The Kids Have Spoken!

I couldn't resist doing this in class yesterday. My kindergarten class got into the spirit of the election. They did a terrific job.

From left to right: Claire, Jason, Benson (seated), Monica, Me, Stella, Wanda. These kids are a incredible. They inspire me.

Teacher's Day Goodies

Today is Teacher's Day here in Taiwan. Yes, there is an official holiday to honor teachers and it's a wonderful gesture.

It was established in 1939 and coincides with the birthday of Confucius. Here is a excerpt on the topic from Wikipedia:

"The day honors teachers' virtues, pains, and also their contribution not only to their own students but also to the whole society. People often make use of the day to express their gratitude to their teachers, such as paying them a visit or sending them a card. This date was chosen to commemorate the birth of Confucius, believed to be the model master educator in ancient China."

My students & employer went above and beyond the call of duty this year. I received tons and tons of chocolate goodness from several of my students and a really cool thumb drive for my computer from the boss lady. The thumb drive, or USB drive, has my name on it...I like it!

It's always great to get stuff from the kids, it makes me feel like a million bucks. I love my job so the gifts are icing on the cake.

Is It A Rug Or Carpet?

Last night, in my adult class, an interesting question was posed. What is the dividing line between a rug and carpet.

I have always believed that a rug is pretty much anything that isn't supposed to be tacked down to the floor. If you can roll it up, it's a rug. One of my students mentioned that he was watching a TV show that used the word carpet to describe what I would call an area rug. The show was produced in England. My conclusion is that British folks have a different definition of rug. In the U.S., it's a rug.

The British nomenclature has zillions of words that differ from those used in America. Perhaps this is just another example?

To sum it up, a rug is able to be rolled up and only covers a portion of the floor. Carpet generally is wall-to-wall and tacked down on its edges.

Help me out people! Am I leading these students in the wrong direction?

p.s. The use of "interesting question" earlier in the post is obviously only applicable in the world of English teaching. I realize that this isn't the Geneva Convention but, in my world, this is big stuff!....lol

Anne's Graduation

Anne, one of the brightest students I have had the privilege to teach, graduated from high school this past week. She is a great kid and I am very proud of her. She attended Yung Ping High School, which is located near the Dingxi MRT station in an area of the city known as Yonghe.

She invited me to her graduation. Although the ceremony took place at 9 a.m., I agreed to come and cheer her on. You see, I usually don't function too well in morning but I knew it would mean a lot to Anne if I showed up. I managed to drag myself out of bed and make it to the MRT station at the time we agreed upon. The plan was to meet Amy, another former student of mine, and we would head over to the big show together. As I have come to learn over my many years, women and schedules just don't jive. Amy was, shall we say, VERY LATE!...lol She climbed out of the bus about 40 minutes late with a cute smile on her face and seemingly endless apologies. I gritted my teeth and we set off.

The following are some of the photos from the school. After leaving the ceremony I walked around the campus and took some pics.


The auditorium was big and dark. Not a great atmosphere for shooting photos from a distance.

It was really difficult to get a tight shot of the action on the stage. My camera just ain't that powerful.

We were sitting miles away from the stage. A typical Taiwanese graduating class, thousands of students. I was happy to attend the ceremony even though I couldn't understand anything because it was entirely in Chinese. You can see that the balcony is virtually empty. This is because it was early on a Friday morning. How can they expect parents to come and enjoy this great moment on a work day?...very odd.

Amy and Anne with a friend in the standard pose mode.

Anne is a super kid. She is really excited about going to college. She is currently learning Japanese because the college program she is in requires it...yikes!

On the playground. Gym class in Taiwan must be awkward because Taiwanese people are certainly the most athletically challenged group on Earth!

Warming up for a performance. I would've snapped a few more but the teacher leading this group gave me a dirty look, so I moved on.

Wandering around and gazing in to the classrooms.

A little closer look at a class in session.

And really close. The teacher in action. About 40 kids in this class. This was a June morning, already getting hot at about 10:00 and no air conditioning. I can't imagine what it's like to sit in a crowded classroom throughout a good bit of the summer with nothing more than a breeze to circulate the air.

Goodbye & Good Luck 1424

Last week I had to say adios to class 1424, a group of exceptional kids that I had the privilege to teach for the past year. The class completed the entire program that we offer at my school. This group was great, they were fun each and every class period. I hope they continue to work on their English and have fond memories of their time with Teacher David.

