the duffel

Hey, y’all. These are my top ten questions to ask an interviewer or school before you accept a teaching position with them. As most of you know, I taught in Shanghai, China for three years. During my time there I taught at a training center and a kindergarten. I went to a couple interviews and demos (seeing it from both sides) and I came up with ten key questions to ask your interviewer/school before accepting a position. I hope this helps with your position hunt.

Where are your other employees from?

This will tell you if they are used to working with foreigners and people with your background. Example: You are looking to teach in China, and you interview with a school. They tell you that they have teachers from Europe. This is an indication that they (probably) do not have native speakers and are (most likely) paying a lower salary than you are expecting. (This could also indicate issues that may arise with now having a POC teacher and all that entails. White Skin = Good English. We know that this is not always the case.)

What health benefits and salary are you offering?

Do not, I repeat, do not sign anything without it being on paper. The interviewer can say that they will try their hardest to get you health benefits or the salary that you are asking for, but if they do not put it in the contract then expect to be given what is there. You need to be upfront on this topic more than any other one. Ask what they are offering and then tell them what you are expecting.

What are your expectations?

It is always a good idea to know exactly what your employer will be expecting from you. This is in terms of subject matter, classroom etiquette, school procedures, and extra assignments. Some schools expect the teachers to greet the students at the gate, while others expect teachers to wait in the classrooms or even on a playground. Are you expected to work on projects outside of your classroom duties? For example, I helped create a guide to teach the school staff basic English sentences and vocabulary to use with the students. This was to be done outside of my daily lessons with my students.

Are there other responsibilities that I’ll have outside of the classroom?

Many people think that you must teach your English lessons for the day and then you are left to your own devices. In my experience though, you are typically used for show. This means that you will be expected to educate the masses on traditional western holidays, film promotional videos for the school, and even host events for all the students at attend the school. The foreign teachers were expected to create and conduct a lesson to be taught to all the children in the multipurpose room and to host the event. Therefore, you should ask what other responsibilities and activities you will be expected to lead.

What are the daily, weekly, and monthly schedule break downs?

This is great for you to get a firm grasp on what you will be doing every day. It also helps with knowing what happens on a weekly and monthly basis. When I worked at a kindergarten, my daily schedule was mostly the same. The difference was that the classes I took my kids to (Art, Physical Education, Chess, Legos, etc.) changed depending on the day of the week. It also changed depending on the week of the month because we had a scheduled assembly every third Thursday of the month. It is good to know these things in advance.

Do you expect me to sit in on Chinese classes?

When I taught at the training center, I was expected to instruct my lessons and was not needed to sit in on any other classes. When I transitioned to the kindergarten, I was expected to sit in on almost every class that my students had to offer assistance or keep control of the classroom. You will need to know what the school expects you to do.

Who handles bathroom breaks?

In China the kids do not wipe themselves until they get to primary school. (At least from the information I was given by my school.) Typically, there will be three to four teachers per class group. You will have a foreign teacher (English), a Chinese teacher, and a Mama Laoshi (nanny teacher). Mama Laoshi is in charge of bathroom breaks and meals. You should be aware of what is to happen if Mama Laoshi is not in the classroom. This might be something that you are comfortable doing and it might be a hard pass for you. You should know what is expected before accepting the position.

How does the Paid Time Off system work?

You need to know if it is more request based or if it is more notice based. Are you expected to request the time off? Or are you just notifying the school when you will not be in? How far in advanced does the notice need to be put in? Is there a limit on how many days you can take at once? Are you allowed to take days off at any time or are there weeks/months that are off limits? (Also, make sure that you have paid time off.)

Will I be required to find a substitute for my class if I take leave?

If you are taking time off, will you oversee finding a substitute teacher? I never had to deal with this but a coworker of mine did. If you must find a replacement, are you also in charge of paying them? Can the replacement be another teacher in the school covering your class? Is your class allowed to mix with another class to cover the subject and then go back to your classroom? Each school is different and has a different protocol for this. Make sure you understand it.

Am I expected to interact with parents?

Depending on the school and area, some of your parents may speak English. If this is the case, then are you expected to be contact with them? Is there an app that the school uses to keep in touch? How often do you give out progress reports? If there is an issue with the student, who do you speak with?

These are my top ten questions to ask an interviewer or school before you accept a teaching position with them. I hope that the questions and reasoning for why they are important are useful to you. I wish you all the best with your teaching journey. Be sure to check out other the duffel articles here.

As ever,

Angelique Michelle