I worked at this school from 2010-2012 and had a great experience. Maybe things have changed now, but I was paid on time, lived in an okay apartment and felt like the school looked after me. David was a fantastic manager, and someone I could go to when ever I needed help. I left 3 years ago, but still look back with fond memories of this place.

REAL EXPERIENCE OF THE SCHOOL...

I worked at this school for most of 2013...

I want to begin by explaining that SOME problems are a result of cultural differences. Chinese management is not great, and particularly bad at dealing with independent minded westerners. Problems are not tackled head on....quickly or directly. For example a school or parent may be un-happy with something. Instead of making a call or meeting to deal with this quickly, it will be left for days or weeks. Meanwhile you receive an email listing a whole host of problems you were not even aware of.

The western managers are much more understanding and efficient.

David Puckett can be the first to blame ANY issue on cultural differences. For example, you are given only 2 days notice of a holiday - this is because the school does not know and plan for this. From speaking with other teachers from other schools, their management has little problem with this and adequate notice is given.

However, David Puckett is an amazing role-model for ESL teaching, someone who is so passionate about teaching and Chinese culture. I can think of few better teachers to learn how to teach ESL successfully; particularly to young learners. During his prolonged absence in 2013 the quality or direction of the teaching at the school certainly suffered, with staff meeting less about training and more of a complaining session.

A real example of where the school shines is the introduction of new teachers. They guide you through your first weeks in China, sort EVERYTHING out. Including accommodation, health checks, Visa's - even initial financial support. This has really been well thought out by the school and never did I worry about such issues in my time with BDW.

To maintain this western organisation style the school employed Maria, a relative of a co-owner. As with any new manager, employees are keen to test them and inevitably complain. Something which almost turned into a vilification of Maria. As with this post you can read the views of one or two of the foreign teachers - who hit out at Maria. A manager who tried her best after being dropped in at the DEEP end. Instead of helping or supporting her, it had become a time for foreign teachers to complain....CONSTANTLY. We are people who chose to teach in a foreign country; we should be willing to adapt more readily and be more pragmatic about sometimes difficult decisions.

Most teachers on their arrival will be assigned to teaching at local Kindergarten. This was something that certainly did need better organisation. Changchun is large city and the school has a wide range of contracts with different schools. However my 20 hour working week was anything but this. I would need to be on a Van for 7.20am to suffer long commutes, with split days and returning home just before 6pm. This is not the working schedule you might be promised and should be made more clear or organised better.

There were instances of foreign teacher behaving inappropriately. One instance of a teacher turning up for work drunk and another of a teacher swearing at management and walking out on two different occasions. The school should have acted more professionally in tackling the issue more effectively. i.e setting an example by not allowing them to return to the school. The classic case of the 'un-fire-able' ESL teachers. Because student numbers and money take priority in China. However, this is perhaps less of decision made by the western members of management and more from the Chinese, where money takes precedent. So it is unfair to blame BDW, this is more an issue rife in China.

To sum up. An amazing year, could not wish for a better first time school. Although 5 months were spent without a single teaching training session while management problems ensued. this was sad.

But if you had a problem, you could always voice it with a member of the management team.

I'm sorry to hear that you got stuck with this lowlife. Workplace bullying really does such the life out of you. You would have not been able to enjoy your time as much in a foreign country when you probably just wanted to get away for a while and have a change of pace with everything. Unfortunately, 3rd world countries attract all sorts of Western Losers who would not last 1 month at a toilet cleaning job in the west, so they can be bitter and angry at everyone. It's good that this pompous ass's name has been put out. Now everyone will know to stay away from him.

after working at this school for a few years now, I can't say how much it sucks the life out of you. I have worked branch, kinder and public school, and they always put you in the worst position. The number one concern for the owner Yun Ming is money. He never cares about others or what is best for the students, just how many students he can have in the seats so he can go on vacations. David Puckett might be the most arrogant teacher in China. He thinks his archaic thinking and teaching of 10 years ago still applies to todays students. Look at the winter camp we just had, look at summer we had before. Parents want learning not singing but he will never see that. He is abusive to teachers, yells at them, talks behind their backs to other teachers. He's like a four year old. Thank god for us Kyri left. He destroyed the family feel by trying to make it a corporation. And then he hired his cousin to work so he could run away. Nepotism is rampant in this company.