Roger, Jack, Henry, Arthur, Me, Candy, Sandy and Cindy. These young people are destined for greatness.

Cindy's ear-to-ear smile was a constant in the class.

Candy & Sandy. Two very quiet and talented young ladies.

I can't express in words how much I enjoyed leading this class. If I could bottle their spirit and discipline, I would be a rich man.

A Great Day (Vegas Trip Report Part 2)

A few days after I arrived in Vegas, Perry allowed me to come to work with him for the day. He is a second grade teacher in the public school system in Las Vegas. I spent the day with a remarkable group of students at Hollingsworth Elementary. Hollingsworth is located in one of the rougher areas of the city and the most of the kids come from less-than-ideal home environments. Perry told me that quite a few of them live in the weekly-pay hotels in the neighborhood.

It takes a special kind of person to manage a group of kids with such challenges. The students are lucky to have Perry. I have known him for about 12 years now and I have never seen him happier than when he is leading this group. He has a great system set up in the classroom and the children seem to enjoy and thrive in it. It was tons of fun going through the steps that constitute a day in the life of a grade-school teacher in the U.S.

Below are some of the photos I managed to take that day.

A good view of the kids from Perry's desk.

Perry leading the charge. The children respond well to him. I think the classroom is the perfect environment for him.


I was especially impressed by how well disciplined the kids are. They have a set schedule throughout the day and follow it to a "T".

They never missed a chance to mug for the camera. Kids throughout the world love to be silly when the camera is pointed at them.

Towards the end of the day, they get a few minutes of play time.

Thank you Perry for allowing me to attend school with you. It has given me a lot to think about regarding my future. I took away nothing but positive thoughts regarding teaching in Las Vegas.

Snooping on My Students

I have never been a big fan of posed photos. I prefer to catch folks as they truly are, not mugging for the camera. The following are secretly shot pics of my students taken through the peephole in the door of their classroom. I think they capture the kids at their best.

Notice the opening in the door...





I think they turned out pretty cool. I know the students will spaz when they find out I took these without their permission. Oh well, I like 'em.

Happy 33rd Carrie!

My good friend and coworker, Carrie, is celebrating her birthday this week. Many of you know her from her excellent blog, My Several Worlds. She is a top-notch blogger, teacher and friend. We began teaching together about 18 months ago; her desk was next to mine in the office.

Our teaching styles are very different yet we have managed to learn quite a bit from each other. When you work side-by-side with someone, you get to know them pretty well. Carrie's commitment to her classes is admirable. Her ability to manage her time and maintain an organized game-plan are the work qualities that impress me most. I am sorely lacking in both those areas!...lol. Her kids dig her big time. She has quite a fan base throughout the school. She is also waaaaaaay better than me at managing office politics. Perhaps that is why I am persistently in the dog house with management? Carrie has managed to make it through the countless disagreements with the leadership unscathed...not me!

I am happy that our work relationship has translated into a friendship outside of the office. Catherine and I have had some wonderful times with Carrie and her soon-to-be husband, John. They are good people. This coming year is gonna be a big one for them and I wish them lots of luck.

Congratulations Carrie.

A Two, Three, Four and Five Year Old

About 2 months ago, I started teaching a kindergarten class. I had never taught a K class before, so I was skeptical. The Dunhua Rd. branch, where I am currently working, is pretty small. We have about 200 students compared to about 1000 at the Shulin branch so I was wondering if we could get any kids to sign up. My question was answered when one little girl showed up for the first day of class...lol. Monica, my only student, is great. She is a very receptive 4 year old.

Everything was hunky-dory until about 5 weeks into the class, that's when the boys showed up. Ethan and his brother Evan signed up for the class. They are 5 and 3 years old, respectively. So I had an interesting mix of levels. I was a bit freaked out, but thought I could manage because Evan, although being only 3 years old, seemed to have a pretty good level of knowledge.

The next few weeks were hectic, but I found a way to integrate the boys into the existing class plan. After just a few classes I came to the conclusion that boys are about a million times more difficult to handle at this level than girls. It was everything I could do to keep the boys from bouncing off the walls while Monica sat nicely in her seat and was the perfect little student. I love the silliness the boys possess, but man it's tiring trying to harness their energy.

While the class wasn't perfect, I did have them all marching to the same drum. We work at a brisk pace and the 3 of them seem to be able to grasp the material pretty well.

