Teaching In China

When teaching in China, there are many skills and talents associated with teaching: organizational skills, interpersonal skills, technical knowledge of the subject, and, of course, near Buddhist patience.

The ability to think on your feet and stick with it

Working in education can be chaotic madness and anarchy, no matter the country. China is no exception, and anyone who teaches here for more than a week will undoubtedly encounter all sorts of troublesome things, from pedestrians to truly exceptional situations. I've taught classes during blackouts, been added or removed at the last minute, and seen mysterious students suddenly appear or disappear for no apparent reason. A colleague of mine even had a student take a live bird, hidden in her coat, to class. The point is, when teaching in China, anything goes, throwing the kitchen sink at you will make you a multi-talented person. While a varied job like this will inevitably be stressful, you'll be able to come up with new ideas on the fly to adapt to any situation - skills that will come in handy in a variety of industries.

Polite remark

Any veteran Chinese teacher has seen the inefficient bureaucracy inherent in Chinese schools and for-profit educational institutions. The second skill of teaching in China is the ability to assert oneself politely. You know that whatever you need to accomplish will most likely require multiple attempts, so you want to start early. Weeks before you really need a project or service, you start sending polite emails, following up with WeChat messages, and going to your colleagues like a non-threatening stalker. With these polite assertion tips, you'll find that most people will understand what you mean and deliver what you need just to get you out of their sight. At the same time, your colleagues will have a pleasant feeling about you because you have mastered the art of getting things done in a Chinese school that doesn't cost anyone "face".

Picking your battles

Anyone who has been asked or forced to go to a meeting at a Chinese school or language training center has heard at least one stupid idea. As a teacher in China, you often have to sit in meetings with people who are not teachers and who have terrible ideas about education. In Chinese culture, public disagreement and anything less than positive feedback to management is discouraged. The flip side of this, however, is that many times when management comes up with a bad idea, no one acts on it, or if they do, they try it once, confirm it doesn't work, and give up. So it's not always in your best interest to explode every time you hear something illogical and engage in a verbal battle with it. Teaching in China will give you extraordinary skills and know how to challenge. And, if you can be patient with a seemingly bad idea, you'll find that it's actually a reasonable strategy in disguise.

Applied cultural awareness

Some ideas are difficult to explain to non-native learners. You may find yourself staring blankly at your students in class. This is when knowing the local culture comes in handy. Teaching in China can help you use your cultural knowledge effectively and deliver it effectively, which might otherwise take a lot of time and tears. This ability to communicate effectively across cultures through the use of references that the audience can understand is a valuable skill that can be taught in China.

Teaching in China, therefore, can give you the skills to manage difficult people or large groups when the simplest means of management - punishment - is not readily available. These skills are just the tip of the iceberg of what you can learn when you teach in China. The longer you teach here, the more skills you acquire.