I left health care in 2017, as a result of having gotten a teaching certificate in 1970, I have gotten certified as a teacher.  Its been a steep learning curve.

Outline

1. How to qualify
2. Courses
3. Cost/Benefit
4. Jobs
5. Time
6. Chinese culture
7. Tech support/.Zoom App
8. Student assessment
9. Lesson plans on line
10. Lessons learned/surprises

1. How to qualify

• Supply is limited and demand is endless so there will always be a job
• Supreme court decision on class size in BC made teachers a scarce commodity
• Education
  • Degree or TESOL certification or teachers certificate
  • Certification – not always necessary
  • Courses for certification are expensive but under a year in length
  • In person
  • On line
  • practicum
• Personal qualities
  • Flexibility
  • Adaptability
  • Like to chat

2. Courses

3. Cost/Benefit

• Intellectual stimulation
• Social good
• Fun factor
• Job satisfaction
• Travel
• Pay – $ 25-$ 30 -$ 45
• Can work 5+ hours a week

4. Jobs

• The company I have worked for does all logistics.. Finding students, collecting fees, booking class times etc.

5. Time

• different day and hour of the day in China
• Vancouver is not a good time zone as students time slots are usually 5 am-8 am. Eastern Canada /US better
• Work at least a year to make it worth while for both student and teacher and company.
• I usually teach in the evening 5-10 pm including weekend. Max 10 hours a week.. 3 students 3 x a week for an hour each session during the summer break in China.

6. Chinese Culture

• Parents are very hands on
• Some do not speak English
• There is intense competition in China for university spot
• Poor English teaching in schools in China
• Many preparing for entry to high school in Vancouver
• Tech support not available in homes

7. Tech Platform.. don’t be afraid.

• Zoom

8. Assessment

9. Lesson plans on line

10. What did I learn?

• I can do it without a lot of experience
• The students are fun ..mostly
• It takes more time than you expect
• Students learn no matter what you teach

Surprises

• Parental and student concerns re mentions of modest references to sex in reading material
• Learning difficulties common among students
• Students have limited knowledge of western culture and history.
• I was asked to do a video for promotion for the company I work for.
• Chinese people revere older people and teachers – put them on a pedestal
• Wide range of competencies among students
• Some students don’t have printers or know how to use computers
• Refreshing change from health care culture
• The limited wifi (Telus) on a rural island is beyond frustrating to say nothing of power outages.