Aihua

See also: Recruitment Procedures, Terms of Standard Contract, Visa Application Procedures, Commencement of Employment, Foreign Teacher Responsibilities and Life in Shijingshan.

Aihua is unlike most other schools in China. We are not a chain of schools, but rather a single school that works in close harmony with the local community of Shijingshan, in west Beijing. Furthermore, we have operated for five years under a joint western and Chinese management, and so have learned to balance the needs of our teachers with the needs of the local community. We have, in fact, created an integrated western / Chinese community, which takes the best of both of these worlds, and makes something better. None who have been here would deny that the ambience at Aihua is invigorating.

We run two full and two short terms per year, and teachers are hired in accordance with these. Our two main terms coincide with the terms of the Chinese public school system. Our Autumn term runs from September to February, and our Spring term runs from March to July. We run a short, intense winter program of 14 days between our spring and autumn terms, and a summer term in July and August. During our Autumn term we hold an annual English competition for the local community, called Rising Stars. The award celebrations for these coincide with our Christmas celebrations.

Teachers are contracted for 18 teaching periods per week, and are also expected to attend regular teacher training sessions. We teach our preschool program, evening adult classes and weekend young learner and high school classes on-site. We also teach offsite at local public schools and businesses. For more details about what is entailed in working at Aihua, please consult Foreign Teacher Responsibilities.

Although we teach all levels of students, the majority of our students are young learners. The teaching style that we have developed is animated and student centered. When teaching young learners, our foreign teachers work together with a member of our enthusiastic and dedicated team of Chinese co-teachers.

All challenges that a teacher may face in adjusting to life in China are smoothed over by our support staff. Teachers are provided modern and comfortable accommodation in a shared or single apartment. We provide as many Chinese lessons for our teachers as they request, and many of our teachers have availed of this to achieve near fluency in Chinese within six months.

Beijing is an amazing place to be. If ever they tire of the local flavor of our social life in Shijingshan, it is very convenient for our teachers to travel into the cosmopolitan east of Beijing for a taste of home.

Teachers interested in working at Aihua should consult the Recruitment Procedures, Visa Application Procedures and Commencement of Employment pages of this site.