*** I am not sure why I get messages in my mailbox that say a message has been posted, and when I try to go, it's not there. ***

I have received a second message. I will post it and address it.

From CHOATLE

"Saying your not a bragger while at the same time noting all your awards and pretigious achievements is disingenuous, and makes you a bragger big time.

As for a degree, whoopy, degrees don't make smart people, I've met too many dumb people with degrees, so I know better. By the way, how does having a degree make you a professional teacher?

You said you have never even had ten teachers in all the time that you have been open, yet later you go on to say you've had 70 teachers working for you this year. Hmm, me thinks someone doesn't monitor their own words.

23 hours a week is not a large workload? LOL, sounds like quite a bit to me. You also said you do not inclue breaks. Funny, those 40 hour a week jobs do, in which a lot of your time is break time, i.e sitting on your ass in an office. We call those office hours, which it sounds like you have some of. 3.5 times what a regular Chinese teacher makes for 23 actual hours a week? You must be kidding, that's a joke of a salary.

How do emails to you attacking your post or your school prove the person who initially wrote the posts about your school has no integrity?

Sorry, but I don't see the connection at all. Bottom line, sounds like a crap job to me as far as pay goes, plenty of hours to, certainly not my cup of tea. I can't say how they treat foreigners, maybe in a wonderful manner, who knows. I do get the sense your one of the stoic brown nosers I spoke of in my 27 questions, who will do and say anything fro their employer, though I could be wrong.

Over all there are some simple yet obvious contradictions in your post, as well as some shoddy reasoning and poor use of logic. I can not speak about anything except what you have said about your school, but it sounds to me like a fair amount of hours for rather low pay.

Maybe they are a great place to work, but I wouldn't be interested, not with those hours and that pay. "

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REPLY

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Hi Choatle

First of all; wow! What a message. Felt like I was in front of the firing squad there.

Let me see if I can address this without being picked apart again.

First and foremost. I am in the middle of complete chaos at home in Canada right now. My vacation entails selling a house I've lived in most of my life, as well as deciding what to do with all the possessions. The reason I mention this is for this reason.

You are replying to my first message. I thought I clicked preview but I clicked submit. Later, I deleted it and updated it. But, thanks for the crucifixion, none the less :)

1. You're right. As I stated in my last post, that was a definate error on my part. I was simply being defensive and human. I should not have mentioned that, but what would your response be to someone posting publically that anyone with this company is not a real teacher? I would appreciate your advice on this. Thanks.

2. Some of the worst teachers I have met were over educated. But, I do take some offence to your comment about the degree. People with degrees (especially when it's a degree in field of education) have made a commitment to their field.

3. In my revision, I stated that the company has never been reduced to ten teachers, as was indicated in the original post.

4. 23 hours a week. You are right. I did not explain that well. I am not a professional writer, and made an error there, even in my revision. The message I was trying to convey (and if you actually read through that part without jumping the gun, I'm sure you would have understood) was that it's not really 23 hours. After breaks and such, it's more like ... well ... let's work the math.

I work 2 X 30 minute classes in the early afternoon. So that's 1 hour. I work 3 X 30 minute classes in the late afternoon. So that's another 90 minutes. That's 2 hours and 30 minutes a day. Multiply that by 5 days and you have 12 hours and 30 minutes. Add my Thursday classes and you have another 2 hours.

14 hours and 30 minutes a week.

5. The key word is attacking. You are guilty of it as well. I'm sure you're going to find several ways to attack me on this statement alone, so I'll leave it at that. I am not always sucessful, but I always try to deal with a situation in the least volatile way. (I know the person that made the accusations... trust me, if I wanted to attack, I could.)

6. Brown nosing. If that's what you want to call it. I was not asked to do this. It's been going on every year for the last four years (the first year we were too small and tight knit.) It was really the comment that "real teachers don't work here," that set me off. And if you'd like, I can tell you some of the employers I have come across in China to stay away from. I have no vested interest in the company, other than they've treated me well, and I think I've made a difference for my students (children).

I appreciate your comments, no matter how hostile they have been interpreted. I am sure that you are a fine educator.

Yes, there were mistakes in my original. It's chaos here, and hard to concentrate. I apologize for any confusion.

Take care

Brent