Last week, that all came to a screeching halt! Just before class started I was informed that I had a new student. Adding students mid-stream is never easy but it's part of my job. Not all kids are able to join the class from day-one. It frustrates me but I have done it a million times and after a few speed bumps, the kid is usually up to speed in no time. This particular situation is a wee bit different...

My new student is 2 years old...ugh. Two freaking years old! I understand that it's great to get your kid started early learning languages, but this is ridiculous. Sakura, the new student, is tiny. She spent the entire first class clinging to her mother's leg and crying whenever I tried to get her to participate.

Just to clarify the situation, that makes a 2, 3, 4 and 5 year old in the class. The comprehension levels of each one of them is profoundly different...do ya get the idea that I am a bit frustrated by this scene?

I have decided to talk to Carol this week about this. I can't get any rhythm in the class if I have to on one hand, keep a 2 year from bursting into tears, and on the other, keep a 5 year old from burning the school down...arg!

I am going to ask Carol to suggest the 2 year olds mother find a more suitable class. The curriculum is not appropriate for a 2 year old. Also, I seriously doubt that she could keep up with the program.

This situation is one of the primary reasons I haven't had much time to blog in the past couple of weeks. Work has been very challenging lately and I look forward to getting this crap under control so I can go back to making myself look silly on this here blog...

Teacher's Day - I Scored Big

Friday was Teacher's Day. It's sort of a holiday here, I guess. We don't get the day off but teachers usually get gifts from some of the students and the school leadership. It's nice to be recognized for your efforts. I was pleasantly surprised by the stuff I received this year. I didn't expect much because I have been at the Dunhua branch for just a few months. Apparently I have made an impact on some of the kids...I scored big!

The "vase" isn't ideal. I am a guy...I don't have spare vases lying around my apartment! The bottle of wine is from Annie; the box of truffles is from Betsy; the rose is from the office secretaries; the chopsticks and spoon/fork thingy are gifts from the school. There were some other things that were eaten before I could get them home. All-in-all, I think I did pretty good.

Zoe - Motorboating Around the Office

Look at that face, she is adorable. Zoe is the little sister of Betsy, one of my students. Zoe visits the office two or three times a week and turns me into a babbling goof every time. She is two years old and as cute as any child I have ever seen. Enjoy these wonderful photos of her...they are fun.

If you have an opportunity to say "hello" to Zoe, she will reply with a crystal clear "hello, how are you?". It's priceless.


What a cutie. She was willing to give me her best "silly face". I was crouching on the floor laughing out loud. It's moments like this that make me regret not having a kid or two of my own.

Proofreading

Recently I was given a new text book for my adult class. It was published by the company that runs the school. At first glance, it was pretty cool, very up-to-date. Whenever I get a new text I like to scan through it and familiarize myself with the material. The topics covered in the book are good and pertinent to the adult students. Sadly, the English syntax is a mess! I started reading the first unit and came upon a few mistakes...I jotted them down so I could show them to my boss. After about 20 pages, I had found about 10 pretty bad errors and was getting frustrated. How can you publish a book with so many obvious problems?? I decided it was my mission to go through the entire text (about 125 pages) and see what I can find. It took me a few hours and I managed to identify 77 problems. It was shocking. 77 mistakes in 125 pages, that is awful.

I decided to explain each mistake on a little post-it note and stick it to the page where it occurred. After I finished, I made a photocopy of each of the pages that contained an error. I gave the stack to my boss. She was amazed that I was able to find so many. Moments later, she mentioned that the head-office might want me to come work with them after seeing what I had accomplished with this book. I have always enjoyed doing that kind of work and perhaps I would take them up on the offer, who knows?

I am certainly not an expert in grammar, but I can hold my own. I make far too many errors when posting on this here blog. Perhaps I should turn off the TV and/or radio when spewing on Blogger?...lol

The Daily Grind

I haven't been doing anything of note lately. Trying to get adjusted to my new workplace environment and spending time with Catherine.

The new school has been a challenge. The class sizes and ages of the students have forced me to change my approach. At the Shulin school, I taught classes from 20 to 30 students aged 7 to 13. At the Dunhua school, the classes are rarely over 10 students and many of my teaching hours are spent teaching adults on a one-on-one basis. Also, I have been given a kindergarten class with 4 adorable little ones, they are a handful.

I am not terribly crazy about teaching adults, let alone just one at a time. Adult students are tough because of the wide range of abilities. Sometimes they just want English conversation in order to strengthen existing skills, others are newbies. The folks looking for conversation are generally pretty easy gigs. The newbies are really difficult because learning a language as an adult is insanely difficult. It's tough to get them to drop all of the rules they use in their native language and start over again.

