This photo was taken in September, 2006 using my old Sony DSC-H5 camera. In the photo are both of us and our co-teachers, Mindy and Sarah. These two young women remained as our co-teachers for the two years we spent in Changzhou at C.I.T. Who will be our co-teachers this time around? I do know that Sarah won’t be my co-teacher this time around as she will be taking leave at some point in the coming school year, parenting leave.
Co-teachers have a tough role having to be responsible for the quality of documentation that Foreign Teachers submit at the end of a term. During the term, they try to help navigate the mysterious world of Chinese university administration and help the FTs cope with sudden changes to the teaching schedule because of university decreed days off which have to be made up so that students get their full contact time with their teachers.
Thankfully for us, we had co-teachers who were friendly and helpful. Taking time to get to know our co-teachers in social settings was a key part of ensuring continuing good relations during the two years we worked together.
When there is a breakdown in relationship between the co-teacher and the FT, it almost is always due to unrealistic expectations on the part of the FT, usually who doesn’t accept the Chinese way of doing things. Sadly, many FTs forget that they are there to serve the needs of the university and not the other way around. Fortunately there are enough FTs who continue to meet the needs of the students and the university while enjoying the experience of being an ESL lecturer or teacher.