Never work here. Don't believe a word David says. Go online and talk to teachers who are stuck here because they keep their visas and won't let go.

I wonder if this person has spoken about the obvious anger they are feeling to anyone in management rather than just blast away on the internet where anonymity provides someone ample safety to gun down people without reply or recourse

Obviously this person feels mistreated in someway and rather than talk to someone about it and resolve apparent issues feels the need to not only discredit a company but also personally attack to ram the point home.

As maelstrom says, trying to deal with a group of people with different wants and needs, as well as egos, is probably not a job i would want to get involved in and must be a difficult undertaking for anyone involved doing that.

As for the state of of the living conditions and the area of Changchun you describe, its a bit of a head scratcher as its quite a good location to be based as you could travel to most places fairly quickly.

I currently work for this school. I can say with a 100% guarantee you will be A) Lied to, several times. B) Taken advantage of by them not following Contract Stipulations. C) You are treated like you are an idiot and that they have you by the bollocks. Over the past year I have watched Kyri destroy this school, by running off the original Headmaster David Pucket (Who was alot more fair than this POS), then bringing his cousin into the school as our new manager. She has no experience...and has no fucking clue what she's doing. It's painfully obvious. Her expertise is applying drag make up and chain smoking. She taught at few of the public schools when she first arrived and was immediately removed, they'd say because she's our manager now.. the public schools would say it was because "She was an awful teacher...TERRIBLE" Yet she now tells us how to do our jobs. She's runs our pointless meetings talking about random nonsense and usually has no direction what so ever, hell she expected us TO LEAD HER MEETING before.

On top of all of this, don't expect to actually see them (Kyri and Maria) in the office too often, when they aren't too busy having "CRAZY" days looking at facebook they are just flat not in China. Recently there was a week long National Holiday. Everyone had the week off, yet the first day back from this holiday they left the country to take yet another holiday. THIS IS COMMON!

I agree with the previous posts DO NOT WORK AT THIS SCHOOL!!! If you do you're asking for a miserable life in China. They will do everything they can to work you as much as possible and pay you as little as they can, they also claim you'll have a nice apartment setup, when really the apartments they set you up with are utter trash. The teachers live in a disgusting part of the city, our homes are barely held together anymore and most of us have to endure constant issues of Water leaks, window issues, not having the appliance they have promised, Used bedding is provided, used dishware is provided, 1982 microwaves that haven't been cleaned since the day they were bought, urine stained furniture, grime EVERYWHERE, oh and when you leave.. they expect you to pay to have it cleaned.. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DISGUSTING WHEN YOU MOVED IN!

They also will claim you'll have EXCELLENT chinese support. What a joke, the chinese staff is running from this place too like it's the plague,the turn over rate is outstanding for Chinese and Foreign staff. I'd say 80% of people i've seen in the past years DO NOT RESIGN and may possibly "pull a runner" ...oh , and if you dont' work in the branches basically don't expect any kind of "support".

Also, is promised "weekly chinese classes" starting twice a year. These were actually beneficial, but only had 3 45 min classes.. 3 weeks. Not "weekly" as advertised.

Basically, my point is the management is a like a big pile of crap you'd see steaming on Hao Yue Da Lu. As much as you try to avoid it the smell still penetrates your nostrils leaving a bad smell(taste) in your mouth.

DONT WORK HERE!
DONT WORK HERE!
DONT WORK HERE!

Also, Kyri and Maria (The foreign management *management What a joke!* are extremely fake and unwilling to help. If you dare question them expect wrath. If you dare not understand be prepared to be labeled an idiot (Maria actually try to say that we were a bunch of 5 year olds in a meeting one time and started talking to us as such). Don't expect ANY professionalism out them. Don't expect real answers to any question you have. Don't expect explanations for anything that goes on.

This was a good school... not anymore. DONT COME HERE