Job Discussion Forums

[Denim-Maniac]

^^^ that is a bit crappy. I dont think Id like that either. Ive never done test prep so have no direct experience, but I can really imagine schools doing this and its definitely poor form. I only teach general English, but if I had very specific ESP or test prep classes maybe I would view my material in a different light. More food for thought I think.

Ive also had the experience mentioned earlier in this thread about giving something to a new teacher to help her and having her pass it on without my knowledge.

That was something as simple as a 'find someone who' activity sheet Id made for 'first day' lessons with German teenagers. I gave it to a new teacher who had a different group of students to me (so no clash of interests between us). The next year I worked for the same school, shared classes with another teacher and on the groups first day she told me she was using a 'find someone who' activity another teacher gave her. It was my same sheet, copied from the previous year. I thought it was cheeky, but the main problem for me was that it affected what I could do in class on that day.

[coratheexplorer]

[Burke]

I think this poll is flawed because it asks two questions not one... I would share with my trusted colleagues but not with the school. Chinese schools will copy everything they can get from you and use as their own when you are gone. And the sooner you give them your resources, the sooner you are replaced with a cheaper Chinese teacher!

[MisterButtkins]

I 100% do not care if anyone copies any of my material. It's not like I am making money on it, so why does it matter if they re-use it?

[JamesD]

Owing to my superior intellect I feel obligated to assist those less fortunate, hampered as they are by their lack of creativity, inferior reasoning ability, and genetic inferiority.
It is a daily struggle for me to maintain this level of altruism amidst such obvious ennui and idiocy evidenced by the majority of my 'colleagues'; however, I do carry on in hopes that future society will recognize my sacrifice.

You may now "Hail" me.

[fat_chris]

[Non Sequitur]

Interesting that the poll is skewed in exactly the opposite way to my recent one on respect for copyright.

[kungfuman]

[GreatApe]

I chose the middle (third) option and pretty much agree with johnpartee and fat_chris down the line.

I'm a teacher and the English Department Head/DOS at my school and currently the ONLY Native-English speaker on staff ... so that pretty much means I'm in charge of improving the English of our students in our International school. This is the job my boss is paying me to do. It's a big responsibility and a big job ... impossible to succeed without communication and information sharing.

I deal with students who are going overseas to study ... either to finish high school or to go to college or university. I do a lot of demonstration lessons and I evaluate the Chinese English teachers on our staff as well as the other foreign teachers. There's no use hiding anything when the goal is to educate students and get them to USE THE LANGUAGE!

--GA

[xiguagua]

I see nothing wrong with COLLABORATING with fellow colleagues, and I don't think anyone here is suggesting teacher A leaving his class and handing off his lesson to teacher B that does nothing but drink all weekend and never prepares, that's just absurd.

Collaborating and communicating is required in almost ANY profession, if I have a good idea that helps the students, why should I be an A-hole and not share it with someone who is having some problems or needs some ideas? I'm not doing the work for them, i'm collaborating with them, giving them some information on what i've done in the past, and they can choose to adapt it for themselves.

Likewise if i'm talking to another teacher about what i'm doing in class and they have some good ideas to improve it, should I say......whoa wait a minute, is this copyrighted information? Let me call my lawyer and make sure it's ok. Give me a break Hilena