Teaching English: A Day In The Life Of A Teacher In China

Dariece Swift author's bio Goats On The Road

We’ve written about how to start teaching English in China, how to actually find teaching jobs in China (and also how to teach English online), but we haven’t actually set out what a day in the life is like!

For all of you who are thinking about teaching English in China, or if you’re just curious about what it would be like, here’s an example of our busiest teaching days, which are Saturdays and Sundays because we work in a private school.

Not sure if you want to pack up your life and move to China? There’s another option – you can Teach English online from home, or anywhere in the world!Check out our article for details:

Teach English Online: Get Paid With These Top 12 Companies

english teaching in china
My favourite class of 3 adorable kindergarten girls: Yoyo, Mandy and Ada

8:00am – Arrive at the school, have a coffee, read over our lesson plans and get our materials ready.

8:30am to 10:10am – This is our first class of the day. During that hour and forty minutes, we have a 10 minute break.

10:10am to 10:20am – We only have a 10 minute break in between our first class and our second class. We have a quick scan of our lesson plan. It’s usually pretty rushed.

10:20am to 12:00pm – This is our second class of the day. We also have a 10 minute break during this hour and forty minute class.

12:00pm to 1:30pm – We have an hour and a half for lunch. We’ll usually go out for a walk, eat some food and relax. We also might have a lesson plan or two to write during this break.

teaching english in china
Nick writing a lesson plan in the office on his lunch break

1:30pm to 3:10pm – This is our third class of the day. Again, we have a 10 minute break during this hour and forty minute class.

3:10pm to 3:40pm – We have a half an hour break in between classes. We’ll have a coffee and review our lesson plan for the next class.

being an english teacher in china
Writing and reviewing my lesson plan for the next class

3:40pm to 5:20pm – This is our final class of the day. As with the other 3 classes, we have a 10 minute break.

5:20pm – Finished!

being an english teacher in china
Adorable Oscar with his little mohawk haircut

Saturdays and Sundays may seem like they are long days because we arrive at 8:00am and leave at 5:20pm, but as you can see, we have a lot of breaks during the day! Outside of the busy weekends, we work 1.5 hours each on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Mondays and Tuesdays are our days off.

teaching in china
My student, Frank and his little brother, Kobe. The 2 cutest students at our school, you should see the amount of attention these 2 brothers get!

Each class is different than the one before it, which makes it seem new and exciting every time we step into a classroom. We adore our students and really enjoy being English teachers here in China!

Teaching English is a great job, but there are so many more options out there for those who want to learn how to earn money and pay for travel. Check out our epic list of 101 Travel Jobs, learn how to find work, how much each job pays and what the work entails.

If you’re interested in Teaching English overseas, let us know if you have any questions. It’s the perfect job for travellers or anyone looking to try something new!

  TEACHING ENGLISH IN CHINA INFORMATION

BUDGET BACKPACKING GUIDE TO CHINA

Like it? Pin it?



teaching english- a day in the life of a teacher in china

Dariece Swift author's bio Goats On The Road

Written by

Dariece Swift

Dariece is a co-founder of Goats On The Road, and an expert in saving money, finance management, building an online business and of course... travel. She loves meeting new people, trying new cuisines, and learning about the unique cultures of our world. She has over 12 years of experience helping others to realize their travel dreams and has worked in numerous jobs all over the world to help pay for travel.

Related Posts

places to teach English in China

10 Best Cities to Teach English in China

China is an incredibly rewarding place to teach, but what are the 10 best cities to teach English in China? With such a unique and varied landscape, from the Himalayas to the Gobi Desert, from the Karst mountains, to vibrant and bustling cities, China has it all! With 56 distinct ethnic groups scattered across this ...
best online TEFL courses

8 Best Online TEFL Courses (Teach Online & Abroad)

If you hope to teach English online, getting your TEFL certification is a great idea. In fact, if you plan to teach English abroad in any capacity, getting your TEFL course online should be high on your to-do list. I’ve been an online English teacher for 3 years, and in order to get that job, ...
best level 5 tefl courses

Best Level 5 TEFL Courses Online (Fully Accredited)

Choosing a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course can be tricky. With so many options available, you might be wondering which program is best for you. For those who want to go above and beyond basic credentials, a rigorous Level 5 TEFL certification course might be your best bet! Generally speaking, TEFL Level ...

Comments are closed.