These past few weeks have shown me that I am most comfortable with a big group. I am at my best in front of 25 kids. I think I like the bigger groups because activities are a lot easier to pull off with a bigger group. Also, I don't have to make a big lesson plan for a large group because it's important that all the kids in each class speak at least one time every session. Getting every kid in a class of 25 to speak eats up a lot of class time. When teaching 5 or 6, you have to come up with several activities because nothing lasts very long. My teaching style is very unorthodox, I rarely write out a lesson plan for my classes. I have always been able to walk into a classroom and work from memory. I have an uncanny ability to lead a class on the fly, without a written out plan. Lately this has become problematic because the small classes require a lot more content. I have found myself coming up short in some of my classes because I just don't have enough material to cover 2 hours when activities only last a few minutes.

I am working hard at modifying my approach. It's been frustrating, but I will pull through.

Catherine and I have been having a great time. We continue to enjoy our time together. She is an incredible woman...I am lucky to have her in my life.

Here are a few pics of Neil, a wonderfully silly boy who is a student in my kindergarten class.

What Do You Make?

This is great. High school teacher and slam poet Taylor Mali with the best answer I have heard to this awful question.

A six-figure income does not make you worth more in this world. You can't put a dollar figure on the sensation you get when you inspire a child.

What an excellent performance...

Saying Goodbye & Ugly PTA

As I mentioned a few posts back, I am changing schools. My boss needs me to help out another one of her schools. She needs someone with experience to go there and get it back on track. I am flattered that she has so much confidence in me. This could be a great opportunity for me.

The obvious down-side is I have to leave my current position. I really have become attached to my kids and my place in that office. Nearly two years at the school is plenty of time to develop some great relationships. The kids and the teachers have become an important part of my life. I will miss them.

Yesterday was the PTA for my 1106 class. It didn't go well. Angela, my assistant, made the mistake of bringing up my departure to the parents. I knew we would have to talk about it, but she said something about it in the first few minutes...not the way I would've handled it. From that moment on, the parents were preoccupied with the topic. It turned out to be a complaint session. They were not happy about losing the teacher their kids had been doing so well with. I had little time to talk about the things we had accomplished and what the kids were expected to do in the near future. Not exactly the what I had planned for this meeting. I did my best to assure them that the new teacher will continue to do good things and their kids will succeed. It was a tough sale. I really hope that I don't have to preside over a mess like that again.

I have four more days in Shulin. I hope they will be fun. I am certain they will be a bit emotional for me. That crazy school has helped me define who I am. It sounds silly, but this teaching gig has truly helped me discover some things about myself. I have learned more about who I am and what I can do in the past few years than I did in the previous 35.

Saying goodbye sucks.

I Can Only Do 12 Things at Once!

Lately I have been swamped at work. Since taking on a few more classes, I have had a hard time keeping up with all the administrative work. I know it can be done. I am just having a difficult time getting into a groove. I have a bunch of things coming up and have to manage them...

1106 has a PTA coming in May; 1093 just finished a level so I have to complete the final grading reports and send the parents an update letter; 1080 is a mess, they are not a very motivated group; my adult class keeps growing, I have added 3 new students in the past week and I haven't really been able to get the pacing right in that class. These are just a few of the things that have been gnawing at me lately.

All of the students recently took a standardized test and my kids didn't do very well. It's meant to be a practice test for the upcoming state issued test that kids take before they can enter high school. I was told my classes needed to take it in early April, so I had them do it a few weeks ago. After the test, I found out that I was supposed to spend a class or two with them reviewing the material that may be on the test...why wasn't I told this before?? As a result, my kids did, comparatively, poorly when you hold them up against other classes. They took it cold turkey, so the results are skewed. I am determined to see that they are extremely prepared for the real test. I am convinced that my groups are the best in the school...I'll show them!

The PTA for my 1106 class is coming up. It is gonna take some prep time that I really don't have. Thankfully the group is incredible. I am confident that they will shine. They are my most motivated group, so the stress is minimal. I plan on doing pretty much the same thing I did with my 1093 class. That PTA was a hit. The parents were impressed with my presentation and all of them were content with my plans for their kids. My goal is to attain the same level of satisfaction with this group of parents. Stay tuned for the gory details.

