For reasons I don't exactly understand, the last post was deleted. I suppose I must have accidentally deleted it somehow while adding a comment.
Immediately, the vultures descend and accuse me of selling out. Well, fear not, I remain the stalwart, upright voice that I've always been. . . from my 30-hit-a-day soapbox. As if it's even POSSIBLE for me to sell out.
The post was called "Director of Studies II: Back in Training" and I mentioned my week at Head Office training to be Director of Studies. The brunt of it was that I was amazed at how forthright the Powers That Be were about the whole business; we had case studies about drunken teachers and advice about how to deal with homesick whiners and criers. They freely admitted that they don't like hiring experienced teachers, because they usually can't deal with the split shifts and complain more than the fresh-out-of-college crowd.
There was a comment from somebody that they didn't understand why anybody would work for a school when one can work freelance for companies; and here is where I probably accidentally deleted the entry, unfortunately, in posting a response.
My response to the post was that freelance work is usually not as promising as it seems, and linking to an article I wrote on that very subject.
Now leave me alone. I have a terrible fucking hangover.
3 comments:
I noticed your post had been deleted but it didn't occur to me you were censoring yourself to protect your cushy DOS job. Of course now that you are part of The Machine we can't really trust you can we?
So up yours and POWER TO FEE WAYBILL!
Fascist!
Well it’s a good thing you were not censored. However, do not take offense; it was only part joke, part inquisition. I have read your article on freelancing and what you discuss is still pretty much the norm. However, if you can speak Russian decently, then freelancing is very feasible because now there are a slew of companies in Eastern Europe that will pay teachers to develop their employee’s English skills. In your article, the disadvantages are mainly related to individual students and the problems that can occur with them. I didn't say why would anyone want to work for a school instead of freelancing, I simply stated that with all the problems you were listing from the meeting about language schools and how they treat their teachers, that freelancing has become a much more viable option that is becoming more stable, steady, and available. Also with freelancing, here in Ukraine you can setup as a personal business and only pay $40 a month in taxes, and freelancing at $2000-4000 a month, nets you quite a good living wage for this region. I have worked for both schools and myself, and with any career, taking orders from yourself is a lot more satisfying :)
That's cool about the taxes and incorporating as a business. It would be much more difficult to do it legally in Russia -- I was told that the big chain schools here have to pay about 60 percent of salaries in taxes for employees in the first six months.
But my point about finding students applies to businesses, too. What do you do, just go around to human resources and try to sell your course? Don't they still cancel all the time? Do you have a contract, and is the contract binding? And aren't you still obliged to teach at the times the people aren't working -- that is, the mornings and evenings?
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