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Posts by dtaylor5632  

Joined: 2 May 2009 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 30 Jan 2015
Threads: Total: 18 / In This Archive: 4
Posts: Total: 1,999 / In This Archive: 240 		From: Kraków/Poland
Speaks Polish?: Spytałem rodziców i mogę iść na dyskotekę
Interests: Everything and anything

Displayed posts: 244 / page 2 of 9
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dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

Auck a ken, but im in the mood to have a little laugh ;)

On another note, you dont know any Swedish folk or people who can speak Swedish?
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

And no, you haven't got a pair. In fact, you haven't got a single one between you.

It funny cos you said grow a pair, which would imply that you had none before.

2000pln a month?? what u talking about?
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

Grow a pair, would ya?

So what would you suggest the teachers do? Go to court, pay bucket loads for a court verdict that would never be in their favour? Or would you go marching in there and burn the place down! ha.

As you said you were teaching 15 years ago, time have changed dude.
So bright spark, what do you suggest?
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

and you don't see your wages in full as usual in the next month's pay packet, they can find a new teacher full stop

Considering that exactly what most schools use in their favour, not a good tactic. Teachers are ten a penny. Many of them have no choice or they would be sacked. I know many folk who have had to leave the country cos they made enemies with the bosses and couldnt find any work afterwards. For a lot of teachers its the only job they can take in a given country. Lose it means lose any chance of working there, paying bills ect as most school wouldnt even bother giving you the money you have already earned.

I know when I left my school, they tried not to pay me anything, so on the second last day of teaching I made it clear that I would take their business' which many joined up for classes cos of me with me.

There are BIG problems in Poland at the moment when it comes to the right of teachers. Basically the schools have it good cos there are more teachers than needed. I had other teachers who had to wait for upto 6 weeks for their wages because the owner said she couldnt afford to pay. In time this became a normal thing for them, and because they were Polish and didnt have contracts, they couldnt do anything about it. At the same time the owner would be on her holidays and updating her school while her teachers were still waiting for weeks on end to get their cash.
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
Life / Stolen car parts [30]

Not for a quick escape eh?
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

You also got to remember that 90% of contract are not worth the paper they are printed on. I never accepted a fine and made sure I always got my money back through different means.
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

In the end teachers have had a fair share of BS from their bosses. A lot of this comes down to the 2-3 of them who turn up drunk or completely miss lessons due to drinking or not being bothered. In turn those teachers who actually enjoy their job and work hard get tarred with the same brush.

On the point about crappy school policies. A school I worked for had a fine list, with about 10 different ways of teachers getting fined. Ranging from a 25pln for being at the school 9mins before the lesson as opposed to a 300pln fine I got for them changing my hours without my knowledge and missing a 2 hour business lesson!
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
Life / Toilet Signs in Poland and Continental Europe [18]

This has baffled me for years. Every intelligent thought would make you think it was the other way round, but nope.

An afterthought. Could it have something to do with the shape of the toilets? Triangle for urinals and circle for toilets?
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
Life / Stolen car parts [30]

They done a good job. Where can I find such expert thieves?
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
UK, Ireland / Why are we paying child benefit in Poland? [63]

It goes both ways. I know people who have the same degrees as your wife, and still ask for help with certain words and meaning ect. English might seem such an easy language for us, but English has many more words than any other language in the world, ****, even I dont know them all :)
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

I remember one class that we were discussing childrens toys. I taught them "rocking-horse", And one ****** complained to me in front of the class that I didnt know what it meant and had to glance at my book to find the meaning. I stared at him as if to say "WTF, which person here is the teacher?". He thought he was funny and had a wee laugh. The rest of the class were looking at me as if I was going to hit him. In the end I told him that if he wasn't willing to learn, and showed no respect that he could sit outside and ride a rocking-horse till he understood that I wasn't willing to deal with his smart assed comments. He complained and I got fined 50pln, but it was worth it. 2 years later I got a card thanking me for being his teacher after he passed his FC exam.

Other people I dont like teaching are those who are only there because they feel that they should be there, but dont give a toss. You know, those who spend all lesson laughing and chatting with one another rather than actually make an effort or listen.
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

Isn't proofreading exceptionally tedious, but well paying work?

Yes, I still work for one of the biggest international companies in Poland. So next time you buy your Electrolux product, and read the instruction manual, think of me!!! :D

That doesn't mean it will be any easier to understand, as a fecking computer program prevents you from using English that you know is simple :D
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

In the beginning I really hated the little feckers. But once I saw my efforts were making result, I started to love teaching kids. Big job satisfaction with it!
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

a sober and motivated teacher

Guess you're not talking about me then :D

The best bet is getting the timing right in the application process.

That and knowing someone already in a school.
Many people came to me to ask for jobs. One of which is on this forum. I made the mistake once of getting someone a job in the school i worked at, after that I was dealing with 4-5 folk asking for jobs. In the school I used to work at before here, 70% of teachers have me to thank for their jobs and the said school has one of the best reps in Krakow.
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

Schools have tightened their belts and have made teachers bargain more come negotiation time. They will not lower their profit margins for teachers. It's easier in Gliwice. My timetable is falling into place nicely so I can slot some privates in.

Exactly. Plus I hate schools who tell newbies that they must have a TEFL certificate. For me these qualifications are meaningless. Yes they do kinda teach you how to teach. But give me a month with any new teacher and trust me, they will be great.
dtaylor5632   
6 Dec 2009
News / ENGLISH STILL PROFITABLE IN POLAND? [78]

Maybe for schools it has been a bad year. Yet when I left my school to come here, they were over-flowing with classes, so much that they sometimes couldn't find a teacher who was free. This led to the "boss/owner" (who couldn't speak English) to start a happy smile board. Teachers who took on extra lessons would get more smiles and be paid more. Another crap idea she had was to have the teacher evaluations put on a board so other teachers and students could read them. I almost slapped her when she asked for my opinion on these idea's. From a man management point of view it is moral destroying for the teachers. As everybody can have an "off-day".

Again I will point out the only rule that matters in teaching. If you have a good reputation, then work, money and private lessons will come flowing to you. But a good rep is something very hard to build in a city like Krakow.
dtaylor5632   
4 Dec 2009
Real Estate / Prices of apartments in Krakow are collapsing further down in 2010-2011 [150]

If I knew someone with those symptoms I could section them under the mental health act ;)

This guy makes me laugh :)

Can't wait till I can buy a wing of the palace with my weeks wages here :D

Put me down for the west wing please, I'd like the river view.
dtaylor5632   
30 Nov 2009
Travel / Platform information traveling from Krakow to Rzeszow [28]

aye she was a wee polish gem;)
Im not fluent but I speak it well enough to have convo's with folk. I never went and studied it at school but just picked it up as i went along. Ive known some people to master it in less than a year, others longer. Depends how much practice you get.