Job Discussion Forums

Hatcher · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 602

My western supervisor said that he wants me to encourage my students to come to class (university). I responded by saying that they are grown men with several engaged to be married. If they dont want to come to class, what can I - a non-Saudi, non-Muslim - say or do?

He said that he wants to do everything possible to get them into class and motivate them. I asked, "If a Saudi arrived in the west at big university and told his students the opposite to what they had been brought up to follow in terms of education, would anyone listen?"

This society has a very different view and philosophy on education and if I make claims that go against what their family, friends and society have been telling them their whole lives, will it matter?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Is there an absence policy ? Any place I taught in in KSA had a rule about xnumber of absences = FAIL ! That will motivate them !

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I agree. It is going to have to be a rule of the institution that you can enforce with management backing you up - and I mean all levels of management. That is far less common than it should be. Other than that, teach those who care enough to show up and want to learn.

VS

Sheik Yerbuti · Joined: 02 Dec 2012 Posts: 105 Location: the promised land

In the five settings I have taught at in Saudi, it's always the
same. A strict attendance policy sure to be bent by mid-term. The
exception will be the teacher who draws students who WANT to be there...
then he makes the other cats look like they are just playing the game,
waiting til the 25th of the month...

jaffa · Joined: 25 Oct 2012 Posts: 403

Hehe, the eternal absence problem.

I teach government employees, any age from 25 to 59, and some of them still can't resist the temptation to slack off. "I have to take my wife to hospital" being the most popular excuse - so women are useful other than for making babies.

A mind-boggling lack of logic is just another aspect of life that is so tedious out here.

At the end of the week I have to email their managers re. attendance, which can be 5 minutes to a full morning (2 hours), and Christ knows how many times I've had the following exchange:-

Student (fuming with anger on a Saturday morning): Why absent, teacher!?

Me: Because you weren't here.

Student: Why absent!?

Me: I don't why you were absent. You tell me.

Student: Why!? Why teacher!?

johnslat · Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 9:12 pm Post subject:

Dear jaffa,

Ah yes - the "Why you fail me?" Why you absent me?" whines.

Regarding the latter, I used to tell them "Because I'm absent-minded." Very Happy

Regards,
John

PeterParvo · Joined: 18 Dec 2011 Posts: 103

Hatcher · Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 602

So again, is it a fair analogy?

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 3:58 am Post subject:

Dear hatcher,

Whether it's "fair" or not isn't really important. What's important is what might happen to YOU if you don't do what your supervisor wants.

If you think there won't be any consequences, do whatever you want. If you think there could be, and you'd rather not take the chance, do as he asks, despite your disagreement,

Regards,
John

salamiandbacon · Joined: 13 Apr 2012 Posts: 41

Hatcher said