This is one of the main problems with foreigners coming to China for the first time, not culture shock, but "environment" shock. You could argue they are connected, but I have seen slums and dirty disgusting areas in ever culture. That said, mix that with a low level of development, and then the living arrangements being so poor also, and you get a lot of people running from a job in their very first week.

Often newcomers to China don't do much research into where they will be going, and they are sold a lot of flowery words about the place that often end up not being true. I suppose it's often the only way they get teachers.

I suggest new teachers do much more research, in fact I suggest they stay away from China entirely. However if you are going to come here, you really need to know where "here" is. Don't take a recruiters word, or the schools, you really need to find out for yourself.

The place is dirty, messy? Living quarters stink? Nothing to do? The food is terrible? Welcome to backwater China, I taught in such a place myself when I first came to sunny wonderful China. I think it is the crucible which all new teachers to China must go through.

Yes, indeed you should have went to a more developed city, which begs the question, why didn't you? Haven't even started work yet and already want to quit? Like I said, environment shock.

It can be a tough transition for some foreigners, to be exposed to living conditions that you would only see in a condemned housing tenement in Harlem or some such place. Rat's, garbage, terrible smell, disgusting food. I think things like this play a large part in why these back water schools stay so backwater, and have such a difficult time finding teachers. The work itself could be pleasant, as you generally would not have to fight a lot of bureaucracy, or long time systemization. However, if the environment is crap, who cares if you enjoy the work.

Schools need to get on the ball and start providing a better living environment for teachers. Teachers in turn need to start doing more research beforehand so things like this don't happen.