Hey All,
I had a friend ask me about some potential interview questions they may have when applying to teaching jobs last year. It was quite humourous for me to come across these answers recently while cleaning out an old computer that I had to start using again.
Some of it is fairly true, most of it is actually I feel but a lot of it is changing over time now I see. However technology is still quite arbitrary and my favourite experiences are growing quickly.
As a teacher I can see growth in my students. As teachers were are required to measure the academic and social growth within our students which obviously leads to awareness of our own professionala nd personal growth.
You may find this atrocious or right hilarious, regardless, take a read :)
All the best to the future of tomorrow as well as those building the future of tomorrow.
-CB
See Following...
Interview Questions
11) What
made you decide to teach where you are?
à
Originally it was just because it was just a job, I needed something, I was
nervous, felt pressured to find a job in my field, especially a real teaching
job because with my lack of experience and extra noticeable qualifications I
knew if I did not find a job in my field of work ASAP, I would be condemned to
life on a TOC list.
Eventually after looking into my
options, overseas work brought a lot of questions to me about who I am; what I
am doing and what I would be doing with myself if I stayed in Canada
to wither away. I came to the conclusion that I needed this adventure and that
it would be a monetary gain in my experience and wallet.
After being here now, I can tell you
that I will gladly stay and certainly be working overseas for the next few
years because of three reasons, adventure, money but most of all the intrigue
of the students. The students can seem like many not nice things, but at the
end of the day, their smiles, thanks and concerns are what make you able to
return everyday. When teaching overseas, make no mistake, people up and leave
all the time. Many complainers exist in every school and overseas you probably
hear it more, but really that is just our humanity, when life is good and we
get bored, we bicker or find something to hate on (no matter how small).
22) What
were your first thoughts/feelings when you arrived?
à
I’m going to die here. Oh my god…what did I sign up to…Holy Christ its hot.
This is China ?
You mean, its not completely developed and they don’t all live in chicken wire
coops? I had many thoughts in my head when I first arrived, the biggest thought
was holy crap…I am in China, and I am at the point of no return…do or die, boy
your gonna learn how to fly.
Technically I first arrived in Japan
before I got to China .
We had a one day layover, and my frist thought there with my new coworkers was
that this place is sick!!! OMG! Go to Japan ,
if China is
going to be anything like Japan
I am moving here for good…ya Japan
is really that awesome! Expensive but awesome.
33) What
kind of language barrier did you face?
How did you work with it?
àI
don’t speak, write or understand any or even the slightest bit of mandarin…in China ,
especially North China …uhhh well English isn’t a thing
really, but there has been a rapid and much needed development of my mandarin
skills and the presence of English signs, tourist booths, etc. in various
areas.
I honestly walked into the grocery store
after getting settled in…when I figured out which it was and played…is that
what I need and is it still good to buy? For about 2 hours. You learn really
fast what things are and how they work, you need to. Adaptive behaviours are a
survival skill. China
visits for the first time with no experience and little warning, can really
make you see what you are made of.
44) What
education did you have before going overseas?
àLakehead
University
55) How
did you find the job? Which company were/are you with?
àI
am with MLIS Maple
Leaf International
School Lakehead University
66) What
was the interview like?
à
You ever do a skype interview? They suck, that’s why you need to ask yourself,
why or even how could you interview for a teaching job over skype. Let me make
it easy for you, because they don’t really watch all that carefully for your in
class practicum skills, its more of a psyche evaluation and check to see if you
are committed enough to get on the plane as well as a chance for you to see
that you are not going to be flown to a random location and left to rot.
I
did and still do many skype interviews, they ask you questions about practicum
but really that’s why you send them your references. I don’t mind skype
interviews but they certainly don’t do you justice, I usually don’t wear pants
during them just because I think its funny to say “ya, I totally got that job
without any pants”..hey bite me, it’s the simple things in life sometimes that
make you laugh and smile, and during those interviews, that’s what they want to
see, “an open minded and ready to take on the world attitude”.
