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Help! Novice teacher need advice on summer ESL teaching (UK)

Posted: 01 Jun 2006, 14:31
by LB
Hi! I hope that I've come to the right site!

I just arrived in London from Australia as a newly qualified ESL teacher. Excited? Sure I am! 2 days ago I received a job offer from one of UK's reputable language centres (so I assume). I applied for a position through a website and scored a telephone interview. A choice of non-residential or residential (with same pay). 240 pounds per week for 10 contact sessions (non-residential teacher) or 14 contact sessions (residential teacher). I believe this amounts to around 50 hours per week (not per month) on a 6 day period, including teaching, supervision and basic running of the centre. This is a temporary position and runs for the month of July.

The co-ordinator pretty much covered everything that I needed to know during the interview. But when the Letter of Engagement arrived yesterday, it stated where I will be working and the basic outline of my position but nothing mentioned whether it is residential or non-residential. I wrote to the centre immediately asking to clarify a few points and I am waiting to hear from them. They want the contract signed and returned in 13 days.

I would love to have some advice on this as I feel that this may or may not be a fair deal. Has anyone experienced summer ESL teaching in the UK? I heard that it is a lot of hard work but it is also fun, if you don't mind supervising horny 15 year olds!

Thanks so much,

LB

Re: Help! Novice teacher need advice on summer ESL teaching (UK)

Posted: 21 Jun 2008, 11:53
by cassandroula
50 hours over 6 days sounds a bit harsh (and quite possibly even illegal!!). The summer school I'm working for in July and August expects teachers to teach from 9-1 four days a week and then the whole day on Friday or Saturday (we get to choose) to take the kids on excursions, so it sounds like a pretty rough deal you're getting there...I'd really think about that one.

Re: Help! Novice teacher need advice on summer ESL teaching (UK)

Posted: 21 Jun 2008, 16:56
by Susan
It also sounds like you have a rough deal yourself.

9-1 on 4 days equals 16 hours plus one full day comes to about 24 hours (depending on how many hours a full day is). You also need to take into account planning time, marking homework or tests, meetings and report writing for the students (if your school gives out reports). YOu will also do an outing one day a week which I guess will take up at least 8 hours of your time.

I've worked on a summer school and it was no holiday!! Don't want to put you off, your job might be different.

Susan

Re: Help! Novice teacher need advice on summer ESL teaching (UK)

Posted: 21 Jun 2008, 19:42
by cassandroula
Actually, my job's pretty easy! I don't do a 24 hour day, it's normally 9-6 from pick up to drop off and we always do something really cool like go to London. All of the groups have leaders and I'm only responsible for them; the leaders take care of the kids on the excursion.

As for the marking and preparation, I usually have a bunch of lesson plans which are easily adapted before I start and I work out what the kids need to work on from the tests they complete on the first day. There's quite a lot of freedom.

Maybe I got lucky!

Re: Help! Novice teacher need advice on summer ESL teaching (UK)

Posted: 21 Jun 2008, 19:47
by cassandroula
Oh my God how blonde am I?! I read that as 24hrs in one day!! Oops!! Oh well! But with the afternoon trips I do, I usually do about 32hrs a week (9-3 four days a week and 8 on the excursion).