1093 is getting older and motivation is becoming a factor. Many of them are entering high school. This means that they have less and less time to devote to English class. I have to continually modify my approach so I don't lose them, it's a challenge. The material they are expected to learn at this level is rough. English is not as fun to learn as it was for them a few years ago. Trying to make participial adjectives and the passive voice fun for a 16 year old is about as easy as trying to figure out how George W. Bush thinks, virtually impossible!

I don't even want to think about the issues with my 1080 class...they are a mess. They are in the final book in our series. To say they are unmotivated would be the understatement of the century. Given the choice, I think these kids would choose a visit to the dentist over another two-hour English class.

The adult class is good but I am struggling with the format. It's completely different from all of the other classes. The book is geared toward daily life English usage which I like because it's fun to discuss the things they encounter every day. The students have given me some good feedback, but I don't think I have really mastered the lessons yet. Teaching adults is an adventure because they come up with many tough questions that require me to use every bit of my limited knowledge of the language...lol.

Trying to negotiate all of this craziness and spend quality time with Catherine has made my life a three-ring circus. I will continue to trudge through and everything will be fine. I am sure that in a few weeks time I will have a handle on most of the issues.

p.s. I am coming to the end of my American chocolate supply! If anyone out there has the time, disposable income, and need to give, please send me a box of Reese's Cups and/or anything made by Hershey's.

Busy Busy Busy

Teacher Carrie & Teacher John are no longer working at my school. Their last days were this past week. This means that I am now the only teacher there with more than one month's experience!...yikes.

My schedule has taken a turn for the crazy. I now have 5 of my own classes and a gaggle of other things to do. I have spent the past week trying to prepare for the madness. I do my best to work ahead in order to avoid a last minute panic...I am famous for my ranting & raving prior to class times. I have been preparing every handout/worksheet that I can think of. No matter how much i do, I know that there will be plenty of things that I will forget.

Along with the increased workload, I will be responsible for the the newbies and their progress. I have to make myself available to them. They will surely have tons of questions and issues that I will have to patiently answer/solve for them. I have never been too good at training. This may be the toughest part of my current situation.

On a lighter note. I am in the planning stages of a picture/interview series involving many of the kids I teach at the school. I am going to pick some of the shining stars and allow you all to get to know them better. It should be lots of fun.

Unexpected Recognition

As I was preparing for my classes yesterday, Catherine, the senior Chinese teacher, approached my desk and congratulated me for 100% retention of my students. She said that she has been teaching at the school for 12 years and this was the first time that a foreign teacher has accomplished such a feat.

The way it works is about every 8 months you have a PTA for each of your classes. You show off the kids skills to their parents and talk to the parents about the classes progress and future plans. After the PTA, the parents have to pay for the next session (big money!). The foreign teachers in my school teach the more advanced classes with older students. As the kids get older, it gets tougher to keep them because their schedules are pretty hectic. Convincing the parents to pay up for another session is not necessarily an easy task.

I had no idea that Catherine knew that I had accomplished the goal. She must've talked to my boss about it. I had received recognition from the director of the school in the form of a nice bonus in my last paycheck.

I'd like to think that this is solely a result of my efforts, but I am not that goofy. This group of kids is outstanding, their efforts and desire to become English speakers is second-to-none. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to lead this incredibly cohesive gang.

It was a real boost to get such praise from Catherine, she is revered as the alpha teacher at Gram.

Teaching Jobs Debate (Part 2)

As I have mentioned before, students here have very hectic schedules. Many children go to school 5 or 6 days a week from 8am to 8pm. The teaching industry in Taiwan is huge. There are countless supplementary schools that specialize in the sciences, math, English, etc. The kids head to the non-traditional schools after they are finished with their day at their state school. As a result of their packed schedules throughout the week, many schools offer Saturday classes.
The school I work at requires that we work 4 hours every Saturday morning. This is definitely not one of my favorite aspects of the job. There was a time when I thought about looking for work elsewhere because the Saturdays are a drag. I looked at several job options and determined that most of the decent jobs out there also required Saturday work. With good pay and consistent work comes some things that are just not pleasant. I like to think it gets me moving on Saturdays...if I wasn't working, I'd probably be wasting time on the computer or spending money needlessly. The leadership knows that we don't like to work Saturdays so I think they provide us with a nice package of benefits to try to lesson displeasure.

The pay rate and Saturday hours are important factors when working as a teacher in Taiwan, but not as important as having a healthy, positive workplace. One that allows you the freedom to be yourself and grow as a teacher. You don't have to search very far to hear horror stories regarding the management of English schools here. The complaints range from being watched while in the classroom to having to constantly hand in and get approval for lesson plans. Bosses of these schools are famous for their bizarre management techniques and insanely high expectations.

