The English Teachers. RF Duncan-Goodwillie
shoulders that I never had to deal with and that kids their age in my country don’t have to deal with.
It’s remarkable they’re able to be who they are and that they’re able to enjoy being young and generally go through the same life phases that I went through – albeit with 10 times the expectation, 10 times the uncertainty and 10 times the work. I enjoy being a part of that story. If I can give them something which will ultimately be useful and enjoyable for them in the future then I’m happy to do that.
RFDG: That’s a long list of good things. Is there anything bad?
CJL: You mean about Russia, or about working here?
RFDG: Working here, in particular.
CJL: First of all, just on the most general level, it’s hard to see people come and go all the time. And everybody comes and goes. I mean, students come and go, administrators come and go, co-workers come and go, ADOSes come and go, and that’s hard.
I suppose I’m a bit more used to it now. But a couple of years ago we would have a real good sense of community. I’d get really close to various people and then they’d leave. It’s a bit morbid, but it almost felt like a death in some ways because they move on and you don’t know if or when you’re going to be seeing these people again. Then you have to start from ground zero with a new group of people which maybe you will have as good a relationship with, or maybe not. That’s a hard thing to accept in this line of work, no matter where you are.
I did sort of expect this from Russia, but there are things that could be better organised here and that’s putting it mildly. I’m not impressed with the general lack of organisation in terms of how the school as a whole does things. I think a lot of that, frankly, boils down to the fact that the business culture of this company does not mix well with an education culture. It’s not just this company, I think I see it in companies everywhere, in Russia and around the world. I can see the priorities of the business trumping the priorities of the school and the people who make up the school, and it’s just irritating. I would do things differently. It’s very annoying to have to work in an environment where those are the priorities.
RFDG: This conflict of priorities between academia and business, do you think that contributes to the high turnover rate? Or is there something else as well?
CJL: I do think that’s a big part of it. I think it’s very clear the organisation, the company, the school, does not value people. People are seen only as a means to an end, regardless of whether they’re employees or they’re customers. And I hate that mentality. I hate it in a practical sense and I hate it because of my background in political science because that is something that never ends well. And it’s just a stupid organising principle and I do think that puts a lot of people off. It does put me off as well, but as I said I’ve been able to override that because of the positive things I told you about.
In some ways I think there’s always going to a be high turnover because the type of people that are attracted to this line of work – and I think especially in Russia – are people who… I think I once described it to somebody as, “If you come and work here, you’re either running to something or from something.”
Because coming to teach English in Russia, I think for the vast majority of people I know, is not considered a step up. It’s not something that you aspire to do when you’re 10 years old. It’s not something parents brag about to their friends and co-workers the same way they would about a child who’s going to medical school, for instance.
So, if you find yourself in this part of the world and you find yourself doing this kind of work, it’s usually because you’re either reinventing yourself, or you’re trying to get away from something that happened in the past which you want to sort of wipe clean.
Or, because you sort of want an adventure and are looking for a good time. You’re going into it with eyes open and, come what may, you’ll sort of deal with it.
A lot of people I’ve worked with here already have fixed goals in mind. They’re not overly loyal to the company or the country. They come, they take what they need and then they move on to the next one. I think that would be the case no matter how well run the school was.
RFDG: Do you think it’s possible to balance academia and profit, or will they always be in conflict?
CJL: There’s always going to be some tension because the goals of those two things are different. There’s a lot that could be done to reconcile them. There are a lot of things which aren’t being done now, which could be done and which should be done, to make life a lot easier. Certainly for the teachers, but also just a lot more pleasant in terms of a work culture. I would like to see that happen.
RFDG: Could you give some examples?
CJL: This is not unique to this company, but it’s irritating to have to deal with lip service. For instance, when you get praise in the form of these very hollow platitudes that are given at the beginning and the end of the academic year. Then it’s followed up with nothing substantial during the course of the academic year when you need that support and when it would be nice to actually have something tangible which shows that the school is genuinely invested in your work and your career – not to mention the customers you’re supposedly responsible for.
In the most general sense, it would be nice to see more of an emphasis placed on people. I’ve seen a lot of good people come and go over the years, and a lot of really good teachers and administrators who have been dissuaded from staying on because they just get frustrated by the lack of attention or care that they seem to get from the organisation.
I think that’s a shame. There’s a problem if people are not willing to stick out tougher times. People, and especially experienced and talented people, should know they are in the best place when they get there. The fact I’ve seen so many go, and in some cases on not-so-great terms, that’s a problem.
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