I've been working for NDI for two and a half years now in the Shanghai, Hongkou branch.
I can quite happily say that this has been the greatest job I have ever had since I have been in China. Although, at this stage I should admit that I have only had 2 other jobs in the past; still...

Perhaps I only speak for the school I'm in when I say:

Pros:
- A HUGE feeling of being part of a family, where your colleagues losses and sucesses are felt by yourself and others.
- Diligence is rewarded. A hard working teacher is capable of renegotiating his/her salary. In addition, upon renewal of my contract (after one year) I was given a hefty 5,000 rmb bonus.
- Superiors have an understanding. When I encountered a hic-cup with my visa, the school was amazingly supportive and stood-by me as I had to travel back and forward from hong-kong to shanghai several times.
- The staff recruited are easy-going, fun and energetic. The course consultants blend well with the education department and there is no friction that I once felt from previous companies.
-

Cons:
- Outdated/Insufficient class material. This is a definate problem, it's probably 10-15 years old and severely lacking in structure. A teacher is hard-pressed to stick with the class material provided and must use his/her own initiative to fill-in the blanks.
- Too dynamic. Therein lies the irony. I feel the school is pushing itself too fast and introducing several new ideas and concepts per week that it cant keep up with.
- Stingy. I have my markers, blank paper and air conditioning rationed. Roughly, I use 10 white board markers over 3-4 days and I'm not entitled to more and so have to buy my own. The air conditioning is always switched off at 6pm. This is terrible for the peak of summer. The school actually loses students because of this.

Conclusion:

The pros by far definately out-weigh the cons. I'm in love with this company and the job. Everyday for me is refreshing and challenging. It's far from perfect, but I do feel however that the full-time teachers are treated better than the part time teachers. As I look opposite my desk now, my Canadian co-worker has also been here for over two years and my other workmate has been here for over a year now. We've encountered no "major" problems from NDI that will warrant others to "stay away".

I guess those who are satisfied with something don't go out of their way to praise it to the general masses. This is not "a dig" but we have to agree: those who are not satisfied are more readily able to make a complaint.

Peace:
Daniel Tadd