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sharkpunch
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:07 pm Post subject: How are Saudi students |
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| Just in general, what kind of attitude can I expect from 18-20 year olds. |
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cmp45
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 1475
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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I can only speak about the male students. Generally, most are nice and polite;some are studious, some playful, most are not very conscientious.
One major issue you will find frustrating is their extreme addiction to their mobile phones. You will find that many literally can not, will not stop using their phones in class. They seem to have this need to hold their phone at all times. Some may have as many as 3 or 4 phones. I had one student that was extremely addicted to his phones. He displayed, what I can only assume were withdrawl symptoms such as nervous shaking, twitching after I had taken it away from him. He couldn't take his eyes off the phone after I had set it on my desk. I find it extremely annoying. I have tried many tactics from humor, lecturing- explaining why they shouldn't use them in class, but mostly I use the shock and awe- screaming at them works best; I use the shock and awe sparingly, usually it scares the bejeezes out of them and brings them out of their mobile trance and will usually put them away... for a while any ways ...LOL. They try to be sneaky and hide them under the desk or under their books...as if I don't notice...ah what to do...like any addiction it is near impossible to get them to change. They have to want to change...many just don't get why it's a problem ...some eventually stop, some just refuse or can not stop. that's my rant for today! TGIF or in KSA TGIW!!!
Last edited by cmp45 on Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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Dear cmp45,
Nice post, I'd say. It reflects my experience - though having left in 2003, I didn't have that much trouble with mobiles.
Regards,
John |
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cmp45
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 1475
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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John,
I think this mobile phone problem is getting worse. kids today have no self control; knowing when to shut the technology off! It's 24/7 with the majority of them. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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My experience was that Saudi students are actually more personable,polite and easier to manipulate than their age-mates in Britain and Europe. I left in 2011 and my experience was in a university, college and company training centre.
No way would I want to have ANYTHING to do with 18 year olds in my native Scotland ! MONSTERS !
Last edited by scot47 on Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:00 am; edited 1 time in total |
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fledex
Joined: 05 Jun 2011
Posts: 342
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:41 am Post subject: |
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I found that there was some difference in students in different parts of KSA. In Riyadh, I actually went as far as making students hand over phones before I marked their attendance for class. Turned out that many of them had more than one phone.  |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:26 am Post subject: |
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Not sure if it would fly in Saudi, but I remember a professor in Cairo who came into class with a bucket of water. Any phone that rang, buzzed, vibrated, or in any way made its presence known (like in front of the face or texting) went into the bucket. Only a couple got dunked before the word got around that he was serious.
Since he was a respected administrator at the university too, none of the students dared to cross him.
In Oman I had a very large lecture course in business. If a phone made its presence known... I walked around as I lectured - theoretically to keep them awake... but if I heard or saw it, I would just hold out my hand without interrupting my sentence and it would be tossed into my bag when I next passed my desk.
I doubt that one could get away with that in Saudi. It was invariably male students. After the first week or two, I had few problems with phones. During exams, all phones went on my desk before the exam papers were handed out.
In every Gulf country the students and the rules that can be enforced will differ. Like John and Scot, I was lucky to work for places with administrations that backed up the teachers.
VS |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:05 am Post subject: |
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| I thought about the bucket of water ( a large glass of water would be less obtrusive) but never carried it out. There might be a rebellion but word would get around on the "telephone Arabe" (ie "bush telegraph") |
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trapezius
Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 1670
Location: Land of Culture of Death & Destruction
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:20 am Post subject: |
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| cmp45 wrote: |
| They try to be sneaky and hide them under the desk or under their books...as if I don't notice...ah what to do...like any addiction it is near impossible to get them to change. They have to want to change...many just don't get why it's a problem ...some eventually stop, some just refuse or can not stop. that's my rant for today! TGIF or in KSA TGIW!!! |
I don't bother trying to change them. Not my job or place. They are not middle schoolers or even high schoolers, so I don't see it as my job to be teaching adults manners/behavior. That's their parents' job (and their fault for the way their kids are), and anyway, at that age, no matter whose job it is, it is impossible to change them.
