|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
zactherat
Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 295
|
 Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 2:51 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| GreatApe wrote: |
| This semester, I INTENTIONALLY tried NOT to catch a student cheating on our second exam. I went out of my way to ignore things that might have been cheating and made sure to spend a lot of time looking out the classroom window while the exams were going on. |
I do not understand - do you want them to cheat, or not?
| GreatApe wrote: |
| So what happens!? .... a student drops his cell-phone on the floor during the examination! He had been holding it between his legs on his chair and looking at it during the exam. |
this student probably wouldn't have been so laissez faire with his phone if you hadn't given the impression that you'd stopped giving a shit. In fact, he might not have been tempted to cheat at all if you weren't playing games.
Mixed messages confuse people.
Last edited by zactherat on Sat Jul 06, 2013 1:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
muffintop
Joined: 07 Jan 2013
Posts: 803
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 5:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| uh...what just happened there? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
edbuch
Joined: 16 Nov 2010
Posts: 34
Location: Gansu
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 9:00 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I'm just surprised no-one has written a sit-com about being a foreign teacher in China. It is so hilarious. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
zactherat
Joined: 24 Aug 2011
Posts: 295
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 11:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
| There was a reality TV show following TEFLers in Taiwan in the mid noughties, I think. I don't think it did very well though.. maybe we're only interesting to each other. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
GreatApe
Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Posts: 582
Location: South of Heaven and East of Nowhere
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
zactherat wrote:
| Quote: |
| Mixed messages confuse people. |
Yeah, it's obvious you are very confused, but your reading comprehension skills suck to make up for it! 
| Quote: |
| this student probably wouldn't have been so laissez faire with his phone if you hadn't given the impression that you'd stopped giving a shit. |
I didn't ENCOURAGE them to CHEAT! You're reading too much into it. I didn't even mention cheating to them at all the week prior to the exam, and then I warned them not to cheat right before the exam. But nice try of blaming the teacher when posted messages (not to use cell-phones) both OUTSIDE the examination room and INSIDE the examination room fall on deaf ears and go unnoticed even when a teacher points to them. Prior to examinations our school requires invigilators to read a statement on cheating, this is for both school examinations as well as IGCSE exams.
You obviously don't understand very much about the pressure that these students are under to compete for high grades against millions of other Chinese students every year. In other words, it's "worth the risk" for them depsite things like rules and warnings and teachers who catch them cheat (as I said I had during every semester of testing since I worked at the school). Try actually READING and not just skimming before you comment next time.
As opposed to zac's comments, this:
| Quote: |
| Part of me feels bad for the students stuck in this bind, between the parents forcing them abroad to study stuff they don't like, the school draining them of energy via the 'quantity over quality' approach to education (and turning a blind eye to this kind of thing, thus encouraging it) and the school abroad who sees him as a walking hong bao. |
from dean_a_jones is SPOT ON!
I completely agree.
--GA |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
it'snotmyfault
Joined: 14 May 2012
Posts: 527
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
| GreatApe wrote: |
zactherat wrote:
| Quote: |
| Mixed messages confuse people. |
Yeah, it's obvious you are very confused, but your reading comprehension skills suck to make up for it!
| Quote: |
| this student probably wouldn't have been so laissez faire with his phone if you hadn't given the impression that you'd stopped giving a shit. |
I didn't ENCOURAGE them to CHEAT! You're reading too much into it. I didn't even mention cheating to them at all the week prior to the exam, and then I warned them not to cheat right before the exam. But nice try of blaming the teacher when posted messages (not to use cell-phones) both OUTSIDE the examination room and INSIDE the examination room fall on deaf ears and go unnoticed even when a teacher points to them. Prior to examinations our school requires invigilators to read a statement on cheating, this is for both school examinations as well as IGCSE exams.
You obviously don't understand very much about the pressure that these students are under to compete for high grades against millions of other Chinese students every year. In other words, it's "worth the risk" for them depsite things like rules and warnings and teachers who catch them cheat (as I said I had during every semester of testing since I worked at the school). Try actually READING and not just skimming before you comment next time.
As opposed to zac's comments, this:
| Quote: |
| Part of me feels bad for the students stuck in this bind, between the parents forcing them abroad to study stuff they don't like, the school draining them of energy via the 'quantity over quality' approach to education (and turning a blind eye to this kind of thing, thus encouraging it) and the school abroad who sees him as a walking hong bao. |
from dean_a_jones is SPOT ON!
I completely agree.
--GA |
Unless I'm mistaken, and I very often am 
Dean was chastising the schools who "turn a blind eye to this kind of thing", which is exactly what you did. So why are you agreeing with him?
It might be excusable to some degree to not make a fuss about cheating in the Chinese public school system as the whole system is flawed and a bit of a joke.
But exams such as the IGCSE and IB actually mean something on an international level. These exams should be externally moderated and hopefully blatant cheating would show up and somebody would have to answer some serious questions!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
davelister
Joined: 15 Jul 2013
Posts: 214
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 3:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Passive aggression in China is definitely something we, foreigners, should bear in mind in my opinion. Chinese interactions are very much based on 'face', and spuriously attained face is sadly all-well-and-good for the self-attested 'victor' or 'victim'. Whilst I've heard the seemingly harsh line, “ There are two kinds of people in China, the bullies and the bullied”, it sadly quite often seems true.
When students ask, “Westerners are open, aren't they?”, the student/s are not necessarily asking about open-mindedness (to other opinions) or straightforwardness (with one's own opinion), but a thinly disguised slight about 'open relationships', that is from what I'm told (by several Chinese). Another popular question is, “Do you like Chinese women/girls?”, Yes = Dirty beast, No = Racist.
We often have to tread a fine line in trying not to give anyone in China the opportunity to be offended. One case for me was when I was in a half decent bakery (for China) and a woman followed me around and purposely bumped into me with a yelp, after the second time I just left quickly. Either she was interested in me or I was a brute, either way I wasn't interested. Another case would be when a female student asked to take photos with me to show her parents she was dating a foreigner (a TOTAL lie! I never met her outside of class, and wouldn't want to) because of pressure from her parents to marry. I said, no way! Of course I would be the excuse for her not marrying her, and Mr Bad Laowai! It, sadly, makes me wonder about some of the other photos I've taken with students.
We can be the easy and bogus excuse for others to gain or keep face. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Big Worm
Joined: 02 Jan 2011
Posts: 171
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 10:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I don't think this is just China, but...
"Popular" princess comes to class at beginning of year. Decides to become a waste of space. Is nice to you in English, talks smack about you in Chinese in front of class immediately after. (Like I'm not going to figure it out.) Effectively tries to turn class against you. It works to some extent as she is the most beautifulestest princess is all the land!
Stops coming to class after she doesn't get an automatic 100% for gracing us with her presence. Complains to school and parents that she is failing/not coming because you are a "bad teacher" - not giving the class notes before lecture, expecting homework to be done, practice tests instead of movies, that sort of thing. Some students will back her up because they are dorky kids.
This is why it is SOOoo important to document EVERYTHING in class. CYA. When you are confronted, you can pull out your attendance and gradebook and say, "Uh well, according to my records, princess has only been here 20% of the time, and hasn't done an assignment in 3 months. I have many students that are doing well in this class, but they have nearly perfect attendance, and have done all their work." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
|
| Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 1:04 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I agree. Being able to defend your marking with records is a must. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
