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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: What are a teachers real working hours?
I see jobs posted for teaching e.g. 20 hours a week and stuff. Just wondering how much it really adds up to when you include out-of-class work like marking papers and preparing lessons. Is it really 20 hours a week? 'Cause that's pretty good.
10 years 44 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - Beijing
the 20 hours are teaching contact hours. Your contract probably also specifies that there will be additional 'office hours' for lesson preparation, exam preparation and marking. In addition, there is probably also mention in your contract that you may be asked to take part in additional activities.
Depending on what type of place you are working, 'additional activities' might mean anything to taking part in promotional activities for the school to being a judge in a competition.
so to answer your question - much more than just 20 hours a week
sorrel:
it depends on the place of work: is it a training school, kindergarten, primary school, middle school, high school, university, public or private? each place expects different hours from the teachers. they usually specify the core teaching hours in the ad. maybe it is a kindergarten that requires the bare minimum of a foreign face for the parents.
happywanderer:
Mmm not sure what kinda place yet - just thinking really. Although I'd probably prefer teaching adults. To be honest I doubt I have the patience for dealing with a class of screaming children.
Not sure who has been duping the first poster.
When I started my first job here in '08, 20 hours was what I was told and 20 hours is all I did.
It's when they step in the classroom and say hello class and then end it with goodbye class. That's the real working hours. The hours you use to better yourself or come up with new games etc., is free time.
8 minutes since the first post, and the troll has struck. is this a record?
The time you actually give to the school each day is from the time you start teaching your first class, until the time you finish teaching your last class. This could vary from day to day, but will be longer than the actual contact hours.
Fair. I see I can't take the contract hours at face value then. Thanks everyone.
China, 20 working hours how about work until you die, then replace you with a newbie and repeat
sam239:
Specialize if possible. Market yourself so you're not immediately replaceable with a n00b.