Hello, I am currently teaching in China. This is my first job teaching English and I am feeling very frustrated and confused with my situation. I do not know whether I had unrealistic ideas or if I have a reason to be frustrated.

Things are constantly changed at the school: example-I'm teaching a course, then I'm only teaching the first class, then I'm teaching it one night to cover for a teacher who they are using for something else. Class is one day, then it is another, books are changed, etc. I can't get a feeling of settling into the job.

We are expected to be available-in the city, 40 hours a week.

Schools have alot of difficulty getting teachers but then it is all about the clients. If a student doesn't understand, they go to the front desk staff and complain. You are then told about it.

I find I'm usually not using the books the school teaches from and spending alot of time making classes from scratch.
I'm teaching beginner adults, business English, IELTS, TOEFL, conversational English and middle school. Now they want me to get involved with promotion for the children. They are always juggling the teachers to satisfy the clients. A company wants this teacher so the teacher's regular class gets another teacher and they are angry and you're stuck trying to pick up the pieces. Is this what to expect when they want a teacher who is flexible?

I'm expected to do English Corners which I have no problem with except they want them on certain topics. I didn't come to China to teach about other countries or economics or whatever else the students want. I don't think it's right that I'm researching and learning about a topic when I came here to teach ENGLISH. But, you have to do what they want.

I will appreciate any advise.

You must be teaching in a private school or a training school, not a public regular middle school. If you teach in a public regular middle school, the teaching schedule is made before the school term begins and the students English level are nearly the same. Why not come to teach in a public school? Contact Katherine: jmfls@sina.com