teaching 3.5 hours a week, a wast of the schools money and my time educating the students. Up to them salary remained the same.

If they will not let you leave school for lunch or in free time between classes, or want you to meet and greet the students and parents on the street at 7:30 am find another school.

We used to go out for coffee between classes but the Director became angry about that and now the gates are locked between 7:30am and 4:30pm. The Director claims that parents complained when they saw us outside of school during school hours and consequently we are now forbidden from leaving the school between 7:30am and 4:30pm. On gate duty days I need to arrive at 7am and attend the gate for an hour. Most days I only have 2-3 hours of classes but I am still stuck at school for 9 hours.

Were you also smoking in front of the school?

None of us smoke. They said they want us with the students for the full day and if we are outside school it means we are not with the students. We don't have a staffroom, we have to sit in the classroom with the students all day. We are supposed to be there all day in case any student decides they want to practice English.

[poohy]

None of us smoke. They said they want us with the students for the full day and if we are outside school it means we are not with the students. We don't have a staffroom, we have to sit in the classroom with the students all day. We are supposed to be there all day in case any student decides they want to practice English.

I would either take up smoking or politely tell them to F***k off

Actually i know a bit about this........ whilst awaiting my new house build i was teaching at a southern university they liked me plus i actually liked the teaching and it gave me free house !

I agreed a new contract with exactly same conditions however it turned out when i came back nice house on campus before was gone (sorry cannot!) now a squalid shack away out !

I just left !

Like i said <deleted> em

[bangmai]

My last teaching job, the students were the ones gathered out in front of the school smoking, and it wasn't tobacco.