Questions about Teaching in Taiwan.

[BeijingBaby]

Hi,

I will be coming to teach in Taiwan in January 2007. I have 18 months experience teaching in China, and here's a few questions regarding the teaching positions I've looked at in Taiwan.

1) What is a decent wage?

I've been teaching for over a year now, I'm not green, and I'm not a college student on a year out, I'm good at my job and I want to actually save some money.

I think that 55,000 without housing subsidy seems okay, what do you think?

2) Which City?

I want to live in a city that is near to a good beach, has good weather, and good amenities. Kaohsiung catches my eye, what do you folks recommend?

3) Office Hours?

Many Taiwan positions state that office hours are included in the contract, I myself am not prepared to sit in an office just to keep the boss happy.

What are your thoughts about office hours, is it possible to find a job without them? Can they be negotiated out of the contract?


Best Regards,

BeijingBaby.

[exported_kiwi]

Good luck in whatever position you accept.

Kaohsiung is a great place. I have a friend there and visited her last year. It has all the amenities you could want and decent markets to buy "real food" too.

Salary, I don't know because I'm on the mainland, but I've seen ads that say you can earn 65,000 plus accommodation allowance. Look at other sites and compare. Really though, even though we need to save for the trip back home, money isn't what makes this job worthwhile is it.

Yeah, I agree about office hours, screw that for an idea! try and negotiate them down to a bare minimum. Right now, I have to be in my place for 8 hours a day, whether there are classes or not, and it sucks! I have a 3 month probation (which I now insist on) which states that I can leave at any time within the 3 months if the job isn't what I want it to be. I just have to give 15 days notice, and I'm gone......... maybe it's a good idea to try and put this clause in your contract too "just in case".

Good luck and keep your eyes open for what YOU want!
My 2 cents,

[BBrian]

It really sux when you must be on the school premises for a full 8 hours each day when you only teach maybe 5 or less. Just because the office staff are there 8+ hours, some schools also want the teachers to be there too.

I will only be at school for teaching hours. Will not accept a job where they require me to do office hours!

A decent wage is above $65000. Anything less is common and not to brag about.

Keep out of Taipei! Lots of pollution and filthy dogs wandering the streets.

[exported_kiwi]

Yeah, didn't like Taipei at all, nosirree, not one tiny lil iota!

I have to be in my office 8 hours day, and sometimes only do 2 hours actual teaching...a waste of life and potential. Try to avoid anything in your contract that even hints at anything like this. Funny thing is how contracts are worded and if I knew what this contract actually meant, regarding hours, I would NOT have signed it!

Also be wary if a contract says that you cannot work in the same city, doing the same thing, when your contract ends. Who the hell is anybody to tell us where, or not, we can work huh? I'm just biding my time until I can walk out with a clear conscience knowing I gave it my best shot!