I say it at the beginning of the semester that it would be near impossible to pass if they attended but then spent the class time playing with their phones or day dreaming. After that, as long as they are not doing anything on their phones audibly, I don't give a damn. (exams and quizzes are exceptions of course, during which, they need to put them away in their pockets)
Their country, their future, their country's future, their choice. |
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cmp45
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 1475
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:57 am Post subject: |
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| trapezius wrote: |
| cmp45 wrote: |
| They try to be sneaky and hide them under the desk or under their books...as if I don't notice...ah what to do...like any addiction it is near impossible to get them to change. They have to want to change...many just don't get why it's a problem ...some eventually stop, some just refuse or can not stop. that's my rant for today! TGIF or in KSA TGIW!!! |
I don't bother trying to change them. Not my job or place. They are not middle schoolers or even high schoolers, so I don't see it as my job to be teaching adults manners/behavior. That's their parents' job (and their fault for the way their kids are), and anyway, at that age, no matter whose job it is, it is impossible to change them.
I say it at the beginning of the semester that it would be near impossible to pass if they attended but then spent the class time playing with their phones or day dreaming. After that, as long as they are not doing anything on their phones audibly, I don't give a damn. (exams and quizzes are exceptions of course, during which, they need to put them away in their pockets)
Their country, their future, their country's future, their choice. |
We are refering to the 18 to 24 age bracket here, not 25 and upwards. Yes, I agree after the age of 30 i would not bother with this aspect either. I am refering to the youngsters that are legally adults at age 18, but still hold the mentality of middleschoolers. I guess I hold a different view regarding my duties as a teacher. I firmly believe helping them learn about organizational skills, awarness of appropriate behavior in a given situation are practical, if not necessary along with self control issues that will enable them to progress onwards in their studies and into the work place. I do think you can make a difference, one student at a time within this age bracket. Hopefully after I am long gone, some of them will pass on what they learned to their own kids.
I realize not all students catch on or actually understand the concept of self disapline regarding these practical skills, but amazingly enough some actually do, and the rest may eventually learn through repeatedly making the same stupid choices... or not. Yes the parents should have instilled these common sense behaviors in their kids...sadly many students model their parents' poor behavior.
Yeah, it's not my job, but I do it anyways, I can't help it; maybe it's the fatherly instincts in me.  |
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Linguist
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Posts: 202
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:03 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| had one student that was extremely addicted to his phones. He displayed, what I can only assume were withdrawl symptoms such as nervous shaking, twitching after I had taken it away from him. He couldn't take his eyes off the phone after I had set it on my desk. I find it extremely annoying. |
Perhaps these were not withdrawal symptoms, but the fear of what you may find if you were to open these phones and look at some of the pics, audio and video files. I believe that some of them carry illicit materials that should not even be in this country.
[Self-edited: It is enough without the personal experience account. There are bad apples everywhere. ] |
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posh
Joined: 22 Oct 2010
Posts: 430
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| Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Spare a thought for these poor things: not only are they destined for an imprisoned life as an MBO, they have to wade through sewage to get to school! Not that you'd be teaching them. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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i think - if I remember correctly- that I tried to focus on the minority who actually wanted to learn something.
Last edited by scot47 on Sat Sep 22, 2012 8:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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Deasr scot47,
Wise choice - one-on-one teaching/learning is better anyway .
Regards,
John |
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cmp45
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 1475
Location: KSA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Linguist wrote: |
| Quote: |
| had one student that was extremely addicted to his phones. He displayed, what I can only assume were withdrawl symptoms such as nervous shaking, twitching after I had taken it away from him. He couldn't take his eyes off the phone after I had set it on my desk. I find it extremely annoying. |
Perhaps these were not withdrawal symptoms, but the fear of what you may find if you were to open these phones and look at some of the pics, audio and video files. I believe that some of them carry illicit materials that should not even be in this country.
[Self-edited: It is enough without the personal experience account. There are bad apples everywhere. ] |
It's none of my business what students have on their phones; I would never think to open their phones to check as that would be a gross invasion of their privacy. Anyways...they know better than to show me any of the crap they might have on their phone!
All I care about is that they develop a bit of self-disapline while IN THE CLASSROOM...what they do out side of the classroom is not my concern.
I would not classify any of these kids as 'bad apples'. They just need some stern guidance and to learn self awareness/ self-disapline in the classroom. Many of these 'phone addicts' are really nice students; some are actually quite bright. I can honestly say, they are for the most part decent and polite. I certainly would not label them as 'bad'. Misguided and annoying at times, yes, but not 'bad' in the sense of what that word actually implies. |
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