One step forward

The good news is that I have just passed Threshold 3 on my TEFL course. It was hard work with the added stress that you only get three attempts. I passed on my second attempt. The tutor needed me to revisit four of the questions and think about them again, which obviously I did.

So onwards as I only have 30 days left to finish the course.

Of course this is something I'll have to refer to regularly

One step back. I didn't get offered the job in Shanghai. Don't know the details yet. I'm a bit suspicious that they thought I was applying for a social science post. I'll have to wait till the agent is back at work. But that hasn't stopped me from applying for other work in China.

School in Shanghai

Today I had an interview, via skype, with a school in Shanghai, this is it

Its the Jin Cai School in Shanghai

This is the International School - which, if I get the job, is where I'll be

Heres some more information

Shanghai Jin Cai High School is funded by a compatriot from Taipei, China, is an innovative and progressive key public boarding school, run by Shanghai Municipal government.  Jin Cai High School, located in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, covers a vast area of 130, 000 square meters. The campus boasts with simple and elegant buildings and a clean and park-like setting.

             

 Up to today, around 1,800 students study in Jin Cai High School., including local students from Shanghai and other 22 provinces and cities, and those international students from 15 countries and regions.

 The principal of Jin Cai High School was appointed by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. Under the leadership of the principal, Jin Cai High School has already achieved a good performance, not only in education but also in administration, which has won the school nation-wide reputation. The speed and the efficiency of the school’ s development, in a way, is a wonder in Shanghai education field. In the year of 1999, Jin Cai High School was one of the first schools which passed the program moderation and became a Shanghai Experimental Model High School. In 2000, Jin Cai High School was named a National Green School (a title for an environment-protection model school). In 2002, Jin Cai High School received the officials from World Expo Bureau for the Shanghai’s bid for the 2010 Expo and became the focus of national and international attention. The graduates college enrollment rate, including the students from the International Division, is as high as 98 percent.

                 

The goal of the International Division of Jin Cai High School is to provide students with the best possible education and to create an enjoyable environment where students of all nations can work and learn together. The new campus of the International Division, which covers an area of 30,000 square meters, was finished in the year of 2003. That’s one of the important reasons why our international division enjoys greater potential to develop further. We are sure that it will be the paradise for overseas students to learn Chinese culture and develop all-around.

              (Source: Shanghai Jin Cai High School)

Exciting huh?

This is getting real.....

So tomorrow at 8am (15:00 China time) I am being 'interviewed' by a school in Shanghai

These are the details:

Interview time/date (China time)

1500 – 1700 Thursday 21st April 2011

Interview method: Skype preferred, mobile back up.

School: international department of Jincai High School 进才中学国际部

Website:  http://www.jincai.sh.cn/po/ (Chinese only)  Their international department has a separate English site but the pages have no content http://www.jincai.sh.cn/po/.  From the menu bar, you can see the programmes within ‘junior high’.

Teacher:  Mr Wu and one of their foreign teachers (not yet named)

Contact number: xxxxxxx

Skype ID: xxxxxxxx

Teaching subject: English and TOEFL exam preparation

Student age: 15-18 years old

Classes: 2-4  

Class size: up to 20  

Teaching hours: 20-24 hours per week

Note you will be teaching Chinese senior high school students, equivalent to sixth form in the UK.  This is intermediate level, but feel free to discuss with your TEFL teacher.  If you have specific evaluation criteria let me know.

So now its getting real.....

At work, Im feeling like I am now on borrowed time, my motivation level is zero, im findiing it a struggle to get even the basic tasks done.

But look I got my certificate  for doing my weekend course

Teaching Practice

Catching up with the good news.

Firstly this weekend I did the 'residential' 20hr teaching practice course. It was really good. There were 12 of us and it was good to meet with others who wanted to get abroad and teach English.

The group was a mixed bag. I was the oldest (natch) and I guess 'students' were the majority. But there was a guy from MarJons college (Hi Mark) who, like me, was fed up with what he was doing (IT I think), a person who had done a PGCE but never taught and now lived in Germany, a Czech woman that had travelled a lot - so a mixed bag.

We had lots of fun, although it was pretty intense at times. We did 9 till 8 on Saturday and 9 till 6 Sunday so it was knackering too. But the good news is we all passed the teaching part of it.

So now I really need to get my head back into the rest of the online course.

The other news is I have had a 'yes' off my director re my voluntary redundancy - so it is going to happen. Good! Because I have really lost motivation at work. I just want it to stop.

I realised over the weekend how much I missed teaching. And if the classrooms are that much fun, then what the hell have I been doing sat in an office for the last 11 yrs?

On the China side I'm expecting to do a SKype interview with a school in Shanghai sometime this week. Although they may want me' to teach A'Level which may be beyond me at the moment. The tutor on the weekend said we should be aiming to start with intermediate teaching. So I'll have to wait and see what they say.

That's all for now.

PS. The pic is mine from my teaching practice - teaching emotions.

Robbing bastards.

It's been a few weeks now since I last blogged. I'm not sure that you want to read about me succeeding in all the grammar tests. To be honest the grammar part has been hard. You have to get 75% or more on each test and I have to admit on the pure grammar tests I have failed to make that on a couple of occasions. I also have to admit I have also at times had to resort to inspired guesswork. I really do need to do more book learning. The actual course materials are just not enough.

Anyway I am now at the next written test where a human actually marks it. I was going to do it this week but have had flu.

In other news I am being considered by a school in shanghai for a September start so that's exciting.

More practically I have had the house valued by 3 estate agents. Honestly I am not impressed. I have a two bedroom masionette. It two floors (ground and first floor) in an Edwardian town house so I have high ceilings and lots of space and a largish garden. The first agent valued it at 130k. The two others at 100 and 85/90k. How can there be that disparity? I think the last two just want quick sales to keep their businesses turning over during these slack times

More later.