77) Why
do you think they picked you? How did
you wow them?
à
They picked me because they needed me, could it have been anyone other than me?
Ya. Do I care? No. I got a job out of this and pretty amazing experience so
far. Keep in mind everyone’s experience is their own, here is a place that you
make it however you like, I could tell you off the top of my head 5 teachers
who just started and are leaving already. I could also tell you off the top of
my head 3 teachers who have been here for a number of years and are leaving.
Its completely arbitrary.
I could tell you, its amazing, do it,
you will love it. But I would totally be misleading you (for lack of a better
term). It gets hard, lonely, and a little depressing at times but hey, if you
make the most of every situation, it could be a wonderful, eye opening, life
changing experience.
I been here for about five months? More?
Less? I am learning Mandarin, been to Hong Kong, Beijing, and heading all over
Southeast Asia for ALL OF FEBRUARY; I was dating a 40 year old American grade 1
teacher, now dating the director of the ESL department; Looking at becoming
department head of the foods labs and hoping for more great news to follow
(please cross your fingers that she is not pregnant.) :P But you know what I
mean? Life is just the same but in a different context. You make it.
88) Do
you ever feel lonely? How do you cope?
àWhen
I feel lonely, I release myself, take that how you will but there are many
recreational activities to take part in when you feel down. Most throw
themselves into the work and that leaves you with no time to feel lonely…I go
out and meet Chinese people or put myself in ridiculous situations, usually
they end up in my favour J
910) Who
do you turn to in times of trouble?
I turn to my lover. My department head (now former
because he stepped down to have more time to write a book about the history of
our school). I also will turn to a guy from Hamilton I met here, he flew in
with me and a couple others but he and I flew to Hong Kong for a week together
to see some of his friends, couldn’t have asked for a better first overseas
introduction.
11) How
did your personal pastimes change?
àI
don’t have my xbox to turn to when bored L I don’t have total internet access all the time
because I need to hook it up at my apartment so facebook and youtube are only
accessible at school. I do a lot of hiking and adventuring into different parts
of the province and what not. I tend to catch myself looking at my historical and
informational texts now that I am looking at so much vacation time each year
and a relatively disposable income :D
A lot of people tend to watch more
sports or keep up to date on everyday news…I’m melting into Chinese culture too
much, I forget that Canada
exists at times in terms of news. Keep posting on facebook what is going on
over there, help me feel like I am in the loop :P
GETTING THERE/FINANCIALS
12) What
were the steps for getting a VISA?
àYa,
get the Vancouver office of the
school our information. Done for you J WIN! Usually there is a long and annoying process to
get visas for countries, especially work visas, a lot of online and telephone
communication unless you keep going to your embassy and doing it all in person
at once. But most schools take care of it for you
213) What
kind of VISA is it? Can you get a job besides teaching with it?
I have a work visa, yes I can get other jobs
with it, really the only other jobs I can get though are tutoring English
learners. Simply because I don’t speak any Chinese or Japanese though.
314) How
did you solidify your contract and agree with its conditions?
àI
signed a contract they sent me, no negotiation.
415) What
are the pay and benefits like?
àI
have health insurance in the case of emergencies. As an expat, every visit to a
medical doctor is an emergency. I am paid a beginning wage of 45,000 CAD a year
and have the option of splitting each month’s pay into RMB and/or CAD, RMB will
go into a Chinese bank account set up by the school that ONLY YOU CAN ACCESS
and they will deposit the CAD into whatever Canadian account you have.
516) Is/Was
the salary worth the work/move?
àYA!
I’ll use RMB to describe cost of living and give you conversion in the end. So,
to eat dinner, lunch or breakfast at a Chinese restaurant runs you no more than
30 yuan. If you go out to fancier restaurants and more western style you are
looking at around 200 yuan at most. Your rent ball parks 2000 yuan + for a nice
fancy place like mine or 1600 and lower for a some what moldy bathroom single
room open concept style apartment. No one really owns a home…Here in China, it
is uncommon to own a house unless you live in the countryside, even then, most
are bungalows and not so well kept. The government has a living law that forces
people to move out of their apartment every 17 years (even if it has been
mortgaged and bought). Everyone lives in apartments for the most part,
electricity and water is cheap. Internet for a year is 2000-ish yuan for top
speed, etc. Cellphones at most cost around 300 yuan for premium package.
