Bud Braun
- 2008-11-29
I'm sure things changed after my post and maybe partly due to my post. I'm glad to hear the positve now about TKK. I was there in 2004-05, the first year of their operation which explains the difference between our experiences.
Chantal
- 2008-11-27
I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience, but I cannot see this at all. Perhaps things have changed a lot. I started at TKK in February 2008 and continued the half-year contract in September.
I find the FAO very responsive (much much more than in some other places). They are on top of things with the contract, the pay, the visa, etc. If you teach here, twelve teaching hours is fulltime, so that's three days per week. The commute from Xiamen is long (of course, you can decide to live on the Zhangzhou side, like me), but you won't have to make it every day. I haven't experienced any sudden changes in the teaching schedule, in fact, we received our year schedules early September. TKK is a private college, so they can plan their own vacations, which means a full week in October and in May without those stupid make-up days. As to your finding that they changed the grades: never seen that either. They want to know if a student failed why they did so, but I think that's reasonable. One student already apporached me this year, since she has to retake my class next semester, because she failed.
The students' attituides vary, but I don't find them very reluctant, bratty or bored at all. A lot more stores and restaurants have opened up since 2006, so there's more to do around the campus. All Chinese students are afraid to speak up, so it may take some persuasion. I am currently encouraging my English majors to speak English to each other all the time and today, as I biked passed a few from behind, I heard them speak English. Naturally, some are more motivated than others, but were wouldn't you find that? My attendance records are almost impeccable. Seriously, I find the students quite responsive and responsible. You may not agree with the Chinese way - neither do I - but you have to understand what a leap it is for them to experience a western teacher with western methods. Class sizes are still up to 30 per class, which isn't good, but it's like that pretty much all over China (or worse).
On the up side as well:
- multimedia in every classroom
- online blackboard for posting materials for your students
- excellent pay
- free cell phone service (you pay for calls)
- a Chinese student assistant for translation and teaching Chinese
- office with computer and internet (printing + copying facilities nearby)
- clean campus with a teacher's rec room
- free transport to Xiamen at certain times during weekdays
I don't want to sound like an ad, but I really enjoy it here. And no, I'm not a Chinese office worker, I really am a foreign teacher. Email me if you don't believe me.
WARNING
Be very careful when considering this school. It is a branch Campus of Xiamen University across the Bay from the main campus and requires a one hour commute to and from. Yes, you could live near the campus, but you would truly be "out in the boonies" and most teachers do not choose this option. What it means is that to teach 4 periods in the morning requires 7 hours altogether-leave home at 0645 and return at 1415, and I lived very near to the place you could catch the bus to take you to the boat, to another bus, to the classroom
In addition, the management is heavy handed. For example, half way through the first term (2004) they announced there would be three terms instead of two taking the teacher into a middle to late July completion with no extra compensation. In the second term they informed me that I had to teach extra hours due to some kind of "averaging of my hours" and worst thing of all they secretly changed the grades I gave my students citing some sort of "scientific grading process", when I called them on it. I seriously doubt if anyone there even knew what a "bell curve" was two years ago. I am an expert at teaching oral English with a proven track record with ten years experience, and didn't take kindly to underlings and less educated people telling me how to conduct my classes.
SO, BE CAUTIOUS AND GET EVERYTHING DOWN ON PAPER BEFORE SIGNING ANY CONTRACT!! They have now changed personel in the office that takes care?? of the teachers four times that I'm aware of, and now have yet another new staff doing recruiting. They are a classic example of redundancy and it seem they all want to get their fingers in your pie. The students feel as if they are in "prison" and have to take an entire day just to go to town for shopping and entertainment, so their attitude is not the best.
This shows up in their attendance and participation in class. Add the fact that most come from rich families and you can imagine the rest. Class size for oral English was 30-35 students and only once a week, yet they tout themselves as a first-class college for English. Any questions or comments you can contact me. Happy job hunting!