At TeachAbroadChina.com, we often focus on the various problems that can occur while you are teaching English in China. Believe it or not, however, many foreign teachers in China never have any major problems during their stay and they leave feeling very satisfied with their experience. If this is the case, the school may ask the [...]
Posts Tagged ‘chinese boss’
Helping Your Chinese Boss Recruit Foreign Teachers
Posted by Robert Vance on December 2nd, 2008
Posted in Keeping it Real with the Boss 
Tags: chinese boss, ESL Jobs in China, recruit ESL teachers, teach English in China, work in china 
Comments OffHow to Quit Your ESL Teaching Job in China
Posted by Robert Vance on October 15th, 2008
It is always better to complete your contract in China if possible. Having a history of quitting your job early may make it more difficult to find a good full time teaching job in the future. Leaving early can also cause problems for your school especially if you are the only foreign teacher. However, sometimes life [...]
How To Make Your Chinese Boss Angry
Posted by Robert Vance on September 5th, 2008
Although I risk being faced with a vehement chorus of disagreement for saying so, Chinese bosses have been relatively easy to please throughout my ‘illustrious’ ESL teaching career in China. It is true that their requests to appear at business dinners with them or appear in the occasional school advertisement can be annoying, but in general [...]
The Day I Did Not Shave in China
Posted by Robert Vance on August 11th, 2008
I only remember being really embarrassed once during my early days teaching English in China. I had just returned from a month long trip to Thailand, India, Nepal, and Laos. I returned to my school in Central China just in time to participate in the summer camp that they were conducting for two weeks. There [...]
Negotiating a New ESL Contract in China
Posted by Robert Vance on July 19th, 2008
Fireworks erupted this week in the English office at the school where I am employed as the Chinese manager of foreign teachers stormed into our work area to confront a workmate about a “bad attitude.” Teachers and students who were in the vicinity tried to look busy doing something else but it was hard to ignore [...]
Posted in Keeping it Real with the Boss Tags: China, China Boss, chinese boss, ESL boss, esl school, new contract, new ESL contract 1 Comment »Keeping Track of your ESL Hours in China
Posted by Robert Vance on June 30th, 2008
As an ESL teacher in China, I have always been fortunate enough to have worked for schools that have not deliberately attempted to cheat me. However, mistakes have been made by these schools in payroll and the ‘burden of proof’ was always placed upon my shoulders. Fortunately, I had been advised before I came to China [...]
Being Direct with your Chinese Boss
Posted by Robert Vance on May 22nd, 2008
I am not a confrontational person by nature. So when my apartment was robbed and I lost an expensive camera, I was hesitant to approach my boss and ask him for some restitution. Why did I even consider asking him for some money? There was a clause in my contract which stated that the school [...]
What to say at the English teachers staff meetings
Posted by Robert Vance on May 4th, 2008
“Robert, please talk to the staff now and give them some tips that will help them to improve their English teaching skills.” No matter where I have taught around the world, I have always dreaded hearing my boss utter these words. It is not that I dislike staff meetings. I enjoy mingling with my Chinese colleagues and having a chance to participate [...]
How to be Friends with Your Chinese Boss
Posted by Robert Vance on April 18th, 2008
The day that my boss asked if me if I thought he was too old to have an affair on his wife was the day that I realized that I should probably ‘tone down’ my friendship with him. It is not that I did not enjoy talking to him about topics unrelated to work. It [...]
Following the Rules in China — A Good Insurance Policy
Posted by Robert Vance on March 26th, 2008
Too many foreign teachers in China take the fact that they are treated like royalty to mean that they can do whatever they wish. If they want to show up late to class who is going to stop them? If they want to skip a staff meeting who is going to care? In fact, no [...]
