To think this place is an absolute s**tshow

[Letsdancetojoydivision]

Not sure if my expectations are too high or if this is typical of teaching, as I haven't worked in many places like this.
I've got a summer job as an EFL teacher for kids.
I was told first of all that the children would possibly not respect me as I'm a woman, and that behaviour may be tricky.
I've never seen such difficult behaviour in my life. Despite using behaviour strategies and moving their seats, there's such a lack of respect. Sitting with their feet up, getting out of their seat when they please, laughing when I tell them off, fighting, etc. I have tried positive reinforcement like stickers, but the poor behaviour continues regardless. I know they're just children, but I never expected it to be this bad.
There isn't any room I can move them to, I've got 7 students all aged between 6 and 10.
There's no playground or anything so the breaktimes are spent in the very small classroom.
The teacher's breaktimes are unpaid, however I've got to spend this unpaid break supervising the children on their break and I cannot leave the room.
Today, I couldn't get to the toilet for 3.5 hours.
I'm supposed to have an unpaid hour for lunch, however the best couple of days I've only been able to take 40 minutes as I've had to wait behind for late parents picking up children.
I don't think it's right, but so many jobs expect people to work unpaid. Teachers who teach the adults here are getting their breaks.
The classroom is full of toys but yesterday they got too many toys out so they were today 'banned" by the coordinator from taking them out. So the kids can't leave this room for 3.5 hours and aren't allowed to play with the toys in there either.
There was no cleaner and the floor was a tip but I didn't have the equipment. One of the parents commented on how dirty the floor was and I felt quite embarrassed.
The previous teacher left after 2 weeks, I can't blame her. I can't see myself doing this until the end of August. Apparently parents are questioning why there's a new teacher (me), and I'd feel bad if they were to have yet another new teacher. They're paying hundreds of pounds per week for this I believe, but it's so poorly organized and the facilities aren't good enough. Not sure whether to try and stick it out or if it's me.

I've asked for behavioral issues to be passed onto parents (it's not me who speaks with the parents) but if they're paying so much money I imagine that the school wants to keep them sweet and wouldn't want to say anything.

Are you actually managing to teach anything?

We do get some work done but not as much as we could be..just feel like telling them tomorrow I won't be going back

7 students is a small number for an esl classroom, even for that age group. We usually complain about large classes but small can have their own challenges too.

You are teaching a wide age range which isn’t unusual, however, the top and bottom end of the range are very different developmentally. Another challenge!

You have challenging circumstances in your classroom before you even start to look at the children as individuals.

Time for toilet break - unfortunately, that is normal. However, the children’s behaviour would improve if you were able to change their surroundings periodically.

There is a reason the previous teacher left after two weeks. I’d do the same!

And that is before considering you are losing your break times etc. When you take that into account, are you even earning minimum wage?

There are a few reputable summer programmes in the UK still recruiting. Try them!

If teachers are in such short supply I would quit and find another position, sounds like a ridiculous set up.

3.5hrs for the toilet can be standard in teaching sadly.

I also don't agree with the banning of toys.

It's quite an age gap you have too.

Is there a routine? How well do the students know each other? They've had a lot of change, it sounds. I think you have to go back to scratch and re-establish your boundaries and expectations for the place. Can you scrap all your plans and spend a few days just getting to know each other, establishing a new atmosphere?

There should be laws regarding the toilet thing, in not but what if you're pregnant or have a medical condition.
The kids are to be escorted to the toilet and back, but since I can't leave the room I have to shout for the poor receptionist to take them each time.
Yeah, putting children in a room full of toys and saying don't touch any of them is a bit of a recipe for disaster.
I will try to do that today, the parents expect daily homework so I don't know if they'd allow that really but I can try, thank you

The only way you will get respect is if the parents (fathers) demand it of their children. I recall an incident with a child age 6 who slapped his teacher because she held his hand to guide his writing. Had to have the father and the uncle come to the school and tell the boy that his female teacher was allowed to touch him on the hand, place a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, and to unscrew his thermos for him if it was too tightly closed. The only females allowed to touch him prior to this was his mother and grandmother. His mother still fed him spoonful by spoonful at home, so he did not eat any lunch at school.
Another incident, an East Asian immigrant, had to have the father come in and told him that he could not - under our laws - beat his youngest son (age 6) when the oldest son (age 8) got in trouble or got a poor grade.

Suggest they replace you with a male teacher.

These ESOL/ TEFL summer schools are the absolute worst end of teaching. I’ve worked in a few in lots of different countries and the ones in the U.K. are the pits, especially if it is a Summer schools for kids shipped in from Europe. This is mainly because the kids have come to the exciting excursions that they run once a week and the chance to be without their parents in a foreign country and NOT to learn.

I signed up to do a Summer at one in Leicester years ago and it was so terrible that I quit after three days. Bad working conditions, management expecting to own you in exchange for a pittance and rude, rude kids who couldn’t be disciplined because their parents had paid thousand for them to come.

Teaching main stream is infinitely better.

I feel sorry for those parents paying a few hundred a week for this. It's very hard for primary aged children to not be allowed to have a run around for a few hours.
I don't know how much respect there is at home but I can see that a lot of the children are very privileged/spoilt.
For instance I've got a brother and sister in my class, at breaktime their mum dropped them off each a full Starbucks frappe with whipped cream. Most children have a carton of juice or a water!
I can't understand me repeatedly telling a 6 year old girl to sit down, complete her work (offering her help) telling her that I would be telling her Dad of poor behaviour, and her repeatedly laughing at it.

Agree i think it'd be different with a male teacher.

I agree I went out to a school in the UAE years ago
Did a week came home I got a job the next week people are crying out for teachers

I earn just over £13 per hour, only paid per hour I'm actually teaching though.