1
yuan is nothing to use, about 7 yuan though, that’s about a dollar. Do the
math, you tell me if banking almost 2000 CAD each month is nice or not ;)
617) How
did you set up your bank account/your financials?
àSchool
will do it for you, be weary though, some schools unlike MLIS will make it so
they can freeze your account if necessary…NOOOO! Do not let them.
718) How
much did it cost to get there? Did you
have to pay for the flight yourself?
àNope
and none. They cover you there and back if you finish the year/contract. If you
bail you need to cover your own fees. Regularly the trip to and from China is
between 1500-3000 CAD
819) How
did you go about finding a house? How
did you find accommodations?
àFinding
a place sucks!!! You see so many that you think are great and then you find
black mould. The school sets you up on campus with…a place, well for me, I was
bitter, it was a dump, they didn’t have anything nicer in my price range and I
was one of the last who were set up with a place. Their nice places though, for
what they are and the problems the tenants had, you are much more lucky if you
find a decently priced place off campus. I love my apartment now, especially
when you make it like home. BBQ to come soon from online shopping!
INSIDE THE CLASSROOM AND FACULTY
11) How
many students are in your classroom?
àClasses
max out at 40 I believe but usually they won’t surpass 30, the most I have is
28 in an English 10 block.
12) Do
you have any exceptional students in your class?
àNot
sure, you really don’t know unless they tell you and even then…you can’t get a
TA, you just need to run with it.
13) How
were the students varied in regards to learning levels?
àI
have students who are certainly going to Harvard (many who will at the very
least get recognized for admission) and others who probably don’t even know how
to tie up a shoe.
14) What
support did you receive from the faculty?
àTons
if you are kind sweet and endearing. None if you push and shove to get what you
want. You know how backwards Canada’s system is. If you shut your mouth and do
as you are told here, you get the world. You do that in Canada, people say “he
is happy, leave him be, he works for nothing, don’t offer him anything,” and
the folks who whine and complain are accommodated for the very reason that
stress is a factor to their level of teaching, blah, blah, blah, blah….TOTAL
OPPOSITE in China, they respect the hard work but if you don’t respect them,
they will not even recognize you. I see it a lot around here with certain older
staff members who like to push and shove.
15) How
were you respected as a teacher?
àYou
are white and speak English, you must be insane to be in China. For the very
reason of race, you are recognized. The further north you move and travel the
less expats you see. The area you are in makes a big difference. Most folks try
to accommodate outlanders but others will just take pictures of you…especially
if you are tall and have blonde hair. Everyone local urban person wants to be a
westerner, its sad. It really breaks my heart when I see these beautiful
Southern Chinese women trying to change their lifestyle and appearance to
become more westernized. Such beautiful women but so cosmetically fake. In
Northern China, they are very traditional and it can sometimes be overwhelming
for someone from the west but they adore outlanders!
Funny
story: I was in Beijing, I am cross the security gate to the forbidden city and
the female security guard wands me. I beep at the waist (coors light beer
bottle opener belt buckle), she says “Shen ma” (What?), I lift my shirt and
show her, well the very fact that she saw my belly made her turn so red and she
felt so embarrassed and apologized repeatedly. I told her no problem and
walked, I turned back because she was super cute, and don’t I catch her and her
friend making googly eyes at me, I waved, she waved, and I almost walked over
to begin a broken English conversation that would have probably resulted in her
telling me that she must work and already has boyfriend but I realized I had
prior engagements to attend to :P
16) What
issues (if any) did you face with the faculty/or students?
