Author Interviews Me

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When I was back in the States for Christmas, a lady who read my blog emailed me requesting an interview for her next book. Victoria Westcott is the author of Guide to Teaching in London: A Survival Guide for Canadians and the co-founder of the teacher recruitment agency, Classroom Canada.

Check out her websites at:
http://www.GuideToTeachingInLondon.com
http://www.classroomcanada.blogspot.com
http://www.classroomcanada.com

She plans to write a book for Americans teaching in London and wanted interview me for the book. Since she's in Canada at the moment, she emailed me her interview, and I filled it out and sent it back.

Next thing I know, she's taken me under her wing, offering advice for my troubles in school and suggestions on how to get out of it. Eventually, she asked me to give her a call when I get home from school.

So tonight, I'm calling Victoria Westcott, the author and founder of her own company. I really admire her. I'd love to pick her brain and find out how she writes books and creates companies. I want to do those things, too! (Hell, let's face it. I want to do everything.) I want to be an author. I want to own my own company, something I believe in and that makes me happy. That's the biggest thing: I want to believe in my work. I want to be happy.

On the phone, she sounds professional, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about the ins-and-outs of teaching in London. "Normally, we don't recruit Americans because the visa requirements make it so difficult for Americans to work in the UK," she says. "But I know your plight and I feel sorry for you! I can't just leave you there!"

Apparently, it's a VERY common thing for an agency to bring in a foreign teacher and dump them outside of London. "That'd be fine if you had told them that you want to live in the suburbs," Victoria says. "However, when you specifically say that you want to live in London, I don't know why they wouldn't find you a job in London! It's not like there aren't any out there."

I learn that my agency is notorious for dumping teachers outside of London, not fulfilling their promises and obligations, and even for putting teachers in a job for which they aren't qualified. My agency told me they'd help me find housing, and they didn't. They told me my school was an excellent school, but it's the worst school I've ever seen. They told me they'd check up on me, but they aren't and never have. They told me Luton is close to London, and yet it takes me two hours to get from my school to the center of London. They told me that getting paid through them was exactly the same as getting paid through the school, except that they'd pay me at a higher rate than the school. But that's not true. Getting paid through the agency is on a day-by-day basis; if I don't work, I don't get paid. That includes no pay for holidays, sick days, etc.

"Actually," says Victoria, "I don't understand how it's legal for the agency to be paying you. It seems like you should be on the school's payroll."

That's what I thought, too. I still don't get why the agency would want to pay me, when I'm not even working for them. I work for the school. Whatever.

Classroom Canada has connections with various schools throughout London, so Victoria says they'll start shopping around for me. Even if I wind up in another rough school, at least I'd be in London, instead of Luton. And if they find me a school that's near one of their teacher accommodations, then I can live in their building with a bunch of Canadian teachers! Who could ask for more? I'm really excited about that idea. I mean, it'd be just like living in the college dorm, where your rooms are small but your friends are right next door and right upstairs. Fun!

Victoria sets me up with an appointment to meet one of her employees at the London office near Oxford Circus. I'm going to fill out the paperwork and bring the necessary documents to fully register with Classroom Canada. I can't be more grateful to her.

I'm going to get the hell out of this school.

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