This is a personal post. One that could generally be summed up with the classic idea of "don't burn your bridges", except in this case, there isn't much in the way of a bridge to burn I guess.
This story takes place in Guangzhou, China (September, 2023). I have been teaching here for roughly five years and have experienced quite a bit. I understand that the teaching profession is a tough one for many people and generally not the same across the board with regards to schools and their responsibilities, but to extent, as a human who is expected to take the same level of care of students as a parent (to a degree), there are simply some people who can fake it, up until they can't.
After resigning from their position as an educator within the school, the individual seemed to have deleted people from the school from their personal wechat (IM). Normally, ya, I would do the same if this were someone whom I didn't really think to highly of or care much to keep in touch with. In many cases I find that some acquaintances/short-term buddies over time had removed me over time and sure, ya, that's fine-but this individual really caught me by surprise.
Back track to something like May/June, the teacher came to the school to check it out, meet students, see the campus and get a vibe to better understand what the school had in store for thier child who was going to be enrolled into the primary division of the school as well.
The individual liked what they saw, even went against the better advice and took up residence in the teacher dormitory. within a week, the individual gave up on themselves in this position. A side of this story that really flusters me is that yes, they were in a new course that was being introduced to the school division we were working in, but the individual had full creative expanse, I provided him and his colleague who was teaching the same course, with a framework (if you will, only more detailed), in the event that they didn't feel like exploring this frontier on their own. Given the situation neither of the colleagues in subject preparation sessions showed interest in designing anything new or for that matter confidence in the ability to deliver content recommended. It came to a point where I literally, as a Dept. Head was instructed by the principal to create the lesson plans and activities for the two teachers. I did. I also debriefed with both teachers and there was an "Aha" moment wherein they understood that if students were so slow as unable to be participating in class reguarly with stories provided, etc. that they could find different stories and/or chunk the story into parts and teach it over the course of a couple days. That seemed like we finally cracked the code on the personal shortcomings both teachers were expressing that they had, until the one literally hit the floor out of exhaustion one night (early morning), rushed to the hospital. the situation was so serious, the spouse was handed a "death notice". This was insane, everyone was grief stricken and just flabbergasted by the entire situation.
That week teachers went down to the hospital to visit in three different visits, because realistically, as an expat, we know its not like there is a ton of family around. My wife and I watched their daughter a couple of times (at least once for sure), its just straight-up shocking to me. We go to wit's end to get this individual the best situation (at least advised them of what that is here), against better advice and beyond the work I took up for the individual personally, buddy just falls off the side of the earth, near literally.
Everntually, the individual was released from the hospital, spent the better part of the following week, hooked up to a heart monitor at home. Thereafter, they called a cloak and dagger like meeting between 4 people (including myself and themselves), in which amidst the dark of the living quarters' parking lot, they were asking us who had been there for about 2+ years (each) at least by that point, "What I should do?". I was confused as to what was happening as I figured that the guy was coming back to work, but little did I know this individual had paranoia that was surrounding the upper administration of the school. I recommended they move on, the semester was not going to get easier for them, especially if they were paranoid and thinking they needed to be looking over their shoulder all the time. I was so confused, now when I look back, I just have a chuckle.
Sometimes, its nice to welcome people in with open arms, support them with your own time, life and professional service, but at some point-cut the cord. Altruism should make you friends, here, it just made me annoyed.
*To those heading to Huamei-Bond International College in Guangzhou, the school is one that certain accumulates a great deal of responsibility on the teacher the longer the teacher is there, the idea of a salary is that, the longer the teacher is there, the more they are expected to do. Even for myself now, being told that my employment is at value of 3 new teachers. That is not only a bit absurd, but quite inaccurate as well. Considering the new salary grids that these ones we use are currently modelled after, are not actually updated to meet the newest grids of that model.
*To those who know me, I'll break my back for you, but don't go stepping on my toes the whole way down the road.
*To everyone else, sometimes its better to keep your head low and your hopes up.
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