By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Why do teachers think they have short working hours in China?
To me, your work day starts at the beginning of the first class, and finishes at the end of the last class. Often, it extends beyond these times
So if you teach 4 x 1 hour classes between 9 am and 5 pm, that is working 8 hours, not 4 hours. The interval between those two times is dedicated to work, and it is almost impossible to do any recreational or private activities between classes. And don't forget prep time, and all the time the school makes you jump through hoops for visas, special events, etc. There is always some reason the school will demand your free time.
So when we hear teachers saying that they have short working hours, are they deluding themselves? Are they working longer hours, under more frustrating conditions, than teachers work in the west?
11 years 19 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
There are many teachers with widely varying schedules. At my last school one teacher taught 5 classes, 10 teaching hours with four days off per week and no preparation. In my opinion his lessons were rubbish but I'm certain that was of no concern to him. But I digress. You'll probably agree that's an example of short working hours.
Don't ask about mine. Thus far I 'create' one new course every semester with 20 teaching hours plus grading and other preparation hence you won't hear me claim an easy schedule.
One position I know of describes hours as "up to 26 per week." That sounds like full-time to me.
Traveler:
Was the teacher you mentioned on a legal contract with residency permit at that school? I'm surprised the school were allowed a contract like that. If so, I don't think it reflects the norm.
bill8899:
It is not, in my experience, the norm. It certainly did not resemble my schedule and type of classes. However, this FT spoke Mandarin and made side deals of a nature I can only guess. The other FTs were not supposed to know; I found out from one of his Chinese friends when he asked me the common question of 'how many hours do you teach'?
Depends on where you work. Public Uni where I work : 14 classes a week (Mon, Tue and Fri, Mon & Wed finished at noon). No office hours whatsoever, class is 45 min. Training center would be different, yes. But...I will never work in one 
Traveler:
Is that legal, or do you work on a tourist visa? It must also be very dificult to arrange one student after another, with no break in between, and all in the one location. Or are there breaks and travel time that are extra unpaid time?
At my university, all of the FTs worked 18 hours/week last semester, and will supposedly be working 8 this semester. One person got her 18 hours crammed into Monday and Tuesday, mine were Tues-Thur 8-12 and Fri 8-12 and 2-4. Altogether, not too bad. I spent the Friday interval out for a long lunch. We are informally expected to attend two English corners each month for an hour or two, I didn't learn about that soft requirement until after I had gone to half a dozen just for fun. It's great to see people so interested in learning/practicing that they spend their Saturday nights doing it.
And this city has no nightlife as far as I can tell. At least, no nightlife without speaking Chinese.
Well, lets see. Eight months out of the year my work gives me extra hours, I requested them, at one of the local public schools, then in the evening I work until about 7pm. So I work from about 1 to 7 every weekday except Tuesdays, when I only work until 5. I also spend about an hour commuting between public school and private school. On weekends I work a full eight hour day, minus a two hour break for lunch. So, 6x6+4=40 and then eight more for lunch and commuting. So I guess I have a 48hr work week spread out over 7 days. That comes out to about 7 hours a day without weekends. But, I stress, this is something I've chosen to do. On the months were public school isn't in session, my schedule drops from 48hrs a week to about 20. I'm in the middle of it now. Frankly I needed the break, but I kinda feel like a POS because I don't really do anything all day but play computer games, goof off online, and sometimes mix in a little cooking or some reading.
Amonk:
How much do they pay you at the public/privates, and in a big or small city?
mattsm84:
My work does 100 per hour for OT (they are the ones that give me the overtime.) I live in a second tier city, so 16,000 yuan a month is pretty good.
