Job Discussion Forums

[Yu]

Perhaps I am getting more settled in my job, as now it seems students are always asking for things.

First we have office hours. The Chinese teachers don't have these, but the foreign teachers do. The office hours are essentially English Corners for students with native Chinese teachers. Different teachers pick up different days. I am there once a week for about a hour and a half. Also there is a formal English Corner on Wednesday nights.

Last week at my office hour, a student approached me asking if I wanted to run another English corner at a different time that was convenient for me. Actually, nothing is all that convenient as the campus is about a 40 min bus ride from where I live, and I don't want to hang out around campus longer than necessary for people who are not my students. I deferred to the other person at the office at the time. He said he is thinking about it.

Then, the next Friday a student came up to me and asked if I could do a lecture of cultural differences. I told her I probably could (I did not really want to, but they barged in before my class and I guess I did not want to appear uncaring in front of my students. In retrospect, I would tell them to approach me during my office hours if they have such a request.) I told her I would be free from 2-5 on Wednesday. She wanted me to do it later, and I said it was not really possible. Later I remembered I am supposed to head out to Pudong that day for a hash as well, so I need to leave campus by 4:30. I told her this when she tried to change the day to Tuesday which is the Mid Autumn Festival and a day when I don't need to come to the campus.

The this weekend, I had a student e-mail me and see if I could have lunch with him. This person is actually my student, so I am more inclined to do this than the other things.

I don't mind spending time outside of class with people who are actually enrolled in my class. In fact, as I thought my husband had palns last Friday, I stayed at campus late and told students if they wanted to go out to dinner with me we could meet and go to eat. This kind of activity I feel is enjoyable. However, I do have a problem with people not in my class trying to get me to do extra work.

Where do you draw the line?

[Roger]

Don't allow them to run you off your feet! Teach them fist of all to coodrdinate their different goals among themselves.

Maybe you could just put up a poster with the times when you are available, so students can enter their names on a list and you will see how many will come?

[burnsie]

If you really don't want to do these things. Just use one of the Chinese techniques for saving face and say 'I have to talk with the school regarding your request' and leave it at that. It tells them in a round about way that you don't want to do it.

[laodeng]

Must we be constantly concerned about students' face when most of them don't give a rat's a r s e about ours?

[struelle]

[Rice Paddy Daddy]

My student asked me if our lessons could be more like the TV show "6 Friends" (Friends) - LOL!!

I don't have a couch or access to a trendy coffee shop.. aha!!!

I told her that I wasn't her 'friend' and that I was her 'teacher' and that I had a job to do.

a tough balance.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Ballancing acts are difficult. I know that I at times have a hard time with people trying to take away my free time. I often have Chinese (usually guys unfortunately ) ask me if I was to be their friend...after talking to them for 30 seconds!

I try to tell them that friendship is earned, not just handed out. I chose my friends carefully. They get all.."I see. I see." but they probably don't "See" at all.

I'm not against having Chinese friends. I have a pile already, and adding more to that list would just take away what little fun time for myself I have left.

Students? I usually make some time for them, but kids from other schools or "parents' friends' kids" don't get the time of day from me other than a polite "Hello".

Yu, I agree with you that those who pay the piper get to listen to the music of their choice.

[amberrollins]

I just try and be as compassionate and accomodating as I can without giving up all my free time. As a native English speaker and a foreigner, I realize I'm something they are not exposed to very often. I do my best to accept requests for dinners (hardly a chore) and English corners when I can. I am here to teach, and I have this crazy mental concept that being a teacher includes helping as much as possible. But if I just don't have the time, I explain this, as gently and politely as I can, but without giving any false hope.

I used to be surprised by people asking to be my friend, but I realized they usually don't mean this in the same way Westerners do - they just want the acknowledgement that it's OK to talk to me in an informal way. I reply with "You are certainly welcome to talk to me after class or any time I am in my office" and this seems to keep everything in its place without infringing on my spare time.

[laodeng]

Yes, you are here to teach, but that doesn't imply that you are here to teach without a quid pro quo. Be assured that the people who are asking you for extras don't themselves work without compensation.

[amberrollins]

I suppose it depends on one's perspective. When I taught high school, extras were just expected as your duty. I was to be at school from 7:30 am (at the latest) to 4:30 pm (at the earliest). Besides lesson planning, and teaching, I had to: a) frequently use my planning periods, when I had any, to go to meetings; b) use lunch periods to police the cafeteria and, once a week, lunch was also used for a staff meeting; c) stand in the hallway and police between classes; d) provide extra tutoring to students after school; e) hold detentions after school; f) sponsor a student club; g) attend football games, pep rallies, school plays, etc.; h) go to open house nights and talk to parents; i) regularly schedule meetings with parents after school; j) go to PTA meetings. And every night, take home a huge stack of papers to grade.

Scheduling a few dinners and English corners when I decide I have the time seems mighty sweet to me by comparison.

[laodeng]

Which is why I quit teaching high school.