Teaching in China: Tips for First-year Teachers 2

Things to Get Over

1) Saving face
In the workplace, the uglier side of this concept contributes to gossip, anger, and the creation of enemies among the Chinese, but what will mainly affect you are the very elusive answers, if not flat out lying.

2) Schedule changing
This can be one of the most frustrating elements of teaching in China, especially if you work for a private school. Public schools tend to have set classes and set weekly schedules, and when the schedule changes it is typically because a class has been cancelled, not added. In the private schools I've worked for, however, schedules changed almost daily because they were trying to squeeze a class or marketing activity into a schedule that was already maxed out.

3) Chaos
Chinese schools have a long, long way to go. Many schools look great on paper, but behind the scenes lays a disorganized jumble of administration, teachers and various staff, many of whom can't be bothered to assist you even when it is their job to. Be independent; learn to deal with languor and its side-effects; and expect things to go wrong—be like MacGyver, learn to improvise.

What Not to Tolerate

1) Working overtime and late pay checks
Don't think that you have to do your school any favours, at least when it comes to pay checks or overtime. Many schools pray on the passivity of beginners. Get paid on time; don't agree to overtime without compensation. They may ask you nicely, put up a great front, and promise that, if you do it this one time, you won't have to work much in the future, but if you agree to it once, you will almost surely be taken advantage of in the future.

2) Atrocious living conditions/standards
There are more than enough jobs in China for you to get what you want; don't settle for a tiny, crumbling dorm. If you're going to live off campus, don't agree on the first place you look at, just because they pressure you to. And don't feel like it is standard for you to be bunked with other teachers.

3) Threats
I have worked for a couple placed where I have seen teachers threatened for numerous ‘offences': for not liking the hours; for not supporting the pandemonium; for demanding what they were promised in the contract; and, eventually, for wanting to leave. One private school, which conveniently had a stash of police officers as students, tried to force an employee who wanted out to sign a new contract, and, after he still wanted to leave, forced him to pay over 20,000 RMB to do so. Your school may try to bully you based on your ignorance of Chinese laws regarding foreign teachers. There is plenty on the web about them. Research them thoroughly.  

In conclusion, while you're in China, be aware of yourself; be strong, cool, collected; know your environment; try to know laws, customs, and values; don't let yourself be taken advantage of because ‘you have money;' and try, if you're here for more than a few weeks, to know enough of the language to get yourself out of a jam.