àI
am the youngest on staff and a lot of the staff is here with a significant
other. I came here…single-ish…then became single. I made friends with most
staff. You are forced to at least be able to bare the presence of everyone, you
live in China and there is no room for HR bologna. I mean you will meet the
high strung individuals and the super lackadaisical individuals, you guess
where I sit on that list.
17) What
was available to you/provided to you by the schools?
àthe
basics, room to live, a guide for the first week and office supplies.
18) What
kind of curriculum did/do you follow?
àBC
Offshore International
19) How
big a role does technology play in the classroom?
àBAHAHAHAHAHA!
Technology is arbitrary overseas. Sometimes classrooms have it, sometimes they
don’t. Our school likes to say they use technology, and they would be telling
the truth if crappy Hitachi brand projectors would work regularly instead of
basically playing lesson plan bingo. Technology is important for the attention
and interest of the students here at this school as over 90% of them
communicate to everyone using it. I mean, ya it could possibly be refreshing
for Canadian students to be ripped away from their cellphones but these
students…and technology…can’t have one without the other, just doesn’t
work...unless you plan games….you want to make a weeks worth of games? I tried,
bahahaha the instruction giving alone could be a course in itself.
20) What
kind of extra-curricular activities were available
àEverything
from Sanshou (MMA) which I sponsor and supervise to Comicbook club which I like
to think I participate in when I can.
CULTURE
21) What
interested you about the culture? Did
this influence your desire to teach there?
àNothing,
I actually had no ambition to ever move to China. Never thought I would ever
come here. I was influenced by money, life and fear of the unknown.
22) What
shocked you about the culture?
àEverything.
Actually, everything! You don’t tip, babies pee and pooh out of windows of
moving vehicles. Don’t J walk, you will be hit and no one will care. You want
something done, pay someone to do it, everyone here is a jack of all trades and
a master of none. Private driver? For a couple bucks? Anywhere you need to go
for however long you need? Yes please. Honestly, I could go on for hours
telling you everything that still surprises me.
What did you know before hand?
àNothing.
It had a long history. Don’t talk about Taiwan, Tibet and Tiananmen. O, and
they don’t like Koreans and Japanese as much as people may believe.
23) What
were some things about the culture you had to adapt to?
àFood,
life, and everything. So broad I know, but I mean that’s like saying, what is
different between Canada and China…take a look at my facebook posts and blogger
site.
24) Do
you feel respected/accepted by people in the community?
àSometimes
yes, sometimes no. I live in a rural development zone, meaning there are a lot
of headstrong farmers who are just like the ones you find back home. Take that
as you will. Usually folks (who are taking your payment for something) will
give you anything they can to keep you coming back.
25) Have
you been able to learn the language through your interactions?
àBig
time, you sort of need to in order to live.
26) What
food do you like to eat
à
Oh my! I love silk worm larvas, really everything, not much food I don’t like,
ask anyone who has gone to dinner with me.
27) Is
the fashion different?
àBAHAHA!
To say the least. Younger women look like they sprang out of a anime cartoon
sometimes (gorgeous though), and guys where way too tight of pants (bleh!).
28) Some
are some popular restaurants/popular stores
à
Shen ma
29) Is
the area you are residing in environmentally friendly?
àChina?
Ugh. Lets go with no. Well, they are working on it…Hong Kong on the other
hand…<3 OMG! I want to go back L
30) Is
there a great difference between the different societal classes (rich vs poor,
etc.)
àThe
rich are rich and the poor are poor. You see folks who are always dressed to
kill and others who look like they have been wearing the same clothes for three
days…because they have been. Our students are all ridiculously rich and they
let you know it.
31) How
is the healthcare system?
àI
love it, you can just go in, chat up a nurse and get served. In and out, the
quality is questionable because well they are not exactly the cleanest of
facilities but for bumps and bruises you won’t have to fly to Korea.
32) Is
there a sort of moral dress code?
