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First Kindergarten Job

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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by AJ9:
    Just to clarify bryant: I am the class teacher but I will leave half way through the afternoon session (4 hours in total) to teach English to another K1 class upstairs for 40 minutes. I am not lacking in experience in any of those things you mentioned and am very good at them all, however, my biggest challenge is, like I said, is that I have those kids in the classroom for over 2 and a 1/2 hours excluding the outdoor play time / Mandarin lesson. There are only so many songs / props you can do whilst making them sit in horse shoe for that long and limit free play time (reason being is there's no toys to play with!).

    In saying this, I've only worked at 2 kindergartens here and I enjoyed my last job a lot more at a Western kindergarten, but the numbers were far more appropriate in my opinion. I just don't believe that 25+ 2 year old's should be in a classroom together with 2 adults responsible for them all. Let's see if I keep this perspective when I open up my place in the future though and see the $$ signs!
    The problem is also space.

    I also have 2.5 hour classes where I am the class teacher and I have 1 or 2 TAs.

    At that school, we don't have any outdoor space of our own although we sometimes go out as a very large group to the basketball court next door, 70 K1 kids and 10 teachers tend to win the day over any territorial disputes!

    We do have a small 'assembly area' where we do exercise, dancing and so on....but yeah, not perfect! Man, I'd love to take these kids out onto a football field and let 'em run!!!

    I still apply the same philosophy of routine and short chunks of time spent on activities. AJ, I'm assuming you have some kind of plan or matrix that you follow each day? How much planning time to they give you?

    I agree with you about class sizes and kids sitting down down for extended periods....I don't have a solution for that! I could very easily end up doing the same thing in my centre but I limit my centre class sizes to 7 children, one class teacher/one TA.

    Anyway, sounds like you're at the point I got to when I started my place, you need to try it your way!!

    Good luck with it....please let me know how you get on or PM me if you want to ask anything...

  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by bryant.english:
    I have 'both the t-shirts' as well. I think you've had some pretty bad experiences teaching, I have too.....luckily I've had enough great ones that I have a lot more good things to say about the job than bad! Your posts betray bitterness in you from your experiences and I'm sorry about that.....then, teaching children isn't for everyone!!
    I'm sorry my post came over as bitter; it wasn't meant to. We were starting up a K1 - P6 set up in a needy area with minimal funding, and it was bloody hard yakka, but I liked it and believed in it well enough to sign up for a 2nd 2-year contract. What made it such hard work was that we didn't have any prep time before the kids went home at 4pm and we had cleared up. We had NO cover for play, lunch or nap time duties (unless we could get all the kids to sleep at once, when one of us at a time could sneak off for a loo break). At least we didn't have to work Saturdays, and I'm pleased to say that conditions there are MUCH better now

    The reason I referred to this experience with regard to the original post was that many years later I was offered a K1 job at an "international" kindy here which is already well established, equipped and with a number of branches, but was offering much the same conditions as the place I helped start last century, and it refused to budge on the matter of alternate Saturday work. No, I didn't take the offer.

    I have no idea at which school the OP was offered a job, but if it is run in like manner, then even as a part-timer she needs to know that the boss doesn't have much regard for employees' welfare. Whether the game is worth the candle for a part time job is not mine to decide.

    Lastly, having fallen delightedly into Early Childhood teaching via Suzuki violin method nearly 40 years ago (90 minute sessions with crowds of K1 aged kids, + individual lessons for each child), I still maintain that for that age group a subject teacher's lot is easier than a class teacher's one. Horses for courses, I guess.
    bryant.english likes this.

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    70

    Guys as I am so green you have no idea how much help your discussions are. Really appreciated!!

    To update, I have a new offer from a different Kindergarten which is causing a dilemma..

    They offer 12k for mon-fri only and slightly less hours.. 14days holidays unlike other kindy which provides unpaid leave for anything outside school holiday.
    Easier and cheaper to get to work as they're on the Island.. Simple bus door to door instead of trek to MTR and change trains.
    Also with the slightly earlier finish time i would be able to stop by Central and meet my other half for lunch sometimes.. Makes a difference!

    So conditions better I guess because I applied to them directly and not through an agency.. but they are very new and not established so not as great on CV (same deal, 6month contract).

    For the record the previous Kindy had I think one English teacher, one mandarin teacher, a nurse, and I think a classroom teacher for all those 26 kids!

    I've got some serious decision making to do...


  4. #24

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    i would go for the more $, less hours... won't really matter if the school is "well-known" if it's only for a 6 month contract anyway. get more experience, then go for more $!


  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by carang:
    i would go for the more $, less hours... won't really matter if the school is "well-known" if it's only for a 6 month contract anyway. get more experience, then go for more $!
    Agreed......!

    Plus, often 'bad' experience is good (valuable) experience if that makes sense!
    carang and chingleutsch like this.

  6. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by AJ9:
    Just to clarify bryant: I am the class teacher but I will leave half way through the afternoon session (4 hours in total) to teach English to another K1 class upstairs for 40 minutes. I am not lacking in experience in any of those things you mentioned and am very good at them all, however, my biggest challenge is, like I said, is that I have those kids in the classroom for over 2 and a 1/2 hours excluding the outdoor play time / Mandarin lesson. There are only so many songs / props you can do whilst making them sit in horse shoe for that long and limit free play time (reason being is there's no toys to play with!).

    In saying this, I've only worked at 2 kindergartens here and I enjoyed my last job a lot more at a Western kindergarten, but the numbers were far more appropriate in my opinion. I just don't believe that 25+ 2 year old's should be in a classroom together with 2 adults responsible for them all. Let's see if I keep this perspective when I open up my place in the future though and see the $$ signs!
    AJ9, I just wanted to come back and really nail down my point regarding materials.....I've spoken with you before and I know you've got some experience. The main point, I use my own materials...because I have my centre and because I hate using stuff at the schools!

    Everything I need I either already have or I simply buy it through my business, use it in the schools and then recycle it back to my centre or other kindergartens. I am not employed by anyone...I make contracts with my SP and the customer in every case...

  7. #27

    Sorry bro salary is too low for the effort ask for travel allowance and health care


  8. #28

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    Apr 2005
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    healthcare? i've NEVER heard of ANY kindergarten that provides health care! most locals make use of the nearly free gov't hospitals if it is anything serious and private drs if not.

    "travel allowance"??? i have also never, ever heard of a kindergarten offering that...

    do you actually work in a kindergarten that offers that? if so, i'd love to know the name of it...


  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by greenmen03:
    Sorry bro salary is too low for the effort ask for travel allowance and health care
    dumbass...
    carang likes this.

  10. #30

    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Pampanga, Philippines
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    I'm glad I teach at Uni, no bum wiping for me. Mind you there are a few I wouldn't mind....no don't go there.

    Just posting to say I found your posts very interesting B.E.

    bryant.english likes this.