Job Discussion Forums

[fluffyhamster]

You obviously have absolutely nothing to say here Sasha other than "defending yourself", so trot/hop/ooze along on stumps now, there's a good disabled "knight" errant.

[Sashadroogie]

Glad you found a friend, Fluffy. But I fear he knows as little about observations as you do. Mewl away all you want. Doesn't change the problem that your arguments against observation and the teaching clip are extremely weak. Starting up this thread with your attemped analysis of the videoed lesson should surely have been done with some constructive goal in mind. Instead all you've done is try to defend your beleaguered position. But at least you've gained a happy friend : )

Hope it all works out splendidly for you!

[fluffyhamster]

Believe it or not, Happyinshangqiu's appearances always come as a surprise to me too. I think he's just calling it like he sees it, and I was simply picking up on the Python reference. I feel it's a bit disingenuous of you though to say that I know nothing about observations when you're the one who's failed to explain exactly what makes that clip so "supermethod", but then, you've never been one to offer much analysis of even the IYHO bad clips you've posted (such as here: http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=1079716#1079716 ), which should be easier to note umpteen things about. (Oh, but that's what I just did with the Rolf clip too isn't it, saved you quite a job again eh! Albeit this time in a reverse sort of way - can find plenty to criticize=can't find much to praise, right?).

Anyway, glad to hear that you still have your spirits despite having just become a quadruple amputee (beleaguered indeed!), let's hope it doesn't become a quintuple or worse!

[Sashadroogie]

Fluff, I've already contributed enough about observations and methodology on this thread. The issue is you just don't like what is seen as standard and conventional by leading experts in the feild. You claim to know better. Presumably this is all as a result of being bullied on your Ctefla all this years ago. Pity you cannot support your claims, or provide evidence of your supermethod - the term refers to your preferred way of teaching, not the clips. 

Still, if it's all about bullying then you've really got it made with Mr Happy : )

And I think you may be giving a little too much credit to happiness' Python awareness. Incidentally, don't those animals swallow hamsters whole as a light snack? Please be careful...

[fluffyhamster]

I believe I certainly know better than you and Rolf regarding grammar (and functions, yadda yadda), yes. And sure, all that is no thanks to my cert or any advice offered since by trainer types, who would have me trust them rather than my own brain (but then, they need to try to justify their existence, don't they!). Either way, one soon develops a nose for iffy exemplars (assuming one has any sense). One's classes are ultimately one's own responsibility to teach as well as possible.

Anyway, you haven't contributed anything regarding the teaching of reduced relative clauses ("or something" - Something, Something, Something, Dark Side?), so the onus is actually on you to say something about how you'd approach that area (or would you just copy Rolf? That'd be rather unimaginative, to say the least!).

[Sashadroogie]

As opposed to your contribution?

Let's see your video clips. All these months later, and still nothing.

By the way, what makes you think you're better at grammar than any one else here?

[fluffyhamster]

I didn't say I was better at grammar than anyone else here, merely (given this particular context, certainly) better than you and Rolf, and until you give my analysis (you know, as laid out in each of those non-trivial contributions on pages 12 and 13, that you skated right over) the attention it deserves, the shakiness of Rolf's approach will remain an apparent mystery to you. (But not to others. At least six people that I know of, four of them Dave's members, have by all accounts actually read what I've written and found nothing objectionable about it, quite the reverse in fact, so you're clearly the odd man out here).

As for videos, nice try, but:

- Spiral gave a good list of reasons back on page 4 about why taking videos to post online could be a no-no from the go-go, to which I can only add:

- there's a difference between seeking or pushing for universal uncritical blanket recommendation (as the establishment does for its products, and you did with those clips, "because" they're "Harmer's" or "Scrivener's" or "OK just a teacher's rather than an EFL sleb's, but he's at Waffwaff School of English, I'll have you know, now gasp and swoon accordingly"), which necessarily invites inspection and presumably welcomes constructive feedback (like I've given), versus simply getting on with what works for oneself personally. A good many of my posts are not so much about "how" to teach "whatever" but about the linguistic what's to teach (and why!), so I'm more interested in bottom-up research and preparation than execution (fun though it is to sometimes "reverse engineer" by observing others, especially their fuzzy or fudgy selections)

- it should be possible to "forward engineer" from detailed descriptions on the page (which may give far more reasons and rationales than long slow rather uneventful lessons in real time (and editing them isn't always ideal, begs yet more questions, as we have seen)), and the fact that you don't ever seem able to is your problem, not mine

- much as you'd like to be the judge of my actual classes wherever, I've seen little reason to believe you have the necessary qualities to give impartial, constructive, and detailed-enough feedback, so I'll spare myself the "honour".

So, no thanks.

Still waiting for YOUR answers, "by the way". And I'm not going to bother answering any more of your questions (mere futile distractions that they are) until you deign to answer. I've been more than fair and patient given your endless smoke n mirrors delaying tactics.

[Sashadroogie]

Fluffy, do you really think that your meandering postings get read, let alone responded to?

When was the last time you were observed, or observed another? Just out of vague curiosity, and an attempt to get this resurrected thread back on topic...

[fluffyhamster]

You posted a clip, it got thoroughly observed. More than enough on topic, I'd say. So, and I say this for the Nth and final time, quit stalling.