àYes
and no? Not for outlanders because well, simply put, we are dumb foreigners who
don’t know better. For locals, women shouldn’t show skin around the private
parts and men…well traditional men just don’t give a rat’s rear end about what
they look like so during the summer to keep cool they roll their shirts above
their beer bellies and air condition themselves…in public.
33) Have
you feared for your life while there?
àNo.
But I mean I am not the sort of person to really care for much of what happens
around me because I know the difference of when to shut your mouth and when you
can state an opinion about the Chinese traditions and cultures.
34) Is
it a sexist nation?
àWhat
nation isn’t? It’s the same as it is in Canada, everyone has the chance to get
educated, its growing and changing everyday.
35) Do
people keep pets? If so what kind?
àYa,
but they also eat them. Anything can be a pet here, but you can also eat anything
here.
36) What
does housing cost? What about groceries?
àI
told you about housing in finance and groceries are cheap. I honestly cook for
a lot of people all the time so I really can’t give an exact price or anything
but ball park for about 1000 yuan for the month maybe? Probably a lot less, I
just eat a lot and by the good stuff for my lady when I can J
37) Are
there really strict laws on little things?
àNo…But
I am visiting Singapore in February…I think I may actually fear for my life, I
quit smoking for a few reasons but one being especially for that part of the
trip.
38) Do
people walk or drive?
àI
live close enough to the school that I can walk.
39) How
is the public transit system?
àBetter
than thunder bay. I think fairly efficient, you can probably get to anywhere
you need to without knowing any Chinese and little to no money.
Hong
Kong though, their MTR, I wish that thing ran 24-7 I would have just drank and
slept on there for the entire week trip I was there for.
40) What
are people’s thoughts on plastic surgery?
àIt’s
a thing. The bets kind of Chinese woman is a western looking Chinese woman
apparently?
41) What
are the laws on driving? What age do you
have to be?
àYou
can’t drive as an outlander because you need to either bribe someone or be a
citizen. I bought a gas powered scooter which you are not supposed to do but
meh. I am unsure about the driving age limits but no one really drives unless
they drive a cab ro have a private driver business…or bus.
42) What
are the laws on drinking? Is social drinking frowned upon?
àthey
love drinking but are not very good at it. I actually think the only laws about
drinking are not to do it while you drive…
FOR ME
1) What
advice do you have for someone like me who wishes to teach overseas?
Do it. You will love it ;) If these are for B,
honestly, you need to stray away from any and all expectations you have, you
need to understand that one day you will feel amazing and on top of the world
and other days you are going to be crying yourself to sleep if you miss home or
having a long distance relationship. You need be confident in yourself enough
to know that this is something you want to try. If you can do this, feel
butterflies when you accept and then actually make it to the airport with tim
hortons, crying family and cousins you know you won’t see graduate into the
next step of their lives; then you are one of two things, not going to go or
ready to go. No one knows if they are ready till they get here because
everything you think you know about yourself, you really don’t. Everything
changes, life blurs and adventure takes over. I at one point thought of how I
was going to bring a 40 year old woman home to meet my family and introduce her
as my girlfriend, possibly life mate…then she left for holidays and I did a lot
of thinking and well now I am wondering how I am going to bring home my 36 year
old Chinese girlfriend home to meet my parents because she is pretty amazing
and doesn’t see herself without me. BTW I never had any interest in asian
women, now, OMG! This woman lives to make me happy! I feel so bad sometimes but
she loves my cooking and the fact that I clean. You ever play fight over who
gets to sweep the living room (yes life can be all too simple it feels like
sometimes, but you know what, FEBRUARY!!!!!).
2) What
are the main qualities, in your opinion, that recruiters are looking for?
A
living breathing, qualified human? Read the answer I gave up top J
3) Do
you have any sample interview questions?
I’ll send what I think I have…
4) What
is your favourite experience so far?
Hong
Kong. Just frikin go, don’t ask, just go. That may change when you see picture
of me firing RPG’s in Cambodia though, and no, not at livestock…which is a
thing btw
5) Where
are you going next?
<3
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