Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Turning down work

Honestly, if I could clone myself.

I currently have 5 jobs.  F.I.V.E.

And I got offered another today.

Lets see, I work for three different language academies, mornings, mid mornings and evenings more or less respectively.  Cool.

I work as an examiner for Cambridge exams, intermittent, but good for getting jobs, and makes me a better teacher along with bringing in some money from time to time.

Plus I work in Canada as a teacher of teachers, mostly summers with a bit of work month to month during the year.

All good.

Today I got a call offering me a couple of months substitution teaching in a high school.  The pay is good, the hours are fine, the students are big fat brats.  Big fat rich brats.  This school is well known for having truly pretty awful kids.  Not all of them, but a pretty big portion, lets say more than 50% are obnoxious. 10% truly horrid.

Ho hum.

Also it is a 2 month substitution with no hope of further employment, and it's a job I wouldn't want.  One of the things I like about my job(s) in the academies is that there is a HUGE variety of students and levels, I teach 4 year olds and retired people, I teach super prim rich women and young adults who dropped out of school have dreads and more tattoos than I care to count and I teach every level from beginners to people that are nearly fluent.  It makes it really interesting.  A high school does not offer this sort of range.  They are all much the same age, much the same level (mediocre to low) and have much the same interests.  Monoculture, more or less, with a few neat kids that are mostly keeping their heads down till they make it out of high school and can get on with all the fabulous ideas they have.  We know who we are or were.

Currently, I make fair money - just enough... just -  in a job (well 3 jobs) that I generally like and that I am, frankly, very good at, as I have been told this week by both some of my employers and a number of my students.  If I took this position as a sub, I would have to quit at least one of these jobs which also may impact on my employability next year. 

Ho hum.

Ultimately, I feel wrong bailing out on the work I have and the students I have now. It feels crappy.  And I like them. 

And I need work next year.

Still, it feels very strange to turn down work.   Very strange. 

Wonder how much I will twitch tonight instead of sleeping.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why bother even thinking about it?The subjob sounds horrible even if the money's better. GM

Anonymous said...

Life is too short to spend it doing a job that you hate.
Seadog

oreneta said...

GM...$$$$$$$

Seadog, indeed. Though eating is nice too!!!! Fortunately, I keep being offered more and more work, if only I had more time in the day!

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with turning down a job, if you don't particularly need the money, and already have jobs that you enjoy :)

oreneta said...

Yeah...though the money thing......kinda would be nice, though that job sucked.

thecatalanway said...

It sounds like you are in the position of being able to pick and choose jobs a bit more. You have been responding to offers as they come at you and now you could go for what you want. And even ask for a bit more money!!! So then you wouldn't have to work all the days and hours God sends. something must be wrong when you work so much and still feel you are earning only just enough. You deserve to have a great big income!

I am sure you are a fantastic teacher and much better than the majority who do the same thing. You are worth more than you are paid and maybe it is time to get paid more for doing less.

Only my thoughts but I really believe it.

Sorry we didn't catch up again - I am off on Tuesday for a few months in the UK. Have a great summer! hope you get on some boats. Love to Chuck Kate xxx