Perhaps the the best aspect of my job is the total autonomy I have. The bosses have a very hands-off approach. They let you do your own thing. I have never been asked to provide a lesson plan for any of my classes and my boss hasn't watched me teach in about 9 months. If you're doing what you're supposed to do, she never enters the picture. I think the freedom that the teachers have in my school is pretty extraordinary.

Here is my line up:
-very competitive salary
-75 teaching hours a month
-great benefits (paid vacation, very generous bonuses(i.e. NT$8000 for Chinese New Year))
-4 hours every Saturday morning (usually two or three of those are in a classroom)
-hands-off management, freedom to do things my way

The bottom line...there may be better paying jobs out there, but there is a hell of a lot more to this work than your pay-rate. The few jobs out there that pay at a better rate than mine come with baggage that I am not prepared to carry. Would I leave this job for an extra few hundred American dollars a month? NO WAY.

Teaching Jobs Debate (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER**
A good bit of the following is based upon my own experiences. I have talked with a lot of teachers in Taiwan and have spent a good bit of time reading/researching teaching in Taiwan on the internet. Much of the following is anecdotal. Please feel free to question my assertions...your comments are welcome and encouraged!


Whenever you run into another foreign teacher here in Taiwan the conversation invariably turns to work. It's natural to sort of compare/contrast your jobs. There are different schools of thought regarding what makes more sense as far as hours, days, and method of pay are concerned. Recently, after speaking with a bunch of teachers from other schools, I have come to the conclusion that my job is a good deal.

The differences in jobs here usually breakdown to salary vs. hourly pay, working on Saturdays, and the administration/director of the respective schools.

I am very satisfied with the set-up of my job. There are a few things I'd like to change, but isn't that true of just about any job?

Sometimes I feel that I spend a bit too much time in the office. My job requires that I am on the site from 3pm to 9pm Mon-Fri. The actual teaching hours fall between 5:00 and 9:00...this means that I spend a minimum of 2 hours every day at my desk. All too often I am not scheduled to teach all four hours, therefore adding to my office time. I do my best to utilize this time. I am either grading papers or preparing for upcoming classes. I'm not complaining. I get paid whether or not I am in front of a class. When it comes down to it, I am being paid a heck of a lot of money for making myself available for a few hours each night...sort of like being on-call. This is the nature of a salaried position. I am paid the same amount of money every month whether I teach 50 or 90 hours. Personally, except for the month that my co-worker took a vacation, I have never taught for more than 85 hours in a month. The past two months, I have taught for a total of about 100 hours and still made a heck of a lot of money. My teaching hours are usually about 70 to 80 hours per month.

Many teachers here work on an hourly basis, they are paid for only the actual time the spend in the classroom. Many teachers that work on an hourly basis feel that office hours are a waste of time. They feel that they could utilize this time more wisely. The hourly workers generally make more per teaching hour than the salaried teachers. The crux of the issue is prep time. If you are only paid for the time in front of the class, you must then do all of you own preparation on your own dime. Some experienced teachers will tell you that prep time is virtually non-existent. This is tough for me to believe. How can you possibly be an effective teacher without putting in a decent amount of planning each day? Teaching is not static, every day brings new challenges.

Oodles of hourly jobs have sporadic hours. I have met more than one teacher that works essentially split-shift hours. Often times having 2 or 3 hours between classes. I have days like this too, but I am being paid for the time between, the hourly workers aren't.

As a salaried employee, I am entitled to quite a few paid days off. I am a full-time employee therefore I am paid for all national holidays and get paid vacation time every year. As most of you know, I recently took a nice long vacation. I went to the US to see my family. Because I am full-time, I managed to take just 3 days of unpaid leave while I was gone. Having a nice paycheck waiting for me when I returned to Taiwan was a welcomed sight. Taiwan just celebrated the Lunar New Year. Everything shuts down here for a week during the celebration. I used the paid holiday time I had racked up to cover the entire week...I got the week off with full pay.

Can a teacher paid by the hour work enough hours to equal what I make in salary? A few I have met do, but most don't. Sure, they have more free time on their hands and can tutor or make money in other ways, but getting consistent supplementary income in this country is easier said than done. I prefer the uniformity of a salary.

Stay tuned for Part 2. I will tackle the Saturday issue and dealing with bosses.