Comments on: CPD= Exploitation? http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:55:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Alex Case http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-2101 Alex Case Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:45:53 +0000 http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-2101 Good point. Good point.

]]> By: Martin http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-2100 Martin Tue, 29 Jan 2008 08:32:58 +0000 http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-2100 I'm in two minds. I can see what the letter-writer is getting at, there is often a very vague expectation that CPD will somehow lead to career progression without any clear path for it to do so. On the other hand, I also remember that when I got into TEFL, having left my career in IT, I was hugely impressed by the amount of opportunity, much of it free, to learn and progress within the job. As a programmer, any conferences or workshops I might want to attend would cost me four figures and only the gurus would dare to run a training session for their colleagues. TEFLs a lot more open than many professions. I’m in two minds. I can see what the letter-writer is getting at, there is often a very vague expectation that CPD will somehow lead to career progression without any clear path for it to do so. On the other hand, I also remember that when I got into TEFL, having left my career in IT, I was hugely impressed by the amount of opportunity, much of it free, to learn and progress within the job. As a programmer, any conferences or workshops I might want to attend would cost me four figures and only the gurus would dare to run a training session for their colleagues. TEFLs a lot more open than many professions.

]]> By: Alex Case http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-1875 Alex Case Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:04:19 +0000 http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-1875 Cheers Sandy, I look forward to hearing your take on it. As someone who has set up (non-paid for participants) CPD fairly successfully 4 times now, I think I might have to do a post on that too if there is any demand for it. Cheers Sandy, I look forward to hearing your take on it.

As someone who has set up (non-paid for participants) CPD fairly successfully 4 times now, I think I might have to do a post on that too if there is any demand for it.

]]> By: Sandy http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-1872 Sandy Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:38:19 +0000 http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-1872 Excellent posting, Alex - well done for bringing this item up. I shall be featuring the letter in my blog too, soon, along with a handful of appropriate comments. Sandy Excellent posting, Alex - well done for bringing this item up. I shall be featuring the letter in my blog too, soon, along with a handful of appropriate comments.

Sandy

]]> By: Alex Case http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-1864 Alex Case Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:26:07 +0000 http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-1864 Suggesting that to this person just occurred to me yesterday on my way home on the train. I hope you reach the point where you can pay yourself for CPD... Suggesting that to this person just occurred to me yesterday on my way home on the train. I hope you reach the point where you can pay yourself for CPD…

]]> By: Aaron Nelson http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-1861 Aaron Nelson Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:45:24 +0000 http://www.tefl.net/alexcase/teaching/cpd-exploitation/#comment-1861 Alex, I feel the pain of this post. Rephrase: I felt the pain. When I first started teaching in Mexico, I started working for one of those money hungry companies - found out about that like 3 years into my teaching with them. Found out that the boss was sucking up 90% of the money, and tossing us what was left in unfair wages. PD, when it existed which was like twice, was on our own time and on the weekend. (Try explaining that to your fam!) No extra pay. Yeah, there's lots of exploitation in the ESL industry, but I think there are more solutions to this than just shutting down or jumping ship. What if you tried changing a small corner of the industry by starting your own company? Make your own rules. Be that "just" company than you've always wanted to work for. That's what I'm doing, and I'm having a blast. It's not easy, lots of really hard work, but it's slowly coming together. Shift the system. Alex,
I feel the pain of this post. Rephrase: I felt the pain. When I first started teaching in Mexico, I started working for one of those money hungry companies - found out about that like 3 years into my teaching with them. Found out that the boss was sucking up 90% of the money, and tossing us what was left in unfair wages.

PD, when it existed which was like twice, was on our own time and on the weekend. (Try explaining that to your fam!) No extra pay.

Yeah, there’s lots of exploitation in the ESL industry, but I think there are more solutions to this than just shutting down or jumping ship. What if you tried changing a small corner of the industry by starting your own company? Make your own rules. Be that “just” company than you’ve always wanted to work for. That’s what I’m doing, and I’m having a blast. It’s not easy, lots of really hard work, but it’s slowly coming together.

Shift the system.

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