Time for change

If you don't want to read a negative rant... please don't read on.

Well, I've been working in my current job for almost 8 months now and to be completely honest I'm done. I handed in my notice on Monday, but I agreed to stay until they find someone to replace me. Hopefully it shouldn't take too long because I don't know how much more I can take of this job before I lose the plot altogether. 

The schedule I work, to some, would seem like a dream come true. Working three days a week, only having to teach a maximum of 19 classes a week, no assessments, no homework marking, no lesson planning and having 5 and a half days off, in a row, every other week.... But those are probably the people who have never worked where I work. 

My schedule is this: 

Tuesday: 12pm - 4pm

Wednesday: 8am - 8pm

Thursday: 8am - 8pm

Friday: 8am - 4pm

Weekend off

Monday: 8am - 8pm

Tuesday: 8am - 8pm

Wednesday: 8am - 4pm

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday off.

I calculate my working hours and found that I spend more time on break than I actually do teaching in the classroom in the job. So why am I so miserable?

I am miserable because of the repetitive camp schedule we have to run. Every block of three days, (8-8, 8-8, 8-12) is the camp schedule. We bring in 200 kids from schools around Taiwan, introduce them to our camp when they arrive, teach them how to make their beds, sing songs to them before they eat, play dodgeball with them, play jeopardy on the evenings and teach them for 16, 40 minute lessons. Then we repeat it next camp and again next camp and again and again and again and again, until our heads explode from the boredom.

The things I truly need from my teaching career are:

1. To form meaningful relationships with the students, which make me want to come back into work and give me the responsibility for the progression of their education.

2. To be stimulated in my work, for me to progress too.

3. To work in a positive environment where I know people want to stay, feel valued and are happy and enthusiastic about the work they are doing. Repetition will kill this for anyone. 

So, my search for a new job has begun. (Well actually it began about a month ago).

Fingers crossed I will find what I'm looking for!

Dave