I enjoy teaching English in China. My original plan through university was to eventually become a high school or elementary school teacher, and teaching in China has afforded me with opportunities to travel that some can only dream about. However, being a foreign teacher in China can be frustrating to the point where I want to quit.
The fact is, you can work hard or you can slack off, and you’ll get paid the same. There’s very little incentive for teachers to go above and beyond and very little oversight from superiors in your school. Maybe this is different in other countries, but Chinese schools attract in many ways the backpacker type, here for fun and a short time, which is reflected in their work. I work hard, and do my job well. I plan each lesson I teach and each lesson has clear goals that I can impart on the class. But if I didn’t do that, there would seemingly be little consequence.
Your education level and experience also count for nothing in most places. Whether you have a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree, or nothing, you’ll be making the same money. There are no raises and few chances to move up in a company. Essentially, it’s a suitable job for a recent grad or a retiree, but not somebody in my situation.
I’m planning to leave teaching in about six months. I’m looking into new job opportunities in China, of which there are many, though it’s a bit of a catch-22: I need to have good spoken Chinese for most jobs, but I can’t get that without working in China. Teaching English is just the easiest way for me to stay here and improve my Chinese in the meantime.
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